la seconde croisade. Louis VII was one of the

leaders; Damascus was besieged, but to no purpose, and the crusaders returned to Europe (1147-1149).

59. — 6. Mais ils n'ont pu descendre la vallée de la Seine . . . malgré le secours des Anglais. The Burgundians were allied with the English during the latter part of the reign of Charles VI and the earlier part of the reign of Charles VII. This king was called the roi de Bourges (line 8) because of the loss of almost all his other territory during the Hundred Years' War.

60. — II. perce la craie. Chalk is much in evidence in Champagne.

62. — 3. fabliaux. The ending -iau, for -eau, is a characteristic of the Picard dialect. The regular French form would be fahleau; fabliau was introduced in the sixteenth century from Picard manuscripts after the form fahleau had fallen into disuse.

63. — 22. La conquête. The conquest of England by William the Conqueror in 1066.