Love is the medium through which alone the hero surveys the world around him, and for which he contemns everything that the age prized
 Henry Adams, Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres (1904). copy citation

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Author Henry Adams
Source Mont-Saint-Michel and Chartres
Topic age love
Date 1904
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4584/pg4584-images.html

Context

“and, for our tour, "Aucassins" follows Christian and goes hand in hand with Blondel and the chatelain de Coucy, as the most exquisite expression of "courteous love." As one of "Aucassins'" German editors says in his introduction: "Love is the medium through which alone the hero surveys the world around him, and for which he contemns everything that the age prized: knightly honour; deeds of arms; father and mother; hell, and even heaven; but the mere promise by his father of a kiss from Nicolette inspires him to superhuman heroism; while the old poet sings and smiles aside to his audience as though he wished them to understand that Aucassins, a foolish boy, must not be judged quite seriously, but that, old as he was himself, he was just as foolish about Nicolette."” source