Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-12-22

man. The Heather Mythology was crowded with love passages, and so was ancient as well as modern history Gallantry was the very soul of chivalry, and the candidate for fame had ever to remember that he was the Squire of Danes solemnly bound to defend and protect the widow and the orphan. In those days gentle influence of woman not only felt, but proudly ac- knowledged; her will was the incentive to deeds of high emprise. In the chvalrc char acter, love as marked a feature as valor and he who knew how to break lance, and did not understand how to win lady, was held as but half a man. Gower the poet, had thus summed up the knight devotion to the sex: < hat things she bids me do I do;
 And when she bids me go I go
 And when she likes to call come;
 serve, bow look. lowte;
 My eye tooweth her about"
 Never, she said, was woman more honored revered as we'll as loved, than in the days of | chlvalry, and never were men more constant than when woman was not toy to be played with, but divinity to be worshpped Thus idolized she came to be worthy of the homage ito possess nobility of feeling, heroism of heart which made her the fit companion of men of chivalrous deeds It was the beauty of women which inspired the heroic and graceful achieve ments of the tournament. "Be valiant, knights, fair eyes behold you,'' was the spirit stirring cry of old warriors who could no longer join in the conflict themselves. The galantry of knight hood gave not only love, but respect and pro- lection. Like the Knights the Troubadours devoted themselves to the sex-serving them with song instead of sword The poetry thus created had enriched the literature of all na- tiOnS
 Madam Lola Montez here related several anecdotes, illustrating the lives and loves of the Troubadours all of which were much applaud ed, particularly that touching one (he subject of one of the stories on the Decamerop of Boc- caccio) of the Troubadors, beloved by the wife of Raimond, of Castle Rousslon The lover was slain by the husband, who tore out his heart had it deicaelv cooked, and gave it to his wife at supper. She, when told what food she had taken, exclaimed that no meaner repast should ever again be hers and, throwing herself 1 from the balcony of her castle, was dashed to pieces. In those days, she said, galantrv had, at least, the element of sincerity in it. It was | displayed in the lives, as well as in the songs of the Troubadours. She related how Juafre Ru- | del had fallen in love with Melesenda Countess of Triroli-from only description of her beauty and literally perished from intensity of his passion. Gaantrv, she remarked, had soltened and refined the manners of the age-but it soon | degenerated into ef1eminacy, vouptuousness and even into crime.
 In the reign of Charles the Second instead of manly devotion of an earlier age, there was a false intrigueing and corrupt adulaton, in which love was a fever; and gallantrv only a trap for woman's horror. She conrasted Charles H. with Louis XIV, who was a gallant with out heinz a "roue'' His female favorites were not only the most beautiful, but the most rehn- ed and it might almost be said, the best men of France. Such was Louise de la Valiere, who early retired from the world. Such was Madame de Mantenou, whose influence on the l King was always refining and benificient. She glanced at the character of Francois l. of France who, when a captive in Spain. wrote to his mother Louise of Savoy, "Madame, all is lost except hor er,' and who declared that Court without ladies was like spring without flowers.
 She 9welt, in evident admiration on the gal lantrv of Spanards, by whom beauty is honor- ed and loved in the spirit of chivary. She had seen the students throw down their cloaks to form carpet for beautiful woman to cross the street upon. In Spain, the attachment of the sexes was serious and permanent feeling; in France, 1t was light and variable. Filtration was really the nearest approach to galantry, i in France while in England, the arstOcracv, the only class there who could have the genu- inc feeling of gallantrv, are turned shop-owners and tradesmen. The Smiths and Joneses who figure on the signboards. have the nobility stand. ing behind them, as silent partners. In this country, as in Englard there is no leisure for the cultivation of that feeling and romance which is the basis of gallantry. Instead of de- voting life, as of old, to the worship and ser vice of the fair ladies, people are building tclerraphs, railroads teamboats-conStructin schemes of finance, and enlarging the area of political civilization. Yet the age had species of galantrv which, perhaps deserved no high ername than fiirtation--the makinga fool of woman 1v attentions which are hollow fckle and incincere.
 The modern gallant was a sorry substitute for the genuine gallant of the days of chivalry. Women, sine said, were made to feel, from the very cradle that beauty is her sole capital to begin life with, and what wonder was it if she could listen approvingly, and at last affection atelv, to the one who tells her she is rich ip this? At this game, however, women could play as well as men; but general thing, women get the worst of it in this game of de- ception-for they have more heart, more na- tural sincerity and are therefore more likely 10 get wounded in playing with Cupid, as children are who play wi;h penknives.
 In Poland, as in Spain, still fingers rem nant of the ancient feeling of gallantry. There she had seen the shoe of beautiful woman filled with champagne, and passed up and down the table for drinking cup. Such compliment could never be paid to any lady unless she were celebrated for very beauti- ful foot
 In Italy, there was little of the old gallant rv, and what there was, confined to the ladies who had become distinguished in the field of art. A beautiful woman who has ge- nius, in any line of art in Italy, will awaken at least the extarnal show of gallantry, but all other women in that country, however beau- titul they may be, must be content with that kind of admiration which is defined by the term f1irtaton-which bears about the same re. | lation to the genuine ancient galantrv that young proAgate scape- grace of son does to chivalrous and honorable father
 Of the gallantry of the late Czar she related some instances and also of Prince Paul Ester hazv, of Hungary. She vindicated very earnest lv and eloquently, the personal character of King Louis of Bavaria, one of the most learned men of Europe-a poet, and man of genius, to whom art owes more than to any other monarch who has ever lived. Munich which he had raised from third class to a first class capital, among the nations of Europe. was the immortal witness of his greatness His crown was the last thing he took pride in. Plain as he was, in manners and attire he was gallant in the best sense of the word, worshpping beauty like one of, the old Troubadours.
 Madame Lola Montez concluded with con- ments on such galantrv as exists in the United States, where love, like every thing else, is much of a business Yet there was a good deal of genuine truth and honest love of woman in the U. S. though it might sometimes clothe itself in the language of extravaganza and exag- geraton. She illustrated this by reference to a letter, in one of the public libraries of Paris, fYom Dr. Franklin to charming lady, It was written in very bad French, but in very good galantry. To her request that he would delay for day or two, his departure from Paris, he replied, eff Dr. Franklin was engaged to go to Paradise, at eight o'clock in the morning. he would put it of till four in the afternoon, for the sake of one hour more in the society of so enchanting a daughter of earth" She had never met with Frenchman who would not