The concept of chivalry is perhaps the most well known "code of conduct" that addresses the ideals of nobility and quality. Chivalry may be defined as the moral and social law and custom of the noble class in Western Europe during the middle ages.  It's three principal focuses were upon religion, war, and love.  The thing common to all of the "character codes", not just Western European chivalry, is that each code requires a choice of lifestyle.  The choice offered is the choice to do the "right" things, for the "right" reasons, at the "right" times--or not to.

The term “chivalry” is derived from Old French chevalerie "horsemanship," from chevaler "knight," from Middle Latin caballarius "horseman," from Latin caballus.  Chivalry came to mean a code of behavior that medieval knights followed. There was not one code of honor or chivalry used by all the knights, however, many of them followed a consistent set of beliefs, which were recorded in writing during medieval times.

While chivalry had its beginning around the 9th and 10th centuries this system flourished in the 12th and 13th centuries, and faded toward the end of the Middle Ages.  Its ideals, however, influenced standards of behavior for gentlemen and the nobility through the Renaissance in the 16th century.

Various historical sources list the various codes of chivalry.  The following list brings many of the chivalric concepts placed in outline form.  These are a compilation of the various chivalric principles that are referenced with "chivalry"

AT ALL TIMES, AND IN ALL PLACES, BE THE CHAMPION OF RIGHT AND GOOD AGAINST EVIL AND INJUSTICE.

Always maintain one's principles         

    Principle--"fundamental truth or proposition,"               

        from Anglo-Norman principle,               

        from Old French principe,               

        from Latin principium  "a beginning, first part,"               

        from princeps meaning "first, chief, prince," literally "that takes first".       

Love God with all your heart and all your powers.           

    Cultivate Love--Selfless meeting of another's needs; intense emotional concern.                   

    Cultivate Faith--from Old French feid, from Latin fides "trust, belief," from root of fidere "to trust," from Proto Indo European base *bhidh-/*bhoidh-                   

    Cultivate Hope--to wish, expect, look forward to.    

Love your neighbor as yourself.         

    Cultivate Love--Selfless meeting of another's needs; intense emotional concern.                       

    Cultivate Humility                  

            Do not boast of your own accomplishments              

            Tell the deeds of others before your own.                   

    Entertain strangers                   

    Visit the sick     

Live one's life so that it is worthy of respect and honor.         

    Live by honor and for glory.         

    Remain faithful to your pledged word, without lying.         

    Avoid cheating, torture, and deception.         

    Show respect to authority            

    Exhibit self control and self discipline              

    Cultivate understanding and wisdom.              

    Cultivate prudence.              

    Cultivate temperance.              

    Cultivate diligence                

    Cultivate valor.                    

    Being a knight often means choosing a more difficult path, a personally expensive one.                   

    Be prepared to make personal sacrifices in the service of the principles you serve.              

    Cultivate nobility                   

    Seek great stature of character by holding to the virtues and duties of knight.                   

    Realize that ideals cannot be reached, but striving for them ennobles the spirit.                   

    Do not let anger control your actions                   

    Do not let the lack of Chivalry in others cause you to be unchivalrous              

    Strengthen Resolve              

    Live by Truth and in reality              

    Shun excess in eating and drinking          

    Exhibit manners              

        Avoid being offensive.                             

        Be polite and attentive              

        Be respectful of host, women and honor.              

    Avoid unfairness, meanness and deceit              

    Guard the honor of fellow knights.          

    Be generous to everyone.              

    Cultivate Charity              

    Cultivate liberality              

    Give aid to widows and orphans.         

    Fight with honor.              

            Give mercy to those that ask for it.              

            Never attack an unarmed foe.              

            Never attack from behind, or the blind side of an opponent.              

            Never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack.              

            Avoid torture.              

            Despise money as incentive or reward.              

            Never refuse a challenge from an equal.              

            Never turn the back upon a foe.        

    Respect those who are weaker and defend them.              

       Respect women              

       Defend the weak and innocent.              

   Avenge the wronged.          

   Never abandon a friend, ally, or noble cause              

   Be known for unwavering commitment to the people and ideals you choose to live by.              

   Never betray a confidence or comrade                        

   Persevere, to the end, any enterprise once begun.    

Live for freedom, justice, and all that is good.         

    Destroy evil in all of its forms.              

        Speak no evil.                        

        Do not steal         

    Respect life and freedom         

    Use skills for justice rather than personal aggrandizement.          

    Cultivate and Administer justice              

            The path of "right" unencumbered by bias or personal interest.              

            Temper the sword of justice with humanity and mercy.         

    Protect the innocent         

    Avenge the wronged.          

    Die with valor and honor.      

FACE UP TO THOSE WHO CHALLENGE YOUR SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES

    Have no fear when facing an enemy.                   

        Exhibit courage in word and deed.     

    Defend your principles.    

    Defend your spiritual beliefs and traditions.

BE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS

    Seek to Franchise others to chivalry                             

        Franchise comes from Old French franchise "freedom,"      

            from variant stem of franc "free"                              

            Only Franks, as the conquering class, had the status of freemen.                                   

        Help others to become freemen.              

        Help OTHERS feel free to copy you.               

    Seek to practice all of chivalry in your daily life.              

        Seek to infuse every aspect of your life with these qualities.

SERVE TO MEET NEEDS     

    Self is NOT the focal point of the Universe.            

    Perform all your duties as correctly as you can, if they are not contrary to the laws of God.               

        Develop prowess and excellence in all endeavors      

    Love and meet the needs of your country.                

        Live to serve King and country and all it holds dear.                

        Obey and defend the law of king, country, and chivalry.                

        Crush those that steal the land and rob the people.

OBSERVE THE ART OF COURTLY LOVE IF OPPORTUNITY ARISES

    Avoid greedy materialism    

    Keep chaste for your love    

    Do not knowingly interfere with the love of someone else.    

    Do not choose for love anyone whom you would not marry.    

    Do not be open of they courtly love, keep it secret. Love made public rarely endures.    

    In the name of love strive to be obedient to the commands of the lady.    

    Be modest when receiving love    

    Don't be a lover of affairs, be a lover.    

    Do not exceed the desires of your love.    

    Marriage is not a real excuse for avoiding loving    

    He who is not jealous cannot love    

    No one can be bound by a double love    

    Love is always increasing or decreasing.    

    Taking from your love against the will is not relished.    

    Boys are not lovers until maturity    

    Widowhood is for a two year period    

    No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons    

    One must be persuaded by love before one can be a lover    

    The easy attainment of love renders it of little value, difficulty of attainment makes it prized.    

    A lover's heart palpitates when seeing the beloved    

    A new love puts an old one to flight.    

    Good character along makes any man worthy of love.    

    If love diminishes it quickly fails and rarely revives.    

    A man in love is always apprehensive.    

    Those vexed by love eat and sleep very little    

    Every act of a lover ends in the thought of the beloved    

    Love cannot deny love.    

    A lover can never have enough attention of the beloved.    

    Too much passion usually interferes with love.    

    Nothing forbids one woman being loved by two men or one man by two women.    

    Cultivate the virtues of Chivalrous love:          Modesty          Attentiveness          Honesty               Grace          Well-groomed          Faithful          Discrete          Generous          Praiseworthiness          

THE LADY IN CHIVALRY

The Knight was the upholder the law and the champion of the weak and defenseless. His Lady, however, was no less important.    

The Lady was the help and support for the knight, she acknowledged the good and virtuous works which were being done, she praised him for being brave, just and courteous. By doing these things she guided him along the Path of Chivalry rather than allowing him to stray into the realm of pride, vanity and selfishness.

Coupled with the advent of the troubadours and the courts of love, the feminine graces gained importance, and when the military expeditions of the crusades were over, and the knights returned home, women increasingly became the focus of the knights attentions. Soon women rivaled religion for the attention of the knight. Her role then became even more important. 

The duties of the Lady in Chivalry were no less vital than that of knight.    

    A Lady is the intellectual custodian of Knightly Virtues, the guiding light of Chivalry.

    She is responsible for maintaining and promoting the ideals of Chivalry.          

    She has the courage to do those daily tasks that, while unglamorous, are vital to the well being of her family, and she does them graciously.          

    She is the keeper of the home and provides a safe nurturing environment for her family.          

    She is the teacher of her children and Lady for her Lord.          

    She is an example to her family and the keeper of peace.          

    She is generous to others while also being generous to herself.     

    She selflessly serves her Lord, her family and those she believes worthy.         

    She commands an army of her own--the staff that keep a Castle in order.           

    She is in charge of the Castle kitchens and oversees the preparation of meals.                

    She is also in charge of entertainments for visitors and guests that arrive throughout the year.          

    She keeps her word no matter the difficulty in fulfilling her vow, and she stands fast in her beliefs.          

    In the absence of her Knight, she takes responsibility for the jobs normally done by the Knight and his men--defending the home as is required.          

    She is, herself, a balance between woman and the warrior in her own right.                    

    As a warrior, the Lady has to have the determination to make her way in a world dominated by men.          

    She is willing to get her hands dirty and make sacrifices when needed.          

    She must be hard when necessary and merciful when she is able, but she is always a Lady.

The Code of Chivalry applies no less to her than to her knight.