This volume investigates the linguistic and cultural transmission of Alain Chartier’s 15th-century political treatise through the specific lens of William Caxton’s early English translation. Editor Frederick J. Furnivall provides a scholarly framework for this text, situating it within the broader context of late medieval courtly literature and the evolution of the English language during the transition from Middle to Early Modern English. The work serves as a critical edition, offering both the original translation and the necessary historical apparatus to understand the political philosophy of the French court as it was received by English readers in 1484.

Scholars and historians frequently cite this Early English Text Society edition as a foundational resource for studying the development of the English language under the influence of the printing press. Experts highlight the text's value in demonstrating the intersection of continental political thought and the burgeoning English literary tradition.