THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER.

THIS Order, which, according to the learned Selden, "exceeds in majesty, honour, and fame, all the chivalrous orders in the world," was instituted by Edward III. in the year 1349, the twentythird of his reign.

Hume tells us, that the prudent conduct and great success of Edward in his foreign wars, had excited a strong emulation and a military genius among the English nobility; and these turbulent Barons, overawed by the Crown, gave now a more useful direction to their ambition, and attached themselves to a Prince, who led them to the acquisition of riches and glory. That he might further promote the spirit of emulation and obedience, the King instituted the Order of the Garter, in imitation of some orders of a like nature, religious as well as military, which had been established in different parts of Europe. The number received into this Order consisted of twenty-five persons besides the Sovereign, and, as it has never been enlarged, this badge of distinction continues as honourable as at its first institution, and is still a valuable though a cheap present, which the Prince can confer on his greatest subjects. A vulgar story prevails, but is not supported by any authority, that at a court ball Edward's mistress, commonly supposed to be the Countess of Salisbury, dropped her garter; and the King taking it up, observed some of his courtiers to smile, as if they thought he had not obtained this favour merely by accident, upon which he called out "Honi soit qui mal y pense!” "Evil to him that evil thinks!" and as every incident of gallantry among those ancient warriors was magnified into a matter of great importance, he instituted the Order of the Garter in memorial of

* History of England, chap. xvi.

this event, and gave these words as the motto of the Order. This origin, though frivolous, is not unsuitable to the manners of the times; and it is indeed difficult to account, either for the seemingly unmeaning terms of the motto, or for the peculiar badge of the Garter, which seems to have no reference to any purpose either of military use or ornament.

According to another account, the Order had its rise in the circumstance of Edward's picking up the garter of his Queen, which had accidentally slipped from her leg; and that the motto was adopted from the reply made by the Queen to her husband's interrogatory of what men would conjecture of her, upon her losing her garter in such a manner.

A third opinion traces its origin to Richard Cœur de Lion's having, upon the occasion of some warlike expedition during his wars in Palestine, chosen a leathern thong garter as the distinctive mark of his partisans.* While a fourth ascribes its foundation to

* Though this opinion seems scarcely tenable, it receives some apparent confirmation from the following note by Miss Banks, preserved among the MSS. bequeathed by that lady to the British Museum. (Add. MS. 6321).

"The Duke [of Northumberland] also told us that the original documents of the Order have long ago, and by means of which he is ignorant, fallen into the hands of the Emperor, and are now preserved either at Prague or Vienna, at one of which places they were seen by the late Duke of Leeds.

"From these, said the Duke, it appears that the real origin of the Order took place at St. John D'Acre, in the Holy Land, when it was besieged and taken by the Crusaders. The town was captured in a night assault, in which the Knights of the Christian army were ordered to wear a strap of white leather bound round the leg under the left knee, in order to distinguish them from the infidels; and that this strap of leather, and not the Countess of Salisbury's garter, is the origin of the garter now worn. But surely the motto seems to prove that some improper idea had been annexed to it by the persons on whom the motto cries shame; but no scandal whatever could apply to a Knight's kneestrap.

the fact of Edward at the battle of Cressy, or some other of his victories, having issued his garter as a signal for battle, which proving successful, determined him to institute this order in memory of the event.

But whatever may have been its origin, it is certain that this Order is, not only in the opinion of every historian who has written on the subject, but also in the estimation of the people of all countries, far preferable to any other existing in the world.

This feeling may have arisen partly in the great care taken in the creations of this Order to maintain a proper reverence for it— by not admitting any one a ember who has not been a gentleman by name and arms, both by the father's and mother's side, for three descents nor any who has either spot or blemish; who has been convicted of heresy, or attainted of treason; who is decayed by prodigality or riot, or who has fled in the day of battle: and partly again, from the fact that while foreign Princes* are proud

Surely, if the Duke is right, this would be a proper time, when we subsidise the Emperor, to ask for the return of documents of the utmost value to the Order, and of no value whatever to the Sovereign who has them in possession.

"The Duke also remarked, that one of the statutes of the order gives countenance to this story; it is the statute which commands the Knights never to be without the garter round the left knee, except when on horseback, when they may wear in its stead a strap of white leather; such a strap, no doubt, as was worn by the Christian Knights at Acre. The Duke certainly refers to the ancient statutes; in the modern ones, as regulated Aug. 5, 1 & 2 William and Mary, the 10th statute requires a blue riband to be worn under the boot when riding."

It is impossible to enumerate in this place how many Sovereigns of each of the European states have been members of this Order since the date of its foundation. At the present moment there are no less than six foreign potentates belonging to it-namely, the Emperor of Russia, the King of Belgium, the King of Prussia, the King of the Netherlands, the King of Denmark, and the King of Wirtemburg, to whom may be added the Duke of Saxe Meinengen, and the Duke of Brunswick.

to wear the Garter, the Sovereigns of England have rarely thought fit to accept of any foreign orders.

Upon the original constitution of the Order it consisted of the Sovereign and twenty-five Knights' Companions. The only alteration which has taken place in this respect, was by the statute passed on the 17th of January 1805, whereby it is decreed that the Order should from thenceforth consist of the Sovereign, and twenty-five Knights' Companions, together with such lincal descendants of King George II. as may be elected, always excepting the Prince of Wales, who is a constituent part of the original institution. Special statutes have since also, at different times, been proclaimed for the admission of Sovereigns, and Extra Knights, the latter of whom have, however, always become part of the twenty-five Companions, as vacancies have occurred.

The habits and ensigns of this most noble Order consist of the Garter, Mantle, Surcoat, Hood, George and Collar. The first four, namely, the Garter, Mantle, Surcoat, and Hood, were assigned to the Knights' Companions by the Founder; and the George and Collar were added by Henry VIII.

The Garter, which is worn below the left knee, is of dark blue velvet, edged with gold, with the motto, "Honi soit qui mal y pense," embroidered thereon in letters of gold-and with a buckle and pendant of gold richly chased.* The Garter is pre-eminently

* The Garters which have been sent from time to time to foreign Monarchs on their election, have been still more richly adorned. That sent to Henri Quatre was enriched with diamonds and rubies; that to Christian IV. of Denmark, with gold and pearls; but these were far excelled by that sent to Gustavus Adolphus, in which the motto was composed of small diamonds, with a diamond for every stop, the whole being within a range of diamonds above and below on the sides of the Garter; the number, including those on the buckle, amounting to 411.

Ashmole tells us, that the Garter which King Charles I. wore upon his leg at the time of his martyrdom, had the letters of the motto composed likewise of diamonds, which amounted to the number of 412. It came to the hands of Captain Preston, from the trustees for the sale of

the ensign of the Order, being the first part of the habit presented to foreign Princes, and absent Knights, who, as well as all other Knights elect, are therewith first adorned.

The second ensign of the Order is the Mantle, which is the chief of those vestments which the Sovereign and Knights' Companions make use of upon all solemn occasions relating to the Order. This mantle, which is very long and ample, is made of Garter-blue velvet, lined with taffeta; that of the Sovereign being distinguished by a greater length of train.

The third ensign is the Surcoat or Kirtle, which is of crimson velvet, lined with white taffeta; and, like the Mantle, adorned on the left side with an eight-pointed star richly embroidered in silver, the four central rays of which are longer than the four others. In the centre of this star is the Red Cross of St. George, the Patron of the Order, and the whole is surrounded with a small Garter of blue velvet, on which is embroidered the motto in letters of gold.

The Hood, like the Surcoat, is of crimson velvet, lined with taffeta, and the Hat is of black velvet, rather high and with a narrow brim. The plume, which is of white ostrich feathers with a tuft of black heron feathers in the centre, is fastened to the hat by a band of diamonds.

The Collar of the Order must always be of gold, and must weigh exactly thirty-two ounces. It was appointed by the statutes of

the King's goods, who received it, and sold it to Ireton, some time Lord Mayor of London, for 205. But after the Restoration, the King's Attorney-General, proceeding upon an action of trover and conversion, a verdict was given for the King against him for 205l. and 10l. costs, in Trinity Term, 16 Charles II.

* All who witnessed the Coronation of George IV. must well remember the striking effect of the costume of this Order. His Majesty the King of Belgium and the late Marquess of Londonderry both wore it upon this occasion. They were the only Knights present who did so, and were certainly two of the noblest looking figures in all that gorgeous pageant.