cal antiquary. Learned inquirers have traced
the origin of romantic fiction to various sources.[117] From Scandinavia
issued forth the giants, dragons, witches, and enchanters. The curious
reader will be gratified by "Illustrations of Northern Antiquities," a
volume in quarto; where he will find extracts from "The Book of Heroes"
and "The Nibelungen Lay,"[118] with many other metrical tales from the
old German, Danish, Swedish, and Icelandic languages. In the East,
Arabian fancy bent her iris of many softened hues over a delightful land
of fiction: while the Welsh, in their emigration to Britanny, are
believed to have brought with them their national fables. That
subsequent race of minstrels, known by the name of _Troubadours_ in the
South of France, composed their erotic or sentimental poems; and those
romancers called _Troveurs_, or finders, in the North of France, culled
and compiled their domestic tales or _Fabliaux_, _Dits_, _Conte_, or
_Lai_. Millot, Sainte Palaye, and Le Grand, have preserved, in their
"Histories of the Troubadours," their literary compositions. They were a
romantic race of ambulatory poets, military and religious subjects their
favourite themes, yet bold and satirical on princes, and even on
priests; severe moralisers, though libertines in their verse; so refined
and chaste in their manners, that few husbands were alarmed at the
enthusiastic language they addressed to their wives. The most romantic
incidents are told of their loves. But love and its grosser passion were
clearly distinguished from each other in their singular intercourse with
their "Dames." The object of their mind was separated from the object of
their senses; the virtuous lady to whom they vowed their hearts was in
their language styled "_la dame de ses pensees_," a very distinct being
from their other mistress! Such was the Platonic chimera that charmed in
the age of chivalry; the Laura of Petrarch might have been no other than
"the lady of his thoughts."

From such productions in their improved state poets of all nations have
drawn their richest inventions. The agreeable wildness of that fancy
which characterised the Eastern nations was often caught by the
crusaders. When they returned home, they mingled in their own the
customs of each country. The Saracens, being of another religion, brave,
desperate, and fighting for their fatherland, were enlarged to their
fears, under the tremendous form of _Paynim Giants_, while the read