it is " sweeter than the lids of Juno's 

 eyes." 



Extending as far back as the days 

 of the Roman Empire, the city of 

 Toulouse had a reputation for litera- 

 ture ; it was the centre of Provencal 

 song, and as late as the times of 

 Charles IV. there were still trouba- 

 dours, — those wandering minstrels 

 who went from bower to hall, singing 

 songs often improvised and generally 

 original. Their members had greatly 

 decreased, however, and those who 

 were left formed themselves into a 

 society which met in the garden of 

 the Augustine monks, where they re- 

 cited their ballads and songs. To fan 

 the dying embers, of song once more 

 into a flame, a prize was offered to 

 these Provengal troubadours of a 

 golden violet for the best poem pro- 

 duced by one of them. A great 

 multitude assembled to hear these 

 42 



