Chapter Knights Errant to Knot of K by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Knights Errant to Knot

Knights Errant In France, from 768 to 987, the land was encumbered with fortified castles; in England this was not the case till the reign of Stephen. The lords of these castles used to carry off females and commit rapine, so that a class of men sprang up, at least in the pages of romance, who roamed about in full armour to protect the defenceless and aid the oppressed.

“ `Proxima quæque metit gladio' is the perfect account of a knight errant.”- Dryden: Dedication of the Æneis.

Knights of Carpetry or Carpet Knights, are not military but civil knights, such as mayors, lawyers, and so on; so called because they receive their knighthood kneeling on a carpet, and not on the battle-field.

Knights of Industry Sharpers.

Knights of Labour Members of a trades union organised in 1834, in the United States of America, to regulate the amount of wages to be demanded by workmen, the degree of skill to be exacted from them, and the length of a day's work. This league enjoins when a strike is to be made, and when workmen of the union may resume work.

Knights of Malta or Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem. Some time after the first crusade (1042), some Neapolitan merchants built at Jerusalem a hospital for sick pilgrims and a church which they dedicated to St. John; these they committed to the charge of certain knights, called Hospitallers of St. John. In 1310 these Hospitallers took Rhode Island, and changed their title into Knights of Rhodes. In 1523 they were expelled from Rhodes by the Turks, and took up their residence in the Isle of Malta.

Knights of St. Crispin Shoemakers. Crispin Crispian was a shoe maker. (See Henry V., iv. 3.)

Knights of St. Patrick Instituted in 1783, in honour of the patron saint of Ireland.

Knights of the Bag Bagmen who travel for mercantile orders.

Knights of the Bath (See Bath .)

Knights of the Blade Bullies who were for ever appealing to their swords to browbeat the timid.

Knights of the Chamber or Chamber Knights, are knights bachelors made in times of peace in the presence chamber, and not in the camp. Being military men, they differ from “carpet knights,” who are always civilians.

Knights of the Cleaver Butchers.

Knights of the Garter (See Garter .)

Knights of the Green Cloth Same as CARPET KNIGHTS (q.v.).

Knights of the Handcuffs Constables, policemen, etc., who carry handcuffs for refractory or suspicious prisoners taken up by them.

Knights of the Hare An order of twelve knights created by Edward III. in France, upon the following occasion:- A great shouting was raised by the French army, and Edward thought the shout was the onset of battle; but found afterwards it was occasioned by a hare running between the two armies.

Knights of the Holy Sepulchre An Order of military knights founded by Godfrey of Bouillon, in 1099, to guard the “Holy Sepulchre.”

Knights of the Order of the Golden Fleece Lawyers.

Knights of the Pencil The betters in races; so called because they always keep a pencil in hand to mark down their bets.