Page 53 - A Knight of the White Cross

CHAPTER IV

A PROFESSED KNIGHT

Gervaise was soon quite at home in the palace of the grand master, and his
companions were, like other boys, of varying characters; but as all were of

noble families, were strongly impressed with the importance of the Order
and the honour of their own position, and were constantly in contact with

stately knights and grave officials, their manners conformed to those of
their elders; and even among themselves there was no rough fun, or loud
disputes, but a certain courtesy of manner that was in accordance with their

surroundings. This came naturally to Gervaise, brought up as he had been
by his father and mother, and having at frequent intervals stayed with them

for months at the various royal castles in which Margaret of Anjou and her
son had been assigned apartments during their exile. Even at St. John's
house the novices with whom he lived were all a good deal older than

himself, and the discipline of the house was much more strict than that at
Rhodes.

He enjoyed both his exercises with the knights and the time spent with the
sub-chaplain, no small proportion of the hours of study being occupied in

listening to stories of chivalry; it being considered one of the most
important parts of a knight's education that he should have a thorough

acquaintance, not only with the laws of chivalry, but with the brave deeds
both of former and of living knights, with the relations of the noble houses
of Europe to each other, especially of the many great families whose

members were connected with the Order of St. John.

These matters formed, indeed, the main subject of their studies. All were
taught to read and write, but this was considered sufficient in the way of
actual instruction. The rules of the Order had to be committed to memory.

Beyond this their reading consisted largely of the lives of saints, especially
of those who distinguished themselves by their charity or their devotion to

their vows of poverty, to both of which the members of the Order were
pledged. Gervaise, however, could see around him no signs whatever of
poverty on their part. It was true that they all lived and fed together in the