Then also the whole of Christendom was split in two by the great schism in the church. As if strife in the empire and within France itself were not sufficient, there was added the intrigues of two rival popes. The University of Paris intervened in the struggle, and we can imagine Gerson’s activity commencing with his famous address of January 6, 1391.
In the struggle, in which so many differing interests were concerned, we can easily surmise the interest of Christine de Pizan with her whole being directed towards national unity, and of Gontier and Pierre Col with their political and ecclesiastic affiliations.
[27] Pierre Col, brother of Gontier Col, chanoine de Paris et de Tournai. Cf. a letter of Nicolas de Clémanges to Gontier Col in Nic. de Clém. ed. Lydius, p. 307, Epist. cx.: “Ad Guntherum Colli, De Germani sui sospitate et reditu ex peregrinatione, gratulatio.”
[28] Cf. Anvers edition, 1706, Vol. III, col. 293 sqq.
II.—MANUSCRIPTS.
The first six letters:
- IV.Christine’s letter to Jean de Montreuil;
- V.Gontier Col’s first letter to Christine, requesting a copy of IV;
- VI.Gontier Col’s second letter to Christine;
- VII.Christine’s reply to VI;
- VIII.Dedicatory letter of Christine to Queen Isabelle of Bavaria;
- IX.Dedicatory letter of Christine to Guillaume de Tignonville
are contained in mss. A.B.C.D.E. (letter IV also in ms. F). They have been already edited by F. Beck (in 1888) from a comparison of A.D.E. only, but this edition contains a number of serious errors in the text, and of course, as the author says (p. V.), it is not a critical one.
The remaining letters, which have not been printed before, are found in mss. as follows:
- XI.Pierre Col’s letter to Christine and Gerson; (Ms. F.)
- XIII.Christine’s reply to XI; (Mss. A.B.F.)
- XIV.Pierre Col’s reply to XIII—a fragment. Ms. F.