Lastly, The Founder added a fourth Patron, whose Name himself bore, viz. St. Edward the Confessor, his Predecessor, King of England; and we find he was wont to be invocated by this Founder, as well as St. George, in any great Difficulties and Streights. Walsingham gives an Instance at the Skirmish of Calais, A. D. 1349. when King Edward, in great Anger and Grief, drew out his Sword, and most passionately cry’d out, Ha St. Edward, Ha St. George; which his Soldiers hearing, ran presently to him, and rushing violently upon the Enemy, put many of them to the Sword. These Four Patrons we find recorded together in the Preamble of the Foundation of Windsor College by King Edward III. tho’ in the Preamble to his Statutes of the Order, and to King Henry V’s Statutes, St. Edward the Confessor is omitted; nevertheless he is enumerated with the rest in the Preamble to King Henry VIII’s.
§ 5. As to the Honour and Reputation of this Noble Order, either in Comparison with others, or in Reference to it self, it challenges the Precedency of Antiquity, before the eldest Rank of Honour of that Kind any where establish’d.
Secondly, The Statutes of the Foundation were so exquisitely and judiciously devised and compacted, upon such solid Foundations of Honour and Nobleness, that they afterwards became a Precedent to other Orders; and gave the Plan to those Two of The Golden Fleece and of Monsieur St. Michael, as is manifest by comparing their Statutes.
Thirdly, It is no small Honour that accrues to this Order, that the Number of these Knights-Companions were never encreas’d, but as they were Twenty Six with the Sovereign, so they now thus continue, ut Pretium faciat raritas; for the infringing this Article hath split several other military Orders into Contempt and Ruin, as nothing more tarnishing, or throwing a sully on the Worth of Glory and Honour, than when render’d so vulgar, and indifferently disposed without Distinction and Merit, as is exemplify’d in The Order of the Star, and the now declining Order of St. Michael.
Fourthly, It has receiv’d more additional Lustre by being honour’d with the Companionship of divers Emperors, Kings and Sovereign Princes, who esteem’d it the Summit of their Glory, and the highest Trophy of additional Honour, to be enroll’d in the Number. Insomuch that some of them with Impatience courted the Election. For we find recorded in the Register, A. D. 1672. Eight Emperors of Germany, Three Kings of Spain, Five French Kings, Two Kings of Scotland, Five Kings of Denmark, Five Kings of Portugal, Two Kings of Sweden, One King of Poland, One King of Arragon, Two Kings of Naples, besides divers Dukes and other free Princes; as One Duke of Guelderland, One Duke of Holland, Two Dukes of Burgundy, Two Dukes of Brunswick, One Duke of Milan, Two Dukes of Urbin, One Duke of Ferrara, One Duke of Savoy, Two Dukes of Holstein, One Duke of Saxony, and One Duke of Wertemberg, Seven Count Palatines of the Rhine, Four Princes of Orange, and One Marquis of Brandenburg.
Fifthly, It entitles those Knights and Noblemen, whose Vertue hath rais’d them to this Pitch of Greatness, to be Companions and Associates with Emperors and Kings, a Prerogative of an high Nature, and a sufficient Recompence for the greatest Merit. We shall close up all with the high Elogy bestow’d on it by the learned Selden, That it exceeds in Majesty, Honour and Fame, all Chivalrous Orders of the World.
CAP. VI.
The Statutes and Annals of the Order.
Order and Regularity is not only the Beauty and Symmetry of Government and Societies, but also greatly contributes to their Establishment and Perpetuity. Statutes and Rules are as well the Bounds to determine, as Bonds to unite Fellowship and Societies together; and if either fall into disuse, or be unadvisedly broken, they open a Field to Dissolution and Ruin.
Such like Considerations mov’d and excited the victorious King Edward III. (after he had determin’d the Erection of this most renown’d Order of the Garter) to devise and institute several laudable Statutes and Ordinances, to be duly observ’d and kept within the said Order; which being collected into one Body, are call’d The Statutes of Institution.
The Original of these was ordain’d to be kept within the Treasury of the College of Windsor, but hath long since wholly perish’d; yet a Transcript of them is recorded in the Reign of King Henry V. in an old Book call’d Registrum Ordinis Chartaceum. Two more ancient Exemplars of this Body of Statutes are also in being; the one in the Library of the Lord Hatton, and the other in the Black Book of the Order; and comparing them together, I shall here give from the Latin the Heads they consist of.