A discussion on chivalry, which should omit the sub ject of knight errantry, would be deemed incomplete in the most curious, if not the most interesting point ; and vet it is extremely difficult to obtain authentic evidence respecting the knight errants. In the old romances, they occupy the most distinguished place ; but in the old his torknis and chronicles, only a few faint traces of them are to be found.
The spirit and the practice of going in quest of ad ventures, arose partly from the very nature of the insti tution of chivalry, and partly from the custom of knights travelling wherever tournaments were to be celebrated : this spirit and practice were undoubtedly increased by the Crusades. In their expeditions to the Holy Land, knights would necessarily meet with many opportuni ties of displaying their velour and their gallantry, and of performing that part of their vow, which bound them to succour the widow, the orphan, and the helpless. So de sirous were the young knights of seeking and obtaining opportunities of signalizing themselves, and of acting in the capacity of the avengers of the injured, and the de fenders of the weak, that they frequently bound them selves to spend the first years of their knighthood in vi siting foreign lands, in order to make themselves " per fect knights." For this purpose, they studied the cus toms of different countries, and made themselves ac quainted with the rites of their tournaments, and the ce remonials of their courts. The character of their SON C reigns, and especially of their most celebrated ladies, was also a part of their preparatory knowledge. Thus fitted for the object they had in view, they set out, at tended by their squires ; and they chose that road, w hich they thought would present them with most opportuni ties of meeting and overcoming danger, in the punish ment of crimes, in the repressing of violence, in the pro tection of insulted, or in the liberation of confined dam sels.
A real knight-errant, more frequently met with in ro mances than in history, clothed in green,—for that was his favourite colour, as expressive of the freshness of his age, and the vigour of his courage,*—and with nothing but what was absolutely necessary for attack or defence, chose his path through forests or unfrequented tracks ; for his food, he depended entirely on the animals he kill ed ; these he cooked in the most simple and rude man ner ; a stone served him for a table, and it also served him to press the blood from the newly killed animal.
Thus prepared, he made his scanty and savage meal, with some salt and spices, the only things he carried with him, beside his arms. For a year and a day he wan dered in this manner, in quest of adventures ; some times reaching and punishing those crimes which were beyond the knowledge, or the reach of the law ; and not unfrequeitly committing injustice and violence in the cry act of relict ing the oppressed, or punishing the cri n Perhaps the most striking instance of knight-errantry mist is well authenticated, is given by Brantome. This author relates, that Galcas of Mantua, in gratitude to Queen Joan of Naples, for having danced with him, made a vow that he would become a knight-errant till he 11: d conquered and brought into her presence two knights. At the end of a year, which he spent in com bat:, in England, Spain, Germany, Hungary, and other parts, he accomplished his vow.
The fraternities, or brotherhoods, which sprung out of chivalry, or at least were rendered more frequent and better organised by it, rest on surer authority. It has been already observed, that a similar institution existed among the Scandinavians ; and it is remarkable, that one of the most common modes of entering into the fraterni ties of chivalry, was by mingling the blood of the par ties,—a practice usual among the Scythians. Some times religious ceremonies were employed, and not un frequently an exchange of arms was the proof and bond of fraternity. So predominant and indispensable was the mutual obligation thus formed, that a knight was justified in not attending to the call of a suffering and oppressed female, if, at the same time, his brother in arms required his presence. llis sovereign, however, had a superior claim upon him ; and the obligation was dissolved, when war was declared between the countries to which they respectively belonged.