he emblem of Scotland is the thistle, the device Nemo me impune lacessit.
The great Order of Scotland is that of the Thistle, or Saint Andrew, the patron saint of the country, and was instituted by James V. in 1534—that is to say, about two hundred years after Edward III. of England had founded the Order of the Garter.
A propos of this Garter, what fables and anecdotes have been written! Historians even are not agreed as to the origin of the famous device: Honi soit qui mal y pense.
The explanation which seems to be the most plausible is this:
The Countess of Salisbury, King Edward III.'s mistress, dropped her garter at a ball. The king picked it up; but, as the worthy descendant of a bashful race, he did not attempt to replace it, but turning towards his courtiers, said:
"My lords, honi soit qui mollet pince."
Then he advanced towards the countess and gave her her garter.
The king's expression became corrupted into:
Honi soit qui mal y pense.