Page:Studies in the history of the renaissance (IA studiesinhistor01pategoog).djvu/30

8 of passing into true rhyme, but which halt somehow, and can never quite take flight, you see people just growing aware of the elements of a new music in their possession, and anticipating how pleasant such music might become. The piece was probably intended to be recited by a company of trained performers, many of whom, at least for the lesser parts, were probably children. The songs are introduced by the rubric 'Or se cante'—ici on chante; and each division of prose by the rubric, 'Or dient et content et fabloient'—ici on conte. The musical notes of part of the songs have been preserved; and some of the details are so descriptive that they suggested to M. Fauriel the notion that the words had been accompanied throughout by dramatic action. That mixture of simplicity and refinement which he was surprised to find in a composition of the thirteenth century is shown sometimes in the turn given to some passing expression or remark; thus, 'the Count de Garins, was old and frail, his time was over:—Li quens Garins de Beaucaire estoit vix et frales; si avoit son tans trespassè.' And then all is so realised! One still sees the ancient forest of Gastein, with its disused roads grown deep with grass, and the place where seven roads meet—'u a forkeut set cemin qui s'en vont par le païs—we hear the lighthearted country people calling each other by