The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-08-17

Inc CLASSIC anclenCS knew nOL0iuS OF
chivalry. They did not understand the
point okhonor, and assassinated instead
OF fighting duels. They were equally ig-
norant OF gallantry toward the tair sex,
and cOndescended to kiss their ladies'
only for the mean purpose Of discover
ing whether they had been surrepti-
tiously tippling champagne or anisette.
In their wars they relied altogether on
their infantry, and from their sculptures
and paintings it is evident they nour-
ished very absurd breed of horses.
Even the divine Homer vaunts the Prov
ess of his princes and heroes in black
Guard pugilistic encounters, and the
great Olympic Games were as vulgar
and brutal as the modern exhibitions of
Jim Mace and Tom Hyer. The chariot
race was inferior in interest to the trot-
Cing-matches at our agricultural fairs,
and there is nothing in history, ancient
or modern, to equal in beastliness the
public shows Of the Roman Colosseum.
Un the other hand, the Gothic tourna-
ment was the most splendid, romantic,
and exciting of all the public games and
festivals that have ever been established
in any age or country; and it was from
Asia, that nursery OF all that is sublime
Ia imagination exalted in sentiment,
magnificent in display, and thorough
bred in horsefesh, that the chevaler-
que idea was introduced into Europe,
and took root among the ruins OF the an
clent civilization; for while man may
be brave, patriotic, and even yirtuous on
foot, it is impossible for him to be gal
liant, romantic, proud, magnanimous,
and, in short, chiyalric, without the in
spirati0n OF a noble horse.
i 1t rose in Europe with the Gothic ca
thedral, closely interwined with that
sublime religion which united in its SER
vice all the courage, capacity, and ge.
nius OF wonderful and romantic age
Love, faith and honor were the white
iangols, lawiess pride, lust, and venge.
ance the fiends, blazoned ON its banners
Ossian and the Nibelungen Lied sing oi
chivalry in its lusty, untrammeled, he
roic youth.
Then comes the discovery of gum
powder, and, foreshadowing the fact,
Ariosto sings how the brave Roland cap
lures shooting-iron from a feloniOis
governor, aud throws the abominable In
vention into the sea with this indignant
exclamation: "Go, base and unworthy
weapon, that no true knight may ever
use - forged by Beelzebub - whereby
cowardIce, weakness and rascality may
triumph over strength, courage, and JUS
ticep But the brave Roland was mis-
taken. GunpOwder only cracked the
shell and demanded q change Of weap-
ons; indeed, 1t elevated the role Of
knighthood by discarding mere brutal
strength from the catalogue OF chivalric
virtues, and exalting the power Vi cour-
age and justice.
1t was really the discovery Of printing
that killed ,chivalry, soul and body.
Then the power that comes OF knowledge
passed over the unarmed people. The
unlettered prince could no longer dele
gate the writing and reading~of his let
ters to hired varlet, and the doughty
Douglas dared no longer boast, ,s ~
'.Thank Heaven that no son Of mia !.
Save Gawain evcrFpenncd aline.T
Whatever the knightly spirit remained
ed to the nineteenth century, ,higt-cocked
bonnets and Colts .revoivers will GER
|tainly exterminate. s.The age OF chiv.
airy is indeed past"
.sThe knights are dust. 'H
And their good swords arc rust; EA
Their souls arc with the saints, we trust.H
And well may we join with Burke and
|Coleridge and all the other orators and
poets in nlamenting the downfall OF an i'll
stitutlon which, although originating in
Ignorance and barbarisnl, and tarnished
with vices and abuses, aspired at least
to foster all that is pure; exalted and adj
miraDie in the human character---an in
stitution so grand and impressive even
in its ruins that Oefvantes in ridiculing
it has drawn one OF the noblest charac-
ters in iiterature.-Harper's Magazine
for SeDtember