A charming Provencal song tells of a maid who, day after day, sat by a
fountain weeping for her lover. At this spot they had bidden farewell to
each other, and here she was awaiting his return. One day a pilgrim
arrived, and she at once asked for news of her knight. The pilgrim knew
him and had a message for her. After a short conversation he threw back
his cowl and drew the delighted maiden into his arms, for it was he
himself, her lover, who after many years of absence had returned and was
first visiting the spot where, years ago, he had said good-bye to her.
But there was another motive, a religious one, which, joined to the
universal lust of adventure, dominated the whole mediaeval period to an
extraordinary degree; that motive was the idea of doing penance
and--after all the failures of life--returning to God. The Crusades
offered an opportunity for combining one's heart's desire with this
spiritual need. Of all good works there were none more pleasing to God,
and every participator was promised forgiveness of his sins.
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