4 02 POPULAR SONGS. 



for his bold views on philosophy, finally gave up tuition. This song is divided 

 into rhymed verses of four lines each, with the following refrain in French : 



" Tort a vers nos li mestre." 



Seventy-seven years later, at the death of Richard Cceur de Lion, who was 

 killed while besieging the" Castle of Chalus, in the province of Limousin, the 

 French jugglers remembered that the valiant King of England had been 

 delivered from prison by the aid of his minstrel, Blondel of Nesles, who made 

 himself known by singing an air which Richard had composed himself. A 

 popular song, in the style of the chansons de geste, was therefore composed 

 about the death of Richard, and soon became popular throughout France, and 

 doubtless in England as well. Amongst other lines were the following : 



" Et co dont dei tos jors pleindre en plorant, 



M'avient a dire en chantant et retraire 



Que cil qui est de valur chief et paire 

 Li tres-valens Richarz, rois des Engleis, eat morz. . . . 



Morz est li rois, et sunt passe mil ana 

 Que tant prodom ne fust ne n'est de son semblant." 



The historical songs from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century recall 

 such events as the Crusades, the wars of the French and the English, the 

 death of the Constable Bertrand Duguesclin, and other popular heroes. Le 

 Roux de Lincy has published an interesting collection of historical and 

 popular French songs from the twelfth to the eighteenth century, and a 

 second, comprising those of the time of Charles VII. and Louis XI., and in 

 these two collections are to be found all that remains of these songs, most of 

 which have lapsed into oblivion. It is very strange that none of the numerous 

 ballads which the miraculous mission of Joan of Arc evoked at the time should 

 have been treasured up, while there is still extant in the neighbourhood of 

 Tournay a long ballad upon the death of Philip, the good Duke of Burgundy 

 (Fig. 321). Although this ballad dates from 1467, it does not differ much 

 from the language of the present day, as may be gathered from the extract 

 appended : 



" Le ton due, avant son trespas, 

 Et sentaiit la mort pros de luy, 

 Tout bellement et par compas, 

 Fist ses regres en grant annuy : 



