§ 4. That Strangers should be liable to the demand of Fees, was thought unreasonable; therefore by the Statutes of Institution, the Sovereign is obliged to pay them; the first Example whereof that we meet with, is an Order, 1 Hen. VI. which appointed: That the usual Fees, due for the Installation of the King of Denmark, should be discharg’d by the Sovereign, as the Statute enjoin’d.
To this purpose Privy-Seals were issued to the Lord Treasurer for the time being, to pay the Fees to the Register of the Order out of the Exchequer, which was the constant Custom, till King Charles I. in the 13th Year of his Reign, settled an Annual Pension of 1200 l. upon the Order; and by a Commission in the said Year, impower’d the Chancellor of the Order, and his Successors, to pay out of the same, not only the ordinary, but also extraordinary Charges of the Order; wherein the Fees for Installation of Strangers are included.
Notwithstanding the Sovereign (as we have shown) discharg’d the Installation Fees due from Strangers, yet they or their Proctors for them, did always bestow particular Rewards on the College, the Officers of the Order and of Arms, the Alms-Knights, and some others who attended the Solemnity, and in particular Garter had anciently bestowed on him a rich Gown, to wear at the time of Installation, but of late he has been presented with some other thing of considerable Value. They also were liberal to the Officers of Arms, as appears by several Largesses given to them by their Proctors, and in general to the greatest part of those that gave their Attendance.
CAP. XVIII.
Of the Grand Feast of the Order.
The Grand Feast appointed to be celebrated Annually on
St. George’s Day.
§ 1.
By the Statutes of Institution, it’s ordain’d, That a solemn Festival should be Annually celebrated on the 23d Day of April, or St. George’s Day, in Honour of the Patron of the Order, as is observed in other military Orders, erected since this of the Garter, to which this seems to give Rules of holding their Festivals on the Anniversary of their Patrons. Thus Philip, Duke of Burgundy, on his erecting the Order of the Golden Fleece, taking St. Andrew for its Patron, appointed the Festival on St. Andrew’s Day. Lewis XI. King of France, appointed Michaelmas Day for holding the Feast of the Order of St. Michael. And so the Festival of the Duke of Savoy’s Order of the Annunciade, on Lady Day. The Duke of Bourbon’s Order of the Knights of our Lady, on the Conception of our Lady (8th December;) and other instances might likewise be given if it were necessary.
The Anniversary of St. George fixed by the Church,
to the twenty third of April.
§ 2. That the 23d of April was the Day whereon St. George suffered Martyrdom by Beheading, appears from the Greek Hexamiter before his Commemoration; which was the Day observed both by the Greek and Latin Church; as also by our Predecessors, the Saxons.