'ROMANCE. A species of tale, originally in metre, in the Romanic
dialects, afterwards diffused in verse or prose, such as the tales of the
court of Arthur, and of Amadis of Gaule; hence, any fictitious or
wonderful tale; now, especially, a sort of novel, whose interest lies not
so much in the depiction or analysis of real life or character as in
adventure, surprising incident, or the like.'

Webster's New International Dictionary.

'Romance . . . reverence for women . . . the idealising imagination
exercised about sex.' C. S. LEWIS, The Allegory of Love.

'The poetry and romance of the Renaissance follow naturally upon the
literature of the Middle Ages. . . . There is no such line of division
between Ariosto and Chrestien of Troyes as there is between Chrestien
and the primitive epic.' W. P. KER, Epic and Romance.

'That tradition [of medieval love-poetry] continued to be the inspira-
tion of all the love-poetry composed in sonnet or song or pastoral or
romance or romantic comedy.' H. J. C. GRIERSON,
Cross Currents in English Literature of the XVIIth Century.

'Truly, I have known men, that even with reading Amadis de Gaule
(which God knoweth wanteth much of a perfect Poesy) have found
their hearts moved to the exercise of courtesy, liberality, and especially
courage.' SIR PHILIP SIDNEY, Apologie for Poetrie.

'Now is he for the numbers that Petrarch flowed in.'
SHAKESPEARE, Romeo and Juliet, II. iv. 39-40.

'In its first intention, Elizabethan romantic comedy was an attempt
to adapt the world of romance and all its implications to the service
of comedy.' H. B. CHARLTON, Shakespearian Comedy.

'What we have lost is a world of fine fabling.'

HURD, Letters on Chivalry and Romance (1762).

'It is difficult for a younger generation to realize how closely woven
with thought and imagination was the romantic ideal of love. Novels,
and painting and poetry, all fed the imagination on romance.'

M. C. D'ARCY, The Mind and Heart of Love.

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