After a solemn Anthem, Garter passeth in the middle of the Choir, and by a Reverence, first to the invested Stranger, and next to the Lord Ambassador, gives them the Signal for descending, and being both come down, Garter passeth up before the Stranger to the High Altar, where he makes his Offering of Gold and Silver, being accompanied with the Lord Ambassador, the Herald laying the Cushion whereon he kneels when he Offers.
But if a Knight-Companion be sent on this Legation, then he proceeds first up to the Altar, preceeded by Garter, and Offers for the Sovereign, which done, he returns to his own Stall: Next, the invested Stranger proceeds up, (preceeded as before,) Offers, and returns back to his own Stall; afterwards the aforesaid Knight-Companion proceeds up again, and Offers for himself: And in this Order was the Offering made when the Emperor Maximilian was invested at Vienna, January 4. Anno 10. Eliz.
The new invested Stranger having offered, returns to his Stall, and the Lord Ambassador, with three Reverences, takes his Seat, the Organs, &c. playing all the while: When the solemn Service is finish’d, the Stranger descends again from his Stall, and with the Proceeding before him, returns in the same Order he came to the Room, where he received his Investiture.
It’s observable, that the Emperor Maximilian, out of a compliance with the Protestant Religion, caused, on the Day of his Investiture, all Prayers to Saints incensing, and other Matters and Ceremonies not used by the Church of England, to be wholly omitted at the Service in his Chappel.
At these great Solemnities, the invested Strangers have heretofore held most magnificent Feasts, but of late they are not so much in Use: And when Dinner was ready, they proceeded thither in their whole Habit, which they wore all Dinner time.
At the Investiture of Christian IV. King of Denmark, Anno 1 Jac. I. the Sovereign’s Stiles and Titles of Honour were proclaimed thrice, (before they sat down to Dinner,) and the said King’s twice; but when Maurice and Henry, Princes of Orange, received Investiture, the Stiles were proclaimed immediately after they were invested, and in the same Room, the Ceremony being perform’d to both in the Afternoon.
At the Feast made by Maximilian I. (King of the Romans,) Sir Charles Somerset, and Sir Thomas Wriothesley, sent on the Embassy, was admitted to his Table, and sat on his left Hand: On the Day of Investiture of Don Ferdinand, Prince of Spain, Arch-Duke of Austria, the Lord Morley, and Sir William Hussey, sat on his right Hand at Dinner, and Dr. Lee, and the said Sir Thomas Wriothesley, on his left; these four being join’d in the Commission of Legation.
At a Feast on the like Occasion by the French King, Henry II. he admitted to his Table (beside the Marquiss of Northampton, the principal Person in the Legation,) the before-mentioned Constable of France; and all three sat in their full Robes of the Garter, which they put not off till after Dinner. The Cardinal of Lorrain sat also at the King’s Table, but it was on the other side.
When the Investiture was performed in the Afternoon, then was the Grand Dinner turn’d into a Supper; as it was at the Investiture of Maximilian the Emperor, and two of the French Kings; but when Henry, Prince of Orange, receiv’d the Ensigns of the Order, there was no Feast at all, but purposely omitted, to prevent the difference which might have been occasioned by the Precedency and Place, between Ambassadors drinking of Healths, and other Complements.
On this Solemnity, and the Honour they deriv’d from it, some have thought fit to transmit the Memory to Posterity, by Medals, with Inscriptions relating thereto; such were those of Gold and Silver, which Frederick, Duke of Wirtemberg, caused to be made; as also those made by Charles, King of Sweden.