The earliest prose writer in the French language, who gave a picture of actual French life, was Joinville; and although he wrote after the death of Saint Louis and of William of Lorris and Adam de la Halle, in the full decadence of Philip the Fair, toward 1300, he had been a vassal of Thibaut and an intimate friend of Louis, and his memories went back to the France of Blanche’s regency.  Born in 1224, he must have seen in his youth the struggles of Thibaut against the enemies of Blanche, and in fact his memoirs contain Blanche’s emphatic letter forbidding Thibaut to marry Yolande of Brittany.  He knew Pierre de Dreux well, and when they were captured by the Saracens at Damietta, and thrown into the hold of a galley, “I had my feet right on the face of the Count Pierre de Bretagne, whose feet, in turn, were by my face.”  Joinville is almost twelfth-century in feeling.  He was neither feminine nor sceptical, but simple.  He showed no concern for poetry, but he put up a glass window to the Virgin.  His religion belonged to the “Chanson de Roland.”  When Saint Louis, who had a pleasant sense of humour put to him his favourite religious conundrums, Joinville affected not the least hypocrisy.  “Would you rather be a leper or commit a mortal sin?” asked the King.  “I would rather commit thirty mortal sins than be a leper,” answered Joinville.  “Do you wash the feet of the poor on Holy Thursday?” asked the King.  “God forbid!” replied Joinville; “never will I wash the feet of such creatures!” Saint Louis mildly corrected his, or rather Thibaut’s, seneschal, for these impieties, but he was no doubt used to them, for the soldier was never a churchman.  If one asks Joinville what he thinks of the Virgin, he answers with the same frankness:—­

Ung jour moi estant devant le roi lui demanday congie d’aller en pelerinage a nostre Dame de Tourtouze [Tortosa in Syria] qui estoit ung veage tres fort requis.  Et y avoit grant quantite de pelerins par chacun jour pour ce que c’est le premier autel qui onques fust fait en l’onneur de la Mere de Dieu ainsi qu’on disoit lors.  Et y faisoit nostre Dame de grans miracles a merveilles.  Entre lesquelz elle en fist ung d’un pouvre homme qui estoit hors de son sens et demoniacle.  Car il avoit le maling esperit dedans le corps.  Et advint par ung jour qu’il fut amene a icelui autel de nostre Dame de Tourtouze.  Et ainsi que ses amys qui l’avoient la amene prioient a nostre Dame qu’elle lui voulsist recouvrer sante et guerison le diable que la pouvre creature avoit ou corps respondit:  “Nostre Dame n’est pas ici; elle est en Egipte pour aider au Roi de France et aux Chrestiens qui aujourdhui arrivent en la Terre sainte centre toute paiennie qui sont a cheval.”  Et fut mis en escript le jour que le deable profera ces motz et fut apporte au legat qui estoit avecques le roi de France; lequel me dist depuis que a celui jour nous estion arrivez en la terre d’Egipte.  Et suis bien certain que la bonne Dame Marie nous y eut bien besoin.