wellnigh sacrilegious to decry. Her challenge, _L'Epistre au Dieu
d'Amours_, took the form of an address to the God of Love, professing
to come from women of all conditions, imploring Cupid's aid against
disloyal and deceitful lovers, whose base behaviour she largely
attributes to the false teaching of these two books. This argument
appeared in 1399, and she soon discovered that she had stirred up a
hornet's nest. But she had attacked advisedly and fearlessly, and was
quite prepared for any counter onslaught. Her position was
considerably strengthened by the alliance and co-operation of her
staunch friend Gerson, the Chancellor, who himself, in the name of the
clergy, took up arms against the flagrant scurrility to be found in
the portion of _The Romance of the Rose_ contributed by Jean de Meun.
Other powerful allies joined the cause, and, to help to crystallise
their efforts, species of "Courts of Love" were instituted, not alone
for discourse on love, as heretofore, but also in the defence of
women. All who united in this meritorious fellowship undertook to wear
a distinctive badge, and thus proclaim their confession of faith.
Among these Orders one was styled "L'Escu vert a la dame blanche,"
another, "L'Ordre de la Rose," and so on, suggestive of their purport.
The first-named was founded by the brave soldier Jean le Meingre,
Marechal de Boucicaut, whose portrait may be seen in his superb Book
of Hours, painted between 1399 and 1407, now in the Musee
Jacquemart-Andre, Paris.[33] Its membership was restricted to thirteen
knights, who swore to defend the honour of women against all
detractors. To distinguish them from others less gallantly disposed,
they wore on the sleeve an ornament in the shape of a small shield,
enamelled green on the outside, and with the representation, on the
underside, of a woman, enamelled in white.

... Vous portez la dame en verde targe
Pour demonstrer que de hardi visage
Vous vous voulez pour les dames tenir
Contre ceulz qui leur porteront dommage!

[33] "Le Musee Jacquemart-Andre," _Gazette des Beaux-Arts_,
August 1912.

Of the Order of the Rose and its foundation, Christine, in one of her
poems, gives most picturesque and interesting particulars, interesting
because they are evidently taken from an actual scene, though
Christine, in her role as poetess, feels it necessary to add touches
suggestive of fairyland rather than of real life. A numerous assembly,
wit