"as well in offending your enemies, as in defending yourfelf; and I never, in my

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life, met with that man that gave me fo "much ado, body to body, as you have

done this day wherefore I adjudge the

prize of Knighthood unto you, by right "fentence, above all the Knights of my

court *." He then took off a chaplet of pearls from his head, and prefenting it to his prifoner, thus continued to addrefs him : "I give you, Sir Euftace, this chaplet, for the best doer in arms at this laft battle of either party, whether French "or English; and I defire you to wear it "this year at feftivals for my fake. You

I have given my Readers this fpeech in the language of the times, as it will convey to them fome idea of the rough and unlettered manners of that age. The intrepid and generous deeds of thofe unpolifhed Sons of War wanted not the aid of rhetoric to point out their merit, or to blazon them to the world. Even the language of Love was then fimple and unadorned; it was the language of the heart, nor needed any fallacious explanations to enfure belief, or to render it perfuafive.

" are

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are a perfonable Gentleman, young and amorous and well accepted among the "Ladies; wherefore if you will wear it in "all public balls, and declare unto them, "that the King of England gave this as a teftimony of your valour, I will now release you, quitting you wholly of your "ranfom." Sir Euftace expreffed his gratitude for this honourable acknowledgment; and not only wore the chaplet whilst he lived, but in memory of this royal gift from fo renowned a Prince, his family ever after bore for their arms three chaplets garnifhed with pearls.

This treachery of the French, attempted whilst yet the truce exifted, justly rebounded on their own heads. But the King of France was fo enraged at the dif appointment, that, having betrayed Sir Emeric de Pavia into his hands, he put him to death with every mark of infamy: he

was firft degraded of Knighthood *; then branded with a hot iron; his tongue cut out as a punishment for his perfidy; and after being hanged, he was beheaded and quartered as a traitor. The English Monarch fought not to revenge either this fresh breach of the truce, or his fubject's death; only from the day that he rescued Calais he gave the command of it to Lord John Beauchamp. So certain is it that the perfidious never regain the confidence of those they have betrayed.

About this time King Edward, whose mind was always intent on the attainment of honour, inftituted the order of the Garter, in imitation of fome orders of a like nature which had been established in different

When a Knight is to fuffer death for any crime, he is first degraded, by having his military girdle ungirt, his fword taken away, his fpurs hewn from his heels with a hatchet, his gauntlet plucked off, and his coat of arms reverfed.

kingdoms:

kingdoms: these were of two forts, religious or military; the principal among the former were the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, the Knights Hofpitallers, the Knights Templars, and the Teutonick Knights; orders instituted about the twelfth century, during the time of the holy wars (as they were termed) and foon after the city of Jerufalem was retaken from the Saracens by the Chriftians. Thefe Knights at first were enjoined to guard the Holy Sepulchre, to protect and accommodate Pilgrims, to redeem Christian Captives, and various other duties which a refidence on the fpot required. But on the loss of the Holy Land, they retired to the respective countries from whence they had peregrinated, where they preferved their original institutions for fome ages.

Among all the military orders inftituted throughout Europe, of which there were many different denominations, the Knights of the Round Table, founded by Arthur, King of Britain, may for antiquity challenge

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lenge the first place.

This Prince was

crowned in the year 516, when he was

only fifteen years of age; and though many

fabulous ftories are added to his history, his name is defervedly celebrated among the heroes which have graced this island: hẹ long propped up the declining honour of his country, and by his great example renewed the exhausted courage of his fubjects, His renown for warlike atchievements was fo extenfive, that many worthy Cavaliers came from every country to his court, both to improve themselves in chivalry, as being the feminary of military difcipline, and to acquire applaufe by the proofs they gave of their valour,

This furnished him with an opportunity of felecting from thefe ftrangers and his own fubjects, twenty-four of the most valiant Knights, whom he united in the bonds of fellowship by fome regulations which have not withstood the ravages of time and ignorance. The only part of the infti