Le ''Livre de l’Espérance'', (The Book of Hope) also called the ''Consolation des Trois Vertus'' or the ''Livre de l’Exile'', was written by the French poet and statesman

Alain Chartier Alain Chartier (1430) was a French poet and political writer. Life Alain Chartier was born in Bayeux to a family marked by considerable ability. His eldest brother Guillaume became bishop of Paris; and Thomas Chartier became notary to the kin ...

. Begun in 1428 in Avignon, the work was not yet complete by the author's death in 1430. It is a lengthy

dream vision A dream vision or ''visio'' is a literary device in which a dream or vision is recounted as having revealed knowledge or a truth that is not available to the dreamer or visionary in a normal waking state. While dreams occur frequently throughout ...

and allegory of political, theological and poetic significance written in both verse and prose Middle French. Modeled on the

Consolation of Philosophy ''On the Consolation of Philosophy'' (), often titled as ''The Consolation of Philosophy'' or simply the ''Consolation'', is a philosophical work by the Roman philosopher Boethius. Written in 523 while he was imprisoned and awaiting execution ...

Boethius Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, commonly known simply as Boethius (; Latin: ''Boetius''; 480–524 AD), was a Roman Roman Senate, senator, Roman consul, consul, ''magister officiorum'', polymath, historian, and philosopher of the Early Middl ...

, instead of finding consolation through Dame Philosophy, it is the three Christian virtues, Faith, Hope, and Charity, who offer solace.

Summary

The text is divided into three sections: the apparition of the three monsters, the consolation of Faith (Foy), and the consolation of Hope (Espérance). Presumably a final section was planned in which Charité would speak. The prologue to the text is a poem in which the poet-narrator sets the stage. 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 The Hundred Years' War (; 1337–1453) was a conflict between the kingdoms of England and France and a civil war in France during the Late Middle Ages. It emerged from feudal disputes over the Duchy of Aquitaine and was triggered by a c ...

. 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. Suddenly Nature arrives; horrified at the thought of death, she awakens Understanding from his lethargy. Thanks to Memory, a small window is opened, allowing the entrance of the three Christian virtues, and a fourth mysterious lady. Faith begins a dialogue with Understanding, leading him to reaffirm his Christian

baptismal vows Baptismal vows are the renunciations required of an adult candidate for baptism just before the sacrament is conferred. In the case of an infant baptism they are given by the godparents (sponsors) or parents themselves. In many Christian denomin ...

. Understanding then questions Faith on a number of issues that vex him, including the nature of divine justice, the suffering of innocents, the punishment of those who refuse to do God’s will, the responsibility of kings toward God and their people, divine providence, and free will. Hope, whose perfume has chased away the monsters, then takes the stage to explain the difference between Faith and Hope. She offers examples of good Hope from the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

, among them

Noah Noah (; , also Noach) appears as the last of the Antediluvian Patriarchs (Bible), patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5–9), the Quran and Baháʼí literature, ...

Abraham Abraham (originally Abram) is the common Hebrews, Hebrew Patriarchs (Bible), patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father who began the Covenant (biblical), covenanta ...

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

, from the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

, and Simeon from the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

. She teaches Understanding how to identify the False Hope of the world, rooted in illusions of force, beauty, friends, or money. She warns against hoping in mankind. Finally, she warns against the hope claimed by

pagans Pagans may refer to: * Paganism, a group of pre-Christian religions practiced in the Roman Empire * Modern Paganism, a group of contemporary religious practices * Pagan's Motorcycle Club, a motorcycle club * The Pagans The Pagans were an Am ...

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

s, and

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

. A lesson for the young Understanding on the value of sacrifice and prayer to strengthen Hope (the best prayer being the

Lord’s Prayer The Lord's Prayer, also known by its incipit Our Father (, ), is a central Christian prayer attributed to Jesus. It contains petitions to God focused on God’s holiness, will, and kingdom, as well as human needs, with variations across manus ...

) terminates the treatise. The fact that Charity has not yet spoken indicates that the work was left unfinished.

Structure

The text is structured by alternating sections of poetry and prose. Such a structure is called ''prosimètre. ''The sixteen poems serve to emote and introduce each of the sixteen prose passages which further the narrative. The poems are of varying versification, most commonly of seven or three syllables. The rhyme schemes are equally variable. 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.Hoffman, Edward. Alain Chartier: His Work and Reputation. Wittes Press, 1942: 209-72.

Editions and Manuscripts

Chartier, Alain''. Le Livre de l'Espérance''. Ed. François Rouy. Brest: 1967. Print. Chartier, Alain. ''Les Oeuvres de Maistre Alain Chartier''. Ed. André Du Chesne. Paris: S. Thiboust, 1617. 37 manuscripts of the text survive and are housed in libraries and private collections throughout the world. One manuscript and several images of another can be consulted online through the Bibliothèque nationale de France. ''Oeuvres diverses d'Alain Chartier et pièces anonymes.'' Bibliothèque nationale de France
fonds français 24440
''Le Livre de l'Espérance.'' Bibliothèque nationale de France, fonds français 126. c. 1450.

References

{{authority control Medieval French literature 15th-century books Alain Chartier