KNIGH 
(>il. And oil the reverfe a fword pa(Tmg through a wreath 
compofed of two brandies of laurel, with the motto : 
Valor., e. lealde, “Valour and loyalty.” The whole 
furmounted with a tower; and worn at the button-hole 
by a blue ribbon with a tawny edge. See Plate V. The 
order is compofed of three dalles ; knights grand crofl'es, 
commanders, and fmall crofl'es. 
Having thus defcribed every knightly inflitution, af- 
figned their caufes, and fixed, as much as contemporary 
authors could fupply us with faffs, the exaft date of their 
origins, we ftiall not bring this interefting article to a dole, 
without fubjoining to it a few’ curious obfervations care¬ 
fully gathered from the bell writers on the fubjedf, in or¬ 
der to confirm what has been already afl'erted concerning 
the high elteem in which this dignity was held in ancient 
times, and ought to be held in our days, when fo rel'pec- 
table a title has been bellowed by fovereigns, and more 
efpecially by our p re lent monarch and the prince regent, 
upon characters, who refieft by an honourable exchange, 
as much luftre upon the orders as the orders do upon them. 
In the different lifts inferted above, we find the names of 
thofe, who, in their refpeftive ftations, on the field of 
battle, in naval exploits, in the cabinet, and in the l'enate, 
have fpent their time and their blood, exerted their abi¬ 
lities and virtues, to increafe the glory of a nation, who, 
proud of their names and llrong through their fupport, 
can fairly boaft at this moment of the privilege of being 
the fir It in the world. 
We have extrafled from William Segar, Norroy king 
of arms, the qualities which were thought requilite to 
conftitute a good knight; what the ancient authors of 
France ufied to call preux chevalier , a well-tried knight, (fee 
p. 787.) It is proper that we fliould infert here alfo a 
fummary account of the duties of every knight, from the 
fame author, as they were acknowledged by all in his 
time. 
“ It behoves every knight to fear God, and with all his 
power to maintain the Chriftian faith. 
To be charitable, and comfort thofe who are affiifted. 
To ferve faithfully, and to defend his prince and coun¬ 
try courageoully. 
To forgive the follies and offences of other men, and 
fincerely embrace the love of friends. 
To elteem truth, and, without refpeft, maintain it. 
To avoid llotli and fuperfluous eal'e. 
To l'pend the time in honelt and virtuous aftions. 
To reverence magiftrates, and converfe with perfons of 
honour. 
To efchew (fhun) riot, and deteft intemperance. 
To frequent the wars, and ufe military exercifes. 
To efchew difhonelt pleafures, and endeavour to do 
good to others. 
To accommodate himfelf to the humour of honefl com¬ 
pany, and be no wrangler. 
To fhun the converfation of perverfe perfons, and be¬ 
have himfelf modeftly. 
To be fober and difcreet, no boafler of his own afls, nor 
fpeaker of himfelf. 
To defire no exceflive riches, and patiently endure 
worldly calamities. 
To undertake juft enterprifes and defend the rights of 
others. 
To fupport the oppreffed, and help widows and or¬ 
phans. 
To prefer honour before worldly wealth, and be both 
in words and deeds juft and faithful.” 
Neither the boalted maxims of Epictetus, nor the fublime 
doctrines of Socrates and Zeno, ever can excel this fmall 
compendium of virtues; which, though applied here ex- 
cluflvely to knights, contains the duties of every man. 
Religion, charity, loyalty/temperance, meeknefs, indul¬ 
gence for others, feverity towards one’s felf, courage, mo- 
defty, veracity, moderation, prudence ; in a word, all that 
conllitutes the good knight and the perfect gentleman, 
the ufeful member of fociety and the acme of lbblunary 
perfection, is comprehended under the few heads collected 
T H O O D. 827 
above, and ought to be inceffantly prefent to the mind of 
every one, according to the fituation in which it has 
pleafed the Almighty to place him. 
The honours paid to a knight were of fuch confequence, 
and the dignity of the title fo high, that, when any indi¬ 
vidual, belonging to an order, became guilty of any crime, 
which called upon him the feverity of the law, and fub- 
jefted him to corporal punilhment, he was firlt deprived 
of his knighthood, and reduced to the common level of 
the vulgar. 
The ceremony of degrading a knight in England is 
mentioned by the author above-mentioned in the follow¬ 
ing manner: 
“ It feems that the degradation of knights has been 
ufed only for offences of the greateft reproach and dilho- 
nour ; which we conceive, partly by the rarenefs of fuch 
aClions, and partly for that the men bereft of that dig¬ 
nity were not only degraded, but alfo by law executed. 
As in the reign of king Edward IV. it appeared that a 
knight was degraded in this fort: 
“Firlt, after the publication of his offence, his gilt 
fpurs were beaten off from his heels, then his fword was 
taken from him and broken. That being done, every 
piece of his armour was bruifed, beaten, and call afide. 
After all which difgraces, he was beheaded.” 
In like manner Andrew of Herclay, a knight, and earl 
of Carlille, was in this fort degraded. He, being appre¬ 
hended, was by the king’s commandment brought before 
fir Anthony Lucie, anno 1321, apparelled in all the 
robes of his eftate as an earl and a knight; and fo led 
unto the place of judgment. Being thither come, fir An¬ 
thony Lucie Laid unto him thefe words: “Firlt, thou flialt 
loft the order of knighthood, by which thou haft all thy 
honour; and, further, all worfhip upon thy body be 
brought to nought.” Thefe words pronounced, fir An¬ 
thony Lucie commanded a knave to hew the knight’s fpurs 
from his heels; and afterwards caufed his fword to be 
broken over his head. That done, he was defpoiled of 
his furred tabbard, of his hood, of his furred coat, and of 
his girdle. Then fir Anthony faid unto him thefe words: 
“Andrew, now art thou no knight, but a knave; and for 
thy treafon the king does will thou flialt be hanged.” 
Theft laft expreflions, now art thou no knight, but a knave , 
pronounced with awful folemnity, mull have impreffed 
the fpeftators with utmoll veneration for a dignity, the 
lofs of which was enough to reduce a nobleman to the 
condition of a Have, and to fend him ignominioufly to 
mix among fervants and lackeys ; for fuch was the ienle 
of the word knave in former times. 
In cafe that any of our readers fliould with to enter 
more minutely into the hiltory of the feveral orders above 
defcribed, we llin.ll conclude by a fliort lift of the molt 
eiteemed authors who have treated the lubjefl of knight¬ 
hood. 
Favin has publilhed two volumes under the title of The- 
tre d’Honneur et de Chevalerie. 
Menenius has given his hiltory of the Orders under the 
title of Deliciie Equejlrium Ordinum. 
And. Mendo has written de Ordinibus Militaribus. 
Beloi has traced the origin of Knighthood. 
Geliot, in his Armorial Index, gives the Inllitutions. 
Father Meneltrier de la Chevalerie ancienne et moderne. 
Miqueli’s Trel'or Militaire. 
Miraeus’s Origines Equellrium five Militarium Ordinum. 
W. Segar, Norroy King of Arms. “ Honor military and 
civil, contained in four Books; printed in London, 
1602.” A work replete with molt curious relearches 
concerning ancient chivalry. 
The Inllitutions, Laws, and Ceremonies, of the Moll No¬ 
ble Order of the Garter, by Elias Alhmole, Windfor 
Herald. 
Selden’s Titles of Honour. A treatife fo much efteemed, 
that the great Locke lays, that “a gentleman fliould ne¬ 
ver be without it.” 
John Anltis, principal King of Arms, upon the Order of 
the Garter, and of the Bath. 
Bufwell’s 
