The History of Chivalry Volume I Part 27

But who in battle might him see Another countenance had he.

And in his speech he lispt some deal, But that set him right wonder well."

The Bruce, p. 13.

[233] Spenser's Fairy Queen, book i. canto 4. st. 1.

[234]

"E se la us fa gelos E us en dona razo, E us ditz c'ancre no fo De so que dels huelhs vis, Diguatz Don. En suy fiz Que vos disetz vertat, Mas yeu vay simiat."

The name of the gentleman who thus consented to distrust the evidence of his senses was Amanieu des Escas, a favourite troubadour in Spain during the thirteenth century. One of the "statutes" in the Court of Love is, according to Chaucer's report of it, pretty much in the same strain:

"But think that she, so bounteous and fair, Could not be false, imagine this algate, And think that tongues wicked would her appair, Slandering her name, and wors.h.i.+pful estate, And lovers true to settin at debate, And though thou seest a fault, right at thine eye, Excuse it blith, and gloss it prettily."

Chaucer, Urry's edit. fol. 563.

[235] Mr. Skottowe, in his Essays on Shakspeare (essays which have done more for the right understanding of the great dramatist than all the works of his commentators from Theobald to Malone), observes that, in the play of Troilus and Cressida, a courtly knight of chivalry is often seen under the name of a Trojan hero. The following challenge of Hector is conceived and executed in the true chivalric spirit.

"Kings, princes, lords, If there be one, among the fair'st of Greece, That holds his honour higher than his ease; That seeks his praise more than he fears his peril; That knows his valour, and knows not his fear; That loves his mistress more than in confession, (With truant vows to her own lips he loves,) And dare avow her beauty and her worth, In other arms than hers,--to him this challenge.

Hector, in view of Trojans and of Greeks, Shall make it good, or do his best to do it.

He hath a lady, wiser, fairer, truer, Than ever Greek did compa.s.s in his arms; And will to-morrow with his trumpet call, Midway between yon tents and walls of Troy, To rouse a Grecian that is true in love: If any come, Hector shall honour him; If none, he'll say in Troy, when he retires, The Grecian dames are sun-burn'd, and not worth The splinter of a lance."

Troilus and Cressida, act i. sc. 3.

[236] Cronique de Saintre, vol. iii. c. 65.

[237] This society of the Penitents of Love is mentioned by the Chevalier of the Tower, whose book I have so often quoted in ill.u.s.tration of the chivalric character.

[238] The Lai of Sir Gruelan.

[239] Way's Fabliaux, vol. ii. p. 170. The _moral_ of the Lay of Aristotle brings to mind Voltaire's two celebrated lines under a statue of Cupid:--

"Qui que tu sois, tu vois ton maitre, Il l'est, le fut, ou le doit etre."

[240] Ill.u.s.trations of Northern Antiquities, p. 8, &c.

[241] Ibid. p. 41.

[242] Lai of the Canonesses and the Gray Nuns.

[243] L'Histoire et plaisante Cronicque du pet.i.t Jehan de Saintre, vol. i.

c. 7.

[244] Lai of the Countess of Vergy.

[245] Romance of Guy of Warwick.

[246] Ill.u.s.trations of Northern Antiquities, p. 104.

[247] Romance of Sir Bevis. In Ariosto, the heroine Bradamante wishes Rugiero to be baptized; and he replies, with great gallantry, that he would put his head not only into water, but into fire, for the sake of her love.

Non che nell' acqua, disse, ma nel foco Per tuo amor porre il capo mi fia poco.

Orlando Furioso, canto xxii. st. 36.

[248] Don Quixote himself was not a greater idolater of the ladies, than was the valiant Marshal Boucicaut, who, however, carried his fear of impertinent intrusion to a more romantic pitch than perhaps the ladies liked, for he would not even permit the knights of his banner to look a second time at a window where a handsome woman was seated. Memoires, partie 3. c. 7.

[249] Boucicaut, Memoires, partie i. c. 38, 39. The commencement of the letters of those knights of the lady in the green field is worthy of insertion on account of its chivalric tone. "A toutes haultes et n.o.bles dames and damoiselles, et a tous seigneurs, chevaliers, et escuyers, apres tous recommendations, font a scavoir les treize chevaliers compagnons, portans en leur devise l'escu verd a la dame blanche. Premierement pour ce que tout chevalier est tenu de droict de vouloir garder et deffendre l'honneur, l'estat, les biens, la renommee, et la louange de toutes dames et damoiselles de n.o.ble lignee, et que iceulx entre les autres sont tres desirans de le vouloir faire, les prient et requierent que il leur plaise que si aulcune ou aulcunes est ou sont par oultraige, ou force, contre raison diminuees ou amoindries des choses dessus dictes, que celle ou celles a qui le tort ou force en sera faicte veuille ou veuillent venir ou envoyer requerir l'un des dicts chevaliers, tous ou partie d'iceulx, selon ce que le cas le requerra, et le requis de par la dicte dame ou damoiselle, soit un, tous ou partie, sont et veulent estre tenus de mettre leurs corps pour leur droict garder et deffendre encontre tout autre seigneur, chevalier, ou escuyer, en tout ce que chevalier se peut et doibt employer au mestier d'armes, de tout leur pouvoir, de personne a personne, jusques au nombre dessus dicts et au dessoutes, tant pour tant. Et en breifs jours apres la requeste a l'un, tous ou partie d'iceulx, faicte de par les dictes dames ou damoiselles, ils veulent presentement eulx mettre en tout debovir d'accomplir les choses dessus dictes, et si brief que faire se pourra. Et s'il advenoit, que Dieu ne veuille que celuy au ceulx qui par les dictes dames ou damoiselles seroient requis, eussent essoine raisonnable; a fin que leur service et besongne ne se puisse en rien r.e.t.a.r.der qu'il ne prist conclusion, le requis ou les requis seront tenus de bailler prestement de leurs compaignons, par qui le dict faict seroit et pouvoit estre mene a chef et accomply."

[250] The Knight's Tale, l. 2108, &c. The following is Dryden's version of the above lines. The spirit of the last two lines of Chaucer is entirely lost.

"Beside the champions, all of high degree, Who knighthood lov'd and deeds of chivalry, Throng'd to the lists, and envy'd to behold The names of others, not their own, enroll'd.

Nor seems it strange, for every n.o.ble knight Who loves the fair, and is endu'd with might, In such a quarrel would be proud to fight."

[251] Monstrelet, vol. vi. p. 167. Boucicaut, Memoirs, c. 382.

[252] Froissart, liv. i. c. 389.

[253] Froissart, liv. ii. c. 6.; liv. i. c. 124, 125. "Puis pa.s.serent oultre destruisans le pais d'entour et vindrent ainsi jusques au chastel de Poys: ou il y avoit bonne ville, et deux beaux chasteaux: mais nul des seigneurs n'y estait, fors deux belles damoiselles, filles au Seigneur de Poys: qui tost eussent este violees, si n'eussent este deux chevaliers d'Angleterre; messire Jehan Chandos, et le sire de Ba.s.set: qui les deffendirent: et pour les garder les menerent au roy: qui pour honneur leur fit bonne chere, et leur demanda ou elles voudroyent estre, si disent a Corbie. La les fit le roi conduire sans pareil."

[254] I have taken this story from Gibbon, (Antiquities of the House of Brunswick, Miscellaneous Works, vol. iii. p. 530,) who says it is told (if he is not mistaken) by the Spectator, and may certainly be supported by ancient evidence.

[255] Fairy Queen, book iii. canto 1. st. 49.

[256] Ibid. book iii. canto 7. st. 60.

[257] Another writer says,

"Ah! well was he that he forebore to blame; Misfortune be his lot and worldly shame, Nor, dying, let him taste of heavenly bliss Whoe'er of dame or damsel speaks amiss; And sure no gentle clerk did ever vex With foul discourtesy the gentle s.e.x, But churl or villain, of degenerate mind, Brutal and base, the scandal of his kind."

S. Rose's Partenopex of Blois, canto ii.

And in a similar strain of courtesy is the beginning of the Fabliau of Constant du Hamel, as translated by M. Le Grand. "Je ne pardonne pas qu'on se moque des dames. On doit toute sa vie les honorer et les servir et ne leur parler jamais que pour leur dire choses courtoises. Qui agit autrement est un vilain."

[258] As the romance of the Rose says,

"Les chevaliers mieux en valoient, Les dames meilleures etoient Et plus chastement en vivoient."

[259] Caxton's Chevalier of the Tower, cap. "How every good woman ought to keep her renommee."

[260] Ord. Vit. p. 687, &c.

[261] Harleian MS. No. 166. 2087. p. 23. cited in Retrospective Review.

No. 19. p. 95.

[262] Froissart, liv. i. c. 138. Lord Hailes is not pleased that the queen should have shared in the honour of the battle, and wishes to doubt her presence, because Froissart is the _only_ writer who states it. Upon which Mr. Turner (History of England, vol. 2. p. 204, 8vo.) very judiciously observes, that, if we disbelieve all the facts of this reign, for which we have _only_ Froissart's authority, our scepticism must take a large sweep.

[263] Wyntown's Cronykil of Scotland, book viii. c. 32. Lord Hailes, vol.

2. p. 218, 221. Border Antiquities, vol. ii. p. 170.

[264] Avesbury, p. 97. Froissart, liv. i. c. 69.

[265] La Comtesse de Montfort avoit courage d'homme et coeur de lion. Elle estoit en la cite de Renes, quand elle entendit que son seigneur fut prins; et, combien qu'elle eust grand dueil au coeur, elle reconfortoit tous ses amis vaillamment, et tous ses soudoyers: et leur monstroit un pet.i.t fils (qu'elle avoit appele Jehan, comme son pere) et leur disoit, Haa, seigneurs, ne vous ebahissez mie de monseigneur, que nous avons perdu. Ce n'estoit qu'un homme. Veez cy mon pet.i.t enfant, qui sera (si Dieu plaist) son restorier, et vous sera des biens a.s.sez et j'ai de savoir a plante; si vous en donneraz a.s.sez, et vous pourchaceray tel capitaine, parquoy vous serez tous reconfortes. Froissart, liv. i. c. 73.