CHAP, v.] 



CHIVALRY. 



U9 



the 

 long 

 rder. 

 bame 

 lives 



and 



although for a long period the two sentiments of religion 

 and love were combined together, yet at first one was 

 the prevailing idea, and then gradually the other assumed 

 that position. In the time of Edward III., and down 

 almost to Henry VIII. of England and Francis I. of 

 France, the knights made the most fantastic vows in 

 honour of their mistresses. The two ideas were, how- 

 ever, long recognised as the guiding principles of chi- 

 valry, and God and love were taught to be honoured 

 and maintained as a single duty. 



Boccaccio returns thanks to God and Love for the assist- 

 ance given him in writing the Decameron.^ Froissart, 

 making a collection of poetry, announces that he under- 

 takes the work with the help of the same powers. The 

 courtesy to ladies was very marked, the protection to the 

 widow and orphan, and to the distressed, was an obligation 

 looked upon as a religious duty, and the weak and the 

 oppressed never appealed to the knight for aid in vain. 



The effect of this feeling, in gradually eradicating the 

 vices and treachery that had been common among the 

 barbarous tribes, was extraordinary, and the kind and 

 courteous treatment of prisoners of war so very different 

 from the cruelties of the early ages, did much to Chris- 

 tianise and civilise the world. The benefits of chivalry in 

 this way can hardly be over-estimated. 



SECTION II. — EQUIPMENT, ARMAMENT, AND TACTICS. 



The knights were always clad in armour. At first they 

 wore coats of mail composed of steel rings interwoven, 

 or of scales. When this was the prevailing defence, the 

 head was protected by a closely fitting cap of mail, made 

 in the same way as the body armour. It covered the fuce 

 to the forehead, left the lower portion unprotected, but 

 had a flap or curtain hanging down to defend the ears 

 and back of the head.^ They wore a helmet over this 

 cap of mail, but it was only put on at the moment of 

 going into action. 



In time as solid armour came into general use tlie 

 helmet assumed a conical shape, and was round at the 

 ' Lbwy, 41. 2 iiji.-i^ 81. 



