In this new annotated edition of Gratien du Pont’s Art et science de rhetoricque metriffiée, Montagne does a first-rate job bringing to light this important, yet insufficiently explored text. Born in Toulouse before 1500, du Pont held several important legal and administrative positions. Given his social and professional status, he was highly regarded as one of the most prominent residents of Toulouse and an active member of the local parliament. He later became a writer, poet, and theorist distinguishing himself in the field of rhetoric and poetics. In the introduction to her edition, Montagne eruditely weaves together the available biographical documents in the light of her meticulous study of the existing sources.

As a writer, du Pont is mostly known for two major works: Les controverses des sexes masculin et feminin (1534) and Art et science de rhetoricque metriffiée (1539). Because of his convictions and ideas expressed in the former work, namely his vitriolic perspective and attack on women, he gained notoriety as a staunch misogynist. The Rhetoricque metriffiée is a manual of poetic theory written for the participants of the Floral Games, a poetry contest held annually in Toulouse. It is also one of the last vestiges of the transitional period between the fifteenth and the sixteenth centuries, which coincided with the introduction of new poetic forms propagated by Jean Lemaire de Belges and Clément Marot. Du Pont is skeptical and unsupportive of most forms of poetic innovation. He does not mention the sonnet, and claims that “les modernes ne scavent rien” (“the new authors do not know anything,” 249–50), and that only “les Auteurs anciens doctes” (“the learned Ancient authors,” 290) are worthy of consideration. As Montagne notes, du Pont’s two works, Les controverses and the Rhetoricque metriffiée, form a diptych. Many examples of poetic devices and locutions found in the former work are then quoted and theorized in the latter.

Closely linked to the cultural context of the Floral Games, du Pont’s Rhetoricque metriffiée is a normative text that follows in the footsteps of a tradition inaugurated by Eustache Deschamps and his L’Art de dictier (1382), and by Jean Molinet’s L’Art et science de rhétorique (1493). Du Pont’s text constitutes an important step in the elaboration of classical poetics. This is highlighted by Montagne’s reflections on the author’s recommended pronunciations of the vowel e at the beginning and at the end of verse, his commentary on external or internal hiatus, and his insistence on the importance of vowel elision, to name a few.

Montagne’s edition is based on the only existing version of the Rhetoricque metriffiée published in Toulouse in 1539. Du Pont had previously reread this version, produced a list of errata, and placed it at the beginning of his volume. His suggested corrections are systematically applied to the present edition and indicated in the footnotes. Montagne made every effort to be as close and faithful to the original version as possible by preserving du Pont’s punctuation and spelling, with the exception of several minor modifications she made for the sake of clarity and transparency.

The edition is supplemented by two appendixes, an extensive bibliography, and an index of rhetorical and poetic notions. The first appendix includes passages from Les controverses that du Pont quotes in the Rhetoricque metriffiée. The second appendix includes a number of poetic works selected as finalists during the Floral Games between 1539 and 1544, for which du Pont served as one of the judges. In addition, readers will find two useful glossaries, one of proper names, the other of poetic terms and other difficult words and phrases that have disappeared from modern French or whose meaning has changed.

In sum, this is a welcome addition to the field of early modern studies. Although it is primarily meant for French Renaissance specialists, anyone interested in the early modern period will benefit from this well-researched and thought-provoking book. As one of the most prominent seizièmistes, who has previously authored and edited literary works by Bonaventure de Perriers and Marguerite de Navarre, among others, Montagne shows scrupulous rigor and methodical dedication in the preparation of this excellent edition of Gratien du Pont’s text.