KNAVE. A rascal; a false, tricky, or deceitful person. The word originally meant a boy, attendant, or servant, but long-continued usage has given it its present signification.
KNAVESHIP. A portion of grain given to a mill-servant from tenants who were bound to grind their grain at such mill.
KNIGHT. In English law. The next personal dignity after the nobility. Of knights tbeie are severiil orders and degi ees. 'l‘iie first in rank are knight; of the Garter, instituted by Richard I, and improved by Edward ill. in 134-4: next Ioilons tl knight kiimei-et: then coioe knights of the Bath, iiistltuted by Henry IV., and revived by G-oi-ge i.; iind t_hey were so called from n cer-tony of bathing the night before their creniion. The iast order are knights bacliel- ois, who, though the lowest, are yet the most ancient. order of knighthood; for we find th-it King Alfred conteired this order upon bis soii Athelstan. 1 Bl. Comm. 403.
—Kiiighthuod. The rank. order, character, or di~_iiil._v of a kiiiglit.—Knight’n fee. See I‘i:i:.—Knights bachelors. In English law. The most ancient. though lowest. order of knighthood. 1 Bl. Comm. 404.—Knights bam- neret. In English law. Those created by the sovereign in person on the field of battle They rank. generally. after knights of the Garter. 1 Bl. Comm. 403.—lKnights of St. Michael and St. George. An English order of knii:ht- hood. instituted In 1SIS.—Knighl:s of St. Patrick. Institiited in Ireland by Geoiye III., A D. 1703. They have no rank in England. —Knights of the Bath. An order instituted by Henry IV._ and revived by George I. They are so called from the ceremony formerly OllSF|'\(I(l of hnthing the night before their cre- ation.—Kn.ight: of the chamber. Those created in the sovereign"s chamber in time of peace. not in the field. 2 Inst. 6fiG.—Knights of the Garter. Otherwise called "Knights of the Order of St. Geurize," This order was founded by Richard I., and Improved by Ed- wnrd III.. A. D. 1344. They form the highest order of knights.—K.uights iii the post. A term for hireling witni-sscs.——Knights of the shire. In English law. Members of pur1i1- meat representing counties or shires, in contra- distinction to citizens or burgesses, who represent boroughs or corporstions. A knigrht of the shire is so cniled. because, as the terms of the writ for election stili require, it was former- ly necessary that he should be a knight This restriction was coevnl with the tenure of knight.- service, when every man who received a kni-,vht's fee immedintciy of the croiin was constrained to be I! knight: but at ure-=6-lit any nersvn may be chosen to (ill the office who is not an alien. The money qualification is obolisbed by 2] Vict. c. 26. Wha.rton.—‘.Knights of the Thistle. A Scottish order of kniglnhoud. This order is said to have been instituted by Aih.i' s. king of Scotland. A. D. 819. The better opinion. however. is that it was instituted by James v. in ]l'iI‘.4, was revived by Jnmes VII. (James II, of England) in 1687, nnd re- established by Queen Anne in 1703. They have no rank in England. Wharton.
KNIGHT-MARSHAL. In English law. An officer in the royni household who has jurisdiction and cognizance of offenses com- mitted within the household and verge, and of all contracts made therein. a member of the household being one of the parties. Wharton.
KNIGHT-SERVICE. A species of feu- dal tenure, which differed very slightly from a pure and perfect feud, being entirely of a milil.ii'y nnturc; and it was the first, most universal, and most honor-.ible of the feudal leiinies To make a tenure by kni,-zht-service, ii determinate quantity of land w necessarv, which was called a "l(ni;1it‘s fer." (jeo- d-inii mi'lilu.re,) the measure of which was
estimated at 680 acres Co. Litt. (itlu; Brown. KNIGHTENGOURT. A court which used
to be held twice a year by the bishop of Hereford, in England.
KNIGHTENGUILD. An ancient giifld or society formed by King Edgar.
KNOCK DOWN. To assign to I bidder at an iiiirtion by a knock or blow of the hammer. Property is said to be "knocked down" when the niictioiioer, by the fall or his hammer, or by any other audible or visi- ble announcement. signifies to the bidder that he is entitied to the property on paving the amount of his bid, according to the terms of the side "Knocked down" and "struck off" ure synonymous terms. Sherwood v. Reade, 7 Hiii (N. Y.) 439.
In seamen‘s language, a "knot"
KNOT is a divi ure the rate of the vessel’s motion. number of knots which run off from the reel in bait a minute shows the nimiber of miles the vessel sails in an hour. Hence when a ship goes sight miles an hour she is said to go "eight knots." Webster
KNOW ALL MEN. In conveyancing. A form of public address, of great antiquity. and with which many written instrumciits, such as bonds. letters of attorney, etc., still COIIIJIJEDCB.
1-LNOWING-LY. With knowiedge; consciousiy; intelligently. The use of this word in an indictment is equivalent to an averment that the defendant knew "hat he was about to do, and, nlth such knowledge. proceeded ho do the act charged U. S. v. Clay- pool (D. C.) 14 Fed. 1%.
KNOWLEDGE. The difference between "knowlod.-:e" and "belief" is nothing more than in the degree of certainty. With re- gard to things which make not a very deer impression on the memory, it may he called "beiicf.’-‘ "I{no\\led,-;e" is nothing more th.in ii man's firm belief. The ditfcreiice is oidi- nari1,v merely in the degree. to be judged of by the court when addressed to the court; by the jury, when addressed to the"
Bl.Law Dict.(2d Ed.)—41
