THE MEDIEVAL KNIGHTS

foreign [Music] [Applause] do in the chroniclers cell at montbreath abbey in france writing monks record the events of their time brother boniface is the guardian of chronicles which date back to the fall of the roman empire and record the chaos that followed force ruled everywhere people began to look to the strong for protection and submitted themselves as serfs to those who had the means and skills for fighting the early chronicles reveal knights as cruel ignorant fighting men their only occupation was war [Music] as life in feudal europe became better organized a code of honor developed based upon ideals of chivalry religion and the knight's status as professional warriors while this code was not often adhered to it was an ideal to which they all aspired among the writings of brother boniface there is the tale of a youth robert de goncur who was raised according to the code of chivalry of his time and whose story we will hear is the chronicler himself might have told it our tale begins in the year of our lord 1192 when the noble lord of goncur sent his son robert to the mighty lord of mont breth to learn chivalry and the skills of knighthood at mount breath castle in the year 1192 the castle of montbreath stood proud and mighty guarded by impregnable towers and surrounded by a deep moat here robert de goncor began his apprenticeship as a page the first step toward knighthood at the age of seven under the experienced hand of lady alice de mont brett my lady [Music] welcome robert enter in and draw nearer my lad truly i am glad of your coming [Music] when you enter into your lord's hall cry you god speed and with humble cheer greet those who there be present do not rush rudely in but enter gently with head up and at an easy pace bow even if i do not so like this do you understand now go you unattempted [Music] again it is fairly done you are a true gun and so learning commenced robert de concur encountered another youthful page at montbreath gerald the banks together with whom he was to be raised under the watchful glance of lady alice until both lads attained 14 years and were ready to be squished to sir giles while their apprenticeship as pages endured robert and gerald were learning to conduct themselves as noblemen they knew that each true valiant knight should be able to dance gracefully and serenade his own chosen lady with sweet love balance [Music] castle learning was also held in high regard each day the worthy castle chaplain undertook to teach the young pages the art of reading and from him they learned to speak in latin the tongue of the church and all learned men [Music] besides the two pages there were younger children in the castle they had many pastimes such as walking on stilts behind the castle walls or playing ball under the supervision of some member of the household they sported at marbles and spent the day in carefree leisure but the pages stand closed by their lady often listening to stories about nightly deeds of their ancestors anong never brought two great spears and every knight got a spear and therewith they ran together that mont briefs all too shivered but the other night hit him so hard in the midst of the shield that horse and man fell to the road from such tales of the deeds of great heroes the boys learned about nightly valor they also played as nightly games most favorite of these was the game of tournaments with toy knights on horseback played in strict accord with the laws of tournaments [Music] most of the early education of the two pages rested in the hands of the ladies of martinez but the master himself also contributed his part in their racing [Music] in moments of respite when sir giles sat down to play at one of the manly games such as backgammon or chess the young pages were permitted to stand by and witness the game but these were all light past times the page's real fortune was that of a warrior and horseman so often as he watched the stableman and older squires robert would imagine himself a great knight mounted on his deed part of robert's apprenticeship was passed around horses elder squires such as this man who doubtless lacked the goal to purchase the costly gear of knighthood often served as instructors of young noblemen have no dread of horses robert sit your fast in the saddle allow the beast closer acquaintance of you only then will he be your honest steve faithful in battle and tournament and so robert's days were full measured out equally in periods of grave study and in manly practice for his future calling seven years sped by robert's time as a page drew to an end on sin andrew's day which was his 14th birthday page robert de goncor became squire robert servant to his lordship be psyched like [Music] thus commenced the second period of apprenticeship for robert de goncor and for gerald banks as squires their service was to their lord directly from henceforward their apprenticeship was not in toys and trifles but in service and in arms they waited on the lord at mealtime carving his meat and tending his needs [Music] thanks good gerald come robert [Music] make full my cup enough [Music] [Music] so [Music] now clear the board we will have a turn at chess [Music] indeed this was the glorious moment for robert and gerald to face their own lord in a manly game [Music] serving the master meant partaking of his leisure and his duties the squire's tasks were many maintaining the brilliance of the lord's shining armor and the sharpness of his weapons keeping the hunting equipment ever ready for the master's call dressing him for battle or the hunt and following behind wherever he might go but whenever there was free time the squires were to be seen practicing their favorite game tilting at the quintane unless he be proficient at this no man could ever hope to make a good warrior the quintane is an effigy of a knight with shield in one hand club or sandbag in the other the squire doth charge it if he strike poorly giving an imperfect blow of his lands the spinning quintane will buffet him as he passes [Applause] and to harden their muscles young squires were trained to mount horses with heavy weights affixed to their belts someday they would needs ride in heavy woven mail laden with burdensome weapons and at the knighting ceremony will have to leap on their steeds without touching the stirrup but at softer moments robert and gerald learn to sing love ballads and popular songs [Music] as they learned the court watched and whenever the master had occasion in their presence he explained to them the rights and duties of a nobleman in the society to which they belonged as they grew they learned to handle weapons worthy of their might and skill provided excellent teachers for the young noblemen in labor and sport robert's years of apprenticeship followed fast upon each other with his life at mount breve breval reached its close he was 21 years old so on ascension day in the year 1205 14 years after he had arrived squire rover de goncor fulfilled the conditions for elevation to knighthood [Music] in the early morning of the day before his dubbing robert's knightly armor was displayed in the hall of arms for the wonder and admiration of the court a night's weapons and costumes caused much gold robert's uncle sir remy de tunival volunteered to be his sponsor furnishing his armor and his steed a golden handled sword hammered by a swordsmith of renown a visor fashioned by the armorer of turnipal and golden spurs the gift most precious of all but except for this short respite robert's day was devoted to a strictly prescribed ceremony for the young robert this was a solemn time indeed already he had taken his bath to purge him of past sins and on the white shirt which be tokens purity a young squire was aiding him to put on the tunic of scarlet which signified his readiness to shed blood in the service of god for robert this was a day of purifying fast which readied him for the ceremony of greatest import the vigil of arms [Music] paid me oh god to perform my duties with valor as becomes a night bequeath to me honor into my lord long life from dawn on ascension day the castle was a stir with life in the halls there was much preparation for the feast which was to follow the dubbing ceremony the courtyard jumped with minstrels and clowns with jugglers and artists all gathered for the glorious occasion [Music] purified in body and soul robert marched in solemnly prepared for the most [Music] sir me lord of trunival knight of great merit himself as sponsor bears the privilege of fastening robert's spurs of gold sir giles lord of montreal roberts teacher and master performs the dubbing be valiant sir robert recall your heritage honor all knights love god i pledge my life and my allegiance to god my lord and to my master [Music] [Applause] me [Music] hey then came the moment when sir robert was expected to make the running leap to his mouth's back without touching the stills a moment of all for his family and comrades [Music] hail to sir robert the young knight hail to the noble newly born to his rank who has joined the fellowship of defenders of the faith protector of the poor servant to fair ladies a very perfect gentle knight bold and intrepid guardian of his rights eager to bear his banner aloft above all nobles else [Music] now [Music] do thus sir robert takes his place besides sir giles and sir philip but not all noblemen are thus leonardo the friend of his apprenticeship gel de banks still remained a squire serving his master maybe hiring himself out to other barons and awaiting his chance to earn knighthood and here indeed is where my story ends also robert de goncur soon left the place of his apprenticeship the castle of montpref and set out upon the journey to his new manner which he received from his uncle as a thief which he named new concur [Music] the story of sir robert is that of many nights of his time noblemen whose chief occupation was wore as time went on nightly armor changed from woven mail to breastplates to full metal battle dress and for as long as battles were fought according to the rules of chivalry this warrior class maintained its prominent position in the society of the middle ages when the day came that every man with a gun could fight specialists were no longer needed and the feudal lords retired into their manor houses to devote themselves to governing their tenants with the evolution of strong central power sir robert's heirs had fulfilled their function as protectors of feudal society a new age dawned over the western world [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you