A Short History of French Literature. Saintsbury George

      vos fustes filz al bon cunte Reiner,

      ki tint la marche de Genes desur mer;

      pur hanste freindre e pur escuz pecier

      e pur osberc e rompre e desmailler,

      [pur orgoillos veintre e esmaier]

      e pur prozdomes tenir e conseiller

      e pur glutuns e veintre e esmaier

      en nule terre n'ot meillor chevaler.'

      Li quens Rollanz, quant il veit morz ses pers

      e Oliver, qu'il tant poeit amer,

      tendrur en out, cumencet a plurer,

      en sun visage fut mult desculurez.

      si grant doel out que mais ne pout ester,

      voeillet o nun, a terre chet pasmet.

      dist l'arcevesques 'tant mare fustes, ber.'

      Li arcevesques quant vit pasmer Rollant,

      dunc out tel doel, unkes mais n'out si grant;

      tendit sa main, si ad pris l'olifan.

      en Rencesvals ad une ewe curant;

      aler i volt, si'n durrat a Rollant.

      tant s'esforçat qu'il se mist en estant,

      sun petit pas s'en turnet cancelant,

      il est si fieble qu'il ne poet en avant,

      nen ad vertut, trop ad perdut del sanc.

      einz que om alast un sul arpent de camp,

      fait li le coer, si est chaeit avant:

      la sue mort li vait mult angoissant.

      Li quenz Rollanz revient de pasmeisuns,

      sur piez se drecet, mais il ad grant dulur;

      guardet aval e si guardet amunt:

      sur l'erbe verte, ultre ses cumpaignuns,

      la veit gesir le nobilie barun,

      ço est l'arcevesque que deus mist en sun num;

      cleimet sa culpe, si reguardet amunt,

      cuntre le ciel amsdous ses mains ad juinz,

      si prïet deu que pareïs li duinst.

      morz est Turpin le guerreier Charlun.

      par granz batailles e par mult bels sermons

      cuntre paiens fut tuz tens campïuns.

      deus li otreit seinte beneïçun! Aoi.

      Quant Rollanz vit l'arcevesque qu'est morz,

      senz Oliver une mais n'out si grant dol,

      e dist un mot que destrenche le cor:

      'Carles de France chevalce cum il pot;

      en Rencesvals damage i ad des noz;

      li reis Marsilie ad sa gent perdut tot,

      cuntre un des noz ad ben quarante morz.'

      Li quenz Rollanz veit l'arcevesque a terre,

      defors sun cors veit gesir la buëlle,

      desuz le frunt li buillit la cervelle.

      desur sun piz, entre les dous furcelles,

      cruisiedes ad ses blanches mains, les belles.

      forment le pleint a la lei de sa terre.

      'e, gentilz hom, chevaler de bon aire,

      hoi te cumant al glorïus celeste:

      ja mais n'ert hume plus volenters le serve.

      des les apostles ne fut honc tel prophete

      pur lei tenir e pur humes atraire.

      ja la vostre anme nen ait doel ne sufraite!

      de pareïs li seit la porte uverte!'

      As Roland is by far the most interesting of those Chansons which describe the wars with the Saracens, so Amis et Amiles21 may be taken as representing those where the interest is mainly domestic. Amis et Amiles is the earliest vernacular form of a story which attained extraordinary popularity in the middle ages, being found in every language and in most literary forms, prose and verse, narrative and dramatic. This popularity may partly be assigned to the religious and marvellous elements which it contains, but is due also to the intrinsic merits of the story. The Chanson contains 3500 lines, dates probably from the twelfth century, and is written, like Roland, in decasyllabic verse, but, unlike Roland, has a shorter line of six syllables and not assonanced at the end of each stanza. Its story is as follows: —

      Amis and Amiles were two noble knights, born and baptized on the same day, who had the Pope for sponsor, and whose comradeship was specially sanctioned by a divine message, and by the miraculous likeness which existed between them. They were however brought up, the one in Berri, the other in Auvergne, and did not meet till both had received knighthood. As soon as they had joined company, they resolved to offer their services to Charles, and did him great service against rebels. Here the action proper begins. The friends arouse the jealousy of Hardré, a felon knight, of Ganelon's lineage and likeness. Hardré engages Gombaud of Lorraine, an enemy of the Emperor, to attack the two friends; but the treason does not succeed, and the traitor, to escape unpleasant enquiries, recommends Charles to bestow his own niece Lubias on Amiles. The latter declares that Amis deserves her better, and to Amis she is married, bearing however no good-will to Amiles for his resignation of her and for his firm hold on her husband's affection. Meanwhile, the daughter of Charles, Bellicent, conceives a violent passion for Amiles, and the traitor Hardré unfortunately becomes aware of the matter. He at once accuses Amiles of treason, and the knight is too conscious of the dubiousness of his cause to be very willing to accept the wager of battle. From this difficulty he is saved by Amis, who comes to Paris from his distant seignory of Blaivies (Blaye), and fights the battle in the name and armour of his friend, while the latter goes to Blaye and plays the part of his preserver. Both ventures are made easier by the extraordinary resemblance of the pair. Amis is successful; he slays Hardré, and then has no little difficulty in saving himself from a forced marriage with Bellicent. This embroglio is smoothed out, and Amiles and Bellicent are happily united. The generous Amis however has not been able to avoid forswearing himself while playing the part of Amiles; and this sin is punished, according to a divine warning, by an attack of leprosy. His wife Lubias seizes the opportunity, procures a separation from him, and almost starves him, or would do so but for two faithful servants and his little son. At last a means of cure is revealed to him. If Amiles and Bellicent will allow their two sons to be slain the blood will recover Amis of his leprosy. The stricken knight journeys painfully to his friend and tells him the hard condition. Amiles does not hesitate, and the following passage tells his deed: —