One has only to look at the common, so-called Elzevirian, volume of thirteenth-century nouvelles to see the Frenchman as he saw himself.  The story of “La Comtesse de Ponthieu” is the more Shakespearean, but “La Belle Jehanne” is the more natural and lifelike.  The plot is the common masculine intrigue against the woman, which was used over and over again before Shakespeare appropriated it in “Much Ado”; but its French development is rather in the line of “All’s Well.”  The fair Jeanne, married to a penniless knight, not at all by her choice, but only because he was a favourite of her father’s, was a woman of the true twelfth-century type.  She broke the head of the traitor, and when he, with his masculine falseness, caused her husband to desert her, she disguised herself as a squire and followed Sir Robert to Marseilles in search of service in war, for the poor knight could get no other means of livelihood.  Robert was the husband, and the wife, in entering his service as squire without pay, called herself John:—­

Molt fu mesire Robiers dolans cant il vint a Marselle de cou k’il n’oi parler de nulle chose ki fust ou pais; si dist a Jehan: 

—­Ke ferons nous?  Vous m’aves preste de vos deniers la vostre mierchi, si les vos renderai car je venderai mon palefroi et m’acuiterai a vous.

—­Sire, dist Jehans, crees moi se il vous plaist je vous dirai ke nous ferons; jou ai bien enchore c sous de tournois, s’ll vous plaist je venderai nos ii chevaus et en ferai deniers; et je suis li miousdres boulengiers ke vous sacies, si ferai pain francois et je ne douc mie ke je ne gaagne bien et largement mon depens.

—­Jehans, dist mesire Robiers, je m’otroi del tout a faire votre volente

Et lendemam vendi Jehans ses .ii. chevaux X livres de tornois, et achata son ble et le fist muire, et achata des corbelles et coumencha a faire pain francois si bon et si bien fait k’il en vendoit plus ke li doi melleur boulengier de la ville, et fist tant dedens les ii ans k’il ot bien c livres de katel.  Lors dist Jehans a son segnour: 

—­Je lo bien que nous louons une tres grant mason et jou akaterai del vin et hierbegerai la bonne gent

—­Jehan, dist mesire Robiers, faites a vo volente kar je l’otroi et si me loc molt de vous.

Jehans loua une mason grant et bielle, et si hierbrega la bonne gent et gaegnoit ases a plente, et viestoit son segnour biellement et richement, et avoit mesire Robiers son palefroi et aloit boire et mengier aveukes les plus vallans de la ville, et Jehans li envoioit vins et viandes ke tout cil ki o lui conpagnoient s’en esmervelloient.  Si gaegna tant ke dedens .iiii ans il gaegna plus de ccc livres de meuble sains son harnois qui valoit bien .L. livres.

Much was Sir Robert grieved when he came to Marseilles and found that there was no talk of anything doing in the country, and he said to John:  “What shall we do?  You have lent me your money, I thank you, and will repay you, for I will sell my palfrey and discharge the debt to you.”