DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3825#0024
18 PROVENCE.
gaiety and gallantry to the rising courts of Naples
and Sicily ; the romantic tales of chivalry and the
gay fabliaux, which appeared in the court dialect of
the Norman princes, became the popular favourites;
princes and nobles ceased to sing, or adopted, like
Thibaut king of Navarre, the more fashionable dia-
lect ; and the Provencal muse expired, or lived only
in the lingering efforts of some poor minstrel, com-
pelled (to use the words of Albert Marquis de Ma-
lespina)
Anar a pe a ley de croy joglar,
Pauvre d'aver, e malastrucx d'amicx ;
As vagrant juglar doom'd on foot to rove,
Poor in his purse, and luckless in his love;
till at last it is only left to Nostradamus to lament, that
" nostre langue Provensalle s'est tellement avallie et
embastardie, que a peine est elle de nous qui sommes
du pays entendue."
Several vain attempts were however made in South-
ern France to rally a spirit which had arisen in a pe-
culiar state of society, and vanished with the circum-
stances to which it owed its existence. Even so late
as 1323 an academy was formed at Toulouse for the
cultivation of the Gai Saber; and floral games were
instituted, which it is said exist at this day, though
the language in which the prizes are contended for
is the Northern French. It may be acceptable to
some readers to have an opportunity of comparing
gaiety and gallantry to the rising courts of Naples
and Sicily ; the romantic tales of chivalry and the
gay fabliaux, which appeared in the court dialect of
the Norman princes, became the popular favourites;
princes and nobles ceased to sing, or adopted, like
Thibaut king of Navarre, the more fashionable dia-
lect ; and the Provencal muse expired, or lived only
in the lingering efforts of some poor minstrel, com-
pelled (to use the words of Albert Marquis de Ma-
lespina)
Anar a pe a ley de croy joglar,
Pauvre d'aver, e malastrucx d'amicx ;
As vagrant juglar doom'd on foot to rove,
Poor in his purse, and luckless in his love;
till at last it is only left to Nostradamus to lament, that
" nostre langue Provensalle s'est tellement avallie et
embastardie, que a peine est elle de nous qui sommes
du pays entendue."
Several vain attempts were however made in South-
ern France to rally a spirit which had arisen in a pe-
culiar state of society, and vanished with the circum-
stances to which it owed its existence. Even so late
as 1323 an academy was formed at Toulouse for the
cultivation of the Gai Saber; and floral games were
instituted, which it is said exist at this day, though
the language in which the prizes are contended for
is the Northern French. It may be acceptable to
some readers to have an opportunity of comparing