of the other, and suffer all things which it is most hard for a proud and brave man to bear.  But everything is suffered cheerfully, and the friends are such true knights that, in all their trials, neither does anything wrong, or commits the slightest fault against truth—­until a certain sad day.  On that day it is the duty of Amis to fight in a trial by battle.  But he is sick, and can not fight; then to save his honour his friend Amile puts on the armour and helmet of Amis, and so pretending to be Amis, goes to the meeting place, and wins the fight gloriously.  But this was an act of untruthfulness; he had gone into battle under a false name, and to do anything false even for a good motive is bad.  So heaven punishes him by afflicting him with the horrible disease of leprosy.

The conditions of leprosy in the Middle Ages were of a peculiar kind.  The disease seems to have been introduced into Europe from Asia—­perhaps by the Crusaders.  Michelet suggests that it may have resulted from the European want of cleanliness, brought about by ascetic teachings—­for the old Greek and Roman public bath-houses were held in horror by the mediaeval Church.  But this is not at all certain.  What is certain is that in the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth centuries leprosy became very prevalent.  The disease was not then at all understood; it was supposed to be extremely contagious, and the man afflicted by it was immediately separated from society, and not allowed to live in any community under such conditions as could bring him into contact with other inhabitants.  His wife or children could accompany him only on the terrible condition of being considered lepers.  Every leper wore a kind of monk’s dress, with a hood covering the face; and he had to carry a bell and ring it constantly to give notice of his approach.  Special leper-houses were built near every town, where such unfortunates might obtain accommodation.  They were allowed to beg, but it was considered dangerous to go very near them, so that in most cases alms or food would be thrown to them only, instead of being put into their hands.

Now when the victim of leprosy in this romance is first afflicted by the disease, he happens to be far away from his good friend.  And none of his own family is willing to help him; he is regarded with superstitious as well as with physical horror.  There is nothing left for him to do but to yield up his knighthood and his welfare and his family, to put on the leper’s robe, and to go begging along the roads, carrying a leper’s bell.  And this he does.  For long, long months he goes begging from town to town, till at last, by mere chance, he finds his way to the gate of the great castle where his good friend is living—­now a great prince, and married to the daughter of the king.  And he asks at the castle gate for charity and for food.