Part 52

XXI. _Item_, It is agreed, That if any Knyghte of the said Companye shulde departe, and another is Chosen and Electe, he shall have sone after his Election the Garter, in signyfyeng that he ys one of the Knyghtes and Felowes of the Order of the Garter, and his Robe and Hode shall be delivered hym in the Chapter-House incontinently, after that his Commission hath been red before the Soverayne or his Deputie and the Companye, and after that shall be led by two Knyghtes of the said Order, accompanied with the other Noblemen, and the Officers of the Order shall also be present, and his Mantell shall be borne before hym by one of the Knyghtes of the said Order, or by the Kyng at Armes of the Order. The which Mantell shall be delyvered to hym for his Habit, after that he shall have made his Oth before his Stalle, and not before. And this done, he shall retorne into the Chapter-House, where he shall reseyve, by the Soverayne or his Deputie, the Coler, and soo he shall have the full Possession of his Habit holely, except great Prynces Strangers, the which may receyve their Habit holely within the Chapter-House, as it hath been used and accustomed in tymes paste, for the shortenyng of tyme. And if he die before he have receyved hys Habit, he shall not be named one of the Founders, seyng that he lacketh to have full Possession of his Astate: But he shall have the one halfe of the Masses above-named for the delyverance of the Garter, and none other thynge above it. And if he soo Chosen come not in all good diligence, after the reception of the said Garter in the said Place to be stalled, and in specyally within the Yere of his Election, if he be a Knyghte dwellyng within the Realme, and hath none Excuse reasonable, allowable, and acceptable to the said Soverayne or his Deputie and the Company; then the Election shall be voyd of hym, and the Soverayne or his Deputie and the Companye, shall goo and make another new Election, and neyther the Banner, the Sworde, nor the Helmet, nor Crest, of hym so Chosen, be put upon his Stalle within the Castell before his commyng; to the ende that if he come not, his said Hachementes, as Banner, Sworde, Helmet, be not taken down nor avoled, but honesly put oute of the Quyer, and the reast of other thyngs shall abyde, to the profitt and use of the saide Order.

XXII. _Item_, It is agreed, That if any of the Dukes, Marques, Erles, Vizcontes, Barons, Bandrettis, or Bachelers die; that he that shall come after and succede in his place and rome, be he Duke, Marquess, Erle, Vizconte, Baron, Baneret, Bacheler, or any of the Astates above-named, he shall have the selffe same Stalle his Predecessor had, and shall not change it, without he have especiall License or Warrant of the said Soverayne, allwayes all Emperours, Kyngs, and Prynces, be excepted, the which shall kepe and holde theyr Stalles after theyr Astate, and very nexte unto the Soverayne; and then by this meane a Duke shall take the Stalle of a Bacheler, and a Bacheler the Stalle of a Duke, in signe and knowlege of the fyrst Founders.

XXIII. _Item_, If there be any Place or Stalle voyde, the Soverayne at his Pleasure may advance and translate, by his special License, any Knyghte of the said Companye in the said Stalle, so be it that it be more hyer then the Stalle that he was in afore; also the Soverayne onys in his Lyffe may, if it please hym, make a general Translation of all the States at his pleasure, excepte the Emperours, Kyngs, Prynces, and Dukes; the which allwey shall kepe ther Places and Stalles, if not that they be translated in more hyer Rome and Stalle, in the which translacion the long contynuance in the Ordre, and the praises, worthynes, and Merites of the Knyghtes ought to be considered and remembred; the which Knyghtes from hensforth in goyng and syttyng at all tymes, that they shall were their Mantells, shall kepe their Places after the Order of their Stallis, and not after their Astatis, as is aforesaid.

XXIV. _Item_, It is agreed, That all the Felowis abovesaid, at their fyrst commyng in, shall gyve every of them a certayne Somme, after their Astate, for the entertaynyng and mayntenance of the Cannons and pore Knyghtes dwellyng in the said Place, and for the Almes Dedes that is there perpetualli ordenyd; that is to witt, the Soverayne fourty Markes, a Stranger Kyng twenty Pounds, the Prynce twenty Markes, every Duke ten Pounds, every Marques eight Pounds six Shillings and eight Pence, every Erle ten Markes, every Vizconte five Pounds sixteen Shillings and eight Pence, every Baron and Baneret, five Pounds, every Bacheler five Markes; and their Baners, Helmetts, Crestis, and Swordis, shalle not be set over their Stalles untyll the tyme that they have payd, at their entryng, the foresaid Sommes, every one after his Astate and Degree whereof he is; and that is to witt, the Soverayne is bounde to pay for every Stranger that shall be Chosen and electe, when he shall be stalled in his propre Parson, or by procurement or Attornay, and these Gyftes be gieven, to the entent that every one of them that shall entre into the Ordre, be more worthy to have the Name, Title and Privelege of one of the Founders of the said Ordre.

XXV. _Item_, It ys agreed, That every Knight within the Yere of his Stallation, shall cause to be made a Scouchon of his Armes and Hachementis in a Plate of Metall, suche as shall please hym, and that it be suerly sett upon the back of his Stall; and the other that shall come after, shall have their Scochons and Hachements in like manner; but their Plates of Metall nor there Hachements shall not be soo large nor soo greatte as they of the first Founders were; excepte Strangers, which may use their Plates and Fashions at their Pleasure.

XXVI. _Item_, It ys agreed, That no Knyght chosen and electe for to be Felow of the said Noble Ordre, shall not be stalled by Procurement or Attornay, excepte he be a Straunger, and may not well come hyther in his propre Parson for to be stalled, or other that is busied withoute the Realme for the Affaires of the Soverayne, or by his Commandement and Lycence, as it ys above declared.

XXVII. _Item_, That every Knyght entryng in the said Ordre, shall Promes and Swere faithfully to observe and kepe the Poyntis and Articles that here followeth; that is to witt, that to his trew Powre he shall helpe, duryng his Lyffe, and duryng the tyme that he shall be Felow of the said Ordre, for to kepe, defende and sustayne the Honor, Quarrelles, Rightes and Lordshippes of the Soverayne of the said Ordre.

_Item_, That with all his Powre he shall enforce hymselffe and take payne honorably to entertayne and augment the said Ordre; and if it happen hym for to know any thynge that were imagyned or procured to the contrarye, of the defence and resistence of this, with all his trew Powre he shall put hymself in more gretter endevorment.

_Item_, That well and trewly he shall accomplisshe and entertayne all the Statutis, Poyntis and Ordynances of the said Ordre; and of all this shall make a generall Othe, all and so as though it were redde unto hym fro Poynt to Poynt, and Article to Article, and shall make the said Othe to the Soverayne of the said Ordre, or his Deputie, in sweryng and promisyng upon the Holye Gospellis, for to kepe them and entertayne them withoute any fraude or delacion. And upon this he shall touche the Boke, and kysse the Crosse.

_Item_, This done, the said Knyght soo Chosen, with due Reverence, shall receyve the Garter; the whiche the, Soverayne or his Deputye shall put it aboute his left Leg, in saying these Words: “Sir, The lovyng Companye of the Ordre of the Garter hath receyved you theyr Brother, Lover, and Felow; and in token and knowlege of this, they gyve you and present you this present Garter; the whiche God wyll that you receyve and were from hensforth to his Praise and Pleasure, and to the Exaltacion and Honor of the said Noble Order, and of your self.”

XXVIII. _Item_, It is agreed, That in case that the Soverayne be out of the Contrey, to the whiche he cannot in propre Parson do that shall appertayne to the Stallation; he may gyve Powre and Auctorite, by his Letters of Commission, to two of the Felows, or to dyverse, for to exercise it in his Name.

XXIX. _Item_, It is agreed, That a common Seal, a Signet of the Arms of the Ordre be made, the which shall rest in the custodi and kepyng of the Chanceler of the Ordre, or of such a Knyghte and Felow of the said Ordre as shall please the Soverayne to name and assigne; and if he that shall have the Seales in kepyng or custodi, shulde departe or goo forth for any cause twenty Miles farre from the Soverayne, then he shall deliver the said Seals to the Soverayne, or to such Knyghte of the Ordre, or to any other Parson that it shall please the said Soverayne for to ordeyne and appoynte; to the entent that at no tyme the said Seals be out of the presence of the seid Soverayne, he beyng within his Realme; and if he be owte of his Realme, the Signet shall suffice for to Seal all suche Actes and Wrytynges touchyng the said Ordre, that there may be concluded and made.

XXX. _Item_, It is agreed, That every Felow of the said Ordre, from hensforth, shall have the Statutis of the said Ordre first collected and oversene by the Register, and after that sealed with the common Seal aforesaid: And if the Knyght will have any Armes devysed, or cognysance made within the Boke of the said Statutes, then the said Boke shall be delyvered to the Kynge at Armes of the Ordre, for trewly to ordayne of it as it shall appertayne; and the original to be likewyse signed and sealed, the whiche shall abyde in the Treasory of the said College for evermore.

XXXI. _Item_, It is agreed, That after the Death of eny of the Knyghtes of the said Companye, his Executours shall be bounde for to sende agayne, and to delyver, the Statutes of the said Ordre within three Monethes after, if so be that the Statutes hath been delivered unto hym by the Soverayne, or to his charge; the which Statutes shall be delivered agayn to the Warden or Register of the said College, or to one of the principal Officers for the tyme beyng.

XXXII. _Item_, It is agreed, That none of the Knyghtes of Saynt _George_, of the said Companye of the Garter, shall not goo oute of the Contrey nor Dominion of the Soverayne, without havyng Leave and Lisence of the Soverayne; and therefore it is agreed, That if eny Viage be made, or any other notable Acte, appertaynyng to the Honor of Knyghthod; the said Soverayne, of his Grace, for the great Love, Favor and Confidence that he beares towarde the Knyghtes of the said Ordre, will prefarre, advance and present the said Felowes and Knyghtes of the Order of Saynt _George_ before all other.

XXXIII. _Item_, That none of the Knyghtes of the said Ordre shall not Arme themselves the one against the other, but in the Warres of his Soverayne Lorde, in his right and juste Quarell; and if it shulde happen that any of the said Ordre were retayned with any Lorde, and holdyng his Partie and Quarell, and the adversari Partie desireth alsoo to have another Felowe of the said Ordre with hym; In this case such a Knyght and Felowe shall not be retayned, but may excuse hym from all suche thynges, because his Felowe is armed against hym on the other syde, and was retayned before hym; and every Knyght of the said Ordre shall be bounde to excepte when he shall be retayned, that he may be holely dischargyd from his Servyce of Warre, if any of the Felowshipp before hym retayned or holdyng the contrary and adversari Partye; and if he that is second retayned, know that any of his Felowes be retayned before hym, and armed with his adversari Partye; Then he that is seconde retayned, at the fyrste knowledge that he shall have thereof, shall be bounde to excuse hym toward his Maister, and leave that Quarell.

XXXIV. _Item_, That all the Lycencis gyven to the Knyghtes of the said Ordre that goo oute of the Realme, for to seke and obtayne Honor; and all Certifications or sendynge Letters and Writynges concernyng the said Ordre, from hensforth shall be Sealed with one of the Seales of the said Ordre.

XXXV. _Item_, It is agreed, That if eny Knyght of the said Ordre, for his Devocion, wyll dwell within the said Castell contynually; there shall be ordeny’d for hym a dwellyng Place convenient, by the Assignment of the Soverayne, and he of his propre Goods, and at his Costes and Charges, shall provyde for hys Lyveyng.

XXXVI. _Item_, If any other Knyght, not beyng of the said Ordre, hathe any wyll to dwelle there for his Devocion; there shall be ordened for hym a dwellyng Place, after the Wyll and Pleasure of the said Soverayne, and with the Consentement of the said Company.

XXXVII. _Item_, It is ordened, That yf any Knyght, or other Parson, wylle gyve any Landes, Heritage, or Rentes, for to be participant of all the good Oraysons and Prayers that shall be said in the sayde Place, also his Name shall be registred, and the Canons and pore Knyghts shall Pray perpetually unto God for hym; and also the said Deane, Warden, and Canons of the said College, from hensforth, shall not take any maner of Charge upon the said College, withoute the Advyse and Consentement of the sayd Soverayne, or his Deputye, and the Felowship of the sayd Order, in Presence, and by them concented and agreed in playne Chapter.

XXXVIII. _Item_, For to have better knowledge of the Knyghtes that shall be of the said Order, the Soverayne of it willyth and ordeneth, by the Willes and Consentement of all the hole Company, that from hensforth, that every Knyght of the said Ordre shall have and were apertly and openly, a Coller of Golde about his Necke, waying thirty Ounces of Troy Weyght, and not above, the whiche Coller shall be made by Pieces in Fashion of Garters, in the myddes of which Garters shall be a double Rose, the one Rose of Rede, and the other within White, and the other Rose White, and the other Rose within Rede, and at the ende of the said Coller shall be put and fastned the Ymage of Saynt _George_. The whiche Coller, the said Soverayne, his Successours, and amiable Companye of the said Ordre, shall be bounde to were, and in especiall in principall and solempne Feasts of the Yere, and in other Dayes of the Yere shall be holden to were a small Chayne of Gold, with the Ymage of Saynt _George_ dependyng at the ende of the said Chayne, excepte in tyme of Warre, Sickeness, long Viage; then it shall suffice hym to were alonely a Lase of Sylke, with the said Image of St. _George_; and if the said Coller have any need of reparacion, it might be put into the Handes of the Goldesmyth and Workeman, unto the tyme that it be repared; the whiche Coller allso may not be made more richer with Stones or other thynges, reserving the said Ymage, the which may be garnished and enryched at the Pleasure of the saide Knyghte: Also the said Coller may not be solde, engaged, aliened, nor gyven, for any nede, cause, or necessity whatsoever it be.

_FINIS._

THE CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

_Of Knighthood in general, and the several Orders in_ England, &c. page 1.

CHAP. II.

_Of the Religious Orders of Knighthood in Christendom_, &c. page 19.

CHAP. III.

_An Account of the Orders of Knighthood absolutely Military._ page 53.

CHAP. IV.

_Of the Castle, Chappel, and College of_ Windsor. page 79.

CHAP. V.

_The Institution of the most_ Noble Order _of the_ Garter. page 119.

CHAP. VI.

_The Statutes and Annals of the Order._ p. 133.

CHAP. VII.

_Of the Habits and Ensigns of the most_ Noble Order _of the_ Garter. page 156.

CHAP. VIII.

_The Officers appointed for the Service of the Order._ page 189.

CHAP. IX.

_The Election of a Knight into the Order._ page 225.

CHAP. X.

_The Investiture of a Knight Subject, with the Garter and George._ page 272.

CHAP. XI.

_Of Preparations for the personal Installation of a Knight._ page 286.

CHAP. XII.

_The personal Installation of a Knight-Subject._ page 315.

CHAP. XIII.

_The Installation of a Knight-Subject by Proxy._ page 352.

CHAP. XIV.

_The Signification of Elections to Strangers._ page 360.

CHAP. XV.

_The Investitures of Strangers with the Habit and Ensigns of the Order._ page 367.

CHAP. XVI.

_The Installation of a Stranger by Proxy._ p. 384.

CHAP. XVII.

_The Duties and Fees payable by the Knights-Companions at their Installations._ page 404.

CHAP. XVIII.

_Of the Grand Feast of the Order._ page 410.

CHAP. XIX.

_Of Preparations for the Grand Feast of the Order._ page 420.

CHAP. XX.

_The Order of the Ceremonies on the Eve of the Grand Feast._ page 433.

CHAP. XXI.

_The Order of the Ceremonies on the Feast Day._ page 465.

CHAP. XXII.

_The Ceremonies observed on the last Day of the Feast._ page 484.

CHAP. XXIII.

_The Observation of the Grand Feast by absent Knights._ page 486.

CHAP. XXIV.

_The Degradation of a Knight-Companion._ p. 489.

CHAP. XXV.

_Honours paid to deceased Knights-Companions._ page 491.

CHAP. XXVI.

_A List of the Founders, and Catalogue of their Successors, to the present time._ page 501.

Transcriber’s Note

This book often uses inconsistent spelling and formatting (decorative small capitals, italics, etc.). This was left as printed unless noted below.

Opening quote marks in the printed book were often included at the beginning of a quote and at the start of each subsequent line of the paragraph. Closing quote marks were often omitted. In this representation of the book, the opening quotes following the first were omitted and a closing quote was added to aid readability.

Some presumed printer’s errors have been corrected, including normalizing punctuation. Further corrections are listed below.

p. 6 Patenr -> Patent p. 13 ortns -> ortus p. 15 _Brune_, in in _Lincolnshire_ -> _Brune_, in _Lincolnshire_ p. 15 a, -> at p. 27 Hospitellers -> Hospitallers p. 32 Cisterian -> Cistercian p. 39 Beast -> Breast p. 61 Portaiture -> Portraiture p. 112 4 _l._ 2 _d._ 8 _d._ -> 4 _l._ 2 _s._ 8 _d._ p. 113 _l._ 12. 9 _d._ -> _l._ 12 _s._ 9 _d._ p. 173 among the the Romans -> among the Romans p. 188 Cold Chain -> Gold Chain p. 189 obious -> obvious p. 201 exhibied -> exhibited p. 218 37 _l._ 13 _s._ 10 _s._ -> 37 _l._ 13 _s._ 10 _d._ p. 244 Execuing -> Executing p. 247 mannner -> manner p. 248 Fengo -> Fengs (one instance) p. 250 _Eliz._ IV. -> _Edw._ IV. p. 273 Year of of our Reign -> Year of our Reign p. 393 Christan -> Christian p. 419 annna -> annua p. 429 Flanders, Flanders -> Flanders p. 475 there moving -> the removing p. 478 twenty fith -> twenty fifth p. 501 Chapter heading added according to the Table of Contents p. 516 mngland -> England p. 546 hmuble -> humble p. 548 Even Soog -> Even Song p. 548 Saynt _Geooge_ -> Saynt _George_ p. 555 for they they should -> for they p. 562 gvye -> gyve