Many knights, however, refused to assume any armo rial bearings, till they had won them by their merit or their valour ; or, if their shield was adorned with the armorial bearings of their family, they carefully and modestly covered it over, till they had acquired celebrity in war or tournaments. It not unfrequently happened, that the strokes of the sword or the lance cut off the covering from their shields, and displayed at once the family and the merit of the newly made chevalier. Sometimes he exhibited a shield painted white, or of any other uniform colour throughout, and anxiously waited till an opportunity of displaying his valour might give him a right to inscribe armorial bearings on it. If he was so unfortunate as to be defeated in combat or in battle before he had assumed his coat of arms, he preferred death to the disgrace of making himself known. In the romances there are many examples of this sort ; and that the authors of these romances copied from the actual practice of chevaliers, appears from the undoubted testimony of a chronicler quoted by St Palaye.* The new made knight generally carried a white shield, unadorned with armorial bearings, for the space of a year, unless some opportunity occurred before that pe riod of signalizing himself in battle. If he had fought against the Infidels, he assumed a cross as part of his arms ; if he excelled in the management of the lance or the sword, he added these ; had he forced a barrier or a castle, these also were assumed ; and in several instances, the wounds which he had received, were pictured in dif ferent modes on his blasonry. The head of the lance was very commonly adopted ; and from this circumstance, according to St Palaye, the fleur-de-lys of France takes its origin.t Another privilege bestowed by chivalry, immediately connected with, and indeed necessarily resulting from, that of armorial bearings, consisted in the new knight being authorised to make use of a seal. A passage is quoted by Selden from an old chronicle, in which it is expressly stated that Richard, Earl of Chester, in the reign of Henry I., when he conveyed his lands in Wey monsley to the Abbey of Abingdon, made use of his mother's seal, because he had not yet arrived at the ho nour of knighthood, (nondum enim militare balthio cinct7IS erat.) and St Palaye and Boullainvilliers (Histoire de r?Incien Gouvernment de France, i. 326.) maintain the same opinion. Yet that in England, seals might be used even by inferior persons, appears from a passage from Ingulphus, quoted by Selden, and another from Glan ville, given by the same author. Du Tillet also cites a judgment as old as the year 1366, in which an esquire is said to change his scal when he attains the rank of knight.
It is probable, however, that to wear seals with armo rial bearings on them, was the exclusive privilege of a knight ; and that the seals mentioned by lngulphus and Glanville, and the judgment cited by Du 'fillet, refer to seals without armorial bearings; since it is undoubted, that esquires, and men of inferior birth, were not per mitted the use of coats of arms. A knight, beside a large seal which he employed on grand and important occasions, had generally one or more scal rings on his finger ; and the possession of these was deemed so sure a mark of his delegated authority, that his vassals yield ed implicit obedience to whoever displayed then4 The knight was also privileged in the dress he wore, and in the ornaments by which it was distinguished. On the day of his knighthood, lie received from his sovereign a splendid mantle, which completely covered his person, and swept the ground with a long train. This, which
was called the king's livery, and which was renewed re gularly twice a year in winter and summer, as well as at grand feats or tournaments, was lined with the most costly furs, and adorned with gold. No person of rank inferior to that of a knight, durst presume to wear gold, fur, or silk. Gold, as the most precious metal, was re served for their use : it formed or covered their spurs, and adorned the trappings of their horses, as well as their own robes. If the chevalier appeared in the rich and splendid silk of Damascus, the esquire was clothed in satin ; and if the latter was dressed in the silk or Da mascus, the chevalier was clothed in velvet. Scarlet, or some other colour partaking of red, was appropriated to the knight, and no inferior person durst presume to ap pear in any colour at all resembling it.§ But the knight possessed rights and privileges of a higher nature, and more dignified importance. Such was the estimation in which knighthood was held, that for a tong time no sovereign could be crowned till he had been knighted ; and the son of a king was scarcely per mitted to approach the person of his father, certainly not to sit down to table with him, previous to his being invested with the order of chivalry. Birth, however il lustrious and noble, bestowed no personal rank, till to it had been added the title of knight. While the rank was only that of esquire, even the son of a king was consider ed as the servant of the knight in whose family he resid ed ; and, till he became an esquire, he was looked upon as belonging entirely to the women. But, when made a knight, though under the legal age, his knighthood con ferred upon him the right of holding his lands, and of rendering homage for them in person ; for he was then considered as emancipated, and admitted to the full pri vileges of nobility.
In many cases lie was exempt from taxes ; and even his servants, and all who were attached to his household, shared in some degree in the same privilege. Neither his horse nor his armour could be seized for debt, although the crown were the creditor. If he came into a court of justice as a complainant, and gained his suit, fines beyond the usual proportion were awarded him ; and lie could not himself be summoned to appear, without the obser vance of particular forms, all of which were intended to show respect to his rank. lie was empowered to act in the capacity of a magistrate ; and was frequently called upon by his sovereign for his advice as a counsellor, as well as for his assistance as a warrior. When ambassa dors were to be sent on any special and important mis sion, they were always chosen from among the clergy or the knights.
If he chanced to be taken in war, he was seldom con fined in prison, and never put in fetters ; his word was generally deemed ,utlicient security. When lie was con lined, a particular kind of prison was allotted him, called the prison of cou rtesy (courtoise,) where he experienced the most delicate and respectful attention, and received every indulgence, consistent with his situation, that could soften the rigours of his captivity, and soothe the anguish he ex perienced on account of his ill fortune. Ile was at liberty to offer his services to a foreign power, when his own sove reign did not:require them. When he travelled, either for the purposes of engaging in battle or tournament, himself and all his train were received and hospitably entertained at the castle of every knight which lay in his way.