Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-03-02
THE AGE OF CHlvALRY.

THE AGE OF CHlVALRY.
Tie Hstory Of Clivairy; or, KHigifhood and its
Times Ry Charies Mile, Esq, .flah9r Of '1he
History Of C1sades,' &c 2vois
Wnhthe various and extensive learn
ing. the iudicious research, and the
scrupuIous accuracy, which distinguish.
ed "Mr Mills's History of the Cru
sades," he has here combined much
Of the fervour and Imagination of "a 20
elira mind. In his style he has sue
cessfulIy adapted the quaint and spirit
ed manner of the old chronicles of
chivalry, to the ease and grace of our
modern dictIon: he has expressed his
Thoughts and his narrative IN the most
brilliant colours of romance, witbou,
iniuring the sterling texture of his facts,
or metetriousi, obscuring the severe
simplicity and undoubled linements of
authentic story.
As ''ladye love- and knightly empire"
were in,crtwined--Iike their rmhIfms,
the silken scarf and polished ms,l-lD
all the movements OF the chiyalric
state of society, we shall seleca rom
Mr. Mills volumes for the only two
extracts which we can find room TO
lay before our readers, few pages re.
lating to each of these subjects First.
then. we shall recur 10 the chapter
which he has devoted to DANES and
Damsels, and Lady love" This is the
geptlest theme OF chiyalry--
- ''the dearest theme
THAT ever walked the minstrel's dream."
for il treats OF the universal passion,
which asserts lis sovereign s~ay over
man, and calls up the I0veIies, images
of creation. Nj. Mills has anal, led
the subject in its metaphysical essence,
ard depicted it with all the glow ing
fancy, and all the elegant purity, which
we delight to ascrib, TO the most 70
mantle ami poeticaI era Of the ~osld
We select fot our first extract the fol
low ING passage, which, after describ
ing the character OF woman in the eve
of the Knight, the peculiar devotion
of his passion, and the qualities which
she admired in him, is closed with u
tale Of chivalrlc love.
"The Knight, whose heart was
warmed with the true light of chival
~, ~ yer wished that the dominion of
his mistress should be less than abso
lutte, and the confession Of her perfect
virtue, which this feeling implied.
made him preserve his own isiiI. pure
and without stain. Love Wasas mari
ed a feature in the chivhl,ic character
as valoul; and in the phrase OF the
time, he who understood hos TO break
a lance, and did no, understand how 20
win lady, was hui half man. He
fought to gam her smiles, for love. in
brave and gentle Knights, k;ndled as
pirations for high desert and honour
: Oh! that my lady saw me, was the
exclamation Of a Knight in the pride
of successful valour as he mounted the
city's wall. and with bis good sw ord
was proving the worth OF his chiv"lry
He wore her colours, and the favour of
bis Lady bright was the chief orna
ments of his harness. She Judged the
pride at The tournaments. assisted him
to arm. and was the first and the most
Joyous to bail his return from the pcrils
of war
ga soldier of chivalry would 60 to
battle, proud of the title, a pursuivant
OF love. and in the contests OF chivalric
skin, which. like battles of Homer's
heroes, gave hrilliancy and splendour
TO war, Knight challenged another
to ioust with lance Tor love of the la
dies; and he commended himself to
the mistress of his heart for protection
and assistance. In his mind woman
was being of mystic power; in the
forests of Germany her voice had been
listened to like that OF The spirit of The
woods, melodiouS, solemn, and oracn
lar; and, when ChivaIrv was formed
into system, the same idea, of some
thing supernaturalIl powerful in her
character, threw a shadowy and seri
Gus interest over softer feelings. and
she was revered as well as loved -
While this dcvoledness Of soul to wo
mars charms appeared in his general
intercourse with the sex, in demesn.
our of homage, in a grave and steady
polileness, his lady love he regarded
with a religious constancy. Fickleness
would have been species of impiety.
Tor she was not toy that he played
~lh, but a divinity whom he worship
ped. This alteration of her sustained