e lovers," to teach him the right way of loving. In
the next he repents his all too earthly passion:

I often thought I was of true love singing,
And knew not that to love my heart was blind,
And folly was as love itself enshrined.
But now such love in all my soul is ringing,
That though to love and praise her I aspire
As is her meed--in vain is my desire.
Henceforth her love alone shall be my guide
And my new hope in that great love abide.

For her great love the uttermost shall proffer
Of honour, wealth, and earthly joy and bliss,
With her to love, my heart will never miss
Those who no gifts like her gifts have to offer.
She the fulfilment is of my desire,
Therefore I vow myself her true esquire;
She'll love me in return--my splendid meed--
If I but love aright in word and deed.

and one of his rather more religious songs ends as follows:

Without true love there is on earth no peace,
Love gives us wisdom, faith which will not swerve,
A noble mind and willingness to serve.
How rare a thing on earth in perfect ease!
To Thee, oh Virgin! Mother of all love,
I dedicate this song; if thou deniest
Me not, thou shall be my "sweet bliss." With Christ
I pray Thee, intercede for me above.

In this song, then, he calls Mary "his sweet bliss" (_bel deport_), a
name which he had previously given to a certain countess with whom he
had been in love. In the next poem, in which earthly love and love of
the Madonna are again brought into juxta-position, he commends himself
"to the Virgin, the sublime mother of love, on whom all my happiness
depends." One of his poems which begins in quite an earthly strain, ends
thus:

I feel no jealousy; for he whose soul
Is filled with yearning for his heavenly love,
Has purest happiness; he is her serf,
And he has all things that his heart can crave.

But long before this, in one of his very worldly poems there is a sudden
outburst, addressed to the Madonna: "He who does not serve the Mother of
God, knows not the meaning of love." Excellent proof of this intimate
connection between earthly and Madonna love is found in the poems of the
trouvere Ruteboeuf, who calls Mary his "very sweet lady."

Lanfranc Cigala wrote genuine love-songs to the Virgin. The following
are two stanzas from one of his poems:

I worship a celestial maid,
Serene