CHIVALRY. 
body reddisli, with a snbciliate border; in- 
habits the Norwegian seas among the roots 
of n!vm ; two lines long ; depressed, and 
narrower before, with two longitudinal 
grooves down the back, bounding the ridge 
in the piiddle ; when alive both the shell and 
animal are reddish, w'hen dried cinereous. 
CHIVALRY, in law, is a tenure of ser- 
vice, whereby the tenant is bound to per- 
form some noble or military office to his 
lord ; and is either regal, when held only of 
the king; or common, such as may beheld 
of a common person, as well as the king : 
the former is properly called serjeanty, and 
tlie latter escuage. 
Chivalry, in antiquity, an institution 
which, according to some writers, took its 
rise from tlie crusades ; but, according to 
others, it gave occasion to that enterprise ; 
and which, though founded in caprice, and 
productive of extravagance, had a very con- 
siderable influence in refining the manners 
pf the European nations, din ing the twelfth, 
thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth centu- 
ries. 
This institution naturally arose, says Dr. 
Robertson, from the state of society at that 
period. The feudal state was a state of 
perpetual war, rapine, and anarchy ; during 
which the weak and unarmed were ex- 
posed to perpetual insults or injuries. The 
power of the sovereign was too limited to 
prevc nt these wrongs ; and the administra- 
tion of justice too feeble to redress them. 
Against violence and oppression there was 
scarcely any protection, besides that which 
the valour and generosity of private persons 
aflbrded. The same spirit of enterprise 
which had prompted so many gentlemen 
to take arms in defence of the oppressed 
pilgrims in Palestine, incited others to de- 
clare themselves the patrons and avengers 
of injured innocence at home. When the 
final reduction of the Holy Land under the 
dominion of infidels put an end to these fo- 
reign expeditions, the latter was the only 
employment left for the activity and cou- 
rage of adventurers. The objects of this 
institution were to check the insolence of 
overgrown oppressors, to , succour the dis- 
tressed, to rescue the helpless from capti- 
vity, to protect or to avenge women, or- 
phans, and ecclesiastics, who could not bear 
arms in their own defence, to redress wi ongs, 
apd to remove grievances. Tliese w'ere 
considered as acts of the highest prow'ess 
and merit. Valonr, gallantry, and religion, 
^ere blended in this institution ; humanity, 
courtesy, justice, and honour were its cha- 
racteristic qualities ; the enthusiastic zeal 
produced by religion served to giv^i it sin- 
gular energy, and to carry it even to a ro- 
mantic excess : men were trained to knight- 
hood by long previous discipline ; they were 
admitted into the order by solemnities no 
less devout than pompous ; every person of 
noble birth courted the honour ; it was 
deemed a distinction superior to royalty, 
and monarchs were found to receive it from 
the hands of private gentlemen. These va- 
rious circumstances contributed to render 
a whimsical institution of substantial bene- 
fit to mankinil. 
Chivalry was employed in rescuing hum- 
ble and faithful vassals from the oppression 
of petty lords ; their women from savage 
lust ; and the hoary heads of hermits (a spe- 
cies of Eastern monks, much reverenced in 
the Holy Land) from rapine and outrage. 
In the mean time the courts of the feudal 
sovereigns became magnificent and polite ; 
and, as the military constitution still sub- 
sisted, military merit was to be upheld; 
but, destitute of its former objects, it natu- 
rally softened into fictitious images and 
courtly exercises of war, in “justs” and 
“ tournaments ;” wliere the honour of the 
ladies supplied the place of zeal for the holy 
sepulchre ; and thus the courtesy of elegant 
love, but of a wild and fanatic species, as 
being engrafted on spiritual enthusiasm, 
came to mix itself with the other charac- 
ters of the knights-errant 
Chivalry, whatever might be the era of 
its origin, declined in England during the 
inglorious reigns of King John and Hen- 
ry III. ; but revived under Edward I. Tliis 
prince was one of the most accomplislied 
knights of the age in which he flourished, 
and both delighted and excelled in feats of 
chivalry. As a proof of this, it will be sufi 
ficicnt to allege, that when he was on his 
return from tlie Holy Land after his father’s 
death, and knew that his presence w'as ar- 
dently desired in England, lie accepted an 
invitation to a tournament at Chalons in 
Burgundy, where lie displayed his skill and 
valour to great advantage, and gained a 
complete victory. Edward III. was no 
less fond of chivalry, and encouraged it 
both by his example and munificence. 
Having formed the di'sigu of asserting liis 
claim to the crown of France, he laboured 
to inspire ills own subjects with a bold en- 
terprising spirit, and to entice as many va- 
liant loreigners as possible into his service. 
“ This singular institution, says Dr. Ro* 
