Magistra Doctissima Essays in Honor of Bonnie Wheeler Edited by Dorsey Armstrong, Ann W. Astell, and Howell Chickering Magistra Doctissima Medieval Institute Publications is a program of The Medieval Institute, College of Arts and Sciences Magistra Doctissima Essays in Honor of Bonnie Wheeler Edited by Dorsey Armstrong, Ann W. Astell, and Howell Chickering MedIevAl InSt Itute PublICAtIonS Western Michigan university Kalamazoo Publication of this work has been supported in part by grants from the university of notre dame and an anonymous donor. Copyright © 2012 by the board of trustees of Western Michigan university Copyright to “The testamentary Strategies of Jeanne d’Évreux: The endowment of Saint-denis in 1343” is retained by elizabeth A. R. brown The library of Congress has already cataloged the clothbound as follows: Magistra doctissima : essays in Honor of bonnie Wheeler / edited by dorsey Armstrong, Ann W. Astell, and Howell Chickering. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISbn 978-1-58044-177-3 (clothbound : acid-free paper) 1. literature, Medieval--History and criticism. 2. Arthurian romances-- History and criticism. I. Armstrong, dorsey, 1970- editor of compilation. II. Astell, Ann W, editor of compilation. III. Chickering, Howell d, editor of compilation. Iv. Wheeler, bonnie, 1944- honouree. Pn671.M28 2013 809'.02--dc23 2012040810 ISBN 9781580441773 eISBN 9781580441940 Contents Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 Ann W. Astell and Howell Chickering Part 1. old and Middle english literature Kiyoko nagase and Her “Grendel’s Mother” 17 toshiyuki takamiya british Chaucer 25 Jeffrey Jerome Cohen Just How loathly Is the “Wyf”?: deconstructing Chaucer’s “Hag” in The Wife of Bath’s Tale 34 lorraine Kochanske Stock Lectio difficilior and All That: Another look at Arcite’s Injury 43 †Stephen Stallcup Part 2. Arthuriana Then and now Arthurian bones and english Kings, ca. 1180–ca. 1550 61 †Maurice Keen The Prophecies of Merlin: Their originality and Importance 71 Geoffrey Ashe, Mbe notes toward a Reappraisal of Malory’s Prose Style 80 d. Thomas Hanks, Jr. The Scottish Lancelot of the Laik and Malory’s Morte Darthur: Contrasting Approaches to the Same Story 89 edward donald Kennedy “The Strength of ten”: The Cultural Resonance of tennyson’s “Sir Galahad” 97 Alan lupack Googling the Grail 111 donald l. Hoffman and elizabeth S. Sklar Part 3. Joan of Arc Then and now “because It Was Paris”: Joan of Arc’s Attack on Paris Reconsidered 123 Kelly R. devries Warrior not Warmonger: Screen Joans during World War I 132 Kevin Harty The drama of left-Wing Joan: From “Merlin’s Prophecy” to Hellman’s Lark 142 nadia Margolis Part 4. nuns and Spirituality A letter to the Abbess of Fontevrault from the Abbot of Clairvaux 155 Giles Constable The nuns of bival in the Thirteenth Century 159 William Chester Jordan The Sonic Presence of Mary Magdalene at the last Supper: The Maundy of the Poor at barking Abbey 169 Anne bagnall Yardley The Royal Purple Mantle of el Greco’s Espolio 183 Annemarie Weyl Carr Part 5. Royal Women Signed, Sealed and delivered: The Patronage of Constance de France 201 William W. Clark The testamentary Strategies of Jeanne d’Évreux: The endowment of Saint-denis in 1343 217 elizabeth A. R. brown Contributors 249 Index 255 Acknowledgments he editors gratefully thank Jo Goyne of Southern Methodist university for t her crucial role in helping develop this volume and then assisting in the edit- ing in its early stages. Susan Raymond-Fic and Julie R. Howland of the Amherst College english department provided much-appreciated secretarial help, assis- tance in copy-editing, and computer support. brigitte buettner (Art History, Smith College) helped us locate the image of Christine de Pizan that is the basis for the jacket cover, which was designed by ben Chickering and tom Krol. We extend special thanks to our expert indexer, Margie towery. We are grateful to have had the chance to work with Patricia Hollahan, our editor at Medieval Institute Publications, who has been a model of efficiency, grace, and good humor. We thank the university of notre dame and an anonymous donor for generous subventions that supported the publication of the volume. vii