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you the emblem of victory or the palm of martyrdom." Their battle cry was, God wills it." From that day chivalry became the one feature of society.

THREE FEATURES OF KNIGHTLY CHARAC

TER.

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First Feature-Expressed by one word, Valor. knight must love danger-love to surmount it. This feature had three virtues: Loyalty, Generosity, and Love of Freedom.

Second Feature-Love, concrete love. Not the love of humanity but the love of some one woman (Before Chivalry, it was man and woman; then came gentleman and lady.)

The

A knight without a lady love is described as a ship without a rudder" and "body without a soul." one motto of Chivalry, " For God and the ladies."

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The virtues proceeding from this concrete love were, Gallantry, Politeness, Courtesy and Gentleness. lantry was an essential feature of knighthood.

Third Feature-Religion. The whole ceremony of initiation into knighthood partook of devotion.

The church was the hand-maid of the knight from his infancy to his grave.

Religion begets faith which leads to Love in its highest sense.

IMPORTANCE OF UNDERSTANDING KNIGHT

HOOD.

ALL else revolves around Knighthood. To know the life of a knight is to know the greater part of the life of the age.

It is very interesting to study modes of education from 1066 to destruction of feudal system. The education of the knight transformed literature, for it was the higher education of England. He was controlled by women until he reached his seventh year, then he was given over to the men.

A lord sent his son to some neighboring lord, since he would be treated with too much consideration by fond doting parents, and there his duties were such as to teach him to obey before he could command. He served as page. They (the pages) waited on the table, carried letters, and were the principal feature in entertainments, ceremonies, and other things of a kindred nature.

At this age they were especially bound to the ladies. Each one must choose some one woman to be his guide, his sovereign. This was unnatural in taking his affections from his mother, and might degenerate into sentimentality, but generally cultivated obedience and devotion. At the age of fourteen he became squire, his education being completely changed. He must serve as a squire fourteen years before he could become a knight. The ceremony in changing from page to squire took place in church. He was handed a sword, took the oath, and by this ceremony his allegiance transferred from ladies to lords.

After this his position was more honored in the household. He superintended the receptions and regulated the laws of etiquette for the entire household. He went on journeys and hunts with the knights. In traveling or going to war, he led the knight's charger. He must follow the knight into battle, risk any danger, and rescue his knight from peril.

His chief duty was the development of his physical being, by all kinds of outdoor exercises. He was compelled to travel in foreign countries for the purpose of coming in contact with great knights for culture and refinement.

It was a fixed law that the knight must be brave, noble, devoted, whether in the humblest cot or mansion of the great lord. He must assist the poor and afflicted-all those in distressed circumstances.

The ceremony that made him knight was called the investiture. The investiture reveals the entire character of chivalry. The ceremony begins on Monday and on Wednesday the rank is conferred.

THE CEREMONIES ATTENDING ON KNIGHTHOOD.

AFTER entering the cathedral, he takes a bath, for like the babe he must come forth free from blemish. He must emerge cleansed and clothed with honor, courtesy, and goodness. From bath to bed-where he reclines awhile, which is the symbol of "bed of rest," that the Lord is to give the brave knight. This is the fundamental idea of knighthood.

After rising from his couch he is clothed with a robe of snowy linen, which teaches him that his body must be preserved from all blemish if he ever wishes to reach Heaven. Over this a crimson robe is placed, teaching him readiness to shed his blood for the cause of right and the Holy Church. Next, a girdle of pure white around his waist, teaching him to avoid all luxuries. Then was fastened on him two golden spurs to urge his horse onward. This taught him, he must ever be like the horse, docile "as the horse is obedient unto thee, be thou obedient unto thy Lord."

Last, the good sword fastened to his side, and a snow white crif taught him his soul must ever be stainless. He fasted and prayed in the church that afternoon and the day and night following.

The ceremony Wednesday morning is attended with

great pomp and splendor. He kneels before the altar, hears mass, his sins are forgiven and he stands before the world a justified spirit.

The lady whom he loves best brings his spurs, helmet, cuirass, gauntlets, and sword and presents them to him. The lord then confers the degree, the young knight coming forward and kneeling in front of the knight. After the oath is taken, the lord pronounces the benediction, "In the name of God and St. George, I make thee Knight. Be thou faithful, bold and fortunate." Then rising he is clad in armor by his lady. Springing on his horse he dashes around the room three times, then out into the open air, amidst the applause and admiration of all.

Chivalry was a splendid reality from 1066 to 1154. It died in Elizabeth's reign-scorned out of existence, after the publication of Cervante's "Don Quixote."

THE TOURNAMENT AND ROUND TABLE.

THE one great ceremony was the tournament. The joust was a hand to hand combat at the close of the tournament. The tournament was a grand military exercise.

The "Round Table" was first established during the reign of Edward III.

The knights entered the ring, or lists led by the ladies with golden chains. Their coming was heralded by trumpets and they took their places in the lists amid the applause of the assembly

On the day previous each knight hung out his banner from some public window. The ladies go by with heralds and if aught of reproach can be preferred against him, a lady has merely to touch the banner of

a knight. If he can vindicate himself he is permitted to enter the lists next day; if not he is excluded.

Each knight wore a favor of his lady-love. Sometimes a bracelet, sometimes a scarf-again, an embroidered sleeve. The victor was always honored with a grand banquet.

The French nobility introduced and gave these tournaments; hence the songs were first in French-afterwards translated into English.

MILITARY ORDERS ESTABLISHED BY THE

CRUSADES.

I. KNIGHT HOSPITALLERS-about the time of the Norman Conquest. The first hospital in England was controlled by monks, who were transformed into a military order.

II. Knights of the Temple, 1118.

They established a ritual which now exists in some form of masonry. Their object to rescue the temple from the infidels. Each country had its separate organizations. (Chivalry itself had no definite organization.)

With these organizations came new purposes. These purposes sprang from the necessities of the church and took Chivalry away from the feudal system.

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For many centuries the recovery of the "Holy Land" was constantly at the heart of the brave and superstitious nobility. The purposes for which men bore arms in a Crusade sanctified their use. A primary duty is to defend God's laws against the infidels. Everything was contrived to identify the new condition with the church." (Hallam's Middle Ages.)

Every separate organization of the Knights had its tribunal and whenever a knight erred he was tried before this tribunal.