The allegories of _amore_ played a prominent part, and spoiled many
a masterpiece. The German poets steered clear of these absurdities,
which even Dante did not escape.
At the famous courts of love, presided over by princesses, the most
extraordinary questions relating to love were discussed and decided with
a ceremonial closely following the ceremonial of the petty courts of
law. Andreas preserved for us a number of these judgments, some of which
prove the really quite obvious fact that love and marriage are two very
different things, for if spiritual love be considered the supreme value,
matrimony can only be regarded as an inferior condition. And it was a
fact that in the higher ranks of society,--the only ones with which we
are concerned,--a marriage was nothing but a contract made for political
and economical reasons. The baron desired to enlarge his estate, obtain
a dowry, or marry into an influential family; no one dreamed of
consulting the future bride, whom marriage alone could bring into
contact with people outside her own family.
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