Thus Wealth was so much regarded among the Chaledonians, that those who were rich, bore the Name of Knights. It was Estate that entitled a Man to this Honour among the Romans; for the Censor might compel any Citizen equal to the Equestrian Cense, whom he thought fit to take that Order: And this consisted of 400000 Sesterces, i. e. 3025 l. of our Money.
And as in Old Rome, so here in England, not long after the Conquest, they who held a Knights Fee, viz. 680 Acres of Land might claim it, says Camden. But it appears from Selden, that no certain Number, or Extent of Acres, made a Knight’s Fee; and Temp. Hen. 3. and Edw. 1. and 1 Edw. 2. the Census militis was measured by 20 l. by the Year, or more; and by the Royal Prerogative, some who held 15, then 20, at other times 30, then 40, and sometimes 50 l. Lands, were required to accept this Honour by Writs directed to the Sheriffs of the Counties, and were excused only by Reason of old Age, irrecoverable Weakness, Loss of Limbs, or being in Holy Orders; and upon all other Causes (if exempted) they paid a Fine, estimated according to the Nature of the Excuse, or length of Time given.
But in the promiscuous Course of Knighthood, where the Men of Wealth and Estate (whether otherwise worthy or not) became dignify’d; yet the Gate of Honour was not then shut against those, who wanting Riches, deserved well of their Country; for when Princes conferr’d such Dignities upon Men of narrow Fortunes, they usually bestowed with them annual Pensions, or Lands, agreeable to the Judgment of the Author of the Division du monde, who saith that the Honour of Knighthood is not to be given any Person who hath not a considerable Estate, unless sufficient Means to support the Honour of the Order be also given with it.
These Pensions are frequently mention’d in our Rolls, sometimes during Pleasure, and sometimes during the Life of the Knight, or till better Provision should be made for their Supports: Examples whereof are, Sir John Atte Lee, Sir Nele Loring, Sir John Walsh, Knights. The like Rewards our Kings gave to such whose Merit raised them to the Degree of a Baneret, express’d in their Patents, ad manutenendum statum Baneretti, Pro sustentatione sua, ut ipse statum Baneretti melius manutenere possit, Pro statu suo manutenendo; or Words to the like Effect: Examples where of are, Sir Reginald Cobham, Sir Thomas de Rokeley, Sir John Lysle, and Sir Roger de Swynerton, Banerets.
It may be next consider’d who can make Knights; wherein it is apparent, that they who never were, and others who never could be Knights, have conferr’d this Dignity; yet ’tis to be understood, that Necessity and Custom hath in this Case the Force of a Law: For anciently, Bishops and Priests made Knights; so also do the Popes, and some Commonwealths; likewise our Queens. For the Sovereign, or the Heir apparent, tho’ they be no Knights, may nevertheless do it, by reason they possess the Kingdom; and are therefore the Head and Chief of Chevalry, and consequent all the Power thereof is contained in their Command. To conclude this Point, Knighthood was always received from the Hands of another Person, either by Ceremony, or Diploma, except only the Kings of Spain, who Time out of Mind made themselves Knights; and this by Vertue of an old Law written in the Arragonian Tongue, as Ambrosias Morales reports. And, to shew that no Man upon Earth hath any Power over him, he shall gird himself with the Sword made after the Form of a Cross; and that Day can no other Man be Knighted.
§. 9. Of the Ceremonies and Formalities used at the Conferring of Knighthood, the most ancient was perform’d by putting the Belt loose over the Shoulder, or girding it close about the Waste. The Bend in Armoury represents the one, and the Fess the other. The first Christian Kings at giving this Belt kissed the new Knight on the Left Cheek, saying, In the Honour of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, I make you a Knight. It was called Osculum pacis, the Kiss of Favour, or Brotherhood, and is presumed to be the Accollade, or Ceremony of Imbracing, which Charles the Great used when he Knighted his Son Lewis the Debonair. It was in the Time of the same Emperor, the Way of Knighting by the Colaphum, or Blow on the Ear, used in Sign of sustaining future Hardships, which is thought to have been deriv’d from the Manner of Manumission of a Slave among the Romans; a Custom long after retained in Germany and France. Thus William Earl of Holland, who was to be Knighted before he could be Emperor, at his being elected King of the Romans, received Knighthood by the Box of the Ear, &c. from John King of Bohemia, A. D. 1247.
In the Time of the Saxons here in England, Knights received their Institutions at the Hands of Great Prelates or Abbots; which, according to their Opinion, render’d them more auspicious. In the accomplishing of which Solemnity, they added many religious Ceremonies, as Watching, Fasting, Bathing, and Consecrating the Sword; an Instance of which we have in Heward Lord of Brune, in Lincolnshire, who received this Honour from Brand, Abbot of St. Edmundsbury. But not long after the Conquest, this Custom was restrained by a Synod at Westminster, A. D. 1102. 3 H. 1. which among other Things ordained Ne Abbates [i. e. all Spiritual Persons] faciunt milites. However the religious Ceremonies for the most part continued, especially Vigils and Bathings, as appears by that grand Solemnity at the Creation of 267 Knights, Sons of Earls, Barons, and Knights, upon Whitsontide, anno 34 Edw. 1. cited by Selden and Camden. And these Formalities the Saxons and Normans, not only here in England, but the French, Spaniards, and other Nations, observ’d, concluding from it, that decency of Habit was as well expected from them, as Integrity of Life, and purity of Manners. And the like religious Ceremony was heretofore observ’d in Spain at the Creation of Knights, whether Cavelleros de Espuela d’Orada, or Amados [our Knights Batchelors,] In this Form, the Person to be Knighted was bathed in the Evening, and presently laid in Bed; then cloathed in rich Robes, and led to the Church to perform his Vigils: That being over, and Mass heard, his Spurs were put on, and his Sword girt about him, then drawn out, and put into his Right Hand; whereupon the Oath was forthwith administred to him; which taken, he that bestowed the Dignity gave him una Pesconade, a Blow, or Stroke on the Neck, saying, God assist you in the Performance of your Promise.
The Oath or Vow the Knights professed, was in general, to relieve and protect Widows, the Fatherless, Oppressed and Miserable, and to defend the Church of God; which to keep and perform was esteem’d as meritorious, as to do all that a Monk, Frier, or Canon Regular should.
There is also mention (by Mr. Selden) of consecrating the Sword, offering it at the Altar, and receiving it again from thence, as an implicit Kind of taking an Oath. But as in Peace and great Leisure these tedious Ceremonies were used, yet it was otherwise in Times of War, or on a Day of Battle, where Hurry and Throng of Affairs would not permit; and therefore, as well before the joining of Battle, as after Victory obtained, it was usual for the Prince or General in the Field, on Sight of the Army, to give those whom he thought fit to advance to that Honour (they humbly kneeling before him) a Stroke with a naked Sword flatwise upon their Shoulders, or else to touch their Heads or Shoulders lightly, without any other Ceremony, except pronouncing Sis Eques in nomine Dei; to which he adds, Rise, Sir —— Knight, or in the French, Sus, or Sois, Chevalier, au nom de Dieu, which we commonly call Dubbing, the old English Word used for Creating [Consecrating] a Knight, from doopen to dip, by Bathing.
Another Manner of creating Knights Abroad was, by Royal Codicils, or Letters Patents (these the Spaniards call Privilegios de Cavelleria) whereupon such Knights are intitled Equites Codicellares; and these were sent to such as dwelt in remote Countries, and sometimes, but rarely, extended so as to make the Degree hereditary. There is one Example, that by the bare signification of Letter, without any Ceremonies or Patents under Seal; Philip IV. of Spain, Jan. 15. 1633. conferr’d upon all the Captains that behav’d themselves valiantly in Defence of Mastricht (then lately besieg’d by the Hollanders) to those that were Gentlemen, the Title of Knights; and to others, that of Gentlemen.