Chivalry

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<p><i>Chivalry</i>, a collection of romantic tales written by the supposed medieval poet Nicolas of Caen, is the fifth installment in <a href="https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/james-branch-cabell">James Branch Cabell’s</a> <a href="https://standardebooks.org/collections/biography-of-the-life-of-manuel">Biography of the Life of Manuel</a>. The stories take place in medieval France and England, and involve royal figures from history. The theme of courtly love, where a knight preserves honor and stays true to his mistress, is common thread throughout. Characters take on the role of troubadour, singing of their love and devotion.</p> <p>The subtitle “Dizain des Reines” refers to a type of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century French poetry featuring ten-line stanzas. Here, it corresponds to the ten stories and their respective queens.</p> <p><i>Chivalry</i> was written in 1909. Later, Cabell developed the idea of arranging some of his works into a biographical series that traces the life and legacy of the fictional Dom Manuel. He revised <i>Chivalry</i> in 1921 to work Manuel into the storyline and connect it to his other works.</p>