The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-03-29

Aries and Orange still show the great
ness Of the Latin civilization. The
SaracenS had also left fruitful germs
In the great school at Montpelier were
practiced the Arabian sciences of medi-
cine, botany and mathematics.
The merchants of Languedoc brought
spices, silk brocades and precious stones
from therOrient. Independent municipal
governments were established accord
ing to the plan OF the free Italian cities
with which Marseiiles. Bordeaux and
Toulouse did lively commerce.
The spirit of the crusaders complet-
ed the awakening of the Provencal gen
ius. The country was filed with sing
erS- William, count OF POitiers and
AQuitaine, who set out on the great en-
terprise at the head OF an army of I0O.-
600 men, was the first of the trouba-
dours.
Until then literature had been in the
hands OF the clergy apd was Latin.
Now it suddenly became popular. It
was practiced by princes. Richard
Occur de Lion, the Emperor Frederick
Barbarossa of Germany, the Italian
Marquis of MOntserrat, King Frederick
III of Sicily, all wrote Provencal verses.
The troubadOurs of Provence fiocked
TO the courts of Italy and Sicily. espec-
tally after the Pope Innocent III at
tempted to eXtinguish the Albigensian
heresy and with it this new liberty of
speech.
This new vulgar tongue became the
common voice OF the leaders of the cru
sades to celebrate the sentiments Of
chivalry and love. Even noble ladies,
such as Bea trice de Die, wrote songs in
the new language. Iii fact, it was large
ly through their influence, as Dante
cclf cav IN. hi
ElOquence," that this new literature
sprung into being, as much OF it was
written in their praise and would not
have been understood il written in
Latin.
Even simple artisans like Bernard &c
Ventadour, the sons of merchants like
Rudel, take the sounding instrument
from the hands OF their chiefs and
sometimes write as well, for here was a
greatness accessible 10 all
Military courage, generosity of soul
and disinterested love were not the
gifts only of wealth and station, but
might abide in any young and noble
soul. Here, then. was a literatu vi
brating with a fervor as national and
as general as was the enthusiasm OF
the crusades- Filled with the new emo
tons which animated all hearts, a high
lyric ardor bordering on religious deyo-
ton. rejecting also something of the
clear sky and brilliant colors of the
south, together with a play of the del
icate rhyme and ferVent imagination of
the neighboring poetry of the Arabs of
Spain, this poetry, written to persuade
and TO please, reached at once a per-
fection OF form which was a reminder
OF what Dante was TO become. When
II IS said that Dante created out of
nothing italian literature it is forgot
ten that he had had his example and
ia s frpas Ne tr1ubaaou =
The harp Of Provence swayed to all
the human passions-lOve, revenge mil
itary ardor,- the new sentiments OF
Christian chivalry.
In many cases the fierce spirit Of
martial animosity dominated Christian
Keeling, as In the odeS Of Bertran de
Born, who sang Of the sweetness of
war, and whom Dante finds CARRYING
as a penalty, his own head as a Ian
tern over the desolate plains.
The admiration Or the poet is evi-
dent. however, for Sordello, the great
troubadour. who, although an Italian
wrote IN Provencal, and whom he finds
sitting Ike lion in repose on one o.
the hillsides OF purgatory. This is the
bard whose famous ode summons the
calls by name, to feed their courage by
eating the divided heart of the heroic
and lamented Rlacas. Again. with
Virgil, he meets another troubadour.
ATnaud Daniel, who when urged TO give
the traveller a specimen of his art does
so in strains which prove how familiar
was Dante himself with the language
Of Provence. The literature OF north
ern France had also crossed the Italian
border The romanees of the Round
Table had renovated the ancient Celtic
traditions, mingling with them the no.
blest passions of the middle ages, such
as the mystic worship of woman, the
spirit Of adventure tinged with relig-
ious feryor, the lofty and spotless char
acter Of the Christian knight. whose
first qualities should be truth and
honor; the view of human life as a pill
grimage to the eternal world, which
was TO he won by some deed of valor,