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By The Sword |
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Chivalric Knighthood had consequences in civilian circles. As long as the raison d'etre of the Knight was primarily that he should live by the sword, then it was extremely difficult to deny his right to maintain his position by unsheathing his sword.
It is told by the chroniclers that in response to Edward 1's demands that those who exercise franchises (rights of jurisdiction) should show by what warrant they held them. The Earl of Warenne presented the Royal Justices with a rusty sword, declaring, "Look my Lords, here is my warrant". My ancestors came with William the Bastard, and conquered their lands with the sword, and I will defend them with the sword. Relatively few Knights who participated on campaign did so under feudal obligation. For the most part Edward 1 Magnates served without pay. In 1282 they rejected a move by the king to take a wholly paid army into Wales. This was probably because it was beneath their dignity to accept pay, and would have resulted in an unacceptable degree of subordination on their part.
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