The whole account of these trials and reunions does not occupy over forty pages of the original French, which has been best edited by H. Suchier at Paderborn (second edition, 1881).  In 1878, A. Bida published, with illustrations, a modern French version of the story at Paris, accompanied by the original text and a preface by Gaston Paris.  This version was translated into English by A. Rodney Macdonough under the title of ‘The Lovers of Provence:  Aucassin and Nicolette’ (New York, 1880).  Additional illustrations by American artists found place in this edition.  F.W.  Bourdillon has published the original text and an English version, together with an exhaustive introduction, bibliography, notes, and glossary (London, 1887), and, later in the same year, Andrew Lang wrote out another translation, accompanied by an introduction and notes:  ‘Aucassin and Nicolette’ (London).  The extracts given below are from Lang’s version, with occasional slight alterations.

[Illustration:  Signature:  F.M.  WARREN]

     ’TIS OF AUCASSIN AND NICOLETTE

     Who would list to the good lay,
     Gladness of the captive gray? 
     ’Tis how two young lovers met,
     Aucassin and Nicolette;
     Of the pains the lover bore,
     And the perils he outwore,
     For the goodness and the grace
     Of his love, so fair of face.

     Sweet the song, the story sweet,
     There is no man hearkens it,
     No man living ’neath the sun,
     So outwearied, so fordone,
     Sick and woeful, worn and sad,
     But is healed, but is glad,
        ’Tis so sweet.

     So say they, speak they, tell they The Tale,

How the Count Bougart of Valence made war on Count Garin of Beaucaire,—­war so great, so marvelous, and so mortal that never a day dawned but alway he was there, by the gates and walls and barriers of the town, with a hundred knights, and ten thousand men-at-arms, horsemen and footmen:  so burned he the Count’s land, and spoiled his country, and slew his men.  Now, the Count Garin of Beaucaire was old and frail, and his good days were gone over.  No heir had he, neither son nor daughter, save one young man only; such an one as I shall tell you.  Aucassin was the name of the damoiseau:  fair was he, goodly, and great, and featly fashioned of his body and limbs.  His hair was yellow, in little curls, his eyes blue-gray and laughing, his face beautiful and shapely, his nose high and well set, and so richly seen was he in all things good, that in him was none evil at all.  But so suddenly was he overtaken of Love, who is a great master, that he would not, of his will, be a knight, nor take arms, nor follow tourneys, nor do whatsoever him beseemed.  Therefore his father and mother said to him:—­