“Chivalry is a tenure of land by knight’s service: for the better understanding whereof it is to be known, that there is no land but is held mediately or immediately of the crown by some service or other; and therefore all our free-holds that are to us and our heirs are called fees, as proceeding from the bounty of the king for some small yearly rent, and the performance of such services as originally were imposed upon the land at the giving thereof…. And these services are all by Littleton divided into two sorts, chivalry and soccage: the one martial and military; the other clownish and rustical.” Termes de la Ley 83–84 (1st Am. ed. 1812).
chivalry
chivalry (shiv-[schwa]l-ree). Hist. Tenure held by knight-service; tenure in which a person held land in ex-change for military service of the highest order. See KNIGHT-SERVICE.
