Item, Men countrefait in thair persone, na oure grete growin men, na men oure fat, or that has euill disposicione, or euill sekenes in thair body; ffor it war lak to the makare to mak men Knychtis that war nocht hable till armes, and to do vailliaunce in tyme of weris; ffor the nobilnesse of the Ordre is sa worschipfull, that it sufferis na man that has mahaigne, na demembrit, na othir wayis manket in corssage, visage, na membris—be he neuer sa riche—to be admyttit to the said maist noble Ordre, the quhilk excludis vttraly all ignobilitee and vilitee.
Item, The inquisitoure examynour suld mak inquest at the Squyar gif euer he did ony grete excessiue syn, as tresoune, or scisme, sorcery, or wichecraft, or grete murderis, or syk lyke thingis; the quhilk, suppose he prise thame lytill, may lett him to ressaue the noble Ordre, in company to be falowe to the worthy Cheualrye: na ȝit na vane glorius Squyare suld be na Knycht, ffor vane glore tynis the meritis of all gude vertues. Na he suld nocht be a gabusoure, na a flaitour Squyare, that suld enter in the said Ordre; na ȝit hautane, na fiere in pride, na orguillouse Squyere suld nocht enter in Knychthede; and namely outrageus in word, and sclanderouse bakbytare, suld nocht enter in the Ordre; na commone leare, na commone viciouse hurdomare hasartour, commoune tauernouris full of sleuthe, barganouris, commouns glotouns, kid and knawin for syk, dronkynsum, manesuorne, and all outrageus commoun vicius men, ar nocht to be ressauit to the Ordre of Knychthede, bot suld be repellit be the examynouris of the Ordre: And thus sald nane be ressauit to the Ordre bot nobles of parage, vertuouse, honest, and of worthy curage; and in all this suld Squyer be inquerit, or he be Knycht.
QUINTUM CAPITULUM.
HERE DECLARIS THE DOCTOUR IN QUHAT FASSONE AND MANER SULD A SQUYER THAT WALD BE KNYCHT, RESSAUE THE ORDRE OF KNYCHTHEDE.
nd as to that, the Squyer quhen he is examynyt and admyttit, he suld schriue him clene of all synnys and defautis that he may think on, that euer he maid aganis God, and his Magestee; and tak his Sacrament, sayand "In the name of thee, and in entencione to serue thee, and honour thee, My Souerane Lord God, and thy dere moder Mary, and all thy haly Sanctis of Paradise, I tak this day this worthy Ordre." And this suld be done be prince or lord in a grete feste, as Zule, Pasche, or Witsonday, or All Halowmesse, ffor the mare honourable assemble is maid thay dayes na in otheris: And than suld the Squyere fast the Fest evin, and wake all that nycht in prayeris of grace asking, and otheris als suld pray for him, to geve him grace, worthily to ressaue and kepe, and worthily gouerne the said Ordre, at the plesaunce of God, and the haly Court of Hevin: And on the day before, he suld pas to the Kirk, in his best array as efferis and custum of the countree is, thair to be in prayeris, and to here a preching, or a proposicione langand the said mater; na he suld nouthir here na speke viciouse speche, na trompouris, na janglouris, for that is lak to the Ordre: And on the morne eftir, quhen he is arayed in habyte of Knychtis wede, thare mon be grathit a solempne Messe with note, and in the tyme of the Offeratore, he sal cum before the altare and offer: And syne sall he mak ane athe to the Ordre till honoure it eftir his powere, in the honour of Almychtj God, Prince of all Chevalrye; and thare in present place, suld thare be maid a faire sermone, declarand the poyntis of the Christyn faith, acordand thame togeder with the poyntis of the Ordre of Knychthede. To the quhilkis poyntis of acordans the Squyre suld take gude tent, and knaw thame all, and hald thame prentit in his hert percure, with all the Vij. sacramentis, the X. Commandmentis, the Xij. articles of the treuth, and to kepe him fra the Vij. dedely [synnis]. To all the quhilkis poyntis of the faith, to kepe and honoure and fulfill at his powere, incontynent that he haue tane the said Ordre at the honoure and reuerence of God, and thareto suld mak his speciale prayeris for all, the tyme of the Messe: And fra thyne furth for all his lyf dais. And quhen the preching is done, than sall cum furth the Prince or Lord that suld mak him Knycht; the quhilk aw of dett to be Knycht or he mak ony Knychtis: rycht as nane may mak Preste bot he be Preste, sa may nane mak Knycht bot first he be maid Knycht, saiffand the Pape: ffor how may he geve that he has nocht? ffor herbes and bestis may geve thair nature ilkane till othir, to mak thair nature perpetuall; bot sa may nocht Knychtis be maid, bot first the makare be possessit of his gift, and of his Ordre: ffor gif ony lord wald geve the Ordre and nocht haue it, or vnworthily geve it othir wayis na the Ordre requeiris, he dois grete dishonour to the Ordre. And thai that takis the said Ordre of thame that has na powere vnworthily, thai haue na grace in the Ordre to do wele, na prouffit to thame na otheris; and thus is the Squyere begylit, and dissauit of his Ordre, and all Cheualrye sclanderit. And than suld the Squier hald vp his handis to the hevyn, and his eyne to the hicht, and his hert to God, syttand on his kneis, and thare suld the Prince haue the Suerd redy of Honour, gylt with gold, and belt it about his sydis, in takenyng of Chastitee, Justice, and Cheritee, and thare the Knycht suld outhir geve him a strake with his hand, or with a drawin suerd, in the nek, to think on the poyntis and defend his dewiteis. And syne suld he outhir kys him in the mouth, or ellis kys the croce of the suerd, and geve it him, and ger him kis it agayne, and sa put it in the scalbourd, and bid him think on his athe, ande charge that he has vndertane, and the honour that he suld manetene. And efter that all the seruice of God be done, the new maid Knycht suld ryde on ane coursere out throw the citee, or toune, and schaw him to the peple, sa that thai may knaw him for a Knycht, defendour of Haly Kirk and commone prouffit, and halder of lawe and justice, and mayntenour of the peple, that quhasa has ado thai suld draw till him for help; and that he suld haue mare raddour and drede to do mys, or oucht that suld be agayne the lawe euer mare in tyme to cum, and to saif the honour and the worschip of his noble Ordre; ffor raddour, drede, and schamefulnes is hye grace till all persouns that has honour to kepe. And in that day suld thare be grete festyng, justyng, and tournaymentis, with other actis, as lissis and behurdis, geue grete giftis, and mak grete solempnitee in the honoure of God and the grete feste, and that Herauldis and Kingis of Armes and Menstralis war rewardit. And than suld the Prince rewarde the new Knycht with landis, lordschippis, or othir worthy giftis and gouernementis, till eke his estate and help to manetene the honoure of the Ordre. And thus suld giftis be gevin bathe till him, and be him till otheris; ffor the Ordre requeris giftis to be gevin in daly placis; for honoure and worschip of lordis of estate may nocht be kepit, bot quhare giftis ar gevin, and noble actis of honour excersit: ffor quhare honoure is nocht kepit, ordere gais bakwart.
SEXTUM CAPITULUM.
HERE SPEKIS THE DOCTOURE OF THE SIGNIFICATIOUNE OF THE ARMES OF THE ORDER OF KNYCHTHEDE.