KNAVE. A false, dishonest, or deceitful person. This signification of the word has arisen by a long perversion of its original meaning.

2. To call a man a knave has been held to be actionable. 1 Rolle's Ab. 52; 1 Freem. 277.,

KNIGHT'S FEE, old Eng. law. An uncertain measure of land, but, according to some opinions it is said to contain six hundred and eighty acres. Co. Litt. 69, a.

KNIGHT'S SERVICE, Eng. law. It was, formerly, a tenure of lands. Those who held by knight's service were called: milites qui per loricas terras suas defendunt;: soldiers who defend the country by their armor. The incidents of knight's service were. homage, fealty, warranty, wardship, marriage, reliefs, heriots, aids, escheats, and forfeiture. Vide Socage.

KNOWINGLY, pleadings. The word knowingly," or "well knowing," will supply the place of a positive averment in an indictment or declaration, that the defendant knew the facts subsequently stated; if notice or knowledge be unnecessarily stated, the allegation may be rejected as surplusage. Vide Com. Dig. Indictment, G 6; 2 Stra. 904; 2 East, 452; 1 Chit. Pl. *367; Vide Scienter.

KNOWLEDGE. Information as to a fact. 2. Many acts are perfectly innocent when the party performing them is not aware of certain circumstances attending them for example, a man may pass a counterfeit note and be guiltless, if he did not know it was so he may receive stolen goods if he were not aware of the fact that they were stolen. In these and the like cases it is the guilty knowledge which makes the crime. See, as to the manner of proving guilty knowledge, Archb. Cr. Pl. 110, 111. Vide Animal. Dog; Evidence ignorance; Scienter .