December 5th 1959

Hark!

Come hither, and gather ye around. Come listen to a tale of how things were in the rightful days of yore!

Not only did a man have his steed, and his armor, his sword, and his heart. Nay, the most important of a man’s possessions was his honor! And second only to a man’s honor, was the honor of that man’s lover! No man worthy of the term lacked any of these things. And no man would ever stand to have any of these tarnished or brought into question! Surely, this would result in a duel, the only way justice can prevail!

Alas, these days, few men mount their steed, armor adorned, and march off to win the favor of their fine maiden. These days, a “man”, and I do use the term ever so lightly, can hardly be bothered to cast a door asunder so that his favored maiden might enter untroubled! A fine lass can hardly expect to have a chair removed from it’s position at the table so that she might sit without exerting herself!
We used to spill blood at tournament for the sake of clearing the good name of our beloved, and now hardly a kind word, with honor intact, shall fall upon the ears of even the most deserving woman!

Alas! I am not long for this world! Carry on, the best you can, for the days to come are darker still than the days of yore!

Yours truly,
Chivalry