Trial of Womankind

the long version

"Medieval literature makes it plain that the Battle of the Sexes has been raging since at least the Middle Ages. In Martin Le Franc's in Le Champion des Dames, this battle takes on literally epic proportions. Here the fourth book of Le Franc's poem comes to life for the modern English reader as The Trial of Womankind." "In rhyming octaves, Le Franc constructs an allegorical courtroom where two attorneys named Free Will and Slow Wit argue, respectively, the case for and against women. Calling upon classical and contemporary examples from the Nine Muses and the Queen of Sheba to the Popess Joan and Joan of Arc, the attorneys tell a lively story while making plain the political, religious, and social issues of the time. Le Franc invites his readers to participate in this exchange over questions still relevant today." "This translation faithfully renders the literal meaning of the Middle French text while maintaining the original ababbcbc rhyme scheme and stanzaic structure essential to the voice of the work. With historical introduction and notes."--Jacket.