K NI


(u 419 )


KNf


for perronal Defert, dies with the Perfon deferving, and
does not defcend to his Heirs.
Knight was the firfi Degree of Honour, in the antient
Militia, and was conferred with a great deal of Ceremony
on thofe who had dillinguifh'd thernfelves by fome nota-
ble Exploit in Arms. They were originally faid to be
ado pted, which we now call dubb'd; as being fuppofed,
in Tome meafure, the Sons of him who knighted them.
The Ceremonies at the Creation of a Knight have been
various. The principal were a Box on the Ear, and a
Stroke with a Sword on the Shoulder. Afterwards they
put on him a Shoulder-belt and gilt Sword, Spurs, and
the other military Accoutrements 5 after which, being
armed as a Knight, he was led in great Pomp to the Church.
The Manner of making a Knight with us, is defcribed by
Cambden in a few words: 9Qi Equeftrem Dignitatem fufcipit,
flexis Genibus leviter in- Humeropercutitur, Princeps his Ferbis
afatur, Sus vel Jois Chevalier au Nom de Dieu Surge ve! fis E-
ques in ANomine Dei. This is meant of Knigbts-Batchelors,
which is the loweff, tho the moft antient Order of Knight-
hood among us. Knights grew fo very numerous, that the
Dignity became of much lefs Repute. Charles V. is faid
to have made 5co in a fingle Day: On which account
therefore, new Orders of Knihbtbood were inflituted, in
order to dillinguifl the more deferving from the Croud.
For the feveral kinds of Knights among us, fee Batchelor,
Ban neret, Baronet, Bath, &c.
Knight is alfo underflood of a Perfon admitted into any
Order, either purely military, or military and religious,
inflituted by fome King or Prince according to a certain
.Formula, with certain Marks and Tokens of Honour and
Diflindfion: as the Order of the Garrter, of the Elephant,
of the Holy Ghojt, of Malta, Liec.  All which fee under
their proper Names.
Knight, among the Romans, was the fecond Degree of
Nobility, following immediately that of the Senators.
At the time of founding the City of Rome, the whole Mi-
litia of Romulus confitied in 3coo Foot and 300 Horfe;
which three hundred Horfe were the Original of the Ro-
2an Equites or Knigbts. Thefe made the fecond Order
that had Places in the Senate. Manutius and Sigonius are
of opinion, that befides the Equettrian Order, and thofe
Keights immediately below the Senators, Romulus inftitu-
ted a Military Order in oppofition to the Infantry. But
no antient Author takes notice of any Order of Knight-
hood, inflituted on purpofe for the War, nor any other
Knights but thofe 300, which, as we have obferved, were
the firfi Foundation of the EquefIrian Order. They
had a Horfe kept then at the public Charge ; but when
they were taken in among the Senators, they refign'd
that Privilege. To be a Knight, 'twas necefiary they
1hould have a certain Revenue ; that their Poverty might
not dif'grace the Order: And when they fail'd of the pre-
fcribed Revenue, they were expunged out of the Lilt of
Knights, and thruft down among the Plebeians. Ten
thoufand Crowns is computed to have been the Revenue
required. The Knights grew fo very powerful, that they
became a Balance between the Power of the Senate and
the People. They neglealed the Exercifes of War, and
betook themfelves principally to Civil Employments in
Rome ; infomuch that Pliny obferves, in his time th -y
had no longer a Horfe kept at the public Expence.
Some fay, that the Order of Knights, ditlinfl from the
People, did not begin before the Time of the Graccbi,
Others fay, the Privilege was then firfl granted them,
that no Fudge fhould be chofen, but out of their Or-
der: Some time after which, they took 'em into the
Senate. This however is certain, 'twas only from that
time that a certain Revenue was neceffary, and that this
intitled them to the Knighthood, without being defcend-
ed from antient Knights.
KNIGHT-ERRANT, a pretended Order of Knigbts,
'whereof ample mention is made in old Romances. They
were a kind of Heroes who travel'd the World in fearch
of Adventures, redreffing Wrongs, refcuing Damfels, and
taking all occafions of fignalizing their Prowefs. This Ro-
pnantic Bravery of the Old Knights was heretofore the
Chimrira of the Spaniards ; among whom, there was no
Cavalier but had his Miffrefs, whofe Efleem he was to
gain by fame heroic Action. The Duke of Al'va, for all
Cis Age 'and Gravity, is faid to have vow'd the Conqueff
of Portufal to a young Lady.
KNIGHTHOOD, a Military Order or Honour; a
Mlark or Degree of antient Nobility, or Reward of Perfo-
nal Virtue and Merit. There are four kinds of Knight-
hood 3 Military, Regular, Honorary, and Social. Military
is that of the antient Knights, who acquired it by high
Feats of Arms. Thefe are call'd Milites in antient Char-
ters and Titles, by which they were diflinguifh'd from
bare Batchelurs, ,ec. Several Princes have been inflalled
Military Knights with a great deal of Ceremnony. Thefe
Knights were girt with a Sword and a Pair of gilt Spurs,


whence they were call'd Equites urati. Regulartnightbooj
is underfIoood of fuch of the Military Orderswhich profefsrto
wear fome particular Habit, to bear Arms againrf the Infi-
dels,to fuccour and affift Pilgrims in their paffage to theHoly
Land,and to ferveinHofpitalswheretheylhould bereceiv'd,
as Knights Templars, Knights of Malta, &c. which fee.
Honorary Knightbood is that which Princes confer on other
Princes, and even on their own Great Miniflers and Fa-
vourites i as Knights of the Garter, of St. Michael, &c.
Social Knighthood is that which is not fixed, nor confirmed
by any formal Inflitution, nor regulated by any lailing Sta-
tutes ; of which kind there have many rifen on occa-
fion of Faaions, of Tilts and Tournaments, Mafque-
rades, Vc.
Knighthood is not hereditary, but acquired. It does not
come into the World with a Man, like Nobility 3 nor can
it be revoked. The Sons of Kings,and Kings themfelves,
with all other Sovereigns, heretofore had Knighthood con-
fer'd on'em as a Mark of Honour. They were ufually
knighted at their Baptifm or Marriage, at their Corona-
tion, before or after a Battel, Ec5c.
The Abbot Bernardo gsfliniani, at the beginning of his
Hiflory of Knighthood, gives us a very compleat Catalogue
of the feveral Orders, according to whofe Conmutation
they are in number 9z. Favin has given us two Volumes
of 'em, under the Title of Theatre of Honour and Chi-
valry. Menenius has publifh'd Delicit Equeftrium Ordinum,
and And. Mende has written de Ordinibus Militaribus. Beloi
has traced their Original, and Geliot in his Armorial Index
has given us their Inflitutions. To thefe may be added,
Father Menejlrier's Antient and Modern Knighthood, Michieli's
Tr'efor Militaire, Caramuel's Theologia Regolare, Mirxtsy's Ori-
gines Eq;e/lrium five Militarium Ordinum.
KNIGHT-MARSHAL, is an Officer in the King's
Houfe, having Jurifdiicion and Cognizance of any Tranf-
greflion within the King's Houfe and Verge i as alfo of
Contracts made there, whereof one of the Houfe is Party.
KNIGHTS OF THE SHIRE, or Knights of Parlia.
ment, are two Knights or Gentlemen of Worth chofen on
the King's Writ inpleno Comitatru, by fuch of the Freeholders
of every County as can expend 40 s. per annum  Thefe,
when every Man who had a Knights-Fee were cuflomarily
confirain'd to be Knights, were of necefity to be AMdires
Gladio cinEi, for fo the Writ runs to this day; but now
Cuflom admits Efquires to be chofen to this Office. They
mufi have at leaft 5co 1. per annum; and their Expences
are to be defray'd by the County, though this be feldom,
now, required.
KNIGHI S, in a Ship, are two Pieces of Timber, to
each of which go four Shivers, three for the Halliards,
and one for the 'fop-Ropes: they are ufually in the figure
of fomne Head. One of 'em flands aft, the Main-Maaf,
and for that reafon is call'd the Main-Kngbgt; another
flands abaft the Fore-Maft, on the fecend Deck, and is
call'd the Fore-Knihr.
KN IGHT-SERRVIC-t,a Tenure whereby feveralLands
in this Nation were antiently held of the King; which
drew after it Homage, Efcuage, Wardlhip, Marriage, ec.
But taken away by the Statute 12 Car. 2.
KNlGHTS-FEE, an antient Law-Term, fignifying fo
much Inheritance as is fufficient to maintain a Knight with
fuitable Retinue i which, in Henry the Third's days was
reckon'd at Fifteen Pounds. But Sir T.Smith rates it at
40 1. By a Stat. I Edw. 2. fuch as had ao l. per annHum ir
Fee or for Life, might be compelled to be Knights; but
this Statute is repeal'd I 7 Car. X.
Stow fays, that there were found in England', at the
time of the Conqueror, 6o,l r i Knigbts-Fees; according td
others, there were 6o,zr5, whereof the Religious Houfesj
before their fuppreffion, were polefs'd of 28,015. Accor-
ding to Coke, a Kniqhts-Fee contain'd twelve Plow-Lands.
KNOT, part of a Tree whence it Ihoots out Branches or
Roots. The Wood is harder and clofer in the Knots than'
in any other part, but it is alfo shore fubje& to fplit.
Vines and low Fruit-Trees are lopp'd at the fecond Knot
of the new Shoot. The Ure of the Knots of Plants is td
firengthen the Stem: They ferve alfo as Searces to filtrate,
purify, and refine the Juice rais'd up for the Nourilhmnent
of the Plant.
The Divifions of the Log-Line 'at Sea are alfo call'd
Knots. Thefe are ufually feven Fathoms or forty-two
Feet afunder, but they ihould be fifty Feet; and then as
many Knots as the Log-Line runs out in half a Minute;
fo many Miles doth the Ship fail in an Hour, fuppofing,
her to keep going at any equal rate, and allowtng for
Yaws, Lee-way, &c.
Knot, in Medicine, is a Tuberofity form'd tin theJointi
of old Gouty People, confifling of a thick vifcous, crude,
indigefled Pituita, accompanied with a bilious Humour,
hot and acrimonious; the groffeft and moul terrefirial
part whereof clogs and converts into a flony Subflance
like Chalk: whence Knots are ingenired; like Stones