16 JUNE 1984, Page 19

Chivalry not dead

Sir: In his review of my book on chivalry (Books, 2 June), Mr Christiansen generously suggests that I may have committed an irresponsible and blatant error as a result of my being misled by a German source. Unfortunately I cannot allow this suggestion to stand. Dr Paravicini, from an article by whom I gleaned the anecdote that I misinterpreted, of course had reported it correctly. I do not think he would even be able to garble a text in the way that I all too patently can.

Maurice Keen

Balliol College, Oxford