KNIGHTS. 
knights to commute their’'persoiial services 
for fines, and hence arose the system of 
taxation. 
An act of parliament was passed in the 
reign of Edward II. which required all per- 
sons possessed of 201. per annum to appear 
and receive the honour of knighthood from 
the king. This cause and others operated 
to produce such numbers of knights through- 
out Europe, that it became necessary to 
invent different orders of knightliood, to 
render some of the members at least of 
importance in the estimation of the com- 
munity. 
Charles I. strangely infatuated and mis- 
taken in his conduct, adopted the obsolete 
practice of his ancient predecessors, and 
issued “ a warrant to the sheriffs in 1626, 
to summons all persons that had for three 
years past held 401. per annum, or more, 
of lands or revenues in their own hands, 
or the hands of feoffees, and are not yet 
knights, to come before his raajejity by the 
thirty-first of January, to receive tlie order 
of knighthood.” 
January 28, 1630, the king issued a com- 
mission to the Lord Keeper, Lord High 
Treasurer, &c. to compound with tliose 
who had made themselves liable to for- 
feiture, by neglecting to receive knight- 
hood, according to act of parliament ; al- 
luding to the act of Edward II. This com- 
mission, absurd and oppressive beyond mo- 
dern conception or endurance, produced 
above one hundred thousand pounds to the 
royal treasury, but did the king infinite 
injury in the opinion of his subjects, who 
had long considered the statutum de Mili- 
tibus a uuilily, and which was afterwards 
repealed by parliament. Charles rather 
alarmed at the general expression of ab- 
horrence excited by his conduct, published 
“ a proclamation for the ease of his sub- 
jects, in making their compositions for not 
receiving the order of knighthood accord- 
ing to law, dated in the preceding July 
this however was nothing more than an 
attempt to soften the displeasime of the 
public, and failed of its effect. The ancient 
Ceremony of making a knight consisted of 
giving the party a blow on the ear, and 
striking him on the shoulder with a naked 
sword, after which he had a sword girded 
round him, and spurs attached to his heels, 
and being otherwise completely armed as 
a knight, he was conducted in solemn pro- 
cession to hear the offices of religion. 
Since the above period knighthood has 
been considered a proper method of re- 
warding persons who have rendered slight 
services to the state, but the veiy frequent 
opportunities afforded of conferring the 
lionour, has operated in producing the little 
estimation in which it is held, and from 
W'hich there is no present prospect of its 
recovering. The observations just made 
must not at the same time be supposed to 
apply to the more honourable orders which 
have already been noticed under the article 
of Knights of the Bath, and Knights of the 
Garter, exclusive of the numerous foreign 
orders, which have existed, and do still 
exist, in different parts of Europe. 
Knights’ templars. This order has been 
suppressed for many centuries, but as they 
were once considered a very powerful 
body, and had large possessions in England, 
of which the extensive and valuable do- 
main, still known by the name of tlie Tem- 
ple, in London, was a part, a slight sketch 
of their history appears to be necessary. 
The order was instituted in the year 
1118, for the actual defence of the places 
rendered sacred by the residence and acts 
of Jesus Christ, in the city of Jerusalem 
and its neighbourhood ; and the house which 
they occupied, being purposely situated 
near the temple there, they acquired the 
name of Templars; and, fiom the same 
cause, their principal mansions throughout 
Europe were called temples. The Council 
of Troyes confirmed and established them 
in the rule of St. Bernard, in the year 1127, 
and the brethren were divided into two 
classes, knights, and servitors. Saladine 
having invaded and conquered the territo- 
ries they had bound themselves to protect, 
tliey were compelled to leave the Holy 
Laud, and to establish the order where 
they found a kind reception, which was al- 
most in every part of the world tlien under 
the influence of the Christian religion, as 
they had double claims on the pious, pro- 
ceeding from their peculiar profession and 
sufierings for the cause of the Saviour. 
During the period they depended upon the 
alms and bounty of the public, they were 
distinguished for their meek and merito- 
rious conduct, W’hich operated so greatly in 
their favour, thi.t gifts flowed into their 
treasuries from the sovereign to the pea- 
sant, in every country where a house of 
knights’ templars existed. Matthew Paris 
asserts, the order possessed 9,000 rich con- 
vents ; and other writers add, that they 
had 16,000 lordships, with subordinate 
