 | Lines in Pleasant Places |  |
58
MODERN CHIVALRY.
The days of chivalry have not departed—
The glory of the olden time remains:
Speaking through Manhood, strong and noble-hearted,
Endowed with muscle, energy, and brains.
The glory of the olden time remains:
Speaking through Manhood, strong and noble-hearted,
Endowed with muscle, energy, and brains.
No whit decrying ancient knightly glory,
We urge a claim commanding for our own,
That writes on current fields more grand a story
Than aught achieved in ages that have flown.
We urge a claim commanding for our own,
That writes on current fields more grand a story
Than aught achieved in ages that have flown.
What sense was it to hack, and cut, and harry,
And live in constant peril of the life,
Through tribulation dire to court and marry,
And in an iron suit espouse a wife?
And live in constant peril of the life,
Through tribulation dire to court and marry,
And in an iron suit espouse a wife?
What merit was it to carve up a Paynim,
And hang his head upon the saddle-bow?
Or catch a Jew, and of his ducats drain him,
Then slit his nose and let the Hebrew go?
And hang his head upon the saddle-bow?
Or catch a Jew, and of his ducats drain him,
Then slit his nose and let the Hebrew go?
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What merit was it to go galivanting,
—With lance in rest, and armed all cap-a-pie,—
The fearful folk with fierce assumption daunting,
And stealing everything that they could see?
—With lance in rest, and armed all cap-a-pie,—
The fearful folk with fierce assumption daunting,
And stealing everything that they could see?
What was the sense of their continual straying,
By paths with constant violence bestrewed,
Running the risk, while seeking heathen-slaying,
Of getting, maybe, full as often slewed?
By paths with constant violence bestrewed,
Running the risk, while seeking heathen-slaying,
Of getting, maybe, full as often slewed?
'Twas chivalric to deprecate all labor,
—The land divided into feudal farms,—
With each man's hand upraised against his neighbor,
And even infants always up in arms.
—The land divided into feudal farms,—
With each man's hand upraised against his neighbor,
And even infants always up in arms.
The social qualities were ne'er paraded:
My lady sat, shut in a cage-like tower,
Within a deep seclusion, uninvaded,
No friend with scandal to beguile the hour.
My lady sat, shut in a cage-like tower,
Within a deep seclusion, uninvaded,
No friend with scandal to beguile the hour.
Unless some troubadour, his strains outpouring,
Came to her bower with euphonistic rhyme,
Or some young knight, his queen of love imploring,
The lady passed a very sorry time.
Came to her bower with euphonistic rhyme,
Or some young knight, his queen of love imploring,
The lady passed a very sorry time.
Arrayed in richest silks, with many a jewel,
With maidens plenty to do her behest,
Her fate was like her working worsteds, crewel,
Her days, the semblance of a past unblest.
With maidens plenty to do her behest,
Her fate was like her working worsteds, crewel,
Her days, the semblance of a past unblest.
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No concerts, theatres, operas, or dances,
To female life gave buoyancy and zest;
The girls made banners for their heroes' lances,
Or handkerchiefs to wear upon their crest.
To female life gave buoyancy and zest;
The girls made banners for their heroes' lances,
Or handkerchiefs to wear upon their crest.
The tournament was then the great occasion,
Where Queens of Beauty gave the meed of fame;
When cracking heads and murderous abrasion
Were but incentives to love's tender flame.
Where Queens of Beauty gave the meed of fame;
When cracking heads and murderous abrasion
Were but incentives to love's tender flame.
And bright eyes flashed at the exploits of valor,
As horse and rider floundered on the ground,
Nor bore their part with aught of fear or pallor,
Where blows, for fun, promiscuous blew around.
As horse and rider floundered on the ground,
Nor bore their part with aught of fear or pallor,
Where blows, for fun, promiscuous blew around.
Were it in earnest, they, perhaps, might shrink it,
But simply cutting off a head or two,
Or carving folks with swords, they didn't think it
A thing about which to make much ado.
But simply cutting off a head or two,
Or carving folks with swords, they didn't think it
A thing about which to make much ado.
Then every knight, who held a sphere respected,
Kept in his train a jester, full of jokes,
Whose gibes, to criticism ne'er subjected,
Made lots of laughter 'mong the gentlefolks.
Kept in his train a jester, full of jokes,
Whose gibes, to criticism ne'er subjected,
Made lots of laughter 'mong the gentlefolks.
Then was a time when oxen whole were roasted,
And saltless, pepperless, in junks devoured;
And when the knightly gentlemen were toasted,
In quarts of wine the deep libation poured.
And saltless, pepperless, in junks devoured;
And when the knightly gentlemen were toasted,
In quarts of wine the deep libation poured.
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Then knightly heads did all the needed thinking;
The people in benightedness were hid:
Fighting and robbing, sleeping, eating, drinking,
Comprised the active business that they did.
The people in benightedness were hid:
Fighting and robbing, sleeping, eating, drinking,
Comprised the active business that they did.
The people were not much in scale of being;
Once born, the whole in life they had in view
Was but to see just as their lords were seeing,
And do just what their lords would have them do.
Once born, the whole in life they had in view
Was but to see just as their lords were seeing,
And do just what their lords would have them do.
They had no souls then reckoned worth the saving,
No souls their own at any point of time;
No higher fortune e'er thought they of craving,
Nor for the future cared a single dime.
No souls their own at any point of time;
No higher fortune e'er thought they of craving,
Nor for the future cared a single dime.
But noble men were there the age redeeming,
Who gave to Chivalry its grandest fame,
Whose names, from out that past in lustre beaming,
Our warmest meed of admiration claim.
Who gave to Chivalry its grandest fame,
Whose names, from out that past in lustre beaming,
Our warmest meed of admiration claim.
These rise before us for our emulation—
In principle and duty ever bright;
And may our course, in honest imitation,
Secure their epitaph at last—GOOD KNIGHT.
In principle and duty ever bright;
And may our course, in honest imitation,
Secure their epitaph at last—GOOD KNIGHT.
We need no armor for our head's protection
Beyond the good sword hanging at our side,
One “jab” of which, if given in right direction,
Settles the hash for him on whom 'tis tried.
Beyond the good sword hanging at our side,
One “jab” of which, if given in right direction,
Settles the hash for him on whom 'tis tried.
62
A Paynim vile, who dares provoke our anger,
Never again the outrage will renew;
For, with the offence, out comes the trenchant hanger,
And in a moment we have run him through!
Never again the outrage will renew;
For, with the offence, out comes the trenchant hanger,
And in a moment we have run him through!
If any heathen round are disappearing,
Their friends need make no worrying or fuss;
They've doubtless gone the way the bad are steering.
And let the mourners send the bill to us.
Their friends need make no worrying or fuss;
They've doubtless gone the way the bad are steering.
And let the mourners send the bill to us.
But there be Paynims whom the sword can't settle,
Met with in streets and lanes, than heathens worse,
Who more than try the heart's determined metal,
And draw upon the sympathies and purse.
Met with in streets and lanes, than heathens worse,
Who more than try the heart's determined metal,
And draw upon the sympathies and purse.
Here gaunt-eyed Want, its famished form uprearing,
Makes, in sad moans, its eloquent appeals;
Here Sin and Wrong, in varied guise appearing,
The way contest, with Misery at their heels.
Makes, in sad moans, its eloquent appeals;
Here Sin and Wrong, in varied guise appearing,
The way contest, with Misery at their heels.
Here Virtue shrieks for aid against Oppression;
Here Honor constant vindication claims;
Here Shoddy flaunts o'er Worth, in strong possession;
Here brazen Impudence scarce hides its aims.
Here Honor constant vindication claims;
Here Shoddy flaunts o'er Worth, in strong possession;
Here brazen Impudence scarce hides its aims.
Here Lust and Pride, a constant warfare waging,
Summon to guard each intervening gate;
While Fraud and Theft, in subtle fight engaging,
Like Israel Samson's foemen, lie in wait.
Summon to guard each intervening gate;
While Fraud and Theft, in subtle fight engaging,
Like Israel Samson's foemen, lie in wait.
63
All call for vigilance and knightly duty,
To keep true Manhood's 'scutheon ever bright;
And here our lists, and here our Queens of Beauty
Award our meed in smiles this festal night.
To keep true Manhood's 'scutheon ever bright;
And here our lists, and here our Queens of Beauty
Award our meed in smiles this festal night.
We make no raids on neighbors who offend us,
Or wrathful vials on their sconces empt;
We take the weapons prudent counsels lend us,
And kill them off by kindness or—contempt.
Or wrathful vials on their sconces empt;
We take the weapons prudent counsels lend us,
And kill them off by kindness or—contempt.
We sport no steeds like those which bore to battle
The fierce Paladins in chivalric days;
We patronize a different sort of cattle,
That draw our horse-cars through our public ways.
The fierce Paladins in chivalric days;
We patronize a different sort of cattle,
That draw our horse-cars through our public ways.
But though we own no chargers, that inherit
The fire that coursed through ancient equine veins,
We think we've chargers that show equal merit,
Where groceries and things affect our gains.
The fire that coursed through ancient equine veins,
We think we've chargers that show equal merit,
Where groceries and things affect our gains.
We quaff no flagons like our predecessors—
As such big measures are not often round;
We roast no oxen whole, as their possessors
Claim for a sirloin forty cents per pound.
As such big measures are not often round;
We roast no oxen whole, as their possessors
Claim for a sirloin forty cents per pound.
It doesn't take so much to make us merry
As it did those in that rum age sublime;
We sip our glass of lager, or of sherry,
Or neither do, and have as good a time.
As it did those in that rum age sublime;
We sip our glass of lager, or of sherry,
Or neither do, and have as good a time.
64
Our Dames of Chivalry have no restriction;
A sad temerity were his who'd dare
To strive to hold the reins of jurisdiction,
And not of government give them a share.
A sad temerity were his who'd dare
To strive to hold the reins of jurisdiction,
And not of government give them a share.
No shutting them in cloister and seclusion,
No moping they for want of due employ;
The world pours at their feet its vast profusion,
With us their knights, all days, to seek their joy.
No moping they for want of due employ;
The world pours at their feet its vast profusion,
With us their knights, all days, to seek their joy.
And in their praise our troubadours are hymning,
Pouring like pullets their enraptured lays;
And, quite forgetting bills for extra trimming,
We hail them pride and glory of our days.
Pouring like pullets their enraptured lays;
And, quite forgetting bills for extra trimming,
We hail them pride and glory of our days.
How grand they are in all that's grand, comparing
With those insipid dames who banners wove,
Worthy of all true knighthood equal sharing,
The Queens of Beauty and the Queens of Love.
With those insipid dames who banners wove,
Worthy of all true knighthood equal sharing,
The Queens of Beauty and the Queens of Love.
Thus, Then and Now, in candidness contrasting,
Shows better light and deeds this day of ours,
With guarantees, like buttons, that are lasting,
And scope for all our elevated powers.
Shows better light and deeds this day of ours,
With guarantees, like buttons, that are lasting,
And scope for all our elevated powers.
The Cross the ancients reared we still do cherish,
And keep as ours its venerated sign,
That ne'er through disrespect shall fall or perish,
Sustained by Cœur de Lion and Palestine.
And keep as ours its venerated sign,
That ne'er through disrespect shall fall or perish,
Sustained by Cœur de Lion and Palestine.
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Its motto ever—“In hoc signo vinces”—
Draws from its scabbard every glistening steel,
And the same glow inspiring Christian princes
Does the most humble of our brethren feel.
Draws from its scabbard every glistening steel,
And the same glow inspiring Christian princes
Does the most humble of our brethren feel.
Then to the Present give your best endeavor,
To help the Truth and benefit your race;
Fight the good fight with zeal and might forever,
And follow virtue with an earnest Chase.
To help the Truth and benefit your race;
Fight the good fight with zeal and might forever,
And follow virtue with an earnest Chase.
| Lines in Pleasant Places | |