But to proceed with the Causes of Prorogation, which were either for some weighty reasons, or upon emergent Occasions; Anno 1 Mariæ, the Sovereign celebrating the Feast of St. George at St. James’s, Philip, Prince of Spain, and the Earl of Sussex, were on the Morrow after elected into the Order; whereupon it was likewise Decreed, that the Inauguration of these two elect Knights, till the Prince came to England, which happening 21st July following, the Grand Feast, together with that of the elect Knights Installations, were appointed to be celebrated at the same time.
Again 3 and 4 Phil. and Mar. at a Chapter held 22d April, the Feast of St. George, together with the Installation of three elect Knights, was appointed to be held at Windsor the 9th of May ensuing; and by a Chapter summon’d the 3d of May, before the appointed Day for holding the Feast, the same was prorogued to the 15th of December following, upon the pressing Affairs of the King and Queen. But before that design’d time came, another Chapter was held on the 31st of October, wherein it was again prorogu’d to the first Sunday after Twelfth-day, viz. 9 January, if by that time the King, who was then in Flanders, should return to England: But that not happening, it was farther prorogu’d to the 20th of February; and thence, by another Decree, to St. George’s Day. Of which there are many other Examples, and sometimes upon other Occasions; but still at the Sovereign’s Pleasure.
Of Commissions of Prorogation.
§ 9. There is no Precedent of Commissions for Prorogation, ancienter than 12 Car. I. left by Sir Thomas Rowe, wherein Notice is taken of all the Adjournments of the Grand Feasts, from St. George’s Day preceeding, till that Time, with the Reasons thereof, and chiefly upon Consideration of the spreading Sickness, together with a Command to the Knights-Companions, and the Officers of the Order, to attend the Sovereign on the new assign’d Days for celebrating the Feast.
As to the Substance hereof, the succeeding Commissions very near agree, yet with some little Difference; as first, the Preambles are general, and run thus: Whereas, upon special Reasons, and other important Affairs, &c. except the Commission issu’d 25th February, 1637. where the Preamble was fitted to a special Occasion, and runs thus,——Whereas we have determined to create the Prince, our eldest Son, a Knight, and to propose him in Election as a Companion of our most Noble Order, for the more Conveniency of his Installation, We have thought fit to defer the Feast of St. George, &c.
But in the Commissions of Prorogation of the Grand Feast, 25th February, 19 Car. I. the Place appointed for Celebration is omitted, which Defect we find in the above-mentioned Precedent also; yet afterwards that material Part came to be inserted, and first of all in that Commission of the 26th February, 14 Car. I. where the Place, being the City of York, is put into the Body of the Commission. And when the Civil War drew on, and the Sovereign could not well ascertain any Place, then the Grand Feast was appointed to be kept at any such Place as, on a nearer View, should seem convenient; afterwards it vary’d something, and came to be inserted thus,—Wheresoever We shall then be; or thus, at such Places as We shall timely appoint.
The most ordinary course, preparatory to the issuing such Commissions of Prorogation, has been by the Sovereign’s Declaration in Chapter, or otherwise the Signification of his Pleasure to the Chancellor of the Order at any other Time, who thereupon drew up the Commission, and presented it to the Sovereign for his Sign Manual, and then affixed thereto the great Seal of the Order. But where the Chancellor was not at Hand to receive the Sovereign’s Commands, in this Case it was convey’d to him by some other Hand, with command to summon the Knights-Companions and Officers accordingly. For so it was done to Sir Francis Windebank, Knt. Secretary of State, by his Letter to Sir Thomas Rowe, 13 Car. I. for Prorogation of the Grand Feast.
And as all the preceeding Adjournments of the Grand Feast have been either decreed in Chapter, or directed immediately from the Sovereign; so there is a Precedent where the Lieutenant has been impowered to prorogue the same; yet to the Time and Place appointed by the Sovereign, and inserted in the Commission of Lieutenancy: And this was in a Commission, 1 Jac. I. directed to Charles, Earl of Nottingham.
That the Grand Feast ought to be celebrated once a Year.
§ 10. Though the Prorogations of the Grand Feast have been occasionally made use of on the aforesaid important Reasons, yet no such Adjournment or Prorogation is legally to be inlarged beyond St. George’s Day ensuing; because once within the compass of every Year, the Grand Feast ought to be solemniz’d; for so it was ordained by the Statutes at the Institution of the Order, and confirmed likewise by the succeeding Statutes. And when our Historians take notice of the Grand Feast, they speak of the same thing, that it ought Annually to be performed; whence it is frequently called in the Registers, Annua Festivitatis, solemnitas annua, celebritas annua, and the like.