Anne of France (1461-1522) composed these lessons - presented as a
portrait of an ideal princess - as guidance in negotiating the pitfalls
facing a woman in the world of politics. First English translation.
Anne of France (1461-1522), daughter of Louis XI and sister of Charles
VIII, was one of the most powerful women of her time. As the fifteenth
century drew to a close, Anne composed a series of enseignements,
"lessons", forher daughter Suzanne of Bourbon. These instructions
represent a distillation of a lifetime's experience, and are presented
through the portrait of an ideal princess to help her negotiate the
difficult passage of a woman in the world of politics. The lessons are
here translated into English for the first time and accompanied by full
introduction, commentary and notes.
Professor Sharon L. Jansen teaches in the Department of English, Pacific
Lutheran University.