In The Midst Of An Age Of Gloom And Anarchy, When Feudalism Was Slowly
Building Up A New Social Organization On The Ruins Of The Roman Empire,
Arose That Spirit Of Chivalry, Which, In Its Connection With The
Christian Religion, Forms So Sharp A Division Between The Sentiments Of
Ancient And Modern Times. Following Closely On The Growth Of Chivalry
As An Institution, There Came Into Being A Remarkable Species Of
Fiction, Which Reflected With Great Faithfulness The Character Of The
Age, And Having Formed For Three Centuries The Principal Literary
Entertainment Of The Knighthood Of Europe, Left On The New
Civilization, And The New Literature Which Had Outgrown And Discarded
It, Lasting Traces Of Its Natural Beauty.
