above all, to succour women in distress: in short "to act as Hercules and Theseus may be supposed to have done in the truth of their fabled exploits." This is certainly taking the most favourable view of the institution of chivalry; but, in its origin, such probably was its character. The giants, dragons, and enchanters of Spenser, which his knights sallied forth to combat and overcome, are the poetical representatives of the robbers, assassins, and ravishers, which a few centuries before infested the whole of Europe, and rendered life a constant scene of terror and distress. These knights then filled the place, and discharged the functions, which belong at present to a much less romantic description of public officers. Wild animals and thieves were held in check by these well-armed protectors of the peace, during an age when the half-naked, poor, and ignorant inhabitants of the country were an easy prey to the ferocity of brutes and men. As civilization advanced, and law became more strong, the original objects of the knights became by degrees almost forgotten: but the institution was too agreeable to the spirit of the age to be yet allowed to disappear. Gallantry, ambition, and a taste for martial exercises, became the chief animations of chivalry: each warrior sallied forth to maintain the peerlessness of his mistress; and Europe was covered, from one end to the other, with these adventurers; who, displaying the scarfs and crests of their ladies, knocked each other on the head to merit their favour. However numerous were the absurdities included in this custom, its influence inspired enthusiasm to poets, and gave grace and brilliancy to the nobility. Chivalry, says a German author, forms the sole glory of several centuries which would, but for it, be consigned to horror and contempt in history, Remove from the middle ages this institution, and what would remain to them? To it we owe that extraordinary sentiment of modern times which is called honour; a sentiment unknown to the ancients; but which, in the absence of a much higher principle, is one of the most powerful springs of noble and admired actions. Above all, it added still more to the value of the female sex in the public estimation. In the courts, in the lists, in battle, and in literature, woman was the principal object of celebration; and often the same person was at once lover, poet, and warrior: he could sing to his lyre, as well as combat with his lance, in behalf of the beauty by whom he had been subdued. Very different accounts, however, have been given of the state of manners which attended this change. Some are of opinion that the favours of the ladies, for whose sakes the knights incurred such hazards and fatigues, received all their value from the imaginations of their devoted servants. It is affirmed, that a look was deemed by both parties an ample reward for the toil of years; while, on the other hand, certain historians of these times would break the charm by representing the returns of the sex as of a much less fanciful description. There can be no doubt that very considerable licentiousness was at last introduced into the manners of the higher classes before chivalry can be considered as extinguished; but it is probable that this did not take place till it had proceeded far in its decline. It is impossible to suppose that the numerous romances, founded entirely on the interest of a passion that almost limits its indications to unfailing respect on one side, and unyielding severity on the other, had at no period prototypes in fact. Their idea must have been taken from actual occurrence, strongly coloured probably, and adapted to that taste for the marvellous and mystical which was predominant when they were composed. As they are now entirely forgotten, we are tempted to offer, for the reader's amusement, what has amused us, namely, a sketch of one of the most extravagant of these works, given in a foreign literary compilation : "It has long been the fashion to laugh at the heroines of these romances, in whose ideas the most respectful declaration of love constituted an outrage to their dignity that could only be expiated by years of slavery and sacrifices. Nothing, however, of this class approaches to the Polixandre of Gomberville, in five huge volumes, which is distinguished by an excess of folly so curious, that it inspires interest by the very qualities that would seem to render it insufferably tedious. The Princess, the heroine of this formidable work, is named Alcidane, and is of course the most miraculous creature that ever formed the unique ornament of the earth. She is beloved to distraction by all the monarchs of the world, and Ambassadors come from every possible quarter and kingdom to demand her in marriage. Those who dare not aspire so high, are contented to declare themselves her knights, and go about fighting in her honour at five hundred leagues from her abode. Others, on the simple sight of her picture, make a vow never to look in the face of another woman. To us it would seem that all this homage was of a very innocent, not to say flattering kind; but Alcidane finds it excessively offensive. She considers it highly improper that the Great Khan of Tartary, the King of Cashmire, and the Sultan of India, should be so hardy as to declare themselves in love with her, though at distances that would appear sufficiently assuring even for the delicacy of a princess. To be enamoured of Alcidane, three thousand miles off, is a crime worthy of death; that is to say, in all but Polixandre, to whom she has permitted this privilege,-it being after all necessary that it should be granted to some one. In quality of her knight, Polixandre is dispatched to all the Courts to chastise the insolents who have dared to say that they sighed for Alcidane. Charged with this mission, he goes round the world, defying all whom he meets; and after years of absence, after he has killed many and wounded more, dethroned kings and made captives of princes, he returns to his charmer, who relaxes her rigours for once and rewards him with a single glance of regard. At this happy stage matters remain for a long time: the lady cannot familiarize her mind to the idea of marrying a man after causing so many to be slain for hinting at such a thing: the gentleman is unable to fancy how it is possible that such excessive felicity should ever fall to his lot. At length, however, they are married, and appearances become desperate. The husband, overpowered by his felicity, loses his senses: he faints on the stair-case, and the story leaves him in the arms of a couple of pages." Madame de Genlis, in the work which has suggested this article, notices a story told of the beautiful Princess de Conti, daughter of Louis XIV and the Duchess de la Vallière, which had great success at the Court of Versailles, and which almost realizes one part of the above picture: rigours, however, are out of the question in any thing that relates to Versailles. It was said that Muley Ismael, Emperor of Morocco, having by accident seen the portrait of this Princess in the hands of a French Naval Captain, fell desperately in love with the Original; and Dangeau, in his Memoirs, affirms that a Moorish ambassador made his appearance at the Court, for the purpose of solemnly demanding the lady, to preside as first and favourite wife in the well-stocked harem of his Imperial master. This fatal portrait, taken to America, was seen by the son of the Viceroy of Lima, who became the victim of the violent passion which it excited. In fine, says Dangeau, this cause of so many romantic adventures, having been lost in India, was found by some savages, who made it an object of their worship, and adored it under the name of the Goddess Monas! Returning, however, to the early times, which we have for a moment quitted, we find the ladies, who at first but animated the martial dispositions of their admirers, catching themselves the ardour of arms, and, affected by the praises which were every where bestowed on courage, maintaining their claims to equal estimation, by displaying ample proofs of that imposing quality. Mr. Thomas gives a list of female warriors, amongst whom we find a "demoiselle" of Transylvania who killed ten Janizaries with her own fair hands. Gibbon notices the desperate act of the women of Cyprus, who, to avoid the Mussulmen, blew up the magazines and themselves along with them. The fair and frail Queen Eleonore of France commanded a corps of ladies in the holy land, which was called the Regiment of the Boots of Gold. Mr. Charbonnières, in his amusing and instructive sketch of French Literature, very recently published, makes mention of the interesting Louise Labbé, the handsome wife of a rope-maker at Lyons, the date of whose charms and talents is about the time of our Henry VIII. She was an excellent poet, and distinguished herself as an equally good soldier at the siege of Perpignan. An old writer says, "Quand la jeunesse Françoise Là sa force elle deploye, Ne demontroit rien en elle In But this warrior woman was not in all respects invincible. her compositions she frequently betrays the consciousness of her besetting foible: she complains that time, which destroys the proud pantheons, the strong cities, the high pyramids, which dries, up rivers, and finishes so many other things, only seems to augment in her the disposition to be tender. The rage for arms, however, began at length to subside. During the most flourishing times of chivalry, the most distinguished knights were but seldom able to read: as it declined, they commenced their alphabet; and when the fall of Constantinople threw the scholars of the East amongst the heroes of the West, learning remained no longer an unknightly accomplishment. The ladies, who love not to be left behind, accordingly forsook fighting, and took to Greek. Steady, but frigid characters, slightly gifted with imagination, gave a preference to the philosophy of Aristotle; but the youthful and enthusiastic embraced with ardour the sublime metaphysics of Plato. The fashionable manners, says a French author, were now a medley of gallantry, religion, platonism, poetry, ancient learning, and modern theology. The women soon became distinguished by their skill and ardour in public disputation. The daughter of a gentleman of Bologna, being mistress of the Roman law, pronounced, at the age of twenty-three, a funeral oration in Latin, the delivery of which assembled an immense crowd in the great church of that city. At twenty-six, she took the degree of Doctor; and, at thirty, received the chair of Professor, from which she commented on Justinian to scholars, who came from all parts of Europe to attend her lectures. Mr. Tweddle, in a letter written from Coppet, to be found in the volume published by his brother, says that Madame de Stael spoke with so much ability in conversation that she made her hearers forget she was not pretty: the talents of the lady of Bologna achieved something which we consider more extraordinary; they are said to have rendered the young men inattentive to her great beauty! At Venice two clever and learned ladies distinguished themselves also about the same time. One (Modesta di Pozza) composed verses "serious, gay, heroic, and tender:" the other (Cassandra Fidele) wrote equally well in the three languages of Homer, Virgil, and Dante; and also (which is more doubtful praise)" equally well in verse and in prose." She possessed, says her historian, the philosophy of her own age, and of all former ages; she sustained theological theses with eclat, gave public lectures at Padua, excelled in music, had enchanting manners, and was as virtuous as she was learned. Whether she was also pretty is unfortunately not said. At Milan a young lady spoke eloquently in Latin. At Verona, Isolta Nogarolla excited the curiosity of all the sovereigns to hear her. In Spain Catherine Ribera wrote verses "moitié devotes, et moitié tendres." The Duchess of Retz, in France, astonished and perplexed the ambassadors by accosting them in Greek.__ Aloysia Sigea took the unnecessary trouble of writing to the Pope one letter in five languages. The ladies Seymour and Jane Grey, in England, were distinguished for learning and talents, even in a time when it is affirmed to have been very common to see young girls, who had finished their education at the schools, present themselves before the holy Father, and, in Latin or Greck, implore of him to declare war against the Turks. If the women, says Mr. Thomas, appear to have wished at this time to wrest the fame of knowledge from the men, the latter were more than usually eager to bestow panegyrics on the women. Gallantry lost nothing of its power by being transferred from the chevaliers to the pedants. Boccacio composed a Latin work in honour of illustrious women, in the course of which he explores Greek and Roman history, the Bible, and the romances: he instances as models Cleopatra and Lucretia, Flora and Portia, Semiramis and Sappho, Athaliah and Dido. A priest published two quarto volumes on celebrated and excellent females, in which, however, he does not find room for Queen Elizabeth; but, in recompense, he passes a magnificent panegyric on Queen Mary, of Smithfield memory. A collection of pieces was published at Venice, with the title " A Temple to the Divine Signora Joan of Arragon, constructed to her Honour by all the Wits in all the principal Languages of the World!" This temple is built in Latin, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish, Sclavonic, Polonese, Hungarian, and Hebrew. The question of the comparative rank and value of the two sexes was now provoked. The superiority of women was demonstrated by proofs theological, physical, cabalistical, religious, and moral. The most singular work on this subject is that of Ruscelli, which appeared at Venice in the year 1552. Moses is there made the ally of Petrarch and Dante; and the author supports his arguments by quotations from Boccacio and St. Augustin, Homer, and St. John. The ladies took an active part |