Maxims of Christian Chivalry

by Kenelm Henry Digby

Born in Ireland in 1800 of English Stock and raised in a strongly Protestant surrounding, Kenelm Henry Digby entered the Roman Catholic Church while writing his first great masterpiece; The Broadstone of Honour, first published in 1822. The Broadstone treats of the origin, spirit and institutions of Christian Chivalry and the true practice of the same. It was his deep study of these lofty ideals and the "Ages of Faith", which he had been raised to despise, that led him to his conversion. Maxims of Christian Chivalry was edited bt Nicholas Dillon, O.F.M. in 1924, taking essential bits from The Broadstone and categorizing them into a book which could well serve as a manual for the Catholic Knight. Some headings Definition of Honour * Definition of Chivalry * Motto of Chivalry * Rules of Chivalry * Extracts from the Book of Chivalrous Instruction * Religious Orders of Knighthood * Preparation for Knighthood * List of Famous Knights * Facing Death * The Voice of Nature * Fruits of Solitude * Reverence for True Womanhood * The Divine Office * Church Music * All Things in Christ...but a small sampling. Foreword by Robert Kane, S.J.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2003

About the author

Kenelm Henry Digby (c. 1797 - 1880) was an Anglo-Irish writer, whose reputation rests chiefly on his earliest publication, The Broad-Stone of Honour, or Rules for the Gentlemen of England (1822), which contains an exhaustive survey of medieval customs. The work was subsequently enlarged and issued (1828–29) in four volumes entitled: Godefridus, Tancredus, Morus and Orlandus. Digby's exposure to Walter Scott's Ivanhoe novels as a youth encouraged him to romanticize the Middle Ages. Broad-Stone contributed to the Young England movement’s feudalist ideology and influenced many of Digby's Cambridge contemporaries. The book inculcated readers with ideas of chivalry and staunch Catholicism and stressed the importance of the heart’s knowledge over intellectual learning by presenting historical figures as role models. Digby's revival of medieval principles helped young men of his day construct their idea of what being a "gentleman" means.

Reviews

[Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic short work of great quotes or maxims about chivalry. Chivalry sadly has become a lost notion. If y0u still believe in chivalry or if you are interested in learning more about authentic chivalry this is an excellent book.

"Every boy and youth, ought to be in his mind and sentiments a knight, and essentially a son of Chivalry."

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book! Little hard to read, truly wonderful!