392 ROMANCES. 



(Fig. 317). The text was much abridged in these later editions, and certain 

 compilers, 'such as Pierre Desrey de Troyes, obtained for themselves a great 

 reputation for this work, which exacted patience rather than genius. The 

 romances thus revised had a great many new readers, especially among the 

 middle classes, who had not before been able to see them. Chivalry, during 

 the reigns of Charles VIII., of Louis XII., and of Francois I., seemed to 

 shine with renewed brightness previously to its final extinction, and the 

 romances which had heralded its triumph seemed, so to speak, to reflect its 

 last rays. 



During the reign of Charles VII., and more especially at the court of 

 Burgundy, writers of real merit and discernment endeavoured to create a new 

 kind of romantic literature, appealing to persons of more refined and elevated 

 tastes (Fig. 316). They wrote love-stories or satires which were not less 

 remarkable for the grace and interest of the narrative than for the realism of 

 the passions and sentiments depicted. These romances, put together in a A-ery 

 plain but ingenious manner, were in as great favour as the more ambitious 

 compilations relating to chivalry which it took two 'or three months to read. 

 Antoine de la Sale furnished the model for works of this kind with his 

 " Histoire et Chronique du Petit Jehan de Saintre," which was followed by 

 the histories of " Parise et Vianne sa mie," of the " Chevaleureux Comte 

 d'Artois," of "Ferrant de Flandres," of "Baudoin d'Avesnes," of "Pierre 

 de Provence," of " Jean de Calais," and of " Jean de Paris." It began to be 

 understood that the romance, discarding the marvellous and fantastic elements, 

 might possess the most varied characteristics and become didactic, like the book 

 of the " Sept Sages " and the " Cite 1 des Dames ; " sententious and instructive, 

 like the " Jouvencel," by Admiral Jean de Bueil ; or satirical, like King 

 Rene's "Abuse en Cour." Romance became satirical and philosophical with 

 Rabelais, who at first, when he wrote " Gargantua," intended to satirize the 

 romances of chivalry, and who continued in " Pantagruel " to criticize the 

 customs of his own time. Nevertheless, the romances of chivalry continued 

 to be in vogue until the middle of the sixteenth century ; but after that the 

 modern romance, which is now only represented by a few insipid works, such 

 as the "Histoire de 1'Escuyer Gyrard et de Damoiselle Alyson," the "Amant 

 ressuscit^ de la Mort d' Amour," the "Amours de la belle Luce," &c., trans- 

 formed itself into the Conte, or tale, after the fashion of the "Cent 

 Nouvelles nouvelles." The " Heptameron " of the Queen of Navarre gave 



