the several combinations of feudal tenants were so many feparate armies under their head or chief: and their caftles were fo many fortreffes, as well as palaces, of these puny princes.

IN this ftate of things one fees, that all imaginable encouragement was to be given to the use of arms, under every different form of attack and defence, according as the fafety of these different communities, or the ambition of their leaders, might require. And this condition of the times, I fuppofe, gave rife to that military inftitution, which we know by the name of CHIVALRY.

FURTHER, there being little or no fecurity to be had amidst fo many reftlefs fpirits and the clafhing views of a neighbouring numerous and independent nobility, the military difcipline of their followers, even in the intervals of peace, was not to be relaxed, and their

ardour

ardour fuffered to grow cool, by a total difufe of martial exercifes. And hence the proper origin of Justs and TURNAMENTS; thofe images of war, which were kept up in the castles of the barons, and, by an ufeful policy, converted into the amusement of the knights, when their arms were employed on no ferious occafion.

I CALL this the proper origin of Jufts and Turnaments; for the date of them is carried no higher, as far as I can find, even in France (where unquestionably they made their first appearance) than the year 1066; which was not till after the introduction of the feudal government into that country. Soon after, indeed, we find them in England and in Germany; but not till the feudal policy had spread itself in those parts, and had prepared the way for them.

You

You fee, then, my notion is, that Chivalry was no abfurd and freakish inftitution, but the natural and even sober effect of the feudal policy; whose turbulent genius breathed nothing but war, and was fierce and military even in its amusements,

I LEAVE YOU to revolve this idea in your own mind. You will find, I believe, a reasonable foundation for it in the hiftory of the feudal times, and in the fpirit of the feudal government.

LETTER III.

F the conjecture, I advanced, of the rife of Chivalry, from the circumftances of the feudal government, be thought reasonable, it will not be dif ficult to account for the feveral CHARACTERISTICS of this fingular profeffion.

I." THE

I. I." THE paffion for arms; the spirit "of enterprize; the honour of knighthood; the rewards of valour; the fplendour of equipages;" in short, every thing that raifes our ideas of the prowess, gallantry, and magnificence of these fons of MARS, is naturally and eafily explained on this fuppofition.

AMBITION, intereft, glory, all concurred, under fuch circumftances, to produce thefe effects. The feudal principles could terminate in nothing else. And when, by the neceffary operation of that policy, this turn was given to the thoughts and paffions of men, use and fashion would do the rest and carry them to all the exceffes of military fanaticism, which are painted fo strongly, but fcarcely exaggerated, in the old Ro

mances.

II. "THEIR

II. "THEIR romantic ideas of justice; "their paffion for adventures; their eagerness to run to the fuccour of the "diftreffed; and the pride they took in "redreffing wrongs, and removing grie"vances;" all these distinguishing characters of genuine Chivalry are

plained on the fame principle. For, the feudal state being a state of war, or rather of almost perpetual violence, rapine, and plunder, it was unavoidable that, in their constant skirmishes, stratagems, and furprizes, numbers of the tenants or followers of one Baron fhould be seized upon and carried away by the followers of another: and the interest, each had to protect his own, would of courfe introduce the point of honour, in attempting by all means to retaliate on the enemy, and especially to rescue the captive fufferers out of the hands of their oppreffors.

IT