The princely Garter being thus buckled on, and the words of its fignification pronounced, the eldest knight is brought before the Sovereign, who puts about his neck a fky-coloured ribbon, whereunto is appendant, wrought in gold, within the Garter, the image of St. George on horfeback, with his drawn fword, encountering with the dragon; the admonition being thus:

"Wear this ribbon about thy neck, adorned with the image of the blessed martyr and foldier of Chrift, St. George, by whofe imitation provoked, thou mayeft fo uverpafs both profperous and adverfe adventures, that having ftoutly vanquished thy enemies, both of body and foul, thou mayeft not only receive the praise of this tranfient combat, but be crowned with the palm of eternal victory."

Having thus far fpoken of the Garter and George, wherewith a knight compa

nion is adorned at the time of his election, we shall defcribe the remains of his habit, together with his installation, which is always performed at the castle of Windfor

His ftockings and breeches, being the fame, are of pearl-coloured filk, and called pantaloons. On the outfide of the right knee is fixed a knot of open filver lace and ribbons intermixed, in form of a large rofe, and a little below the knee is placed the Garter. His fhoes, which are of white fhamoy, with red heels, have each a knot, as the former, on the exterior fide. His doublet is cloth of filver, adorned before and behind, and down the fleeves, with feveral guards, or rows of open filver lace, each lace having a row of fmall buttons fet down the middle.

The cuffs are open, and adorned with the aforementioned lace and ribbons fet in fmall loops. At the bottom of the upper feam of each cuff, is fixed a knot of filver ribbons that fall over his gloves, which are of kid, laced at the top with filver, and adorned at the opening with a knot, as that on the cuff. Then his trowiers, which are of tissue, the fame of his doublet, and adorned with two rows, or bars of lace and ribbons, as before-mentioned, intermixed and fet at a small distance, that the ground appears between them, being buckled round his waift, are in form of a pair of puffed breeches, reaching to the middle of his thighs. And in this habit, having a blue ribbon fpread over the left shoulder, and brought under the right arm, with

the George appendent, he proceeds from hi lodgings in the caftle, to the chapterhoufe, where difrobing himself of his upper garment, he is invefted with a furcoat of crimson velvet, lined with white taffata, during which time the admonition is given him as follow:

"Take this robe of crimson, to the increafe of your honour, and in token or fign of the most noble order you have received, wherewith you being defended, may be bold, not only ftrong to fight, but also offer your felf to fhed your blood, for Chrift's faith, the liberties of the church, and the just and neceffary defence of them that are oppreffed and needy."

After this, his fword is clofe girt about him over his furcoat, with a belt the fame as the coat, and then bearing his cap in his hand, which is of black velvet, adorned with a diamond band, and a plume of white feathers, with a heron fprig in the middle, he proceeds to the installation in St. George's chapel,being conducted between two knights companions of the order, to the feat below his ftall, where he, Garter king of arms having on a crimson velvet cushion, laced and taffelled with gold, brought the mantle, collar, hood, and the book of ftatutes, laying his right hand on the New Testament, the oath is administered to him in the following manner :

"You being chofen one of the honourable company of this most noble order of the Garter, hall promife and fwear by the Holy Evangelifts, by you here touched, that wittingly or willingly you shall not break any ftatute of the faid order, or any articles in them contained, the fame being agreeable, and not repugnant to the laws of Almighty God, and the laws of this realm, as far forth as to you belongeth and appertaineth fo help you God and his holy word."

As foon as the knight elect hath taken the oath, he is conducted to his appointed ftall, where he is invested in manner following:

The mantle, which is lined as the furcoat, is of fky-coloured velvet, adorned on the left fhoulder with St. George's cross, encircled with the Garter wreathed on the edges with blue and gold; and the faid mantle being put on him by the two knights that led him into the choir, is fastened about his neck with a cordon or robe-string, made of the fame coloured filk and Venice gold twisted, the ends whereof are made into large knobs or buttons enriched with a caul, and fringed. And whilst the cere

mony

mony of inveftiture with the mantle, which is tied upon the right shoulder, is performing, the words of admonition proper thereunto are thus pronounce by the register:

"Receive this robe of heavenly colour, the livery of this moft excellent order, in augmentation of thy honour, ennobled with the fhield and red crofs of our Lord, by whofe power thou mayeft fafely pierce troops of thine enemies, and be over them ever victorious; and being in this temporal warfare glorious in egregious and heroic actions, thou mayeft obtain eternal and triumphant joy."

Next, the hood, which is made of crimfon velvet, and lined with white taffata, was formerly worn upon the head; but now the cap taking place, it is laid upon the right fhoulder over the mantle, and faftened by the tippet, which comes athwart his breaft, and tucks under his girdle; but, this having no ceremony, we proceed to the collar,

The collar, which weighs thirty ounces troy, of pure gold, was brought in by Henry VIII. and contains twenty-fix garters enamelled, and as many knots, alluding to the Sovereign of the order, and his twenty-five companions, whereunto St. George on horfeback, in armour, is appendant, encountering the dragon with a tilting fpear; which medal, being also of gold, may be enriched with jewels at the pleafure of the poffeffor. And this collar with the George, being part of the habit, is put over the mantle and hood, being faftened on each fhoulder by a filver ribbon, with the following ceremony:

"Wear this collar about thy neck, adorned with the image of the bleffed martyr and foldier of Chrift, St. George, by whofe imitation provoked, thou mayeft fo overpass both profperous and adverse encounters, that, having ftoutly vanquished thy enemies both of body and foul, thou mayet not only receive the praife of this tranfient combat, but also, at the laft, the endlefs and everlafting reward of victory."

tion, be worn appendant at a blue ribbon, fpread over the left fhoulder, and brought under the right arm, as before-mentioned which method has fo continued to this day, and even in the time of mourning. And this medal, which repesents St. George in a riding posture, with his fword drawn, encountering the dragon, is likewife of pure gold, and may be enriched as the former; but is always encompassed with the Garter, which that is not.

In the reign of king Charles II. it was ordained, that the Sovereign and knights companions, as alfo the prelate and chancellor, fhould at all times, and in all places and affemblies, when they were not adorned with their robes, wear upon the left fide of their coats, cloaks, or riding caflocks, the cross of the order, encompaffed with the Garter, as has been obferved, to fhew the world, what height of honour they are arrived to, from the faid moft noble order, inftituted for perfons of the greatest merit and worth. And to the faid crofs and Garter, the faid king Charles added a filver ftar of eight points; and for the greater convenience of travelling, the companions of the order were permitted to wear the blue ribbon under their boot, instead of the Garter: but without that and the leffer George, and ftar, &c. they, by the ftatutes of the order, are never to appear in public, except upon the principal and folemn feafts of the year, when they wear their collars, and then the ribbon and George is laid afide.

After the great folemnity and the installation of a knight of the Garter, his helmet, creft, fword, banner, and plate, are to be fet over his ftall in the chapel of St. George at Windfor, as a mark of honour, and are there to remain during his being of that order, the plate containing the infcription of his name, titles, &c.

The ORDER of the THISTLE. This order was founded in 1540, by James V. of Scotland, who being honoured with the order of the Garter from his un

About the latter end of the reign of king James I. it was decreed, that the lefler George, which heretofore was daily worn before the breaft, in a gold chain, should, for the more conveniency of riding or ac

the Golden Fleece from the Emperor, and the order of St. Michael from the king of France, refolved to be in the royal mode, and fo made this order for himself and twelve knights, in imitation of Chrift and his twelve apoftles. Then celebrating all the feftivals of thefe orders, he fet up their arms and badges over the gate of his palace at Lithgow, joining St. Andrew with them. Some

Some Scotch writers, very fond of antiquity, not fatisfied with the novelty of this inftitution, affect to call it the most antient as to its derivation. But for this they have no better warrant than the dream of king Hungus the PiЯ, to whom St. Andrew making a midnight vifit, promised him a fure victory over his foes, the Northumbrians; and the next day St. Andrew's cross appearing in the air, he made his words good, and the Northumbrians were defeated.

On this ftory, as they say, king Achaius, about the year 800, framed the order of St. Andrew, 7c0 years before James V. revived it; but, after fo many ages, 'tis remarkable, that no foreign teftimonies or authors are produced, no cotemporary vouchers to conrfim, or even mention it. They who dreamed one part of the fable forgot to dream the other: for we ought to have had a copy of the rules, habits, and ceremonies of the order, with a long list of the knights in fo many hundred years; but as nothing of that is pretended, the whole must be rejected as a vain empty fiction.

And if derivation be any plea for antiquity, the order of the Garter is an undeniable confequence of king Arthur's round table of twenty-four knights, which was devised and inftituted about the year 500, on purpofe for martial exercife, being 300 years before the fabulous account of Hungus and Acbaius, and is the first military order of knighthood any where left upon record ; being alfo practifed long after the Norman fettlement, till near the time of the glorious king Edward III. who founded the most noble order of the Garter.

As for the Thistle, which is the principal badge in the order of St. Andrew, it was rather transplanted from France, than any device of king James V; for the house of Bourbon had formerly fuch a fraternity, called the order of the Thistle, with the very fame motto.

Immediately after the faid King had established this order, he died in 1542, which put an end to the defign; for it being in the religious times of reformation, it was thought impious to make fo free with Chrift and his apoftles; nor was it any more heard of till king James II. of England renewed it, by making eight knights on the 29th of May, anno dom. 1687, from which time the beginning of this order is more truly to be dated: but the revolution intervening, no more knights were added till December 1703, when queen Anne made the number twelve, according to the first YOL. II.

plan, adding alfo fome new rules to the order.

In 1714, king George I. was pleafed to confirm the ftatutes of queen Anne, with the addition of feveral more, particularly that of making rays of glory to furround the figure of St. Andrew, which hangs at the collar; and as elections and installments were both wanting, his Majesty ordered that chapters of election should thenceforth be held in the royal prefence; and the great wardrobe to provide fuitable mantles, and other veftments for the knights and officers.

The enfigns are the image of St. Andrew in a purple robe, irradiated, as before obferved, and vefted in cloth of geld, with the white cross of martyrdom on his breaft; and is pendent to the collar of the faid order, as worn by the knights on their feast day, being the 30th of November, and other great occafions.

The collar is made of gold, with thiftles and sprigs of rue linked together, enamelled green, being the two antient fymbols of the Scots and Pis; the one not to be handled without being hurt, and the other being an antidote against infection : hence the motto, Nemo me impune laceffit.

The common badges worn by the knights are, a cross furmounted by a star of four fingle points, and over them a green circle bordered and lettered with gold, containing the motto; and in the centre is a thistle, proper; the whole being embroidered on the left breaft, and with the collar always word with the other enfign, which is a green ribon spread over the left fhoulder, and brought under the right arm, pendant to which is the aforefaid image of St. Andreto within an oval of gold, enamelled green, with the fame motto; but fometimes they wear a thistle crowned, incircled after the fame

Radcliff's foundation, being to travel five years in Great Britain, and five abroad, and to have a falary of 300l. per annum each.

July 16. General Wade, and the Lordadvocate, having imprisoned feventeen men and boys, and four women, on account of the late tumult at Glasgow, apprehended alfo the Lord-provoft, bailies, dean of guild, and deacon-convener, magiftrates of the faid city, and sent them the next day under a ftrong guard of dragoons to Edinburgh.

July 19. At their arrival near that city they were met by a vaft concourse of people of all degrees, who attended them to the prifon door, the magiftrates being in their coaches. After a fhort confinement the government thought fit to release the magiftrates without bringing them to a trial.

July 22. Thomas Parker, earl of Macclesfield, having paid his fine of 30,000l. imposed by the Houfe of Peers, was difcharged from his imprisonment in the Tower of London.

Aug. 4. The duke of Orleans, in the name of the French king Lewis XV. and his proxy, married the princess Mary Leczinski, daughter of Stanislaus, late king of Poland, in the cathedral of Strafburg.

Aug. 12. Cid Mahammed Ben Ali Abgali, ambaffador from the emperor of Morocco to the court of England, arrived here.

Aug. 25. The French king was married at Fontainbleau to princefs Mary Leczinski. John Ker duke of Roxborough, refigned his office of one of his Majefty's principal fecretaries of state.

Aug. 30. Reynold Campbel, efq. was appointed keeper of the fignet in Scotland, under the duke of Newcastle, and the lord viscount Townshend, secretaries of state for England.

Sept. 1. James Ford Waldegrave, one of the gentlemen of the bed-chamber, was fent to the court of France, to compliment the French king on his marriage.

Sept. 3. A treaty of alliance was concluded at Hanover between the kings of England and France, and the king of Prusfia; called the Hanover treaty.

Sept. 21. The parliament of Ireland returned thanks to his Majefty for vacating Mr. Wood's patent for coining halfpence and farthings.

Sept. 24. The French crown appeared to be near two hundred millions sterling in debt about this time, to discharge which they impofed heavy taxes for twelve years, and oppreffed the subject intolerably.

Sept. 29. Sir Francis Forbes, knight and

alderman, was elected lord mayor of Londen for the year enfuing.

Eleven of the Glasgow rioters were tried at Edinburgh, about this time, for treafon and rebellion, and four men being convicted, the government were fo favourable to them on account of the zeal they had shewn for king George at the time of lord Mar's rebellion, that they were fentenced only to be transported, after they had been whipped at Glasgow, and a woman was ordered to ftand in the pillory there.

O. 15. The Highlanders were disarmed by general Wade.

Nov. 14. Dr. Francis Gaftrel lord bishop of Chefter, died.

The princefs Sobieski, wife to the Chevalier, retired into a monastery.

Nov. 30. Curll, the book feller, was tried at the King's-bench bar, and convicted of publishing several obfcene books, tending to the corruption and depravation of man

ners.

Dec. The French king, by raifing and reducing the coin at pleasure, brought his fubjects under great difficulties.

Dec. 4. An order of the court of Chancery, for the mafters of that court to lodge the money and effects of the fuitors, in their hands, in the bank of England.

1725-6. Jan. 3. The king landed at Rye. in Suffex after a tempeftuous paffage.

Jan. 14. Mr. Samuel Peploe, vicar of Prefton, was made bishop of Chefter.

Jan. 20. The parliament of Great Britain met, and the King delivered a speech to them, wherein he acquainted them with the Hanover treaty, which he had entered into, to defend them against the effects of the Vienna treaty, and defired the fame number of forces and fupplies they gave the preceding year..

Jan. 21. The Lords prefented an addrefs of thanks to his Majefty, and the Commons another the next day.

Jan. 26. After a long debate in the Houfe of Commons, it was refolved to raise the fame number of forces for guards and garrifons as the preceding year.

Feb. 1. Refolved to raife two fhillings in the pound for the year enfuing.

Feb. 15. Maximilian-Mary-Emanuel, elector of Bavaria, died at Munich.

Feb. 19. The Commons prefented another address to his Majefty, the principal drift whereof was to affure him, that they would ftand by and affift him in defence of bis German dominions, if they were attacked by the Emperor.

The

The House of Peers alfo prefented an addrefs to his Majefty, to affure him they would exert themselves to the utmoft, in defence of his foreign dominions, if they were attacked; but these addreffes met with great oppofition in both Houses, before they were refolved on.

Jobn Hedges efq. was appointed one of his Majefty's envoys extraordinary to the king of Sardinia.

Feb. 24. The royal affent was given to, An act for granting an aid to his Majefty by a land-tax, for the year 1726.

An act for granting to his Majesty the fum of one million, to be raised by way of lottery.

An act for punishing mutiny and defertion, and for the better payment of the army, and their quarters.

William Cabey, efq. was appointed conful at Cadiz and Port St. Mary's.

An addrefs from the royal boroughs in Scotland was about this time prefented to his Majefty; wherein they declared, that the malt-tax was a burden too heavy for their country to bear; that their poverty and want of coin, and great decay of their trade, and the meanne's of their grain, were melancholy truths, too certain, and univerfally known; and were fo many proofs of their inability to fupport the weight of this new tax.

That this burden rendered them incapapable of carrying on the fishing-trade, and fuch other branches of commerce and manufacture as Scotland was proper for, and whereby they had hoped to improve that part of his Majefty's dominions, and render themselves more able to ferve his Majelly; and therefore defired his Majesty would grant them some relief in this particular.

March 2. Several petitions were also prefented to the Houfe of Commons on the fame fubject.

March 3. On the other hand a petition of Daniel Campbel, efq. was prefented to the Houfe, fhewing that great tumults had been raised in Scotland, in order to prevent the levying of the malt-tax in that kingdom, and thofe people infulted and abused that were fuppofed to have had any hand in it; that on the 24th of June laft, the rioters broke into the petitioner's house, and carried off all the ready money, plate, jewels, furniture, and moveables, and demolished part of the house and gardens; and, as this damage had happened to the petitioner, on account of his adherence to

the laws, and of his acting as a member to the Commons; he hoped he should meet with relief.

March 6. Thomas lord Trevor was ap pointed lord keeper of the privy-feal.

March 10. A child was born this day, at Lyford in Berks, whofe father's name was Benjamin Loder, who, when fix years old was five feet high, and his arms and legs proportionably large; he at that time could easily lift one hundred weight with one hand, and half a hundred with one finger.

March 11. Richard Hampden, efq. late treasurer of the navy, having trafficked with the public money in the year 1720, and loft near 100,000l. of it, had the af furance to petition the Commons, that his eftate might not be applied to make good the deficiencies, and did in fome measure fucceed, by the affiftance of his friends of the court-party.

One half was ordered to be fold towards paying what he had defrauded the public of, and the reft fettled upon his wife and family.

March 12. Colonel Gordon was appointed governor of Penfylvania in the room of Sir William Keith, bart.

March 18. The Commons refolved, that fatisfaction be made to Daniel Campbel, efq. for the damages he fuftained by the rioters at Glasgow, amounting to four thousand pounds and upwards.

It was ordered, that feveral claufes be inferted in the malt-tax bill, for the fatisfaction of the Scotch; viz. That the produce of it in Scotland, after 20,000l. should be paid into the Exchequer, fhould be applied towards the encouragement of the trade and manufactures in that kingdom; that the deficiency of the laft year fhould be made good out of the produce of the next.

March 24. His Majefty fent a message to the Commons, to defire he might be enabled to encrease the number of seamen, already voted for this year; and to enter into and make good fuch engagements as the circumftances and exigencies of affairs may require.

This occafioned a debate, and was compared to another meffage fent to the House in 1717, to enable his Majefty to defend himself against Saveden, when the parlia ment granted him 250,000l. but could never get any account of it,

However, an addrefs was agreed op, to affure his Majefty, they would effectually provide for, and make good, all his expences P 2

and