Building the ideal city: Female memorial praxis in Christine de Pizan's Cite des Dames

Studies in the Literary Imagination, Spring 2003 by McCormick, Betsy

The imagery of just such an architectural mnemonic is invoked from the beginning of the Cite.20 After describing the stupor induced by the gushing fountain of anti-feminist authorities within her mind, Christine-as-narrator, wonders, "Helas! Dieux, pourqouy ne me faiz tu naistre au monde en masculin sexe" (621; "Alas, God, why did You not let me be born in the world as a man?"; 5). She then describes herself as bowing her head in shame, her eyes full of tears and her head resting on the arm of her chair.21 At this decisive juncture, the narrator is visited by three divine female figures, Raison (Reason), Droitture (Rectitude) and Justice (Justice), who advise her "Or te reviens a toy meismes, reprens ton scens et plus ne troubles pour telz fanffelues" (625; "Come back to yourself, recover your senses, and do not trouble yourself anymore over such absurdities"; 8). They explain that they have been sent by God to defend women against their foes and to construct a refuge for femmes dignes de loz (630; "women worthy of praise"; 11). Then Raison informs Christine that the trio has come to help her build and establish this city to serve as a "certain ediffice fait en maniere de la closture d'une cite fort maconnee et bien ediffice" (630; "a particular edifice built like a city wall, strongly constructed and well founded"; 10). From this point forward, Christine will invoke detailed images of the city and its buildings, constructing a visual city for the female reader to picture and remember. Droitture then assures Christine that she will use her ruler to measure the walls of the edifice and its buildings as well as people the city, sans riens vague (634; "without leaving anything vague"; 13), just as the manuals instruct that the loci and their images must be clearly defined. Finally, justice explains that, once she has gilded the roofs of the city, she will place the keys to the city in Christine's hands; once the system has been memorized, the manuals promise that it will remain in the mind forever. This city will indeed be perpetual because Christine and, more particularly, her female reader will hold the keys to the system within their minds.

Once the trio has explained their purpose, they are ready to begin the construction of this memory city. However, underlying the establishment of such a mnemonic system is the assumption that careful mental preparation and reflection are necessary in order to provide a solid foundation upon which to build. Geoffrey of Vinsauf invokes a similar architectural metaphor for beginning the process of literary invention, advising a writer that

If a man has a house to build, his impetuous hand does not rush into action. The measuring line of his mind first lays out the work and he mentally outlines the successive steps in a definite order. The mind's hand shapes the entire house before the body's hand builds it.... As a prudent workman, construct the whole fabric within the mind's citadel; let it exist in the mind before it is on the lips. (16-17)