BOOK tho sufficiently congenial with what Eleanor's ducal grandfather had both sung and practised. VIII. HISTORYOF ENGLISH These Courts of Love were a formal assembly of some of the great ladies of the province, under the presidency of one of their highest rank, to receive all questions concerning the attachments, which they were pleased to call love, that others, either private gentry or Troubadour disputants, chose to submit to their decision. These they deliberated upon, and determined by a sort of judicial sentence, which it was expected that the appealing parties should obey. If the topics had been doubts or difficulties on matters of honorable affection, the meetings might have been no more harmful or censurable than races, county balls, musical festivals, rural fêtes, or any other device which the gentry of a county chuse to make the occasion of their large social meetings for acquaintance and amusement. But, unfortunately, all that was moral or creditable in the affectionate sympathies was only proposed to be condemned or excluded; and the discussions and verdicts appear to have been appropriated to those intimacies of which every one ought to have been ashamed, and especially ladies, who were distinguished for title, influence, and public reputation. Andreas has preserved to us three of the questions and judgments of our queen Eleanor on this subject; two of her first daughter, the countess of Champagne, and four more, of some other ladies.28 It is those of the queen and countess that only need to be noticed in the present History. 28 The other ladies, whose judgments in the Cours d'Amour are recorded by Andreas, are, Ermengarde viscountess of Narbonne, the countess of Flanders, and the ladies of Gascony. . III. POETRY OF THE TROU The inquiry brought before the Lady-court of the CHAP. countess, was whether love, that is, what they chose to call by that name, could subsist between married people? 20 and her most congenial decision, in 1174, BADOURS. that it could not, expressively characterizes the moral principles of this illustrious community.30 That the royal mother had no greater scruples or delicacy on this subject than her fair daughter, she unhesitatingly avowed, by grounding her own corresponding sentence in another case, on the authority of the preceding determination.31 Indeed that Eleanor was not very anxious to encourage any conduct in her sex that might have a resemblance to virtue or prudery, or even to a pride which should have any tincture of either, we may believe from another of her love-tribunal judgments.32 The only one of those reported, 29 Utrum inter conjugatos amor possit habere locum.'—Andr. fol. 56. Raynouard, cvii. 30 We say and we decide, for an established rule, that love cannot extend its powers between two wedded persons, because lovers bestow all things on each other gratis, without the compulsion of any reason or necessity. But the married are bound by duty to their mutual regard, and cannot deny any thing to each other. This our judgment, delivered with extreme caution, and confirmed by the opinion of many ladies, shall be to you for an indubitable and constant truth.' Dated 1174, 3 Kal. Mai. Andreas, fol. 56. Rayn. cvii. Savari de Mauleon, in his tenson with two other Troubadours, Faidit and Hugues, thus mentions her, and alludes to her court: I wish it to be judged By the conqueror, my heart's guardian, And by lady Maria, where there is a good prize. Rayn. v. 2. p. 205. 31 A knight submitted to her court, that he was in love with a lady, who, when attached to another, had promised him that he should share her regard if she should ever be deprived of that suitor. She married this suitor, and the knight then claimed the fulfilment of her promise. She refused him, alleging that she had not lost the love of him who was now her husband. The queen pronounced this decision: We dare not oppose the sentence of the countess of Champagne, who has settled by a firm judgment, that love cannot extend its powers between two wedded persons. We therefore approve that the lady should perform her promise.' Andreas, fol. 96. Rayn. cx. 32 A knight stated to her female judicature, that, while the favored ENGLISH POETRY. BOOK which reflects any credit upon her memory, is that VIII. which discountenances the mercenary conduct of HISTORYOF those who, while they preserved their virtue, chose to accept the present which was given to purchase its dereliction. She required the immoral conduct which she favored to be at least disinterested.33 With these deliberations and opinions before us, we may feel that the fair Rosamond had some right to accuse this self-indulging queen of inconsistent cruelty in her connubial persecution of imprisonment at least, if not of the offered bowl and dagger: as the attachment between this celebrated lady of tradition and Eleanor's husband, Henry II. was precisely of that nature which in their Cours d'Amour both the queen and her daughter had pronounced to be the only legitimate affection.34 But she lived long enough to lover of a lady, he had asked and obtained her leave to pay attentions to another. He stayed away for the unusual time of a month, and when he came back assured her that he had not availed himself of her permission, as his only object had been to make a trial of her constancy. She imme diately repelled him as unworthy of her regard; declaring that such a leave asked and granted was a sufficient reason for depriving him of her love. The knight complained to Eleanor's court on this severity. of The queen's determination was, "We know that it proceeds from the nature of affection, that lovers often, with a false simulation, pretend to desire new attachments, in order to ascertain the faith and constancy the beloved. She, then, who on this account suspends her attentions to her suitor, or refuses her future regard to him, counteracts the very nature of love, unless she certainly knows that the fidelity pledged to herself has been recently broken by him.'-fol. 92. Rayn. 113. 33 A knight sought a lady's regard, but she absolutely refused it. He offered her some becoming presents, which she accepted with a cheerful countenance and eager mind, but yet did not in the least soften into any regard, but continued her peremptory denial. The knight pleaded to the court, that by taking from him presents, congruentia amoris, she had given him an expectation of her love, which now, without a cause, she was endeavoring to destroy. The queen answered,A woman may refuse presents offered with a view to love; but if she takes them, she must grant a compensation for the gifts of affection, or must patiently bear to be classed among the strumpet community.' fol. 97. As if the compensation would have less degraded her. 34 Another judgment of lady Maria shews part of the manners of the day: To one, not very faithful, a lady commanded that he should no III. see and feel the folly, if not the wickedness, of her CHAP. licentious jurisprudence, and may have repented of its unsocial and unfelicitating depravity. POETRY OF These courts are noticed occasionally in the poems BADOURS. of the Troubadours. Those held at Pierrefeu and Signe, in Provence, are mentioned by Giraud and Peyronet in their tenson, or dispute, which they agreed to send thither for decision; 35 and the names of the chief ladies, who formed the courts in these two places, have survived to us.36 Those of the court at Romanin, at a later period, are also preserved, of whom the first was the aunt of Petrarch's celebrated more contend in public on her behalf, nor presume to express any praises of her among other people. But happening afterwards to be in company with some other knights, he heard them speak very disgraceful things of her. Awhile he bore it, tho indignant; but as they continued their attacks, he at last resented it, and defended her. She immediately deprived him of her regard, because he had disobeyed her. On his complaint, the countess, in her Cour d'Amour, gives this sentence: This lady was too severe in her commands when she bound him by that promise; nor has he sinned in reproving her calumniators by a just correction. She bound him unjustly by her injunction.'—Andreas, fol. 92. Rayn. 112. 35 Giraud thus declares, that he will appeal to the court of Pierrefeu: I shall conquer you if the court be loyal ; I will transmit my partement to Pergafeut, Where the Beautiful One holds the court of instruction. The honored castle of Sinha.-Raynouard, p. 92-3. The presiding ladies were,— Stephanette, dame de Beaux, the daughter of the Adelazie, viscountess d'Avignon. Alalete, dame d'Ongle. Hermyssende, dame de Porquieres. Bertrane, dame d'Urgon. Mabille, dame d'Yeres. La countesse d'Dye. Rostanque, dame de Pierrefeu. Bertrane, dame de Signe. Jauderande de Claustral.-Nostrad. p. 27. VIII. 38 BOOK Laura.37 These courts were sometimes very numerous, and they were attended usually by all the proHISTORY OF Vincial gentry, for the puerile, and not very salutary, amusement of hearing these love-connected deliberations.39 ENGLISH POETRY. Whatever may have been the more ancient origin of the Provençal poets in their earlier form and subjects of composition, the comparison of the chronology of those who are known to have appeared after Eleanor's grandfather, with their compositions which remain to us, lead us to the conclusion, that to these courts of love, and to the spirit which they diffused; to the desire and means of distinction which they presented, and to the subjects which they suggested; we owe most of these Troubadours, and of the poetry which time has allowed to reach us. Love and usually such love as these lady-judges chose to deem so, and to patronize are the continual subjects 37 The ladies here noticed were,— Phanette des Gautelmes, dame de Romanin: Laurette de Sade was her niece. La Marquise de Malespine. Clarette, dame de Baux. Laurette de St Laurens. Cecille Rascasse, dame de Caromb. Hugonne de Sabran, fille du comte Forcalquier. Heleine, dame de Mont Pahon. Ysabelle de Bovrilhons, dame d'Aix. Ursyne des Ursieres, dame de Montpellier. Alaette de Meolhon, dame de Curbau. Elys, dame de Meyrarques.'-Nostredamus, p. 131. 38 On the question submitted to the countess of Flanders, Andreas says, that she convened to her court sixty ladies, in order to settle the sentence. Fol. 98. Rayn. p. cxviii. 39 Nostradamus mentions in his life of the Troubadour Marcabius, that his mother was a learned woman, well skilled in good letters, and a famed Provençal poet. She held her open Cour d'Amour at Avignon, to which all the poets, gentlemen and gentlewomen of the country came, in order to hear the discussions of the questions and tensons of love which were proposed and sent by the seigneurs and ladies of all the neighbourhood and bordering places.--Rayn. xciv. |