The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1898-04-14
True KnighthOOd.
A Sermon by Rev. Geo. 5. Mills delivered at
the Unitarian Church, Beiiast, April ~,
Before Palestine Commandery, N. L.

! Sir Knights Of Palestine Commandery, and
friends ali: In casting about what might say
| TODAY that would be appropriate and suggestive,
| the theme that made strongest appeal to my own
| heart was this-True Knighthood. The longer
| pondered it, the more clearly dld inns theme as 1t
| took shape in my MIND seem 10 ~ IN potn Win
the thoupht of this Easter-tide and the character
and purpose of this service, and the patriotic in
| terest absorbing to every soul OF us In this day
| of our country's perplexity and trial. Without
| anticjpating how these various lines of thought,
seemingly different perhaps independently
considered may yet converge IN one suplect, leav-
ing that rather to appear III precept ana llustra-
ton as we proceed let ask you first to fix your
| attention upon definition Ii IS always well to
| begin with defnition-especIally when there Is no
| text.
What is true knighthood? fancy we may not
find an entirely satisfactory answer to that ques-
| ton by travelling back to the nNdlaeVal age The
| days of ehivary are invested 70 our imagination
| with glamour of romance that IS likely TO bind
| us to the actual knight and his deeds OF daring
| and pride in respect OF the qualty OF true noble
| men For when we are out from the spell of the
| dazzling tale of war and tourney, the hero OF
| lance and sword is shrunk to the size of common
| man after all As children who read fairy tales
and believe in beautiful spirits and elves of
mighty magic, one day make the sad discovery
that there fairies, so we VINO study history
| with sober mind and get back OF the fair dreams
of the poet and the romantic cooring of the novel
ist learn : that there were no knights? no, not
! that but that the knight if nobler than some
| other who was not a knight, was still not as
noble he might have been. This is not to say,
mind You, that it is not we'll ever to believe in
tairies-or in knights, but only that some fine day
awake to facts and must deal with truth in life
| al history unidealized. am not sure that GER
tain English historian Is quite gust IN his Judg-
| ment when in reference to the ferocious, brutal
conduct of Edward l. and his retainers in tour
nament with the Court of Chalons, he speaks OF
chivalry as that compound of physical daring and
moral cowardiee of sensitive honor and broken
faith.' But most surely, chivalry OF old was not
| always the fine, magnlh cent thing we have some
| how conceived it. And even the knight enlisted
under the banner of the cross, who had taken the
three monastc vows of, poverty, chastity and obe-
t1,a fhn holy
chre and sworn protector OF the pilgrims journey
| ing thither might not have been found on closest
acquaintance TO represent all the virtues OF knight
hood conceive it now in the ideal. Still let
me say that am inclined to believe from recent
reading of what seems t. be discriminating stuoy
| of the Templars by James Anthony Froude, that
| the Knights of the Temple were in their general
personnel men of not a few admirable virtues
| Certainly our sympathy goes out to them in the
| unjust persecution under Philip the Fair of
| France which resulted in the determination of
! many and the dissolution of the order. They were
brave bra They were proud IT. II was the bravery and
| from Froude:
always on the testimony of their worst enc
mics, wherever there was fighting to be done with
the intide the Templars in the thickest of it,
| No man ever knew Tempar coward Again
and again in Palestine, when their ranks were thin
and the SaracenS hemlned them round in thou
sands the Templars stood still until the last man
of them fell on the field, fell afterwards for hrs
faith if carried off a wounded prisoner. Such
lighting was rarely or never seen among the brav-
est that ever liyed.''
But as to our detniti, n. If may not find in
| the perfect Christian knight of old-him of the
''pIous heart militant arm and chimerical imag-
natioD, the concrete embodiment of true knight
| hood after the pattern of our enlarged modern
| ideal, yet he affords us more than suggestion of
| the supreme virtue we seek. He a man of
| honor-not honor as we esteem it most highly
now,but still that was the pre-emnent idea he rep
resented. He enforced his rights with his lance,
| he made laws with his sword-in this he may have
| been cruel and Implying otttimes, but it was
| for honors sake he protested. And if he gave
| le1tler -
died for honor. He might break his word as to
! some things, he might even prove treacherous
with the enemy, but he true knight if he
was lalse 10 MS covenant VOWS. That is impress
SlYely illustrated again and again in the history of
the lelhpiars When Saiadin destroyed the Chris
t1an army IN the battle OF Lake GenneSareth i'll
| 1857, the Grand Master and many knights were
taken prisoners In admiration of their daring
Saladn offered to make them princes of his own
! empire if they would change their creed. The
alternative was death. They all refused and were
all siam And 1t is pretty well authenticated, be-
| lltve, that a very small minority the Templars
| forswore themselves under the diabolica tortures
inflicted by King Philip and his nQlistors in the
great persecution. Whatever We kness the Grand
| Master De Moay may have shown at the first,
| surprised perhaps into making confession pre-
pared by Others, at the last moment i'll the public
| assembly, he denied bold the trumped-up false
hood to be Immediately hurried away to The stake
And this was the spirit of the order Honor, then
| let 1t he said, such it was, according to the
| ethical standard OF the age the great knight
| ly word the chiefest knightly idea AS the world
| understood him, as he stood himself the
knight OF old Was first. last, always, man OF
honor.
But We are not done with definition What
| knighthoot was is OF small matter unless we are
| helped thereby to what knighthood ought to
/ be now. Its supreme obligation is still that of
| honorableness. The chivarie soul day is de-
voted to the cause of honor, but honor in
terpret it in this age of clearer vision sounder
| thought and finer feeling. The spirit of Christ
has not been working in the world through all
noble men of medieval days, despite the close
| connection sometimes between their nobeness
and folly, but for ourselves we must hold higher
ideal. and be more citing of ourselves in its
realization. The Christian ethicist does not regard
honor as one of the simple virtues but com
posite virtue rather, and while it is hot easy to
dehne IN what lies its secret and charm yet it
correct analysis, it seems to me- which discovers in
honor triple spirit. 1t is SAID by Lanartine that
spirit of faith, the spirit of war; the spirit Of ad-
| venture, and he makes the knight, therefore,
| possessed of three souls-religion war and glory.
so we preserve a threetod division, although
making different distinction. Our modern
| knight has three souls, also He is the soul of
self respect the soul of respect for Others the
sou of vaor. This is hunor-to venerate one
OWL true worth, to regard the interests and needs
OF ones brother man, to be brave to do whatever
| Is Just and loving. This it is to be a knight
to be pure, unseifsh and to serve. We might
say almost that this is the of Christianity
1t Is indeed that ON the side of conduct
| Knights Templar, and friends all who wear
| not the trappings and insignia of knighthood,
| but yet believe in that of which plume and sash
and badge are merely the outward symbol, you
perceive how very high and noble is your calling
l am reminded of Hawkers description of the
Grail seekers in The Quest of the Sangreal p
"There stood the knights stately, and term and
tall;
| Tristan; and Perceval; Sir Galahad;
| ~
See where they move battle, shouldering kind
| Massive in mould, but graceful, thorough men;
| Built in the mystic measure of the Cross
| Their lifted arms the transome; and their bulk
| The Tree where Jesu stately stood to die!
Thence he m in ha fia1d dnf
| Ha! one might drive battaions, one alone'
| "a battles shouldering kinn'' ndet d are we,
and patterned after him who died upon the cross,
and able to put thousand, yes, ten thousand foes
to flight, whose hearts are pure and lives devoted
| to the unselfish service of fellows Behold
our calling brethren, we who earnestly desire to
| be true heroic, knightly souls!
| Let us think for a little of our triple spirit.
| What Is involved in respect for self? 1t is an
| abused term-this ''sef respect Over much of
the idea OF chivary in other days adheres in this
prating about standing ones dignity or hav-
! ing ones rights, which is chiefly what self.
respect seems to signify some minds
! True self respect Is profound regard for ones
| genuine worth. The set-respecting man is he
| who recognizes himself as made i'll the image of
| sod, and intended for something far better than
| eating and drinking and making merry, who is
| convinced that that he born to die, but is
| destined for noble immortality. He will have
care for his whole person BODY, mind and spirit ;
he will think, as some one has finely expressed it,
| I il pral frI,s tnf ho