universally; and let us not forget that it was at the same period that
the _Percevalde Gallois_ and _Aliscans, Cleomades_, and the
_Couronnement Looys_ were written. The two schools have coexisted for
many centuries: both camps have enjoyed the favor of the public. But in
such a struggle it was all too easy to decide to which of them the
victory would eventually incline. The ladies decided it, and no doubt
the greater number of them wept over the perusal of _Erec_ or _Enid_
more than over that of the _Covenant Vivien_ or _Raoul de Cambrai_.

When the grand century of the Middle Ages had closed, when the blatant
thirteenth century commenced, the sentimental had already gained the
advantage over our old classic _chansons_; and the new school, the
romantic set of the _Table Round_, triumphed! Unfortunately, they also
triumphed in their manners; and they were the knights of the Round Table
who, with the Valois, seated themselves upon the throne of France.

In this way temerity replaced true courage; so good, polite manners
replaced heroic rudeness; so foolish generosity replaced the charitable
austerity of the early chivalry. It was the love of the unforeseen even
in the military art; the rage for adventure--even in politics. We know
whither this strategy and these theatrical politics led us, and that
Joan of Arc and Providence were required to drag us out of the
consequences.

The other causes of the decadence of the spirit of chivalry are more
difficult to determine. There is one of them which has not, perhaps,
been sufficiently brought to light, and this is--will it be
believed?--the exdevelopment of certain orders of chivalry! This
statement requires some explanation.

We must confess that we are enthusiastic, passionate admirers of these
grand military orders which were formed at the commencement of the
twelfth century. There have never been their like in the world, and it
was only given to Christianity to display to us such a spectacle. To
give to one single soul the double ideal of the soldier and the monk, to
impose upon him this double charge, to fix in one these two conditions
and in one only these two duties, to cause to spring from the earth I
cannot tell how many thousands of men who voluntarily accepted this
burden, and who were not crushed by it--that is a problem which one
might have been pardoned for thinking insoluble. We have not
sufficiently considered it. We have not pictured to ourselves with
suf