KNIGHTS. 
others. The ceremony occurred evei-y 
lustrum under the superintendence of the 
censors. 
When the Equites had accomplished the 
term for which their services were required 
it was the established custom to lead their 
horses to the place where the two censors 
were seated in the Forum to whom they 
related the circumstances attending then- 
various campaigns, and under whom they 
served ; they were then discharged either 
with honour or disgrace as their conduct 
was approved or considered disgraceful. 
It is generally admitted tliat it is by no 
means correct to suppose that all the Roman 
soldiers mounted on horses were knights. 
Sigonius, and others, made a distinction in 
the cavalry between those who served equo 
publico, and those who served equo privato ; 
“ the former” says Kennet, “ they allow to 
have been of the order of knights, the latter 
not. They demonstrate from the course 
of history, that from the beginning of the 
Roman state till the time of Marius, no 
other horse entered the legions but the 
true and proper knights, except in the midst 
of public confusion, when order and dis- 
cipline w'ere neglected.” 
Like all other institutions this order 
began to degenerate, the life and soul of 
honour which supported it died and faded 
away, leaving a mere shadow of its pristine 
importance, indolence and avarice tempted 
individuals from the pursuit of military 
fame to the more innocent, and, perhaps, 
more laudable occupations' of agriculture, 
and to partake of the emoluments to be de- 
rive d from places of trust under Ibe govern- 
ment; those who retained sufficient vigour 
of mind to consider themselves as still be- 
longing to the order, obtained commands, 
and the mass of the cavalry was at length 
composed of foi’eign mercenaries. Fully 
sensible of the degraded state of the 
Equites, who wished to receive the ho- 
nours due to them when deserving of 
honour, and a horse from their country, 
when that country no longer was remune- 
rated by their services, subsequent princes 
deprived them of the horse, but suffered 
them to retain the golden ring. 
Knights’ seroice, this species of servitude 
was the consequence of the weakness and 
decay of the feodal system thoughout 
Europe, and was invented as a remedy. 
-Fiefs, which had previously been held for 
long terms of years, were made hereditary, 
and the bolder was compelled to afford, 
without exception or a possibility of denial, 
as many soldiers to be maintained by the 
produce of the lands, as the lord proprietor 
was disposed to think proper, this became 
the tenure of knights’ service ; but a single 
soldier derived as the service of a certain 
portion of land was termed a knights’ fee, 
and an estate furnishing a number of men 
trained for the field was said to contain an 
equal number of knights’ fees ; this system, 
extending in every direction, rendered each 
nation acting under it formidable and dan- 
gerous to the adjoining, as numerous armies 
might be assembled at a very short notice, 
and much blood spilt before reason had 
time to subdue sudden resentment, besides 
the means of oppression it afforded to men 
of large possessions. The armies thus as- 
sembled were commanded by the monarch, 
the nobles acted as officers, and all the 
varieties of vassals were considered and 
sorted as private soldiers. Exclusive of 
the tyranny of exacting personal service, 
the holders of knights’ tenures were subject' 
to all the ancient hardships of the old sys- 
tem, under the name of incidents, for chief 
aid, escheat, wardship and marriage, and 
they were compelled to bind themselves to 
their oppressor by oaths of homage and 
fealty. 
It is supposed that knights’ service had 
been universally established in Europe by 
the year 987" ; if so, there cannot be the 
least doubt that it was introduced into 
England by William of Normandy ob- 
taining the absolute right of disposing of 
the territory of the conquered chiefs of this 
country ; the obvious policy of the monarch 
was the distribution of it to those persons 
who had adopted his fortunes; and in what 
way could he more firmly bind them to his 
future support than by compelling them to 
furnish men by the prevailing tenure-' 
Pursuing this policy, the old tenants re- 
ceived fresh grants, and were thus secured 
by the subtle king from attempting to 
wrest his conquests from him; indeed it 
has been asserted, that the system was gene- 
rally approved, as but few of the Anglo- 
Saxon fiefs were hereditary. The knights 
were bound to appear completely armed 
witii a lance, sword, shield and helmet, and 
well mounted at the shortest notice from 
their superiors, and to remain in the field 
forty days at the expence of the chiefs of 
their fees. At length similar causes to those 
which have been mentioned to have actuat- 
ed the Roman equites, induced the English 
