INTRODUCTION.

IX

1252, the Scottish Monarch refused, saying, he might havereceived his Knighthood either from any other Catholic Prince,or from any one of his own subjects, being a gentleman. 6 Im-mediately after King Henry the Sixth and Edward the Sixthwere Knighted, they gave the honour of Knighthood to manyyoung noblemen and gentlemen.

An idea prevails, that in the middle ages every Knight mightconfer the dignity; but this power seems then to have residedonly in Sovereign Princes, in their representatives, the Lieu-tenants and Commanders of their Armies; and perhaps in afew other persons of exalted birth and station; thus, at thebattle of Wakefield in December 1460, four persons wereKnighted by the Duke of Somerset, eight by the Earl of Nor-thumberland, four by the Earl of Devonshire, three by LordClifford, and one by Lord Roos. 7 Though the instances ofpowerful subjects of the Crown, and of Commanders of Armieshaving Knighted individuals in the field, are innumerable, itis believed that there are few, if any examples of its havingbeen done by a simple Knight Bachelor. If, however, the merepossession of the honour did not authorize a mere Knight toimpart it to others, the source from which personages of higherrank (except the representatives of the Sovereign) obtainedthat power, remains to be ascertained. But the authority,however derived, was greatly restrained, in or before the reign

6 Titles of Honour, p. 641. Selden adds, “If at least ‘ Nobiles’ may be taken in therelation of it for Gentlemen and not for Noblemen, as, according to the English phrase, itoften is.” Matthew Paris’ (p. 1103) words are : “ Quia si placeret ei potuit ipse arma sus-cipere a quovis Principe Catholico, vel ab aliquo Nobilium suorum, sed et reverentiamhonorem tanti Principis Domini et vicini sui, maluit ab ipso Rege Angliae cingulo donarimilitari quam aliquo alio.”

7 Cottonian MS. Claudius C. iii. f. 62, 63.

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