A letter from Evrat ()

Translated letter:

For one who commands all good things this book is put into romance [French]. The prologue begins here of the romance which Evrat puts into romance. How can one begin a romance without putting it into romance? He answers for translating into romance for the clear exposition of the gloss for which he will always be praised, as it is well said and glossed and it is taken from the bible made with history and gloss: this book is Genesis where all the good words are set. Why do we call it Genesis? We should not conceal that it is out of great veneration of the generations and the high lineages marked in the kingdom of God. This instructs all other romances, as the countess of Champagne, who knows well how to understand and read, chose it from her library to be composed well and well glossed, because the words in it are so praiseworthy for the two laws that it contains. And who attempts to read it well may know from it the news of the old and the new [law] how one is drawn out of the other, and told and noted and described. (1-32) [Evrat sets the date of his beginning the poem 1192 years after the incarnation.] Twelve years had passed since the good lord left this life to dwell where he need no longer fear the devil. The good count, who did such good, who helped the honor of St. Stephen, rich church and well provided, whose land is all improved. He presented this to God, and his body lies there now. All his good deeds appear there that will never be undone. Afterwards Acre was conquered that the Saracens had taken. Those who first went there and took pains to do well conquered it by their prowess. Many were in great distress for the one who was put on the cross. There God saw all his good friends, there he counted them all who went to avenge his shame. The brave count Henry the noble who was attentive to all good things remained there when the others left, whose worth went down while his mounted high. The county has great honor from the prowess of such a lord it can not have greater, for he remained all alone in the land to carry on mortal warfare and did not ever fail for opposition or defense. He defended it very well who put all his intent in his good heart and good thought. He defended that earth from which all honor came to his people as was fitting. This was very comforting to the worthy mother who bore him. She was often sad and happy, comforted and distressed: sad that she did not see him, who would most have pleased her heart, and happy without grief or worry about the good things that were said of him. Such a son is suitable to such a mother, to whom no honor is bitter. All good repairs to her and nothing so appeals to her as giving largesse and honors. All women now living should take her as an example, for from her all good things are derived. All other women are honored by her, for there was long delay before honor came into their power, but she has caused it to reside there and gives strength to them.(1) She has taken away the wicked blame the world bestows on other women, so that great honor abounds in them. She kept the land well and maintained it, nor was anything she had in her hands lost; she was so gracious, and wise and worthy and courageous. In her time this book was begun and put into romance that will be envied beyond all. (121-91)

Original letter:

Cil ki toz biens fait commander Soit a cest livre enromancier. Li prologes ici commance Del romanz q'Evraz enromance. Comment donc senz enromancier Ne puet romanz encommancier? Del enromancier nos respont Por lo plain ke la glose espont, Dont il iert toz jors alosez, Tant pariert bien dis et glosez, Et si eut de la bible retraiz Par hystoire et par glose faiz: Cist livres est li Genesis, Ou tuit li bon mot sunt assis. Genesis por coi l'apelons? N'est pas droiz que nos le celons, Ke par granz venerations Est cist des generations Estraiz et des hautes lignies, Ki sunt el regne deu segnies. Cist toz altres romanz ensegne, Quant la contesse de Champaigne, Ki bien lo sout entendre et lire, Lo peut en son armaire eslire Por bien dit et por bien glose, Tant en sunt li mot alose Par les deus lois que l'en i trueve. Et ki del bien lire se prueve Par ce puet savoir la novele De la vielz et de la novele, Si cum l'une est de l'autre estraite Et dite et notee et portraite. (1-32) Et doze ans avoit ja passez, Ke li bons sire ert trespassez De ceste vie en permanable, U il ne dote mais diable. C'est li bons cuens ki tans biens fist, Ke l'onor saint Estievene assist, Riche eglise et bien provendee, Dont la terre est tote amendee. De ce fist il a deu present, Car ses cors i gist en present. Bien i perent tuit si bien fait, Ki jamais ne seront desfait. Apres ce fu Acre conquise, Ke Sarazin avoient prise. Cil ki premerain i alerent Et de bien faire se penerent, La conquistrent par lor prouece. Mult en furent en grant destrece Por celui k'en la crois fu mis. La vit deus tos ses bons amis, La numbra il toz celz par conte Ki alerent vengier sa honte. Li prouz cuens Henris li gentilz, Ki en toz biens ert ententilz, Remest la, quant cil lo laissierent Ki del tot lor pris abaissierent, Mais li suens en est halt montez. Grant honor i a la contez: De la prouesce a tel segnor Ele ne puet avoir gregnor, K'il remest tos solz en la terre Por maintenir la mortel guerre, Ki ne puet failhir a nul tens Por contredi ne por desfens. Cil l'eust mult bien desfendue, Ki mise i avoit s'entendue Par bon cuer et par bone pense. Cil ot la terre en sa desfense Dont tote honors as suens venoit, Itelz com il lor convenoit. De ce mult le reconforta La prouz mere ki le porta. Sovent en fu dolente et lie, Confortee et desconselhie; Dolente qu'ele nel veoit Ce qu'a son cuer plus li seoit, Et lie sens duel, senz enui Des grans biens c'on disoit de lui. Bien seoit telz filz a tel mere, A cui nule honors n'est amere. Tuit li bien repairent a li, Ke riens tant ne li abeli Com largece et honors a faire. A li doivent prendre exemplaire Totes les dames ki or vivent Car de li tot bien se derivent, Totes sunt par li honorees Les altres, c'a grans demorees Venist honors en lor pooir, Mais ceste les a fait seoir En lor delivre poeste. Ceste a le malvaiz blasme oste Des altres dames par le munde, Si ke granz honors lor habunde. Bien garda la terre et maintint, Ne rien de quankes a mains tint Ne perdi; tant fu gratiouse, Et sage et prous et coragouse. A son tens fu encommenciez Cist livres et enromanciez, Ki desor toz iert envieuz. (121-91)

Historical context:

The poem, begun at her request in 1192, while she was regent, was not finished when Marie died in 1198. Evrat praises Marie "for keeping a steady hand and preserving the county, which is to say she was an active ruler," in the words of a note from Theodore Evergates, who also points out that Marie was deeply into religion at the time. Evrat, a canon at St. Etienne, takes as his model Jerome, who translated the bible from Hebrew to Latin. The poem has several versions and it has been argued that Marie’s influence led the author to shift from the misogyny in the early one to “positive praise of womankind” (Jane F.A. Henderson, “A Critical Edition of Evrat’s Genesis: Creation to the Flood,” PhD dissertation, University of Toronto, 1977, 63, cited by June Hall McCash in “Marie de Champagne;s ‘Cuer d’ome et cors de fame’: Aspects of Feminism and Misogyny in the Twelfth Century,” The Spirit of the Court ed. G.S. Burgess and R. A Taylor [Cambridge: Brewer, 1985]). The poet speaks of the deaths of Marie’s husband and her son, both in the Middle East.

Scholarly notes:

(1)The translation of lines 174-84 is based on the one given by June McCash in The Cultural Patronage of Medieval Women ed. McCash (Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia, 1996), 19.

Printed source:

Reinhold R. Grimm, Schöpfung und Sündenfall in der altfranzösischen Genesisdichtung des Evrat (Bern: Peter Lang, 1976)