It was the Custom, (begun about the Reign of Hen. VII.) when the Obsequies of any Foreign Prince were celebrated in England, to paint an Escutcheon of such Prince’s Arms within the Collar of the Order, whereof he was Sovereign or a Fellow-Companion; as those of the French King, Charles VIII. celebrated at St. Paul’s, London, had Escutcheons of the Arms of France, within the Collar of the Order of St. Michael, at each End of the Hearse; and when the Obsequies of John King of Portugal were solemniz’d at St. Paul’s, there was, among others, one large Escutcheon of his Arms within the Collar of the Golden Fleece. The Funeral Rites of the Emperor Charles V. being perform’d in Westminster-Abbey, 22 and 23 Dec. 1558. there were Ten great Escutcheons compass’d with Garters, to shew he was a Fellow of this Order: And upon the same Account, where Princes were Sovereigns of one, and Companions of another Order, their Hearses were hung with Escutcheons of their Arms, surrounded with the Collars or principal Badges of both those Orders; as at the Interment of Francis I. the French King, celebrated at St. Paul’s, London, 1 Edw. VI. the Escutcheons were the Arms of France, encompass’d within the Garter of St. George, and Collar of St. Michael. At the Obsequies of Hen. II. of France, Anno 1 Eliz. at St. Paul’s also, there were some Escutcheons of his Arms, incircled both with the Garter and Collar of the Golden Fleece, having been a Knight-Companion of both these Orders: Under the Joysts was a Majesty Escutcheon of Black Taffaty of this King’s Arms, within a Garter crown’d with an Imperial Crown, and in several Places of the Hearse were fasten’d other Escutcheons of his Arms within this principal Ensign of the Garter.

King Hen. VIII. was the first that introduc’d into his Great Seal the Eschutcheon of his Arms incircled within a Garter, as may be seen placed on either side his Portraiture sitting on his Royal Throne; since him, all succeeding Sovereigns have born their Arms after that Manner, not only in their great and Privy-Seals, but in those other appertaining to their Courts of Justice, and generally in all Matters where their Arms were visible (except Coins); in Imitation of whom, the Knight-Companions have done the like.

But there were An. 21 Car. 1. certain Half Crowns stamp’d in the West of England, containing the Sovereigns Arms, so encompassed, regally crowned and supported; and this was the first Money whereon the Royal Garter appeared. After him King Charles II. having an Eye to the Advancement of the Honour of this Order, caused the irradicated Cross of St. George encompass’d about with the Royal Garter to be publickly stamp’d in the Center of his Silver Coin, struck upon the Recoinage of it, Anno 14. Car. 2.

There were other Medals heretofore stamp’d upon several Occasions, wherein the Garter was designedly express’d, and enclosing Shields of their Arms; as that in the Year 1619. Frederick Prince Palatine of the Rhine, was crowned King of Bohemia, and Robert Cecil Earl of Salisbury created Lord Treasurer, both Knights Companions of this Noble Order: Moreover, Gold Rings have been cast into the Figures of Garters; the Ground on the outside enamell’d with a deep Blue, through which the golden Letters of the Motto appearing, set them off with an admirable Beauty. And it seems such Rings were in vogue since the Preface to the black Book of the Order makes mention of wearing the Garter on the Leg and Shoulder, and sometimes likewise subjoins the Thumb, interdum Pollice gestare; by which we may naturally conjecture, that Gold Rings were formed into the Fashion of Garters, and bestowed by some new installed Knights upon their Relations and Friends to wear in Memorial of so great an Honour conferred upon them.

Among the Officers belonging to the Order the Prelate is permitted to bear his proper Arms (impaled with those of his See) within the Garter, and the rest only to wear the Badges of their Offices, surrounded with the same to express their peculiar Relation.

Besides the Manner of bearing Arms, within the Garter of this Order, the Garter either in whole or part, hath been by Way of Armory, but without the Motto; as in the Seal belonging to the Office of Garter King of Arms, where the Garter (enclosing a Crown) is placed on a Chief, between a Lyon of England and a Flower de Lys of France. And to instance in Family, we find Argent Three Demy-Garters Azure, buckled and garnished, Or, granted by King Hen. VII. to his Servant Peter Nerborne, and sable a Garter, Or, between Three Buckles of the Second, to be born by Buckland or Bowland in Com. Northampton.

§. 2. The second Ensign of the Order is the Mantle, which is the Chief of those Vestments which the Sovereign and Knights-Companions make use of upon all solemn Occasions relating to the Order. That this Pattern was derived to us from the ancient Greeks and Romans, is not at all to be disputed, since it so little varies in Fashion from their Pallium or Toga; for the Grecian Pallium was a sort of long Cloak, which only wanted a Collar or Cape, and the Roman Toga as proper to them, as the Pallium to the Grecians, and the Custom as Antique as Romulus himself; for he is recited by Plutarch to have worn it. The Pallium is more fully described to be a kind of upper Robe that covered the whole Body, made fast on the right Shoulder with a Fibula or Clasp. It was usually worn over the Tunica or short Coat, whence the Proverb Tunica Pallio propior, and is more particularly observed to have been a Garment fashioned without Sleeves, that reached down to the Ancles.

In describing this upper Robe, called the Mantle, (the Sovereigns being distinguished from the Knights-Companions, only by a long Train) we shall first set down its various Appellations it is mentioned by in the Records of the Order; Secondly, the Materials whereof it consists; Thirdly, the Colour; Fourthly, the Quantity; and last of all the Ornamental Trimmings, that nothing be omitted to satisfy any curious Enquirer.

NAME.

In the Founder’s Statutes it is called Mantellum, and in Hen. V. Manteau, both which we render Mantle. But the Exemplar of the Founder’s Statutes entred in the black Book, and the Statutes of King Henry VIII. call it Trabea, which Rosinus reckons among the different Kinds of Mantles or Gowns. And in 20 Art. of King Hen. VIIIth’s Statutes, it is applied both to the Mantle and Surcoat; sometime it is stiled Chlamyda; sometime Stola; but in other Places more pertinently, Pallium and Toga.