KNIGHT'S COSTUME OF THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY.
The engraving represents a knight's costume of the year 1272, taken from the library of MSS. at Paris. It is that of a Count Hohenschwangen, of the family of Welf, and depicts the wearer in a long sleeveless, dark blue surcoat, with his armorial device; a white swan on a red field with a light red border. Under his coat he wears a cap-a-pié suit of mail. The helmet is original, very like the Greek, with the furred mantle as we see it in the seal of Richard King of England, of the date of 1498. This helmet does not appear to be a tilting helmet, which usually rests upon the shoulders; but this kind of helmet would be fastened, like the vizor with the mailed hood, by an iron throat-brace, and a leather thong. Upon the covered helmet he wears the swan as a crest. The sword-hilt is of gold, the sheath black, the girdle white, the furred mantle is red, lined with white.
Chivalry began in Europe about A. D. 912. From the twelfth to the fifteenth century it had considerable influence in refining the manners of most of the nations of Europe. The knight swore to accomplish the duties of his profession as the champion of God and the ladies. He devoted himself to speak the truth, to maintain the right, to protect the distressed, to practise courtesy, to fulfil obligations, and to vindicate in every perilous adventure his honour and character. Chivalry, which owed its origin to the feudal system, expired with it. The origin of the title of knight, as a military honour, is said to be derived from the siege of Troy, but this solely depends on a passage or two in Homer, and the point is disputed by several learned commentators.
CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE.
Button, in his Life, tells us of one of his ancestors, a trooper, who, seeing a young girl at the river-side, lading water into her pail, cast a large stone with design to splash her; but not being versed in directing a stone so well as a bullet, he missed the water, and broke her head; he ran off. Twelve years afterwards, he settled at Derby, courted a young woman, and married her. In the course of their conversations he proved to be the very man who had cast the stone, and she the girl with the broken head.
FUNEREAL JAR.
The term "funereal" has been erroneously applied to all pottery found in tombs, even where the utensils have no relation to funereal purposes, but were probably in common use. There have been found, however, in Corsica vessels of earthenware, which may strictly be called "funereal."