of nearly all the old Romancers make their exit in [ously), he chose some high-born maiden to be the some lonely hermitage. The famous Sir Lancelot queen and mistress of his heart, whose favour like a became a priest, and distinguished himself for his active sun-beam might light up his dangerous path, and and exemplary piety for seven years, until at length nerve his spirit in the hour of peril. The lady on the his soul departed heavenwards, escorted by "thirty other hand appointed him her champion, and gave thousand and seven angels ;"---but the most singular | him a glove, or other token of her regard to wear on instance of this sort on record is the case of Guy of Warwick, who perhaps to punish the fair Felice, (who had enjoined him to become the most illustrious Knight in the "round world" ere he might win her hand and love), forty days after his marriage bethought him,

fect exemplars of virtue and piety: indeed there is one instance recorded in which a luckless swordsman having fallen desperately in love with the daughter of a king, to whom he had rendered the most essential services; his own wife, to ease his conscience, consented to become dead to the world, and take the cowl in a nunnery, which was erected and endowed by her husband, and the narrative concludes by saying that the union of the knight and his second mis

that they closed a life employed in constant acts of charity and benevolence, by retiring to the monastic cell. The lady was received into the order of her kind rival, and the knight took the cowl in a monastery, to the endowment of which he devoted the rest of his possessions.

blood dyed turf and unlaced their helms and inhaled the refreshing breeze; and thenne whan Syr Beaumayns' helm was of, he loked vp to the wyndowe, & there he sawe the faire lady Dame Lyones, & she made hym suche countenaunce that his herte waxed lyghte and joly, & ther with he bad the reed (red) knight of the reede laundes make hym redy & lete vs doo the bataille to the vtteraunce. I will wel, said the knyghte, & thenne they laced vp their helmes, & their pages auoyed, & they stepte togyders (to-tress was followed by many years of happiness, and gether) & foughte fresshely, but the reed knyghte of the reed laundes awayted him, & at an ouerthward smote hym within the hand, that his swerde felle oute of his hand, & yet he gaf hym another buffet vpon the helme, that he felle grouelynge to the erthe, & the reed knyghte felle over him, for to holde hym doune. Thenne cryed the maiden Lynet, on hyghe, "O, Syr Beaumayns, where is thy courage become? Allas, my lady, my syster beholdeth the, & she sobbeth & wepeth, that maketh myn herte heuy." When Syr Beaumayns herd her say soo, he abrayed up with a grete myght & gate hym vpon his feet, and lyghtely he lepte to his swerd & gryped hit (it) in his hand & doubled hys paas vpto the reed knighte & they foughte anewe bataille togyder. Sir Beaumayns redoubled his strokes, smote the sword out of his enemy's hand, & felle upon hym, & unlaced his helme to have slayne hym, and thenne he yelded him & asked mercy, & said with a lowde vois, "O, noble knight, I yeld me to thy mercy.”+

A learned contributor to Dr. Rees' Encyclopedia, under the head Chivalry, observes, "The courtesy, affability, and gallantry, for which these adventurers were so famous, are but the natural effects and consequences of their situation. The castles of the barons were the courts of those little sovereigns, as well as their fortresses; and the resort of their vassels hither, in honour of their chiefs, and for their own proper security, would render that civility and politeness which are seen in courts, and insensibly prevail there, a predominant part of the character of these assemblies. Besides, the pre-eminence of the ladies in those courts and circles of the great would operate so far on the sturdiest knight, as to give birth to the attentions of gallantry."

It cannot be denied that this devotion to the fair sex, when over strained, sometimes enticed the warriors a little out of the path of rectitude. The old Romancers frequently describe the amorous adventures of knights who in all other respects were per

+ See the Morte d'Arthur, edited by Dr. Southey. Quarto edition, vol. i. p. 212.

Roger Ascham writes, that "the whole pleasures of the Morte d'Arthur standeth into two special points, in open manslaughter, and bold bawdry," and many of the monkish writers of the middle ages declaim heavily against the sensuality and luxury of the knightly order; but Ascham's censure is much too sweeping, and the monks were especially peevish and ascetic. We do not deny that the knights' attachment to their "ladye loves" sometimes degenerated into licentiousness---" vices and irregularities,” observes a modern writer, "creep into every system, and chivalry, like all others of human invention, carried the seeds of corruption in its own bosom ;"but we contend that the advantages which accrued from that most prominent feature in the knightly character, greatly counterbalanced any evils which may have arisen out of it, and that to "the permanent impressions of its amenities we are under the greatest obligations;" since "courtesy of manners, that elegant drapery of chivalry, still robes our social life, and liberality of sentiment distinguishes the gentlemen, as in days of yore it was wont to distinguish the knight."§

We cannot conclude this sketch of the character of the ancient knights, without first briefly noticing their fraternity in arms. This practice of fraternal adoption was orginally derived from their heathen predecessors, among whom it was not unfrequently connected with the most disgusting ceremonies. Christianity corrected this custom, and sanctified it to the nobles and lords. The champions, in the presence of the clergy and congregation in the temple of God, vowed to defend each other while life remained, and In his "Schoolmaster," p. 245, of his English Works, Ed. 1815. § Mills' "History of Chivalry, &c."

J. F. R.

abjured all intention of enmity and rivalship. With- | Capital are condensed from Mr. Capon's own notes. out some pact like this they never could have accom- During the short reign of King Richard III., a gateplished their high duties; their energies would have way was erected at the north-west extremity of the been scattered or turned against each other, and Palace Court, at Westminster, as a means of commuEurope had remained uncivilized. nication between the palace and the premises belonging to the Abbey. It stood almost directly facing the gate of the Sanctuary, but a little to the north of it, and is represented both in Ralph Aggas's Plan of London, published early in Queen Elizabeth's reign, and in Hollar's View of the New Palace Yard, enAt the end of a LATIN POEM, INTITULED MARIALE graved about the year 1640. Subsequently all the ÎN LAUD. MARIÆ VIRG. AMONG THE LIB. MSS. BIB-gateway was pulled down, except the south wall, LIOTH. REG. MUS. BR. 7 A. VI. 1.

VERSES

Ler is layde and lethyrly lukys.

Justicia is exylde owt of owre bowkys.

Patientia is pluckyt, that mony men hym lothys.
Fides is sybles and goys in torynde clothys.
Caritas is lowkyde & knokytt fulle smawylle.
Verus is noght usyde nothyng at alle.
Humilitas is hyde, he will noght be seyne.
Castitas is pusonde, as mony men wenye.
Veritas is demytt to hange onn the ruyde.
Verecundia was drownytt at the laste fluyde.
So that few freyndys may a mann fynde.
For rectum judicium commys so farre be hynde.
Fraus is fykylle, as a fox, and renys in this lande.
Furor is hys freynde, as I undyrstande :

Deceptio is his chamerlane, haif heire of no dowtte :
Detractio is of his cownselle: (I beschrew that rowtte.)
Falsum judicium is a lordschype of hys:

Violentia berys hys swerde, he may noght mysse:
Invidia is als umpeirè, gwen thai begyn to stryfe.
Syche anothyre falyschype God latt tham never thryfe.

ANCIENT STONE CAPITAL:

FORMERLY AT WESTMINSTER.

which seemed as a separating wall between the wellknown Mitre Tavern, in Union Street, and the Horn Tavern, which stood at the western extremity of the Palace Yard. In June, 1807, when the taverns and other houses in Union Street were demolished, to make way for the "improvements" (so styled) at Westminster, the remaining wall was taken down, and in that wall, distinguished by its size from the other stones, the Capital was found. By sedulously attending the workmen, Mr. Capon preserved the sculpture from any further damage than what it had received when built up in the wall in King Richard the Third's time, and he became himself the possessor of this rare fragment. After keeping it with great care for many years, Mr. Capon eventually sold it for one hundred guineas, to the eccentric Sir Gregory Page Turner, Bart.

We now proceed to a description of this Capital ;the great singularity of which is, that it has an indented legend on the abacus, that, in connexion with the sculpture itself, decidedly refers to the bestowing of some grant, or charter, by King William Rufus, to Gislebertus, Sub-Abbot of Westminster. In all probability, therefore, this stone formed part of some building (belonging to the abbey) erected in the reign of that monarch ;---but the materials of which were afterwards wrought into the gateway of King Richard's time. It is deeply to be regretted, that the prominent figures on one of the sides should have been chopped off by the workmen of that day, in order to make it lie flat on the, then, new work of the sub-structure.

THERE is scarcely in English sculpture a more choice relic of antiquity than the unique CAPITAL which forms the subject of the present article; and the preservation of which is wholly due to the persevering tact of our late lamented friend, Mr. Capon, whose talents as a correct architectural draughtsman were unrivalled. From his drawings, now in the possession This Capital (which is of freestone) is thirteen of Mr. Britton, (to whose kindness we are indebted inches and a half in height, twelve inches square at for their use,) the attached wood-cuts have been exe- the top, (and decreasing conically,) about nine inches cuted, though on a reduced scale. It is almost su- in diameter at the bottom. On three of the sides, perfluous to state, that no representation of this very under a sort of trefoil-headed arch (an approximation singular remain has hitherto been laid before the to the Pointed style), are three figures sculptured in public. bold relief, as represented in the annexed cuts ;---but The following particulars of the discovery of this the fourth and defaced side, (on which only the feet

remain, and the lower parts of the supporting pillars,) | centre, bearing the charter in his left hand, and in his it has not been considered necessary to engrave.

THE utility and value of Wardrobe Accounts, in illustrating the manners and customs of our ancestors, and

In the second Compartment is the Abbot, in the in furnishing historical data, are so generally ac