The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-06-11
Grand Tournament.
Fourteen Knights of the Silver

command Of "Sir Launcclot." AT
ter parading through the principal
streets Of the town, and perform
ing some graceful evolutions on the
space between the Wallace House
and the Commercial Hotel, on
Main street, they repaired to the
Fair grounds, headed by the Nor
gantown Brass Band.
When the Band had discoursed
some most excellent and stirring
music, the large assemblage, NUM-
bering almost thousand, and more
especially the Knights, formed in
line in front of the judges stand,
and were addressed by Hon. d. B.
Lucas, Of Charlestown- His re-
marks were as follows
| SIR KNIGHTS 1T was Burke who
said, ''the days Of chivalry are over"
IF by this he meant that all the word
implies has become obsolete, we may
fondly hope he was mistaken. If the
Elements of chiverly be Courage,
| virtue, truth, honor and love of coun-
try" then you, Sir Knights, who
represent these virtues upon the mod
ern field, may well refute the idea
that such eternal principles have van
ished with the the past. which they
adorned.
| 1t has been charged, indeed, that
revival Of the tournament involves o
retrocession in the tide of modern
thought and progress. But, on the
other hand, this period has marked
a renaissance in manly sports and
exercises. Man cannot live by
thought alone. If this be true, we
may reflect that all our modern
sports, thus revived, can be traced
back to the primitive condition of
mankind. Boat-racing, for example,
derives its origin from Noah, who ran
single scull race over course of
many thousand miles, and was the
only competitor that passed the
stake. Base ball originated in the
garden of Eden, with Cain, who slew
his brother with bat. While arch
cry took birth from Cupid, and is not
yet (thank heaven y quite obsolete.
But so the fact that former and chiy-
alric days revive themselves in this
most manly emulation, should rather
spur than burden your enthusiasm.
The modern tournament had its
birth on West Virginia soil, on the
banks Of the Shenandoah, in T84S.
We may justly claim it, therefore, as
a West Virginia sport
| 1t is the only athletic sport which
has o sentiment behind it, viz: the
sentiment of chivalry. 1t is the on
ly sport also, in which no prize but
that of beauty awards the victoria
no reward but woman's smiles awaits
the conqueror. There is no similar
contest over which womanhood pre-
sides.
In MEDIEVAL times, there never was
q knight whom woman did not crown.
Hence, knighthood meant true 10y
atty to her. 1t meant the sanctity
of marriage, and purity of private
life, No knight was ever yet di-
vorced. No knight betrayed q friend.
No knight the truths forsook, nor fall
) tered in double sense. True cour-
age, high courtesy, gentleness, the
worship of God, and the love of wo-
man-these are the attributes of
knighthood
Go forth, then, Sir knights, each
resolved to win the prize Of chiyalry
: and to crown her queen of love and
beauty who already sits enthroned
, in his own heart, and whose charms
and virtue demand the obedience Of
her own sex, and worship among
meni
Prof. Woodville Latham, Sr.,
| was Chairman of the Committee oil
/ Judges.
Many important personages oc
cupied the Judges stand, and the
Grand Stand was filled with the
; blushing beauties Of our Modern
Athens.
: The Knights assembled prompt
ly in front of the Grand Stand,
where, after listening to the charge
delivered by Mr.. Lucas, they per
formed some highly interesting and
brilliant evolutions.
The names of the Knights, and
the order in which they rode, were
as follows: Prince of Marion, Knight
of the Emerald Isle, Henry of Ma
varre, Rue Gourmus. Hamlet, Bri
gand Chief, Duke of Lesbos, Tan
cred, Ivanhoe, Sir Launcelot, Prince
of Tarentum, Earl of Leicester,
Black Night, Godfrey of Bailou.
AS had been arranged, each
Knight was to have three rides, =
having in the three rides possible
chance of taking six rings. Wher
this rule had been complied with il
. was found that only four Knights
5 had made a score of three rings,
r viz. Knight of the Emerald Isle,
3 Tancred, Ivanhoe and Prince o.
Tarentum, and that only one, the
Prince of Tarentum, had taken two
rings in one ride. The four Knights
above named again contested, the
| others being ruled of. These were