“II. Direction is given for celebrating Masses, according to the Tenor of the Statutes.
“III. Intimation that a Stall is become void by the Knight’s Decease.
“IV. The Law of the Order vouched, which appoints an Election of another Knight within six Weeks after Certificate made of the Death of the former, to avoid as much as may be an interval in Succession.
“V. The Sovereign’s Power asserted where he sees Cause to Prorogue the Election.
“VI. An Injunction to attend personally at the Election, under a Penalty express’d in the Statutes.
“VII. The Day, Place, and Hour for Appearance is with certainty appointed, to the End all might Accommodate themselves to be present.
“VIII. The End of coming is mention’d with full Disposition and Preparation to perform what the Statutes in this Case requir’d.
“IX. Lastly, Direction is there given to the Knight summoned, that in case his coming to the Chapter was impeded, he should certifie the Reason of his Default against the time of his Appearance, of the Validity whereof the Sovereign was to be sole Umpire.”
And generally of these Topicks, and to this Purport were the Letters of Summons in succeeding times composed.
The before-mention’d Branch of the Statutes of Institution hath been sufficiently enforced by Incorporating it into the Statutes, temp. H. V. and H. VIII. nor hath it since undergone any Alteration; howbeit some further Addition and Explanation were annexed to them, 21 Jac. I. at a Chapter held at Windsor the 24th of April that year, where it was decreed, That the Sovereign being advertised of the Death of a Knight-Companion, the Knights-Companions remaining at Court should move him to declare his Pleasure whether he would that Letters should be sent to all the Knights-Companions within the Realm to attend his Person for the Choice of a new Knight, at a Day by the said Sovereign appointed, according to the ancient Statutes of the Order, or be pleas’d to defer the Election until the Feast of St. George, at what time Elections have been most usually made; and according as he resolv’d in what Place it should be, so it ought (by Letters directed to the Knights-Companions within the Realm) to be made known unto them.