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The University of Chicago
FOUNDED BY JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER
The Epistles on the Romance of the Rose
and Other Documents in the Debate
A DISSERTATION
SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY
OF THE
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND LITERATURE
IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
DEPARTMENT OF ROMANCE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURES
BY
CHARLES FREDERICK WARD.
1911
SECTION II., 1910.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA
VIII.—The Epistles on the Romance of the Rose and other Documentsin the Debate.
By C. F. Ward, M.A.
(Communicated by the Rev. Dr. George Bryce, President of the Royal Societyof Canada, and read by title, 28 September, 1910.)
Prefatory Note.
I am indebted for the subject treated in the following pages tosuggestions made in a course on the history of the French language atthe University of Chicago. I desire therefore first of all to express mysincere gratitude for the encouragement of Professor T. A. Jenkins,whose advice has been of inestimable value in the preparation of thedissertation.
The little work owes much to several writings of M. ArthurPiaget, particularly to his adjustment of the difficult question of thechronology of the letters, and to the essay on Martin Le Franc.
I desire to thank also, for several timely hints and very valuablesuggestions, Professors W. A. Nitze, Karl Pietsch, P. S. Allen, andJ. W. Thompson of the University of Chicago. I am also indebted tothe late Professor John E. Matzke of the Leland Stanford, Jr.,University.
C. F. W.
[p. 3]I.—INTRODUCTION.
From its first appearance the Roman de la Rose enjoyed greatvogue. We observe in this connection the glowing tributes of contemporaryand succeeding writers, the numerous manuscripts, whichcompensate for the art of printing not then invented, the translationsinto English, Dutch, Italian, and other languages. Even the numerouspaintings and tapestries of scenes from the romance point to itsgreat popularity. Perhaps the remark of M. A. Coville crystallizesthe general opinion:
“Parmi les livres du siècle précédent, un surtout fut lu de tous,admiré des uns, ardemment discuté par les autres, c’est le Roman de laRose. La seconde partie avec sa science pédante, ses allégories, sesartifices, devint une nouvelle Bible, et Jean Clopinel de Meun, l’auteur,passa pour un véritable prophète. On retrouve son influence surtoutchez les poètes et les moralistes.”[1]
Naturally (and this is also an indirect testimony to the influenceof the Roman de la Rose) there were those who