Show y Chivalry IN a retired part of the city's suburbs dwells a quaint old English gentleman l' l who should have been born several hundred years ago for though Ii living v ing ingin in in the nineteenth century his thoughts continually dwell on the wild adventurous adventurous adventurous times of early England His library is filled with ancient leather- leather bound tomes hooks books extolling the chase an and the tournament His house has an antiquated appearance a musty look as of a resurrected English mansion of bygone bygone by by- gone days I It t is a pleasure to visit this curious home and whenever In m that vicinity I stop in for a chat This afternoon my steps took me in that direction The old genth gentleman man was dosing dosing dosing dos dos- ing over a worn volumn of Percy's II probably in his dreams hotly engaged in some wild chivalric C enterprise He roused himself at my approach and after a few words of greeting we drifted upon his f favorite topic II Ah Ah said he II this is a stupid age an age lacking spirit t and manliness an anage anage anage age th that t knows not the grandeur of knightly adventures Men are too selfish to risk their lives live's to right the wrongs of the suffering These words impressed me deeply How natural it is is for is-for for us when reading tales of chivalric adventure of knightly exploits ts and manly deeds in behalf of the poor and oppressed to regard the present generation as sadly void of true manly spirit But when we carefully examine this system which has left such sucha a marked imprint on our history and literature we find that tha t chivalry does not present examples of that lofty type of true manhood which exists among us us-a us a model type distinguished by the virtues of sincere fidelity courtesy humanity liberality and nd justice f fr Chivalry supplied a need in society r The intense love of adventure in inherited inherited inherited in- in from savage forefathers still ran h F t in the blood of the descendants and this wild spirit found a place of action in the system of chivalry To the people of that day it was a system in which were embodied the highest moral sentiments the most elevating principle principle principles ples the most beneficial results They regarded it as the perfection of mans man's development The world has advanced since then Ideas have changed old notions have been supplanted by new ones their widespread beliefs have been despised and denounced as nar nar- row-minded row and childish The standard of true manhood has risen and viewing this medi val system from a modern standpoint while we find in it much that lifted humanity to a higher and better level we too find that which embittered and made more unbearable the cond condition i tion of the great mass of the people Chivalry gave gavel gave to man one ideal of manhood It placed before him a amodel amodel amodel model which if faithfully copied would make him courteous brave pure and truthful It would teach him to espouse the cause of right to right the wro wrongs of the oppressed to die for the triumph of justice It would inspire him with witha a courageous spirit which would lead him into the midst of fierce dangers It would transform his selfish heart till he would sacrifice his life for the uplifting uplifting uplifting up up- lifting of humanity In a word it would make him an ideal knight In giving such a model to the people chivalry could not fail to carry with it much that was elevating and ennobling it could not but advance the standard of honor and patriotism and take men further away from the savage condition in which it found them And And it it did this Men valued their honor more than their life They jealously guarded it as a precious jewel which if ever lost destroyed with it their ambitions their hopes and their dearest joys of life Men became more patriotic in w the defense of their country a and nd their religion What were the Crusades but great chivalric enterprises es In these we can see the height to which the spirit of patriotism had been Chivalry brought with it a more considerate considerate considerate con con- treatment t of the female sex I This did not include women of every degree yet the fact that the few were more kindly regarded speaks the great change for good which had been wrought since the savagery of earlier times If men had lived up to the model which chivalry gave them the complaints complaints complaints com com- plaints against the system would have lave been lost in the thunder of its praise Cruelty treachery untruthfulness baseness baseness base base- ness and crime were opposed to the ostensible spirit of chivalry but exam examining examining ning n- n ing the system with the enlightened mind of the nineteenth century we find that ostensible spirit was as as not the spirit c which really existed The people of that time did not have a broad conception conception conception concep concep- tion which could detect ought but good goodin in the institution We standing on a distant elevated plane can see in it much that was far from moral Chivalry gave men a type of ideal manhood but it devolved upon them to conform their lives to that ideal Though sworn to obey the requirements of holy knighthood they drifted further and further away they became less f and less faithful to their oaths and more and more mindful of selfish interests until in the eagerness to gratify personal pleasures they lost sight of the true spirit of chivalry and regarded the system as a convenient fraternity in whose livery they were protected in the practice of the most appalling crimes A multitude of sins could be covered by the name of a knight As an old writer says Deeds that would disgrace a thief and acts of cruelty that would have disgusted a Hellenic tyrant or a Roman emperor were common things with the knights of the 11 highest lineage Chivalry brought with it a more considerate considerate con considerate con con- treatment of the female sex but that kindness was given as to inferior persons Men had a false conception of the true position of women They treated them as helpless heIrless creatures of a a lower grade whose grievances could only be redressed at the hand of valor Until woman could rise to her proper sphere until she could join hands equally with man in the great conflict of life until she could be acknowledged the joint participator in all the affairs of the world these chivalric favors were of no more account than a kind pat on the head of a dog at the hands of an indulgent master Chivalry gave women a few such caresses but it was left to later ages to establish her in her i true place on a broad level with the rest of mankind Yet still deeper an and more serious defects may be traced in this system of chivalry defects that the the- very foundation on which it was stand I ing Chivalry was not an institution for the of humanity it was not a reaching far-reaching open-hearted open system stretching out its arms to embrace all classes within its prote protection tion contending contending contending contend contend- ing for the good of all ail mankind in every position in life It was an exclusive exclusive exclusive sive aristocratic institution an institution institution institution tion which shut out from its favor every everyman everyman everyman man every woman that was n not t of pf noble birth There was no room in its ranks for the lower classes they were but beasts of burden game of the chase I It was only for Jor the lady of gentle birth that the knight splintered his lance risked his life in the fierce tournament The drudging peasant whose lot had been lowered to a slaves slave's level whose native intellect might be befar befar far superior to that of her lady noble who a thousand times more deserved and needed the help of a Christian r knight she was scorned to live and toil beneath the yoke of oppression She had aspirations she had hopes of a better life she had desires to lift herself to a higher and nobler plain but all in vain The Th towering walls of an exclusive aristocracy forever barred barren her from the realization of those dreams A humble birth from among the peasantry forever shut her out from the favors of Christian knighthood A chilling touch from the hand of poverty forever fixed upon upon her the biting contempt contempt contempt con con- tempt of the wealthy nobles Proud chivalry Eyes the simple rustic hind Whose toil upholds the glittering show A creature of another kind Some substance unrefined Placed for her lordly use me thus far thus vile below A system that would not recognize the brotherhood of man that would not deal out its benefits to all of whatsoever degree that would not con contend tend for the rights of the humble and the poor is not the system to give us the grand type of true Christian man manhood hood We have learned that chivalry gave men an ideal and that that ideal was laid a aside ide for a life of cruelty treachery and untruthfulness True manhood knows none of these We have learned 8 that women were more kindly treated but it was the condescending kindness of a superior True manhood offers his favor in the spirit of an hum humble hIe giver We have learned that chivalry brought more honor and patriotism but it fostered a dangerous aristocratic spirit which endangered the security of the system True manhood is limited by y no aristocracy We have learned that chivalry permitted injustice to the lower classes because they were of humble birth True manhood takes for its motto A A mans man's a man for a that II Times have changed The nineteenth century knight is not hot so conspicuous as asi i t he lie of the former age No heralds announce his coming no glittering armor distinguishes his person no and spears bespeak his calling yet the present presen t century contains knights with just as true hearts with just as coura courageous spirits ts wi with th just as noble missions as any that lifted spear or poised the Jance lance throughout the days of chivalry The gay trappings s and the waving plumes have been laid aside A plain garment unadorned by gaudy finery has taken their place The art artificial artificial arti arti- insignia has been ignored That infinitely greater mark of honor the honor the stamp of a genuine gentleman has gentleman has be he hen n adopted We find these knights in the benevolent societies dealing out help to the suffering poor we find th them m in the pulpit speaking words of comfort to toiling humanity we find them in the workshop doing a service for a pressed hard brother Everywhere they are engaged in some valorous deed in deeds which springing from froman an unselfish love are bestowed upon every person alike This is our modern chiv chivalry May we not be proud of this modern type May we wt i not rejoice Inthis in inthis inthis this noble manhood Look backward a i won wonderful growth Look forward forward- On the rums ruins of the pi lit p t Blooms th the p perfect rf ct fl at last Lillie E. E Janes en |