“My lords, now you are knights, and it is fitting that I should tell you something of what appertains to chivalry. A knight must be hardy, courteous, generous, loyal and of fair speech: ferocious to his foe, frank and debonair to his friend. And lest anyone tell you that he who has not borne his shield or struck his blow in battle or tournament is not by rights a knight, see to it that you so conduct yourselves that you have a good right to the name. He has a right to the title of knighthood who has proved himself in arms and thereby won the praise of men. Seek therefore this day to do deeds that will deserve to be remembered, for every new knight should make a good beginning.”
This speech is put into the mouth of the hero, Durmart, before he knights twenty squires who are holding a mill outside Limerick on behalf of his love, the Queen of Ireland, against the usurping high king Logans.
“Li romans de Durmart le Galois” was probably composed in the 1220s and consists of about 16,000 verses of eight syllables. It concerns the adventures of Durmart, son of the king of Gaul and of Andelise, daughter of the king of Denmark.
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