bishops to their prisoners is extremely curious, considering it in opposition to the general demeanour of knights to those whom the fortune of war threw into their hand. But these wars and jealousies between the knighthood and the priesthood, while they account for all the accusations which one class were perpetually making against the other, compel us to despise their mutual crimi nations. character of my own countrymen and kindred; but if I may be permitted to speak the truth, the English exceed all other nations in three vices of pride, perjury, and dishonesty. You will find great numbers of this nation in all the countries washed by the Greek sea; and it is commonly reported that they are infamous over all these countries for their deceitful callings.' But we must remember, (as Dr. Henry comments on this passage,) that this picture was drawn by a peevish monk, in very unhappy times, when faction raged with the greatest fury, both in the court and country." Nothing more, perhaps, need be said to deface the pictures of the knightly character as drawn by Pierre de Blois and John of Salisbury; and they should not have met with so much attention from me if they had not always formed the It would not alter the nature of chivalvan of every attack upon chivalry. But ry, or detract any thing from its merits, there is one passage in Dr. Henry's if many instances were to be adduced of History of England so closely applica- the recreancy of knights, of their want ble to the present part of my subject, of liberality, courtesy, or any other chithat I cannot forbear from inserting it. valric qualities; for nothing is more un"It would not be safe," observes that just than to condemn any system for judicious historian, "to form our no- actions which are hostile to its very tions of the national character of the spirit and principles. One fair way of people of England from the pictures judging it, is to examine its natural tenwhich are drawn of it by some of the dencies. A character of mildness must monkish historians. The monk of have been formed wherever the princiMalmsbury, in particular, who wrote ples of chivalry were acknowledged. A the life of Edward II., paints his coun- great object of the order was protection; trymen and contemporaries in the black-and therefore a kind and gentle regard est colours. 'What advantage,' says to the afflictions and misfortunes of he, do we reap from all our modern pride and insolence? In our days the lowest, poorest wretch, who is not worth a halfpenny, despises his superiors, and is not afraid to return them curse for curse. But this, you say, is owing to their rusticity. Let us see, then, the behaviour of those who think themselves polite and learned. Where do you meet with more abuse and inso-Christianity-its spirit of kindness and lence than at court? There, every one, swelling with pride and rancour, scorns to cast a look on his inferiors, disdains his equals, and proudly rivals his superiors. The squire endeavours to outshine the knight, the knight the baron, the baron the earl, the earl the king, in dress and magnificence. Their estates being insufficient to support this extravagance, they have recourse to the most oppressive acts, plundering their neigh-faithful to its trust, has sometimes paintbours and stripping their dependents almost naked, without sparing even the priests of God. I may be censured for my too great boldness, if I give an ill others tempered the fierceness of the warrior. In many points chivalry was only a copy of the Christian religion; and as that religion is divine, and admirably adapted to improve and perfect our moral nature, so the same merit cannot in fairness be denied to any of its forms and modifications. Chivalry embraced much of the beautiful morality of gentleness; and men were called upon to practise the laws of mercy and humanity by all the ties which can bind the heart and conscience; by the sanc tions of religion, the love of fame, by a powerful and lofty sense of honour. On the other hand, the Christianity of the time was not the pure light of the Gospel, for it breathed war and homicide; and hence the page of history, ed the knights amidst the gloomy horrors of the crusades, ruthlessly trampling on the enemies of the cross, and at other times generously sparing their prostrate Christian foes, and gaily caracoling about the lists of the tournament. But these are not the only means of showing the general beneficial nature of the institutions of chivalry. The character of modern Europe is the result of the slow and silent growth of ages informed with various and opposite elements. The impress of the Romans is not entirely effaced; and two thousand years have not destroyed all the superstitions of our Pagan ancestors. We must refer to past ages for the origin of many of those features of modern society which distinguish the character of Europe from that of the ancient world, and of the most polished states of Asia. We boast our generousness in battle, the bold display of our animosity, and our hatred of treachery and the secret meditations of revenge. To what cause can these qualities be assigned? Not to any opinions which for the last few hundred years have been infused into our character, for there is no resemblance between those qualities and any such opinions; but they can be traced back to those days of ancient Europe when the knight was quick to strike, and generous to forgive; and when he would present harness and arms to his foe rather than that the battle should be unfairly and unequally fought. This spirit, though not the form, of the chivalric times has survived to ours, and forms one of our graces and distinctions. The middle ages, as we have shown, were not entirely ages of feudal power; for the consequence of the personal nobility of chivalry was felt and acknowledged. The qualities of knighthood tempered and softened all classes of society, and worth was the passport to distinction. Thus chivalry effected more than letters could accomplish in the ancient world; for it gave rise to the personal merit which in the knight, and in his successor, the gentleman of the present day, checks the pride of birth and the presumption of wealth. But it is in the polish of modern society that the graces of chivalry are most pleasingly displayed. The knight was charmed into courtesy by the gentle influence of woman, and the air of mildness which she diffused has never died away. While such things exist, can we altogether assent to the opinion of a celebrated author, that "the age of chivalry is gone?" Many of its forms and modes have disappeared; fixed governments and wise laws have removed the necessity for, and quenched the spirit of, knight-errantry and romance; and, happily for the world, the torch of religious persecution has long since sunk into the ashes. But chival ric imagination still waves its magic wand over us. We love to link our names with the heroic times of Europe; and our armorial shields and crests confess the pleasing illusions of chivalry. The modern orders of military merit (palpable copies of some of the forms of middle-age distinctions) constitute the cheap defence of nations, and keep alive the personal nobility of knighthood. We wage our wars not with the cruelty of Romans, but with the gallantry of cavaliers; for the same principle is in influence now which of old inspired courage while it mitigated ferocity. Courtesy of manners, that elegant drapery of chivalry, still robes our social life; and liberality of sentiment distinguishes the gentleman, as in days of yore it was wont to distinguish the knight. INDEX. Acolade, meaning of the, 28, note. Albigenses, romance of, 27, note. Alcantara, order of, its principles, and its com- Amys and Amylion, romance of, 48. Anglo-Saxons, state of chivalry among, 14, 15, Antharis, a Lombard king, story of his romantic Arabian horses, their repute in chivalric times, Arabic, Spanish historians, account of, 204, note. Archers, excellence of English, 136. Fine Argonautes, order of, purpose of its institution, 117. Aristotle, lay of, 75. Armorial bearings, historical and philosophical Array, general nature of chivalric, 47. Band, Spanish order of the, objects of the order, Banneret, qualification of a knight, 17. His Bath, order of, ceremonies used at the ancient Beauty, knights fought to assert the superiority Blois, Charles of, his contention with Jane de Bonaparte, his generousness to a descendant of Athenæus, his singular testimony to a state of Bonnelance, Sir John, his remarkable courtesy to Auberoch, beleagured by the French, and chi- Bachelor, various meanings of the word, 18, 26. Baked meats, fondness of people for them in the ladies, 70. Boucmell, John, his joust with an English Bourbon, a singular mode by which a Duke of, Bourbon, order of, account of, 121. women, 77, note. His joust at St. Ingel- Bovines, importance of squires at the battle Break-across, to, meaning of the phrase, 93, Britomart, the perfection of chivalric heroines, Brittany, revered for its chivalric fame, 183. Calais, stories regarding, 137-138. Calatrava, order of, its origin and history, 115. Carlisle, Sir Anthony Harclay, Earl of, cere- Carpet-knights, meaning of the term, 178. Caxton, his lamentation over the decline of chi- arms, 27, note; and the pride of knights, 127, Chandos, Sir John, story with the Earl of Oxen- Charlemagne, state of chivalry, in his time, 16. Chess, the high favour of this game in days of ric costume, 32. First ages of, interesting to Cid, the, his birth, 205. His early ferocious Claremont, the Lord of, his dispute with Sir Clary, the Lord of, singular story of the censure Cloth of gold, chivalric circumstances, at the Coliseum, Moorish and chivalric sports in, 230. Colombe, Ernalton of Sainte, bravery of him and Companions in arms, nature of such a union, 47-48. Conde, D. José Antonio, value of his searches |