One of his most famous exploits was a journey
through nearly the whole of Austria, disguised as Venus, jousting,
dressed in women's clothes, with every knight he met. But in spite of
his eccentricities, the tendency of his mind was not at all
metaphysical; he craved very obvious favours, but as a rule contented
himself with a kind, or even an unkind word. Incidentally, we learn that
he was married; but he devoted his whole life to "deeds of heroism" in
honour of his lady. Not the great book of Cervantes, as is commonly
believed, held up mediaeval court life to ridicule and destroyed it as
an ideal, but the life and exploits of this knight and minnesinger. The
same spirit animated Guilhem of Balaun. At the command of his lady he
had a finger-nail extracted and sent to her, after which he was
re-admitted to her favour.
Spiritual love was discovered by the Provencals, but the greater and
profounder Italian poets developed it and brought it to perfection. What
had been a naive sentiment with the troubadours, became in Dante's
circle a system of the universe and a religion.
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