The education of a knight was briefly as follows: The young and noble stripling, gen erally about his 12th was sent to the court of some baron or noble lcnight, where he spent his time chiefly in attending on the ladies and acquiring skill in the use of arms, in riding, etc. This duty of waiting about the persons of the ladies became, in the sequel, as injurious to the morals of the page as it may have been salutary in the beginning. When advancing age and experience in the use of arms had qualified the page for war, he became an escuyer (esquire or squire). This word is gen erally supposed to be derived from escu or scudo (shield, sashimi), because among other offices it was the squire's business to carry the shield of the knight whom he served. The third and highest rank of chivalry was that of knighthood, which was not conferred before the 21st year, except in the case of distinguished birth or great achievements. The individual prepared himself by confessing, fIsting, etc.; religious rites were performed; and then, after promising to be faithful, to protect ladies and orphans, never to lie or utter slander, to live in harmony with his equals, etc. (in France there were 20 vows of knighthood), he received the accolade, a slight blow on the neck with the flat of the sword from the person who dubbed him knight, who at the same time pronounced a formula to this effect: "I dub thee knight, in the name of God and St. Michael (or in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost). Be faithful, bold, and fortunate." This was often done on the eve of battle, to stimulate the new knight to deeds of valor, or after the com bat, to reward signal bravery.
Chivalry exercised, in many respects, a salu tary influence at a time when governments were unsettled and laws little regarded. Though it often carried the feelings of love and honor to a fanatical excess, yet the reverence paid to them, ,contributed to prevent mankind, at this period of lawless violence, from relapsing into barbarism; and as the feudal system was un avoidable, it is well that its evils were somewhat alleviated by the spirit of chivalry. The in
fluence which chivalry had on poetry was very great. The troubadours in the south of France, the trouveres in the north of the same country, the "minstrels" in Great Britain, the minnesin gers in Germany, sang the achievements of the who received them hospitably. In Provence arose the "Courts of Love," which de cided the poetical contests of the knights. At these, amorous songs (chansons), duets (ten sons), pastoral songs (pastourelles) and poeti cal colloquies (sirventes), were performed. In Germany the chivalric spirit produced one of the most noble epics,. the 'Nibelungenlied' (q.v.). It was the spirit of chivalry which led to the Crusades, and from the intercourse with the East which grew up during this period the wonders of Oriental enchantment were intro duced into the romantic or chivalric poetry, and European literature received a great stimulus. Chivalric poetry, however, existed apart from any influence of this kind, and really begins with the mythological cyclus of King Arthur's round table and the feats of his knights, which furnished materials that found poetic treatment in various European countries. A second cyclus is that of Charlemagne and his paladins, his 12 peers, which remained a poetical founda tion of chivalric poetry for many centuties. Alexander the Great also became a great hero of chivalric poetry. The cyclus of Amadis, which belongs, perhaps, exclusively to Spain, does not rest on any historical ground. For further information consult the essay on chiv alry written by Sir Walter Scott; Heeren's 'Es say on the Influence of the Crusades'; moires sur l'ancienne chevalprie, par Lacurne de Sainte-Palaye' (2 vols.;with engravings) ; Gautier's 'La Heine am Rhyn's des Rittertums'; Gautier, 'La Chev alerie); and 'Don Quixote.) See also Dim.;