To a knight appertaineth that he be lover of common weal; for by the commonalty of the people was the chivalry founden and established. And the common weal is greater and more necessary than proper good and special.

To a knight appertaineth to speak nobly and courteously; and to have fair harness, and to be well elad, and to hold a good household, and an honest house for all these things ben to honour chivalry necessary. Courtesy and chivalry accorden toge ther for vilainous and foul words ben against the order of chivalry. Privalty and acquaintance of good folk, loyalty and truth, hardiness, largess, hơnesty, humility, pity, and the other things semblable to these, appertain to chivalry.

At the end is an epilogue of Caxton, who, after explaining the origin of the translation, breaks forth into an enthusiastic commendation of chivalry. It is worth transcribing :

Here endeth the book of "The Order of Chivalry," which book is translated out of French into English, at a request of a gentle and noble esquire, by me, William Caxton, dwelling in Westminster, beside

London, in the most best wise that God hath suffered me, and according to the copy, that the said squire delivered to me. Which book is not requisite to every common man to have; but to noble gentlemen, that by their virtue intend to come and enter into the noble order of chivalry, the which, in these late days, hath been used according to this book heretofore written, but forgotten; and by the exercises of chivalry, not used, honoured, ne exercised, as it hath been in ancient time, at which time, the noble acts of the knights of England, that used chivalry, were renowned thro' the universal world. As for to speak tofore the incarnation of Jesus Christ, where were there ever any like to Brennius and Belinus, that from the Great Britain, now called England, unto Rome, and far beyond, conquered many royammes1 and lands, whose noble acts remain in the old histories of the Romans. And syth the incarnation of our Lord, behold that noble king of Britain, king Arthur, with all the noble knights of the Round Table, whose noble acts and noble chivalry of his knights occupy so many large volumes, that is a world, or as thing incredible to believe. O ye knights of England! where is the custom and usage of noble chivalry, that was used in tho days? What do you now but go to the baynes and play at dice? And some not well advised, use not honest

1 kingdoms.

2 baths, or bagnios.

1

and good rule, ageyn all order of knighthood. Leave this, leave it, and read the noble volumes of St. Grael, of Lancelot, of Galaad, of Tristram, of Perseforest, of Percyval, of Gawain, and many mo*. There shall ye see manhood, courtesy, and gentleness. And look in latter days of the noble acts syth the conquest, as in king Richard's days, Cœur de Lion; Edward I. and III. and his noble sons; sir Robert Knolles, sir John Hawkewoode, sir John Chaundos, and sir Gaultier Manny. Read Froissart. And also behold that victorious and noble king Harry V. and the captains under him; his noble brethren ; the earl of Salisbury, Montague, and many other, whose names shine gloriously by their virtuous nobleness and acts that they did in honour of the order of chivalry. Alas! what do ye but sleep and take ease, and are all disordered from chivalry. How many knights ben there now in England, that have the use and the exercise of a knight? That is to wit, that he knoweth his horse, and his horse him? That is to say, he being ready at a point, to have all thing that longeth to a knight; an horse that is according and broken after his hand; his armours and harness meet and fitting, and so forth? I suppose, an a due search should be made, there should be many found that lack. The more the pity is. I would it pleased our sovereign lord, that twice, or thrice

in a year, or at least once, he would do cry Justes of Fees, to the end that every knight should have horse and harness, and also the use and craft of a knight, and also to tourney one against one, or two against two, and the best to have a price, a diamond or jewel, such as should please the prince. This should cause gentlemen to resort to the ancient customs of chivalry, to great fame and renown; and also to be alway ready to serve their prince, when he shall call them or have need. Then let every man that is come of noble blood, and intendeth to come to the noble order of chivalry, read this little book, and do thereafter, in keeping the lore and commandments therein comprised; and then, I doubt not, he shall attain to the order of chivalry, et cetera.

This book Caxton presents to his dread sovereign lord king Richard, king of England and France, that he may command the same to be read to the lords, knights, and gentlemen within this realm, that (as he says) the said noble order of chivalry may be hereafter better practised and honoured than it had been of late times,

MORTE ARTHUR.

THE title of this book at full length is-" The Birth, Life, and Acts of King Arthur; of his noble Knights of the Round Table; their marvellous Enquests and Adventures; the achieving. of the Sangreal; and in the end, La Mort d'Arthur; with the dolorous death and departing out of this world of them all: which book was reduced to the English by sir Thomas Malory, knight; and by me, William Caxton, divided into twenty-one books; chaptered and emprinted and finished in the abbey of Westminster, the last day of July, the year of our Lord 1485," being about a month before the battle of Bosworth, in which Richard III. was slain.

If we are to credit Leland, and others after him, sir Thomas Malory was a Welchman; and from the legendary cast of some of the stories, he was probably a priest. The history of king Arthur, who died in 542, occupies the