Book One, Introduction to the Treatise on Love, Preface, Chapters 1-5 Summary and Analysis

Andreas Capellanus, the author, opens the preface by noting that his good friend Walter asked him to publish his writings on the nature of love between lovers. Walter has recently fallen in love and does not know how to manage it. Andreas agrees to help him.

Book One will consider what courtly love it, where its name comes from, what its effect is, between whom it may occur, its generation, life and death, signs of love's return, and how lovers should act if one is unfaithful.

Andreas defines love as an innate suffering which arises from the perception and focus on the beauty of a member of the opposite sex. Love causes each person to seek the embrace of the other...