similar to those in _Lanval_ and _Graelent_.[311] The _Lais_ of Marie de France had many imitators in England. Chaucer, too, has made it clear that he knew a good deal about the old Breton _lais_ and their subjects or 'matter', for in the _Prologue to the Frankeleyn's Tale_ he writes:-- Thise olde gentil Britons in hir dayes Of diverse aventures maden layes, Rymeyed in hir firste Briton tonge. We may now briefly examine, in a general way, some of the most noteworthy of the more obscure, but for us important Old French fairy-romances of a kindred Brythonic or Arthurian character, called _Romans d'Aventure_ and _Romans Bretons_, wherein _fées_ appear or are mentioned: i. e. _Le Bel Inconnu_, _Blancadin_, _Brun de la Montaigne_, _Claris et Laris_, _Dolopathos_, _Escanor_, _Floriant et Florete_, _Partonopeus_, _La Vengeance Raguidel_, _Joufrois_, and _Amada et Ydoine_.[312] In these romances, fairies commonly appear as most beautiful supernormal women who love mortal heroes. They are seen chiefly at night, frequenting forests and fountains, and like all fairies disappear at or before cock-crow. They are skilled in magic and astrology; like the Greek Fates, some of them spin and weave and have great influence over the lives of mankind. They are represented as relatively immortal, so long is their span of life compared to ours; but, ultimately, they seem to be subject to a change such as we call death. This indeed is never specifically mentioned, only implied by the statements that they enjoy childhood and then womanhood, being thus created and not eternal beings. Some are very prominent figures, like _Morgain la Fée_, Arthur's sister. In most cases they are beneficent, and frequently act as guardian spirits for their special hero, just as the Lake Lady for Arthur and the _Morrigu_ for Cuchulainn. So strong is the faith in these _fées_ that a man meeting unusual success is often described as _féed_--that is endowed with fairy power or under fairy protection, as Perceval's adversary, the Knight of the Dragon, states.[313] In _Joufrois_, too, the power of the fairies, or else the special protection of God, is considered the cause of success in arms.[314] In _Brun de la Montaigne_, _Morgain la Fée_ is represented as the cousin of Arthur; and Butor, the father of Brun, mentions several localities in different lands, which, like the Forest of Brocéliande in Brittany, the chief theatre of this romance, are fairy haunts; and he names them as being under the dominion of Arthur, who is described as a great fairy king.[315]