IV

and his sovereign, Francis; for after the battle CHAP. of Marignan, in 1515, when they fought together against the Swiss, the King was, at his own request, knighted by the cavalier without fear and without reproach. After giving the accolade, Bayard addressed his sword, "Certainly, my good sword, you shall hereafter be honoured as a most precious relic, and never shall be drawn except against Turks, Moors, and Saracens." He then twice leaped up for joy, and plunged his trusty weapon into its sheath. *

Soon after the days of Francis I. the title of knighthood became an empty name: it was preserved as the decoration of nobility and lawyers; and, from respect to the ancient glories of their nation, kings received it at their baptism.† Mont

Memoires de Bayard, in the great collection of French Memoires, vol. xv. p. 458. "Et puis après par maniere de jeu, cria haultement l'espée en la main dextre: tu es bien heureuse d'avoir aujourdhui à un si vertueux et puissant roy donné l'ordre de chevalerie. Certes ma bonne espée, vous serez moult bien reliques gardée et sur toutes autres honorée. Et ne vous porteray jamais, si ce n'est contre Turcs, Sarrasins, ou Maures, et puis feit deux faults, et après remeit au fourreau son espée." This sword has been lost.

This mode of receiving knighthood had, however, been stealing into a custom for some time. The earliest instance I have ever met with was in the case of an infant son of Charles VI. (A. D. 1371,) who was knighted by Du Guesclin,'a cavalier who, one would think, was sufficiently jealous of the honour of chivalry. After the ceremonies of baptism,

CHAP.
IV.

Abolition

of tournaments.

The

luc, that man of blood, was the last French soldier who received it in the field of battle. accolade was given to him by the Duke d'Anguien, after the engagement of Cérisolles, in 1544.

The amusements of chivalry were soon abolished. The accidental death of Henry II. in a tournament*, in the year 1559, did much to indispose the minds of the people from chivalric sports; and when in the following year Prince Henry de Bourbon Montpensier was killed, in consequence of his horse falling under him, while careering round the lists, tournaments ceased for ever; and with their abolition, as Voltaire says, the ancient spirit of chivalry expired in France; for that country, after the death of Henry II., was plunged in fanaticism, and desolated by the wars of religion. The

Du Guesclin drew his sword, and putting it naked into the hand of the naked child, (nudo tradidit ensem nudum,) said to him, "Sire, I give you this sword, and put it into your hand; and pray God that he will give you such a noble heart that you may prove as true a knight as any of your illustrious ancestors." So, too, Monstrelet, in his account of the events in the year 1433, says, that the Duchess of Burgundy was delivered of a son at Dijon, who was knighted at the font. Vol. vii. p. 147.

Part of Segar's account of this tournament is too interesting to be omitted. "At the fourth course, by marvellous

IV.

spirit did not survive the forms of chivalry; CHAP. for the intercourse with Italy introduced into France new opinions and feelings. Machiavelian of chivalry.

Extinction

misadventure, the King became hurt with a splinter of the
adversary's lance, which pierced his eye so deep, as thereby
his brain was much bruised. Thus was the nuptial feast
disturbed, and joy converted to sorrow. Such is the state of
worldly things: gladness is ever followed by sadness, and plea-
sure accompanied by pain. The rest of the troop who were
ready to run were with that accident marvellously amazed,
and not knowing what to do, every man let fall his lance,
and cursed such triumphs. Some pressed to carry his per-
son home, and others (as touched to the heart) shut their
eyes from seeing a spectacle so miserable. The ladies like-
wise and gentlewomen of the court turned their faces
from beholding, and closed their eyes with tears.
To con-
clude, the whole number of courtiers were stricken with
sorrow not explicable. The citizens, also, and, generally,
all the subjects of that kingdom, were perplexed to see the
tragical event of that disastrous triumph, which was in-
tended to congratulate a new peace and an honourable
alliance. The form and face of the city were thus converted
from exceeding joy to unspeakable sorrow: some held up
their hands to heaven, others made haste to the churches,
and every one, with abundance of sighs and sobs, cried out,
beseeching God to grant the King recovery; as if every
man's well doing had thereon depended. Then the physi-
cians and surgeons, not only of France but of the Low
Countries, came thither to show their skill, using all art and
endeavour that might be; but the splinters of the lance had
pierced the King's eye so deeply, as the tenderness of the
place could not suffer it to be taken out nor seen (the brain
also being pierced), no means there were to cure the wound.

IV.

CHAP. politics banished the open, manly demeanour of chivalry; and the most disgusting profligacy equally distinguished the ladies. It is amusing to observe that, long after the extinction of chivalry in France, the apparent homage and devotion of chivalric love still continued, although it was no longer sustained by virtue. Love, sublimed into idolatry, breathes in every page of the heroic romances which succeeded the romances of chivalry, and reflect the feelings of the nation; and so late as the reign of Louis XIV. a ruffled and well-powdered French General, whose soul was not illumined by a single gleam of the character of a preux chevalier, would fancy himself the very pink of sentiment, and sigh at the feet of his mistress,

"Pour meriter ton cœur, pour plaire a vos beaux yeux, J'ai fait la guerre aux rois, je l'aurois fait aux dieux.”

The King, therefore, tormented with extreme pain, fell into a burning fever, whereof at the end of eleven days he died. In all which time he did never weep, nor speak any word that might be imputed to pusillanimity; but most magnanimously took leave of life. Only this he said, that seeing he was destined to die in arms, he would have been much better contented to have lost his life in the field than in those domestic pastimes." Segar, of Honour, lib. iii. c. 40.

229

CHAP. V.

PROGRESS OF CHIVALRY IN SPAIN.

General Nature of Spanish Chivalry......Religion and Heroism......Gallantry......Blending of Spanish and Oriental Manners......Its beneficial Tendencies......Peculiarities of Spanish Chivalry......Forms of Knighthood ......Various Ranks of Knights......Spanish Poetry........ Heroes of Chivalry......Pelayo...... Bernardo del Carpio ......And incidentally of Charlemagne's Expedition into Spain......The Life of the Cid......His early ferocious Heroism.......His singular Marriage.......Enters the Service of King Ferdinand......The Cid's Chivalric Gallantry......He is knighted......Death of King Ferdinand......The Cid becomes the Knight of Sancho, King of Castile......Mixture of Evil and Good in the Cid's Character......Supports the King in his Injustice. ......The Cid's romantic Heroism......Sancho's further Injustice opposed by him......Death of Sancho......Instance of the Cid's virtuous Boldness......Character of Alfonso, Successor of Sancho.......Story of his chivalric Bearing......The Cid's second Marriage...... Is banished from Alfonso's Court......Becomes the Ally of the Moors. ......But recalled......Is banished again......Singular Story of the Cid's unknightly Meanness......Fortunes of the Cid during his Exile...... The Cid's chivalric Nobleness and Generosity......Is recalled by Alfonso...... The Cid captures Toledo......and Valentia......Story of Spanish Manners......The Cid's unjust Conduct to the Moors......The unchivalric Character of the Cid's Wife