In this obscurity and uncertainty of historical record, several theories have been advanced, to account for the origin of chivalry, and to fix the period, and the nation, to which it owes its birth, or at least its full maturity. Warburton, in the Supplement to Jarvis' Preface to his translation of Don Quixotte, and in his final note to Love's Labour Lost, advances and maintains the hypothesis, which had been previously thrown out by Velasquez, in his History of Spanish Poetry, that romance, chime, and knighthood, originated with the Arabians, and through them were introduced, first into Spain, and afterwards into France and the rest of Europe. Mallet, in his Introduction to the History of Denmark, sometimes directly maintains the opinion, and in other parts of his work, throws out hints, which lead to the same conclu sion, that chivalry originated with the Scandinavians. Percy, in his Reliyues of ?Incient Poetry, and Pinkerton, in his Dissertation on the Goths and Seythians, mould into a regular and complete hypothesis the opinion of lIailet ; the former supporting it with much ingenuity and learning ; the latter, in his accustomed manner, with dogmatic authority. Warton, in the first Dissertation pre fixed to his History of English Poetry, and occasionally and incidentally in the third section of the History, offers a modification, or rather an admixture of the hypothesis of and Mallet, tracing chivalry originally to the East, but deriving it from that quarter, partly through the medium of the Arabians, on their conquest of Spain, and partly through Odin and his followers, when they emigrated from Asia to the north of Europe. Herder, also, in his Outlines of a Philosophy of the History of Man, unites and adopts the two hypotheses, and ascribes the life and body which was given to chivalry, as arising from a concurrence of causes, proceeding from " two extremities of the earth," from Arabia through Spain, and from the Normans on their settlement in France. Lastly, a very learned and ingenious writer in the Monthly Magazine for February 1800, rejecting all the former hypotheses, considers Armorica, and the con nected provinces of Britain, as the countries which gave " the very decisive impulse to the character of modern civilization," by the introduction of romance, rhime, and knighthood.
In order that the respective merits of these different hypotheses may be examined with due candour, and upon sufficient ground, it will be proper to collect and arrange the traces of chivalry, which are to be found in the his tory of the different countries, from which each hypo thesis derives its origin. Thus the whole weight and bearing of authority will be given to the opinions of the writers we have named ; and after an attentive and com parative examination, we may be enabled to decide on their respective merits, and probably to throw a new and additional light on this important but obscure subject. Many of the traces of chivalry, which we shall notice and illustrate, have not been even incidentally alluded to, by the authors, whose opinions they confirm ; in this respect, therefore, the plan we propose to follow will be useful ; while to those who are anxious to investigate the manners of different and distant nations, and by detecting similar opinions and usages among them, to prove their affinity, the enquiry will be interesting and important.
Before entering on this part of the subject, it may be useful to recal to our recollection, what are the distin guishing features of chivalry ; viz. a romantic spirit of adventure, and love of arms ; courtesy of manners ; the point of honour ; and a devoted and respectful attach ment to the female sex. There arc subordinate points, which naturally spring from this pervading spirit ; such as a love of the show of war in times of peace, by. means of tournaments ; a strong and zealous attachment among those who professed chivalry ; and the principal and distinguishing ceremonies by- which the privileges of knighthood were conferred, and its duties rendered obligatory.
If we examine into the traces of chivalry in the East, in order to appreciate what degree of plausibility is due to the hypothesis of Warburton, the first circum stance which strikes us is, the frequent mention and description in the poems and romances of the Arabians and Persians, particularly in the Shah Nam?, of single combats. The persons who engaged in them, like the heroes of chivalry, were armed with complete coats of mail : they had plumed helmets, spears, swords, maces, and shields, and even the dagger, such a principal in strument in all single combats among the knights of chivalry. With respect to their armour, there was only one point in which they differed :--the bow and arrow was never used by European knights, they being con fined to the infantry ; whereas the Asiatic champions, in addition to the arms already mentioned, had also these weapons. One combat is particularly mentioned by Per sian writers, between twelve warriors of Persia and twelve of Tartary ; and one of the Persian warriors seems, from his name, to have been a knight errant, as he was known by the appellation of Reynz Khah, one who goes in search of adventures, Dr Herbelot, also, in his Bibliotheque Orientale, under the article Batthal, explains it to mean a brave and valiant man, who went in search of adventures, in the same manner as the knight errants of the ancient romances.
In another respect, these combats in the East were very similar to those which formed the glory and prin cipal employment of the knights of chivalry. The Eastern heroes used great precautions to secure them selves from spells and enchantments ; and in the West, before the combat began, the champion took an oath, not to carry about him any herb, spell, or enchantment, by which he might procure victory.
On this point of resemblance, Warburton has offered a remark in his final note to Love's Labour Lost, which perhaps ought to be considered, rather, however, out of respect to that author's character for learning, than on account of its relevancy and solidity. Of the other illus trations and proofs which he has brought forward in sup port of his hypothesis of the Eastern origin of romance and chivalry, Mr Tyrwhitt has given a full and satisfac tory refutation ; the one we are about to cite and con sider, has escaped the notice and castigation of that acute writer. " Chivalry, (says Warburton), without a Sara cen, was so very lame and imperfect a thing, that even the wooden image which turned round on an axis, and served the knights to try their swords, and break their lances upon, was called by the Italians and Spa niards, Saricino, and Sarazino, so closely were these two ideas connected.