The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1874-06-06


1t was at this time, when the swori and
cruelty and injustice reigned supreme,
towards the close of the tenth century,
that the spirit of chivelry and the insti-
tuition of knighthoud arose to turn back
the tide Of oppression, and to plant
in the very midst of barbariSm, the
seeds of the most noble, generous prin-
ciples. 1t was then that some noble bar
Ons,' filled with charitable zeal a1d
moved with compassion for the wretch-
ness which they saw around them, COM
bined together, under the solemnity of
religious sanctions, with the holy pur-
pose of protecting the weak from the
oppression of the powerful, and of de-
Tending the right cause against the
wrong. The spirit and the institution
spread rapidly; treachery and hypo.
crisy became detest ,ble; while courtesy,
nagnanimity, courage, honor and hos
pitality became the virtues of the age;
and the knights who were ever ready to
draw their swords, at whatever odds, in
defence of innocence, received the ador-
alton of the populace and in public
opinion. were exalted even above kings
themselves. The need of praise and
esteem gave fresh vigor and purity TO
the cause of chivalry; and under the in
fluence of its spirit great deeds were
done by the fraternity of valiant
knights who had enrolled themselves as
its champions, The baron forsook his
castle, and the peasant his hut to main
tain the honor OF family, or preserve
the satredness of vow; it was this
sentiment which made the poor serf pa
tient in his tolls, and serene in his sor-
rows; it enabled his master to brave all
physical evils, and enjoy sortof spirit
ual romance; it bo md the peasant to
his master, and the master to his king.
Though inlhe practical plficatiOns
of chivalry there was often much of er
ror, yet its spirit was based upon the
most generous impulses of human ma
ture.
"To speak the truth, to succor the
helpless and oppressed, and never to
turn back from an enemy" was the
first VOW of the aspirant to the hOn0rs
of chivalry. In an age OF darkness
and degradation, chivalry developed
the true character of woman, and, caus-
ing her virtues to be appreciated and
honored, made her theequal companion
of man, and the object ofhis devotion.
Says the celebrated historian Hallam,
"The love of God and the iadies" was
.enjoined as single duty. In the Ian
guage of another modern writer, ''chi-
vairy gave purity to enthusiasm, crush-
ed barbarous selfshness, taught the
heart to expand, like a flower in the
sunshine. beautiiied glory with generOsi-
, ty, and smoo.hed even the rugged brow
of war" .t... ....rs
1t is interesting and profitable to
study the inst tuition of Snlghthood and
the philosophy of the age, that pr0duc-
ell these noble results, as it emerged
from state of barbarism; and to trace
the effects and benefits thereof, to the
generations following, and even to our
selves this day. .s sr H.srqa.I.
And call your attention to these
historical facts, not 50 much because
they are especially interesting to the
Knights of PythaS, as for the reason
that the principles and effects of chlval~
ry aud knigi thood, were the original
seeds after the dark ages, from whence
our prosperity and greatness spring;
and because the, kuil hts of Pythias at
the present lime largely represent these
principles and the spirit of the age,
which produced those grand results.
. 1t was this spirit which hal sway when,
genius, despising the vain cayilS of the
schools, began to study truth in the vol
ume of nature, while Grecian aud Ro-
man learning We're revived, and with
them an admiration excited for the in.
stitutiOns. opinions, philosophy aud lit
erature of antiquity In the latter
part of the thl.teenth century Roger Ba.
con. an Englishman, became famous for
his disc0verleSIinc chemi try and mecnan-
ical philosophy. In Italy, during the
fifteo nth century, q Dante, Petrach aud
Others, distinguished themselves for the
greatness and originality OF their coDcep-
tons. The same noble spirit was the
cause of the mauy important inventions
and discoveries, that mark the deyel-
Opement of mind in the closing period
or the middle ages, and which tended
greatly TO accelerate the progress Of
modern civilization. Among the inyenr
tiOns may be mentioned, the mariners
needle, which changed the art of nayl-
gait on, gave to commerce Il wonderful
extension, and opened the way to the
discovery of New W0rld:-paper made
of linen, cheap substitute for the
scarce and expensive material OF parch-
ment: engraving ON copper, which
multiplied anu ditfused the masterpieces
of art: -lnanutacture of gunpowder,
which equalizing the peasant and the
noble on the field of battle, changed the
whole system of war: -and lastly the
art of printing, the greatest of all in
yentions, and the one which commem-
CRATES all Others, transmitting to posteri-
ty every important event, ,immortalizing
the actions OF the great and ABOVE all
supplying the great means of educating
the masses. ''-t r'--"i HI. ''''
Among the discoveries of this period
was the opening of new route to In
dia, around the cape of Good Hope,
and, the most Important Of all, the dis
covery Of America, by Christopher Co
lumbus, an event which burst upon
astonished Europe like new creation,
and one that has opened for society q
new field of development, where civill-
I II. III