Taylor, Edgar [Hrsg.]; Austin, Sarah [Hrsg.]: Lays of the minnesingers or German troubadours of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries: Illustr. by specimens of the contemporary lyric poetry of Provence and other parts of Europe ; With histor. and crit. notes, and engravings from the ms. of the minnesingers in the king's library at Paris, and from other sources (London, 1825)

PROVENCE. 15

accuracy. Much has doubtless perished ; for the po-
lished style and metrical symmetry of the songs of the
earliest known lyric poet, William IX. count of Poic-
tiers, who was born in 1070 and died in 1126, render
it hardly probable that a new dialect should at once
have started into so perfect and regular a form. But
enough has survived to enable the reader to form for
himself a correct estimate of the talents and influence
of the Troubadour school; and an exceedingly inter-
esting stock of historic materials is laid open to future
investigators, often of far higher value than the dry
labours of professed chroniclers.

The gay smiling climate of the South of France
seemed to combine with the superiority and freedom
of its political institutions * to call forth the earliest
fruits of chivalry and its attendant song. During
the greater part of the 10th century, while Northern
France was a prey to intestine commotions, Pro-
vence and part of Burgundy and its dependencies

• " Dans le moyen age," says Papon (Hist. Gen. de Pro-
vence, t. 2, p. 208), "il y avoit plus de personnes libres en Pro-
vence, que dans aucune autre province, et les revolutions de la
Monarchie s'y etant fait beaucoup moins sentir, nos villes du-
rent conserver leur administration municipale : si les malheurs
du temps y apporterent quelquc interruption, elles en reprirent
elles-mcmes la jouissance, sans que l'autorite du Prince inter-
vint. Elles avoient, des le commencement du douxieme siccle,
une forme du gouvernement, qui ressembloit a celle que les Ro-
mains leur avoient donneV'