the death of Geffroy Rudel de Blaye, one of the earliest
troubadours whose name has been handed down to us. Geffroy,
who lived at the close of the twelfth century, became so
madly enamoured of the charms of the Countess of Tripoli,
after merely hearing an account of her moral and physical
perfections, that, although in failing health, he embarked
for Africa to see her. On reaching the port of Tripoli, he
no longer had sufficient strength to leave the vessel,
whereupon the Countess, touched by his love, visited him on
board, taking his hand and giving him a kindly greeting.
Geffroy could scarcely say a few words of thanks; his
emotion was so acute that he died upon the spot. See J. de
Nostredame's _Vies des plus Célèbres et Anciens Poëtes
Provençaux_(Lyons, 1575, p. 25); Raynouard's _Choix des
Poésies des Troubadours_ (vol. v. p. 165); and also
Raynouard's _Histoire Littéraire de la France_ (vol. xiv. p.
559).--L.

"What think you of that, gentlemen, you who would not believe what I
said? Is not this example sufficient to make you confess that perfect
love, when concealed and disregarded, may bring folks to the grave?
There is not one among you but knows the kinsfolk on the one and the
other side, (2) and so you cannot doubt the story, although nobody would
be disposed to believe it unless he had some experience in the matter."

2 This certainly points to the conclusion that the tale is
founded upon fact, and not, as M. Leroux de Lincy suggests,
borrowed from the story of Geffroy Rudel de Blaye. It will
have been observed (_ante_) that the Queen of Navarre
curiously enough lays the scene of her narrative between