ing for their virtue and charity.
             Christine's father's view on the education of women was notably liberal for his day. He believed that women were none the worse for acquiring knowledge. Christine's mother was more conventional in her outlook and believed that her daughter should tend to her spinning and other such womanly tasks. However her mother's disagreement to a female education was also a topic of discussion for Christine and Lady Rectitude. Rectitude gives her opinion on this topic when she says, " 'what is in our nature cannot be taken away'" (Pizan, 141). She is referring to Christine. At an early age, Christine had shown an interest and aptitude for intellectual pursuits, and her father, recognizing her ability, was inclined to encourage her. Lady Rectitude reminds Christine of her educational past when she says, " 'Despite your mother's opposition, you did manage to glean some grains of knowledge from your studies, thanks to your own natural inclination for learning. It's obvious to me that you do not esteem yourself any less for having this knowledge: in fact, you seem to treasure it, and quite rightly so'" (Pizan, 141). Christine's education consisted of classical languages, history, mythology, literature, and religion. She spoke French and Italian, and possibly Latin as well. Much of this provided Christine with background information for her story and aided in her ample examples of good women.
             Christine's education was cut short due to her marriage to Etienne de Castel at age fifteen. Etienne was twenty-five and a graduate of the University of Paris. In 1380, the year Christine and Etienne married, Etienne was made a royal secretary. Royal secretaries in those times were the intellectual elite as they often represented the court in diplomatic events (Life and Triumphs). During those years, France was governed by a royal council th...