As soon as the arrival of Queen Isabel
in Hainault was known, "this Sir John, being at that time very young
and panting for glory, like a knight-errant mounted his horse, and,
accompanied by a few persons, set out from Valenciennes for
Ambreticourt, where he arrived in the evening and paid the Queen every
respect and honour." Notwithstanding the remonstrances and objections
which were raised against his undertaking so perilous an adventure as
the invasion of England, "the gallant knight would not change his
purpose, saying, 'that he could die but once; that the time was in the
will of God; and that all true knights were bound to aid, to the utmost
of their power, all ladies and damsels driven from their kingdoms
comfortless and forlorn.'" To suppose that the romances formed an
accurate reflection of actual life would show an entire ignorance of
their nature; but there can be no doubt that these fictions were the
natural outcome of existing thought and manners; that they were
sufficiently life-like to interest; and that they increased and
intensified the habits and ideas in which they had their origin.
The combination of qualities and motives which we are accustomed to
express in the general term of chivalry was the mediaeval ideal of
virtue, and as such was in practice inevitably subject to imperfection
and inconsistency.
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