Order of St. Michael. Instituted in 1469 by Louis XII. in honor of the important services done to France by that archangel at the siege of Orleans, where he is supposed to have appeared at the head of the French troops, disputing the passage of a bridge, and to have repulsed the attack of the English, whose affairs ever after declined in that kingdom. The order is a rich collar, with the image of that saint pendent thereto; with the inscription, Immensi tremor oceani.
Order of St. Michael and St. George. This order of knighthood, founded for the Ionian Isles and Malta, April 27, 1818, was reorganized in March, 1869, in order to admit servants of the crown of England connected with the colonies.
Order of St. Patrick. See [Patrick, St., Order of].
Order of Teutonic Knights. Established towards the close of the 12th century, and thus called, as chiefly consisting of Germans, anciently called Teutons.
Order of the Annunciation. See [Annunciada].
Order of the Bear. See [Bear, Order of].
Order of the Black Eagle. See [Eagle, Black].
Order of the Crescent. See [Crescent].
Order of the Golden Fleece. See [Golden Fleece, Order of the].
Order of the Golden Stole. A Venetian military order, so called from a golden stole, which those knights wore over their shoulder, reaching to the knee both before and behind, a palm and a half broad. None are raised to this order but patricians, or noble Venetians. It is uncertain when this order was instituted.