The Ordination of Knighthood -------------------------------------------------------------------- People : ---------------------------------- Author : William Morris Text : ---------------------------------- THAT the wise speak is goodly gain, For thereby do we win amain Of sense, of good and courtesy: 'Tis good to haunt the company Of him who of his ways hath heed, And hath no keep of folly's deed. For as in Solomon we find, The man that is of wisdom's kind Doth well in every deed there is; And if at whiles he doth amiss In whatso wise, unwittingly, Swift pardon shall he have thereby. Whereas he willeth penitence. BUT now I needs must draw me hence To rhyming, and to tell in word A tale that erewhile I have heard, About a King of Paynemry A great lord of the days gone by; He was full loyal Saracen And of his name hight Saladin. Cruel he was, and did great scathe Full many a time unto our faith, And to our folk did mickle ill Through pride of heart and evil will. So on a time it fell out so That 'gainst him to the fight did go A Prince hight Hugh of Tabary, Therewith was mickle company, The Knights of Galilee, to hand; For lord was he of that same land. That day were great deeds done amain, But naught was our Creator fain, He that the lord of glory hight, That we should vanquish in the fight; For there was taken the Prince Hugh And led along the streets and through, And right before lord Saladin, Who greeted him in his Latin, For well he knew it certainly: "Hugh, of thy taking fain am I By Mahomet," so spake the King; "And here I promise thee one thing, That it behoveth thee to die Or with great ransom thee to buy." Then answered him the lord Sir Hugh, "Since choice thou givest me hereto Unto the ransom do I fall If so be I have wherewithal." "Yea," said the King, "then payest thou An hundred thousand besants now." "Ah Sir, this thing I may not do if all my lands I sell thereto." "Yet dost thou well." "Yea Sire & how?" "Thou art full of hardihood enow And full of mighty Chivalry, Thy lords shall naught gainsay it thee, But with thy ransom deal they should And give to thee a gift full good, And in this wise quit should'st thou be." "Yet one thing would I ask of thee, How may I get me hence away?" Then thereto Saladin did say: "Hugh, unto me shalt thou make oath By that thy faith and by thy troth To come again unto this place Without fail in a two year's space, And then to pay thy ransom clear, Or come back to the prison here. Thus wise from henceforth art thou quit." "Sir," quoth he, have thou thank for it And all my faith I pledge thereto." THEN craveth he a leave-to-go That he may come to his own land. But the King takes him by the hand And leads him to his chamber fair And prayeth him full sweetly there: "Hugh," saith he, "by the faith ye owe Unto the God whose law ye know Now make me wise: for sore I crave The right road straight-away to have, And I have will to learn aright In what wise one is made a Knight." "Fair sir," he said, "this may not be And wherefore I will tell to thee: The holy order of Knighthood In thee will nowise turn to good; For evil law thou holdest now, Nor faith nor Baptism hast thou. Great fool is he that undertakes To clothe and cover o'er a jakes With silken web, and then to think That never more the same shall stink; In nowise one may do the feat, E'en so to me it were unmeet To lay such order upon thee, O'er hardy were such deed to me, For sure blame thereby should I win." "Ha Hugh, quoth he, naught lies herein, This is no evil deed to do, For in my prison dost thou go And needs must do the thing I will Howso to thee it seemeth ill." "Sir, since ye drive me to the thing And naught avails my nay-saying Then riskless I the work shall earn." THEREWITH he fell the King to learn In all wise what behooved to do With face and hair and beard thereto, And did him clothe himself right well As to a new-made Knight befel, And in that bath wash lithe and limb. Then 'gan the Soudan ask of him What these same things might signify, And answered Hugh of Tabarie: "This bath wherein thy body is Forsooth it signifyeth this. For e'en as infants born in sin, Stainless from out the font do win, When they to baptism are brought, E'en so Sir Soudan, now ye ought To come forth free from felony, And be fulfilled of courtesy; In honesty and in good will And kindness should'st thou bathe thee still And grow beloved of all on earth." "Beginneth this fight well of worth, By God the great," spake forth the King. THEN from that fair bath outgoing He laid him in a full fair bed That dearly was appareled. "Tell me without fail, Hugh," he saith, "What this same bed betokeneth." "Sire, betokeneth now the bed That one by Knighthood should be led The bed of Paradise to win Which God gives to his friends therein. For there a bed of rest there is Made for no evil man ywis." So on the bed a while he lay And did on there full fair array, Which was of linen white of hue. Then in his Latin said Sir Hugh: "Sir, deem not that my word is vain, The web that next your skin hath lain All white, would do you this to wit, That Knights should ever look to it To hold them clean, if they will well To come their ways with God to dwell." WITH scarlet gown he clad him then And marveled Saladin again Wherefor the Prince be-dight him so. "Hugh," said he, "now I fain would know What this same gown betokeneth." Then Hugh of Tabarie answereth: "This gown in gift is given withal That ye may know the sum of all, And fail not more your blood to give In serving God the while ye live, And Holy Church to fortify That by no man it fare awry. For all these deeds to Knights are meet If they to God would make them sweet. The scarlet gown betokeneth this." "Hugh," said he, "much my marvel is." SHOES on his feet he then did do Of loose-wrought say all brown of hue, And spake he: "Sir, withouten fail For thy remembrance doth avail This foot-gear that is shapen black, That ne'er shalt thou the memory lack Of death, and earth to lie in low, Whence cam'st thou, whither thou dost go. So ward ye then your eye, withal, Lest into pride at last ye fall, For never o'er a Knight should pride Bear sway, or in his heart abide; Of simpleness should he have heed." "All this is good to hear indeed," Spake then the King, "nor grieveth me." THEN upright on his feet stands he, And girds him with a belt withal That white is and of fashion small. "Lo Sire, this little belt doth mean That thou thy flesh shalt hold all clean, Thy reins and all the body of thee And hold it ever steadfastly; Yea even as in virginhood Thy body to hold clean and good, And lechery to blame and ban. For ever loveth knightly man To hold his body free from stain, Lest he be shamed and honor wane. For unclean things God hateth sore." The King said: "Goodly is thy lore." TWO spurs thereafter did he on His feet, and word therewith he won "Sir, e'en as swift and speedily As ye would wish thine horse should be, And of good will to run aright When ye with spurs his sides do smite, That swiftly he may wend all wise, And here and there as ye devise, These spurs betoken without doubt (Gilt as they be all round about) That ever heart should be in you To serve your God your life days through. For even thus doth every Knight That loveth God in heart aright To serve him with a heart full dear." Fain then was Saladin to hear. THEREWITH he girt to him a sword And Saladin hath asked the word What thing betokeneth the brand. "Sir," said he, "'tis a guard to hand 'Gainst onslaught of the fiend to bear, Even as now thou seest here; The two-edged blade doth learn thee lore How a good Knight should ever more Have blended right and loyalty. Which is to say it seemeth me, To guard the poor folk of the land Against the rich man's heavy hand, And feeble people to uphold 'Gainst shaming of the strong and bold; This then is Mercy's work to win." All this yeasayeth Saladin, Who hearkened well all words he said. THEREAFTER set he on his head A coif which was all shining white And told its tokening all aright. "Now look hereon Sir King," said he, "E'en as this coif, as thou dost see, Is wholly without stain or sear, And fair and white, and clean and clear, And sitteth now upon thine head; So on the day of doom the dread, Free from the great guilt we have wrought, And clear and clean from deeds of naught Which ever hath the body done, We then must render everyone To God that we may win the prize Of all delights of Paradise. Because no tongue may tell the tale, Ear hearken, nor a heart avail To think of Paradise the fair, And what his friends God giveth there." To all this hearkened well the King, And afterwards he asked a thing, If aught he lacked whereof was need. YEA Sir, but dare I not the deed." What is it then? "The stroke," said he. "Why hast thou given it not to me And told me its betokening?" "Sir, 'tis the memory-stirring thing Of him who hath ordained the Knight And duly with his gear him dight. Now I will lay it not on thee, For in thy prison here I be, Nor ugly deed here may I do, Lest men lay wite on me thereto; Nor by me shall the stroke be laid With things so done, be thou apaid. YET will I show thee further-more, And learn and tell thee o'er and o'er Three matters weightiest to tell, Whereof should new Knight wot full well, And hold them all his life-days through, If honor he would come unto. And this is first of all I wot, That with false doom he meddle not Nor in the place of treason bide, But lightly wend him thence and wide; But if the ill he may not turn, Thence forth away must he full yerne. The other matter liketh well. Never may Dame nor Damosel Of him have any evil rede; But if the rede of him they need Aid them should he with all his might, If he would win fair fame aright. For women should of worship be, And deeds for them done mightily. THIS also must thou look unto That rightwise abstinence to do, And this I tell you verily On Fridays must there fasting be, The holy memory to bear How Christ was smitten with the spear Even for our redemption, And gave to Longius pardon. On that same day till life be past, For the Lord's sake, then, should one fast. But if it be for sickness sake, Or fellowship against it make; Or if perchance fast one may not, The peace of God must then be got By almsdeed or some otherwise. THE next and last thing I devise, Mass should one hear each day and all, And offer if one have withal; For right well offering lies ywis That laid upon God's table is: For there it beareth mickle might." SO hath the King heard all aright Of all that Hugh hath told him there, And joy he maketh great and fair. Then stood the King upon his feet Appareled as it was meet: He entered straight his feast-hall fair, And fifty admirals found there, Who were all men of his country; Then on his high-seat down sat he, And Hugh before his feet sat down, But soon had place of more renown, For the King made him sit on high. THEN spake the King: "Know verily Because thou art a valiant man A right fair gift for thee I can; For this I grant thee frank & free; When so thy folk shall taken be In battle pitched, or in the fray For thy love they shall go their way. If this to crave, thou come to hand. But if thou ride amid my land, Without impeace fair shalt thou go And on thy palfrey's neck thereto Shalt lay thine helm before men's eyes, That naught of fray 'gainst thee arise. Moreover of thy taken men Now will I give thee up to ten If thou wilt have them hence with thee." "Sir," said he, "of thy much mercy Much thank and good can I: but yet One thing I would not all forget. Thou leadest me to seek and crave Of good men, if I might them have, To help me to my ransoming: But never shall I find, O King, A valianter than thou ywis; Therefore give me, as right it is, E'en that ye learned me crave of you." King Saladin, he laughed thereto, And spake as one well pleased would say: "Right well hast thou begun the way And fifty thousand besants bright Now will I give to thee outright; By me thou shalt not fail herein." Unto his feet then did he win And to the lord Hugh spake he so: "To every baron shalt thou go And I will wend along with thee." "Sir," said the King, "give him and me Wherewith this mighty lord to buy." To giving fell they presently, The Admirals all round about, Till all the ransom was told out And remnant was, if all were paid, Of thirteen thousand besants weighed; So much they promised him, and gave. Then would lord Hugh the free leave have To get him gone from paynemry. "Thus wise thou partest not from me," Said then the King, "until ye get The remnant that is over yet Of what behight they to be told. For all those besants of mere gold From out my treasure shall we take." Then to his treasurer he spake To give the besants to Sir Hugh, And take them after, as was due, Of them who had the promise made. Then he the besants duly weighed And gave them to the Count Sir Hugh, Who took them, would he, would he no. But he to take them was unfain; Liever were he to buy again His folk who in the prison were In thralldom and right heavy cheer, In hand of barons Sarrazin. But when thereof heard Saladin, Then by his Mawmet strong he swore They should be ransomed never more. And when Hugh heard it, for his part Great wrath he had within his heart, But further durst not pray the King, Since he by Mawmet swore the thing. Nor durst he wroth him more that day. Therewith he bade them to array, Those ten fellows, whom he did crave The road to their own land to have. Yet did he tarry from the road And there for eight days yet abode In feast full great and all delight. Then he the let-pass craved aright To pass therewith the foeman's land. And Saladin gave 'neath his hand Of his own folk great company. A fifty fellows there had he, And they from Paynemrie him lead Without ill pride or evil deed, That never had they fight nor fray. So too they then the backward way, And to their land ride frank and free. Therewith the Prince of Galilee In likewise gat him home again, But for his folk hard was his pain That he behooved to leave behind, Whereof no mending might he find. More grieved is he than all and some. SO to his own land is he come With but those ten and hath no more. Then shareth he the wealth good store That thence awayward he had brought, And unto no man giveth naught, That wealthy wax they, each, and hail. FAIR sirs, well wended is the tale Amid good people of good will; For naught it shall be to the ill, Who no more than the sheep shall hear By God and Paradise the dear! For well may he his jewels tyne Who casteth them before the swine: They shall but tread them under feet, And deem them neither good nor sweet. For nothing of it should they wot But ever understand it not, And whoso such a tale should tell, Down trod he should be e'en as well, And held of naught by their un-wit. BUT he who willeth learn of it, Two things in this same tale shall find well worthy worship in his mind. And this the first, to wot aright In what wise one is made a Knight Such as the whole world worship shall Whereas he wardeth one and all. For if there were not fair Knighthood Then Lordship were but little good: For Holy Church it wardeth still, And from ill doer's evil will In right and justice keepeth all; So this I praise what e'er befall. Who loves it not is such as they Who would the mass-cup steal away That doth upon God's altar stand. Lo, how their rightwiseness hath care For all men good defense to bear, For drove they not ill men away, Good men might duer not ever a day. Then all were Sarracens in sooth, And Albigeois and men uncouth, Folk of the law of devilry, Who should us make our faith deny: But these the Knighthood have in fear. Therefore those should we hold full dear In honor and in worship meet, And ever rise upon our feet Against their coming from afar. Certes well worth the shame they are Who hold such men in grudge and hate. For now forsooth I tell you straight, That power full due still hath the Knight To have his weapons all aright, And them in holy church to bear When he hath will the mass to hear: That missay may no evil one The worship of the Mary-Son; Or the all-hallowed sacrament, From whence is our salvation sent. And if missayeth any wight, There may he slay the same outright. SOME deal more needeth yet to say: Do ye the right, come what come may. The Knight is bidden hold this same. If he would win the word of fame This word he well must understand. Boldly I tell you out of hand If he after his Order doth None hinder may, or lief or loathe, But he wend straight to Paradise. SO have I learned you this devise To do the thing ye should of right In worship ever of a Knight Over all men; saving the priest Who doth the sacrament and feast Of God's own body / Thus I tell True tale that ye may know it well Of what betided to Prince Hugh, A valiant man and wise thereto. Of Saladin great praise had he Whereas he found his valiancy: Also he made him honored fair Whereas he wrought with pain and care After his might good works to win. For good gain lieth still therein, And in the Latin read I thisG Of good deed ever good end is. So for our ending let us pray To him who endeth never a day, That coming to the end of all We to good ending may befall, And win unending joyance then Which hath no end for righteous men. And pray for him who wrote as well With Jesus Christ for aye to dwell And in the love of Mary May. Now each and all, amen we say. THE end of the Ordination of Chivalry. The "Ordination of Knighthood", being a translation by William Morris of the anonymous 14th C. text "L'Ordene de Chevalerie"was printed by Morris at the Kelmscott Press, Hammersmith, Middlesex, England, as part of the book, The Order of Chivalry, finished on 24 February 1893. From : Marxists.org Events : ---------------------------------- The Ordination of Knighthood -- Added : February 28, 2021 The Ordination of Knighthood -- Updated : January 08, 2022 About This Textfile : ---------------------------------- Text file generated from : http://revoltlib.com/