BEfore I Come to speak of the Statutes of this noble Order , it will be necessary to acquaint the Reader with it 's Founder , and the occasion of it 's Institution . The Founder of it was Edward the third King of England , a person of a most accomplisht Virtue , the Thunderbolt of War , and in times of Peace nothing inferiour to any Lawmaker of the best ages so much celebrated . This most excellent Prince , the Glory of his times , and a chief Ornament of Europe , having exceedingly prevailed both against the French and Scottish Kings , discomforted their Armies and taken one of them in Person , ordained this most Noble Order and society of Knights , so to adorn their Valour , manifested in the Warres with honor the reward of Virtue . There number 26. no more ut pretium faciat raritas , least being else communicated unto many it might at last become despicable , nor ever have our Kings exceeded the number , but still confined themselves unto the first intention of the Founder . For the occasion of its Institution it is generally received that it took beginning from a Garter of the Queen , or rather of Joan Countess of Salisbury , a Lady of Incomparable Beauty which fell from her as she danced , and the King taking it up from the ground , a number of Nobles and Gentlemen standing by laughing at it , The King said that shortly it should come to pass that Garter should be in high Honor , and estimation : adding withall these words in French Hony So it qui maly pense , ( i.e. ) Shame be to him that evill thinks . Which after was the Motto , or Impress of the Garter . Which were it so ( saith Mr. Cambden ) it needs not seem to be a base originall thereof , considering as one saith Nobilitas sub amore jacet , He adds withall that some report how from his own Garter , given forth as a signall of a battail which speed so fortunatly , he called them Knights of the Garter . But whatsoever the occasion was , likely it is that it took this name from the blew Garter , which the Fellows of it weare on their left leg : carrying the aforesaid Impress wrought with Golden Letters , and enchased with precious stones and fastened with a Buckle of Gold , as with the bond of most inward society in token of Unity and Concord , that so there might be a Communion as it were of Virtues and good will among them . Dr. Cowel reports in his Interpreter that he hath seen an antient Monument wherein it doth appear that this most Noble Order is a Colledge or Corporation , having a Common Seal consisting of the Kings of England as Soveraigns thereof or chief Guardians of it 25 Knight fellows ( as they call them or Companions ) of the Garter 14 Canons Resident being Secular Priests , 13 Vicars or Chorall Priests , and 26 of the inferiour sort of Gentry , Military men commonly called Poor Knights of Windsore ( whereof indeed there are but twelve ) There belongs also to this Heroick Order the Prelate of the Garter which is the Lord Bishop of Winton for the time being ; a Chancellor , a Register thereof which alwaies is the Dean of Windsore , An Usher which is one of the Ushers of the Kings Chamber called the Black rod , and last of all a Chief Herauld , even the most principall of all ; Garter first King at Arms , Instituted by that Victorious Prince King Henry the fifth , to attend Chiefly on this Order , and to do them service at their Funerals .

A brief View of some of the Statutes of this Order , The Kings of England are ( as I said before ) the Soveraignes of this Noble Order , and either do in person or by their lawfull Deputies by them nominated and appointed , elect the Fellows of the Order , and Solemnize the Festivals , and hold the Chapters . To them it also appertains to have the declaration , reformation , and disposition of the Laws and statutes of the said most Noble Order . Which Laws and statutes were first Instituted and devised by the Victorious Prince King Edward , of that name the third ; after revised and ratified by many of the succeeding Kings . And on the Reformation of Religion much altered by King Edward the sixt . About this time ( saith Sir John Hayward in his History of this Prince ) the Order was almost wholly altered as by the statutes thereof then made doth appear . A thing not to be wondered at , for even the Laws of the most setled States and Kingdoms have been often changed and varied according to occasion and the Princes pleasure . Unto them also to the Soveraigns , I mean , or to their Deputies , it appertains to chose and nominate into the Order whom they esteem to be most worthy of that Honor , and like to be the greatest Ornaments unto it . Yet so that six at least of the said Fellows do conveene at the Election , and concurre in it , the residue of them being all warned to be there present , and such as faile of their attendance without just cause , such as the Soveraign shall approve , to be amerced . In their Elections two things there are which they especially observ .

First , that the Party nominated , be a Gentleman of Name , and Arms ; for three descents both by the Fathers side , and the Mothers side . For which cause when the Garter was reproachfully taken from the Lord William Pagit , by Dudly of Northumberland to give to John his Eldest son , the Earl of Warwick : he used this colour to disguise that foule dishonor ; that the said Lord , ( as the first raiser of his house ) was said to be no Gentleman of blood , neither by father nor mother , as Sir John Heyward tels the story .

The second thing to be observed is that the party nominated be without spot or foul reproach : as viz : not convict of Heresy ; nor attaint of Treason ; nor by his Prodigality and Riot decayed in his Estate , by means whereof he is not able to conserve the Honor of his Order ; nor such a one as ever fled in the day of Battail ; his Soveraign Lord , or his Lieutenant being in the field . In all which cases a Knight Elected , and Installed may also if it please the Soveraigne , be degraded .

The Party chosen by the Prince , if he be a stranger , is certified thereof soon after by letters from the Soveraign : and many times the Statutes of that Order have been sent unto him to consider of them , whether or no he will accept of this Election . But this is a matter meerly formal ; for commonly our Kings are first well assured of the Parties good affection to them , before they choose him : and as for Soveraign Princes it is a true note of Mr. Cambdens , that the most mighty of them have reputed it their chiefest Honour to be chosen and admitted into this Company . If he accept it ( as no question but he will ) then doth the Soveraign forth with send unto him by his Ambassadour and the chief Herald ( commonly ) the whole Habit of the Order , with the Garter and the Collar wherewith they do invest him . And on the other side , the Prince or Stranger so invested , within convenient time , send their sufficient Deputy with a Mantle of blew Velvet , to be installed in their room at St. GEORGE'S Church in Winsore . But if the party chosen be a Subject of the Kingdom , the Garter is delivered to him presently upon his Election , to signifie that he is chose into the Order . Afterwards in the Chapter-house , upon the reading of his Commission before the Soveraign or his Deputy , he is invested with the Robe and with the Hood . Then follows the Installment , performed with many grave and magnificent Ceremonies : which done , he doth receive the Collar of the Order . This at their Installations have alwayses an Oath administrated , that to their power , during the time they shall be fellows of the Order , they shall defend the Honour , Quarrels , Rights and Lordships , of the Soveraign , and that they shall indeavour to preserve the Honour of the said Order : and all the Statutes of it they shall well observe , without fraud or covin . Which Oath is by the Natives of the Kingdom taken absolutely , and in terms ; but many times by Strangers relatively and by halfes , in reference to some former Order .

So when King Henry the third of France , was by the Earl of Darby invested with the Garter , Anno 1585. he took his Oath to keep the Statutes of the Order in all points , wherein they were not opposite to the Order of St. Michael , and the Holy Ghost , to which he had been sworn before . Upon which reason also Frederick King of Denmark , though he did joyfully accept the habit of the Order , refused to take the Oath at all , because he had been sworn before ( at his Installation in the Order of St. Michael ) to the King of France . Being thus solemnly installed and seated in the place belonging to them in the Chappel , their next care is to fasten an Escotcheon of their Arms and Hachments , in a plate of mettal , upon the back of their said Stalls , which they remove according as themselves in Order are advanced higher . And in that order they do also change the places of their Banners , Swords and Helmets , which are continually set over their said Stalls , during their being of the Order . This only is the difference , that at the death of any of the Knights of this most Noble Order , their plate of Arms is left for ever to that Stall , where last they sat , to preserve their memory : whereas the Banner , Sword and Helmet , are all taken down , and offered with all due solemnities , the Offerings made by such of the surviving Knights , as by the Soveraign shall be destinated to that service . I said before that they remove their Plates , and Hachments , according as themselves in order are advanced higher in this Order , they take place according to the antiquity of their Creation , and not according to their Dignities , Titles , and Estates , so that sometimes a Knight Bachelour hath place before an Earl or Baron , as not long since we had example in Sir Harry Lea Knight , keeper of the Armory . Only in Honour unto Strangers which be Dukes , or sons and brethren unto forrein Kings and Princes , it is permitted that they take their rooms and places according to their quality .

Hitherto we have spoken of the Election of Saint GEORGE's Knights and their admission to the Order . A little would be said now of the means and wayes whereby their rooms are void , and their places destitute : and they are three : For either they are void by Death , or by Degradation , or by Cession and surrendry . The second of these ( for we wil not speak of Death ) is Degradation , a piece of Justice more to be commended where it may not , than where it may be spared . The Cases wherein Degradation is allowed of , I have already shewn , but the examples are but few . William Lord Pages which was so scornfully degraded by Northumberland , was by Queen Mary with great Honour restored again unto his Order . And Sir John Fastolfe , which for his valiantnesse had been elected of the Order , was by the Duke of Bedford , under whom he served , and unto whom he was great Master of the Houshold , divested in great anger , of his George and Garter : because he had departed from a Battel ( which the English lost ) without stroke stricken : but afterwards by means of his friends , and upon good excuse and reason by him alledged in his defence ( for certainly he was a wise and valiant Captain , however on the Stage they have been pleased to make merry with him ) was restored to his Honour . The third and last means of avoidance , is by Cession or surrendry , and here of the examples are also very few . This I am sure of ( not to make further search into it ) that Philip King of Spain being offended with Queen Elizabath about her altering of Religion , and thereby alienated from the English , delivered back unto the Lord Vicount Mountaque the Robes and Habit of the Order wherewith he was invested on his Marriage with Queen Mary . By which his Act , as the Historian hath observed , he seemed to break off utterly all amity and friendship with the Realm of England : It is true indeed , King Philip being once resolved to renounce his Order ; was of necessity to send back the Habit ; for so it is ordained amongst them , that even such of them as depart this life , are to take care especially , that the Garter be restored to the Soveraign ; by him , and by the company of the said Order , to be disposed of to some other : examples in which kind are infinite to relate .

Windsore , the fairest and most stately of our English Palaces , was by King Edward who adorned and beautified it , conceived most fit to be the seat of this most excellent Order which he had established . An house indeed worthy of such Inhabitants ; and therefore worthily honoured by them : For here they alwayes leave in readinesse the Mantle of their Order , to be laid up for them , for any sudden chances which might happen to require their presence at St: GEORGE'S Chappel , or in the Chapter-house : Here do they solemnize the Installations of their brethren , and perform their obsequies . And lastly , such a reverend regard they owe the place , that if they come within two miles of it ( except that they be hindred by some weighty and important business ) they alwayes do repair thereto , and putting on their Mantles , which are their in readinesse , proceed unto the Chappel , and there make their offerings . Nor do they go at any time from out the Castle , if their occasions bring them thither , till they have offered in like manner .

Having thus spoken of the statutes of this most Noble Order whereby they are and have been governed , we will descend in the next place to give you notice of their Patron , which after the opinions of those times , they chose unto themselves . Of which this Polydore Virgil . This order is ( saith he ) dedicated unto St GEORGE as the chief Saint , and Patron of the men of War ; whose Festivall they therefore solemnly observe with many noble Ceremonies . But what need Polidore have been produced unto this purpose , since from the Charter of the Institution we have a testimony more authenticall . For there King Edward tels us that to the Honor of Almighty God , and of the Blessed Virgin St. Mary , and of the Glorious Martyr St. GEORGE , Patron of the Right Noble Realm of England , and to the Exaltation of the Holy Catholick Faith , he had ordained , established , created and founded within his Castle of Windsore , a Company of twenty six Noble Knights to be of the said most Noble Order of St. GEORGE , named the Garter . It is true indeed what Polidor hath well observed , with how great Ceremony and Solemnity the Knights do Celebrate this Feast : Attending both on the Vesper , and the day it self at Divine Service , attired in the most rich and stately Mantels of the Order : and gallantly adorned with their most rich and sumptuous Collars ( which we call of SS. ) The Image of St. GEORGE , garnished with pearls and precious stones , appendant to them . In which their going to the Church , and in their sitting at the Table , they go and set by two and two , every one with his fellow which is fore against him in his stall . And if by chance it happen that his Fellow be not present he doth both go and set alone , I say if it chance to happen : for all the Fellows are obliged to be there personally present , without a just and reasonable cause acceptable to the Soveraigne or his Deputy , and signified by speciall letters of Excuse . Other Pompe and Rich magnificence of this Feast I forbear to mention , as being unable to express it . The mind is then best satisfied in such things as this , when the eye hath seen them . But I proceed unto St. GEORGE , of which their Patron , and the Noble Order it self , the Marriage of the Thame , and Isis , and Poem written some years since , doth thus descant . Windsore relate no more the glorious things In thee , thy guilded roofes , and Tombs of Kings . Or that thou art so honored in the rites Of George , the Cappedocians Martyrs , Knights . Who clad in Mantels rich , and circuled round The leg , with that the Garter so renown'd . Doth so advance thy name , and with its raise Splendant and glorious , so the world amaze : That Burgandy her Golden Fleece neglects And France St Michaels Collar disrespects . And Spain and Malta both esteem but small . Their Crossed robes . Thy Order dims them all .

Hence it is , that the Knights of this most honorable Order , are called in Latine Equites Georgiani , St. GEORGES Knights , and sometimes also in English , as in that passage noted out of Poly Albion . The Temple of St. George , where his honored Knights Upon the hallowed day observe their antient rites .

The other Ornaments and Habits belonging to this Order , besides the Garter ; are a Gown , a Kirtle , a Chaperon , a Cloak , a Girdle , and a Collar : all Stately and Magnificent , both for stuffe and fashion , but worne only upon daies of Extraordinary Solemnity for ordinary use , besides the Garter which is for every daies wearing , and their Cloak with the Sun on the left shoulder of it in his full Glory , which last was added by his late Majesty of ever Blessed Memory , they have a Blew Ribbon which they weare about their necks ; with the picture or rather portraicture of the GEORGE , appendant to it .