Nor was it only in the time of war that the spirit and influence of gallantry pervaded the mind and the actions of the chevalier:—in times of peace he either devoted himself entirely to the enjoyment of her presence ; or, what was more congenial to his taste, and a more certain mode of obtaining her favour, he went from court to court, from tournament to tournament, proclaiming her superior beauty, and challenging the proof of his asser tion by all kinds of feats of arms.
Such was the usual character and effects of the gal lantry of the age of chivalry; but many knights carried it to a most extravagant length: forming to themselves most fantastical ideas of love, and creating the image of a female, perfect in beauty and in virtue, they became enamoured of the offspring of their own imagination. Others less spiritualized. but scarcely less absurd, pro claimed their love for ladies, whom they had never seen, but only read or heard of As the laws of chivalry forbade a knight to speak ill of the ladies, or tamely to hear them spoken ill of, it be came his duty to warn them from the commission of every thing, that might lower them in his opinion: strict ly decorous and respectful in his behaviour towards them, he expected that they should never forfeit their claim to such behaviour. If, however, they transgressed the laws of modesty or prudence, the knight did not fail to stigmatize their failings or their vices in the most public and severe manner; if he passed the castle of one of this character, he marked, in such a manner as could not be mistaken, the dwelling of a lady, unfit to receive a true chevalier. Even at the great feasts or the tour naments, if he perceived those of bad or suspicious cha racter mixed with such as were honourable and virtu ous, he immediately led the latter to the more honourable scat ; and by this indirect reproof, or by less ambiguous means, brought the blush of shame on the countenances of the former.
The hospitality of chivalry has already been inciden tally noticed, when we treated on the insignia of rank that were placed on the summit of the castles of Cie knights ; these insignia, however, were not deemed suf ficient proofs, that the dwelling belonged to a chevalier, ready and desirous to entertain all his brethren, who chanced to travel that way. Every true and loyal knight was also expected to have the door of his castle constant ly open if it were found shut, his character for hospl tality, and therefore for true knighthood, was stained.
As soon as a knight entered the castle of another, he considered himself, and he was treated, as if he were at hone; every thing that could minister to his comfort and his luxury was at his connnand. So much a part of the regular domestic economy was the reception and en tertainment of strangers, that, let their number be ever so great, and their coming be ever so sudden and unex pected, they found every thing prepared for them.
Closely allied to the gallantry and hospitality of chi valry, were its humanity and courtesy : to the vanquish ed foe, these were exhibited with the greatest care, and with the most scrupulous and delicate attention. Nothing that could wound his feelings, or call to mind his misfortunes, was uttered before him, or brought into his presence. He was treated rather like the conqueror than the vanquished. The courtesy of knighthood even extended to inferiors : the Chevalier Dc la Tour, in his Instructions to his Daughters, quoted by St Palaye, (I. 43.) expressly recommends to them the display of an equal degree of courtesy to those of an inferior and of the highest rank ; and quotes the example and the reply of a lady of high quality, who, when she was asked, why she returned the salute of a mechanic, answered, that she should have been more ashamed to have failed in courtesy towards him, than towards a person of noble birth and profession.
Gratitude also was among the distinguishing virtues of a true chevalier: if in his travels he received the rights of hospitality, or the smallest favour or assistance from a person of the lowest rank, he never forgot it ; he de clared himself the ehevalic r of his benefactor, and made a solemn vow to forego the rewards of the most splendid achievements, if they were irreconcileable with his duty to succour or protect him.
The most noble and favourite amusement and exercise of a knight consisted in justs and tournaments ; a rude and it regular species of the latter existed among the Germans in the time of Tacitus, and may indeed be tra ced among all savage nations that are fond of war ; but the just, distinguished from the tournament as exhibiting the combat of one against one, and the tournament it self, with its regulated pomp and solemnity of prepara tion and attendance, were unknown before the middle of the eleventh century.