Le Livre de l'Espérance

It is a lengthy dream vision and allegory of political, theological and poetic significance written in both verse and prose Middle French.

He evokes the valiant knights of yesteryear and contrasts former French glory to the current ruinous state of France, mired in civil disturbances and the Hundred Years War.

Melancoly (Mélancolie) appears, wraps the narrator-poet in a grey cloak and throws him onto a bed of sadness and sickness.

Then, Understanding (Entendement), a young man who embodies the narrator-poet’s capacity for reason, falls asleep, poisoned by Melancholy.

The narrative continues with the entrance of the three allegorical monsters, identifiable by their attributes and attitudes: Mistrust (Défiance), Wrath (Indignation), and Despair (Désespérance).

These monsters tempt the author to commit suicide, citing the hopelessness of his personal situation and that of his king and country.

Thanks to Memory, a small window is opened, allowing the entrance of the three Christian virtues, and a fourth mysterious lady.

She teaches Understanding how to identify the False Hope of the world, rooted in illusions of force, beauty, friends, or money.

The complexities of these variations demonstrate the prowess of the poet who was highly respected and often imitated by his peers and by succeeding generations throughout Europe.

Illuminated first page of Oeuvres diverses d'Alain Chartier et pièces anonymes ( Various Works of Alain Chartier and anonymous pieces ), said to depict the author at his desk.
Melancholy arrives and attacks the author. The harangue of the three monsters. Understanding ( Entendement ) surrounded by the Three Virtues. Illuminated manuscript of a mid-15th century edition of Livre de l'Espérance .