Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-06-22

Tin DOnes are uuSt,
Il gvod sword ru-t;
His sou, Is with tho saints wo trust"
And ohivalry exists for US In spir.
| 1t rather than in outward visible
form; still it is pleasant to turn
aside from prosaic to-day and look
back to that far time when the
wsr.horse, the armor, the valor
and the galantry of the old time
knights were symbols of an actual
institution. With the middle ages
are forever associated two forms
those of feuJalism and chivaIry.
The one giant shadow over all
the land, the other light amid
the darkness-ihe embodiment of
whatever was Just, gentle or hon
two mighty forces opposed as
which would save and which des-
troy the world. But during this
period, to the men of every nation,
war was the chief end OF life and
the spirit which was to humanize
warriors needed to be warlike
and thus sympathize with those
whom it addressed.
From the time when rock ed in his
father's shield the infant listened
to the war ballads of the minstrels
to the time when he took ON him.
self the VOWS of knighthOOd, the
lessons taught were the stern. cues
of fortitude, contempt of danger
aud light esteem OF life where
hnuor is concerned; but during all
this time the youth was taught
courtesy by close attendance on
high-born danes, and, mark the
vOw-that be would be good, Just,
generous and gentle knight; that
he would slccnr the weak and the
oppressed; defend the widow and
the orphan. Through the mista
aud giamor Of thirteen hundred
years - the dusk of centuries and
Vt soug''-we zee I'm King Arthur
and the knightly circle of the
Round Table The first and typical
order Of knighthood. From Ar
thur down the long, bright line OF
Christian Knights 9 'ntiuues. Sec-
oii in place Is Launc-int, who is
ia,nent-d IN Old chronicles as The
exempIar of chivairy, as thu
eouriliest knight that ever
bore shield. aud the sterneSt knight
10 his mortal foe that ever put spear
IN r-st-the one whom chivairy IN
lands and in all ages delights to
honor aud whose d,ring deeds of
adventure are "belnvei as fable anu
believed M truth" Peerless among
knights was GAlahati, the stainless;
the device OF whose white shield
was hut the r u cross made by the
blood ot Joseph of Aiianti 80 1.
Gaiahad, the pure, on whose de 9TH
n hand, accompanied BY nobody,
came down from heaven and took
both tie Holy Grail and the bleed
ing spear; siuce when was never
man .0 bold a. to say lie had 10 ,ked
upon San Greal. The golden days of
chivalry in later England were un-
der her lion-hesrted king; in
lvanhoe, and in the Talisman, we
learn of the g0Ohly train of knights
that followed Richard TO the Holy
Land. A few centuries later chiv-
airy, in It's most refined aud courte-
nus type, was represented by the
Black Prince, he who SO bravery
won his spurs at Agincourt.
But other and better in
situations were arising and
another scene of the shifting
panorama OF history was 10 be pre-
8 nteti. When in the Wars of the
Roses fell the Earl of WARWICK
last pillar of the Middle Ages-la-t
Of the feudal barons throughout
ChristendOm who could command
the people and awe the thrOue--tbe
rise Ut the commons was still more
assured. Soon to come was
"The calm sovereign of sober reign,
Unarm d, with burghers in his pompless
train"
Yet as late as Elizabeth's time
there were apparent resuscitations
Of the old split in the old forms.
aud many "perfect, gentle
kuightsn lent luster to her court
and valor to her arms. The name
If Sir Philip Sidney Is music in the
ears of those who admire the char
acter of the true knight, and his
life stands forever "lhought of
beauty and a type of fame" M
worthIer tribute has heen paid this
bright exponent of Christian cher
isaunce than that supposed to have
come from the pen of Raleigh:
"Englan' !, the Netherlands, the heavens,
the arts,
The sol Ter and the world have ia EN- six
parts
o. the noble Sidney; for none may suppose
That 8 nall heap Of dust can Sidn.y en-
close.
His body hath England, for she il bred;
Netherlands, his blood, in her defence
she'd
The heavens, his soul; the arts, his fame;
all solaiers, tears; and the world, his
name"
| The literature OF ChivaIry is
beautiful aud varied; the tales of
British authors, "darling Of all
poetry" as sung by the bards
of old and told by the poets aud
historians Of later day, constitute
in themselves rich collection; the
noble Romance Of The Cid and the
Niebluugen Lied also voice the
chivalrous spirit Of their age and
stiIl awaken admiration in the
reHder-whlle In all literature
whatever most captivates our fancy
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