The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-27


Inn no teehnicaiitles. The word was the
BON d, the hand WAS the contract, the hoao1
u Wien s Richard coeur3 de Leon. who led
tic erobatIed hosts OF Europe TO Palestlns5
n seiae the Cross and 20 rescue the iomn
is,s the Saviour from the grasp Of the .ln1aei,
concluded the treaty OF peace with Saladsn,
lid preat and worthy nntago nist, they d,d
nofs commit the terms oil the treaty 10 parccas
ment s,r writing with seals and Witnesses
INT rested 10 solely and alone upon tne en-
0anenenf Of their words and upon Inc
nIedee Of their own brave right, names!
nd when ia one Of the faino us Dali oe-
tween France and England hundreds OF
French knights we're captured tneY lWe.e
allowed upon their honor 70 name Luelr
ransom AMI 10 20 for. it, their vlctors know
ing that the ransom would be 1nst, ana Inv .a,
the Yanquished would return Witn OF VILE Plal'
out 1t. 8; 49,, ,,,,,
he was to be courteolis--n0t courteous IN
tfsa mere externals OF manner, but courteous
in that better courtesy Of the heart that,
teaches us to respect the aged, the Innrm,5
the weak, the unfortunate, the oppressed !.
thus leads us to ssfeel for anothers woe"
70 DENY ourselves to please others, and 70
Mace their pleasures and their comforts
During one of the battles that attended
the siege of Calais, Edward Ill, King OF
ENGLAND. beholding q valiant French
knfsht. Eustace de Rebaument, distinguish
inc himself above all others by the superior
yigor OF his stroke and the dauntless cour-.
noe az his heart, singled him out /" as Zoe
man worthy of his steel" and, engaging
him in tand-to-hand contest, finally over.
no q cred him. At the supper that ensued
that Edward gave to the captured Frencn
knights, taking string OF pearls from MS
own head, he placed them on the neck OF
Eustace, and babe him wear them as testl,
monial of his esteem for bis bravery, anu
commencing him to the ladies, released nim
from his ransom and gave him: his liberty.
But, a few years later, the Black Prince
eclipsed the splendid courtesy OF MS tatner:
Victorious in the celebrated battle Of
Poitiers, he made its glory still more radi-
ant by the capture OF John, the King OF
France, and then completed the crown OF
glory by treating him with every marx OF
respect, sympathy, and esteem by attribut-
ing the victory TO mere accident, by walt
ing upon him at bis meals and refusing TO
be seated by his side because be was mon
arch, and by bestowing upon him thou
sand other OF the sweetest courtesies that
ever we're bestowed by conquering prince
upon captive king.
When Charles v. was in Spain and wished
to visit the low countries, desiring to avoid
the long and circuitous journey through
Italy and Germany and the hazardous one
up the English channel, he applied to
Francis I. OF France for permission to pass
through his territory, and though they had
been antagonists upon many bloody field,
and were embittered by the memory OF
many personal ieud. yet the permission
was granted, and while Charles was his
guest he made no allusion whatever to mat
tiers of business or affairs of State, lest the
allusion should bear the air OF violence and
produce feelings Of constraint.
Whilst Sir Philip Sidney was lying des-
perately wounded upon the battlefield OF
Zutphen, parched with thirst and dying
with pain, water was handed to him; but
he, with that magnificent courtesy and that
sublime self-denial that made him the fore
most knight of bis time, passed it to the
wounded soldier lying by his side, saying,
"Thy necessity is greater than mine"
Not only was the knight to be courteous
as those knights were courteous, but he was
to be munifcent-not boarding and hiding
his gains. but dealing them out with libe-
raj and generous hand, ever ready to slccor;
the needy and to relieve the worthy.
. And he was to be just-just in his deal
ings with all men-with swift indignation
against any and all wrong, whether it was
directed against him or against the weak,
the injured, or the oppressed.
Such, Sir knights, was the knight OF old;
honorable, brave, valiant, courteous, just,
and true, it is no wonder that, admired OF
men and beloved of women, be placed the
virtues OF his order deep into the heart of
man. Nor was the work the labor OF day.
For two centuries and more did he encour-
aye and maintain these virtues, nor did he
cease until the invention Of gunpowder
made the proves of single man OF but
little avail on the field Of battle. No longer
could Ceur de Leon, the Achilles OF
English story, ride up and down the
Saracenic ranks and defy all Asia in arms.
No longer could Bayard defend the
bridge OF the Ganglino against whole
Spanish army, but he could ennoble the
principles of his life by glorious death, ana
admiration Of his virtues and its sure envy
OF his fame. TWAS this "tbe yillalnous
saltpetre,' and not alone the satire OF Ger
yantes, that wrought the extinction of his
ardor, for though the novelist might ridicule
its eXtravagances, yet its solid merits COM
mended it to The foremost men Of its time,
and they receive to-day the approval Of a
Hallam, q Hume, Gibbon, and Burke,
and it's cardinal virtues are and ever will be
the characteristic principles, the distin-
gushing mark, the insignia, of the gentle
man.
2Sir Knights, this State was settled, in
great part, by the Cavaliers-another name
for the chivalry Of old England. Your
county was one Of the eight original shires
OF the State. You see, therefore, your
right, and the right OF your State, to courtly
virtues and to knight1y games. Your an
cestors were distinguished for the posses
sion and for the practice Of all the glorious
virtues OF chivalry. You should be proud
of it. It is a part Of your inheritance.
Guard 1t jealousy; for Macauley, when
recountipg, with exuIting heart, the heroic
story of Lond onderry and EnDiskellen, tells
us, and tells us truly, that people that are
not proud Of the achievements OF their an
cestors will never do anything worthy Of
the remembrance OF their prosperity. And
Bacon tells that every man owes a debt
to bis profession to make it better than be
found it; And you in the same way owe a
debt to society. Ii, therefore, you do not
wish to forfeit the renown OF your ances-
tors, hold fast not only to what they acquired,
but strike q mightier blow for still higher
and still nobler lives. Remember that
"a thousand years scarce serve to form State,
But an hour may lay IL In the DUST
an hour OF forgetfulness Of the traditions
Of the past-an hour OF treachery to the
duties OF the present. Keep these things
In head and heart, and put them to the
practice, and your tournament to-day will