together with the strange Conversion of the Empresse AREXANDRA both which before have had my blessing These intermingled with the horrible and most unsufferable torments which are there said to be applyed unto our Martyr so great so farre above the strength of nature to indure that wee must needs reject the very naming of them as things so short of Truth that in the greatest charity they may not be reputed possible And for the close of all a cheate or couzning tricke of his put by him on the Emperour whom hee perswaded after many of his torments that hee was now content to sacrifice unto the Roman Idols Which done the Church made trim the Priests in readinesse and many of the people gathered there together to behold the alteration hee calls upon the LORD and presently upon his prayers downe came a fire from Heaven by which both Temple Priests and many of the people were consumed This last accounted as an Errour or a Fable rather in the common Legends by Antoninus Florentinus who guessing at some reasons for which the passion of St. GEORGE was judged Apocryphall makes this for One Quòd Daciano dixerit for so hee calls him paratum se Sacrificare si faceret populum ad Templum congregari quo facto oratione eius igne coelesti totum Templum c. concremavit This last accounted also one of the principall excesses of this Writer in the composition of his Stories and for that noted by the Cardinall in his censure of him 11 These passages in Metaphrastes we admit not in our Storie and therefore leave the proofe thereof to such as thinke they may beleeve them But for the rest wee doubt not but to make it good by witnesses of speciall ranke and many of them of authority undeniable in points Historicall The rest I meane which is of principall moment and most necessary to the cause in hand as viz. his Countrey and Martyrdome in generall the manner of his Death the time and place of it all these wee doubt not to make good by such variety of Evidence and strength of testimony as may suffice to make the Storie free from all further question But for the greatnesse of his Parentage and Fortunes together with his Honourable place about the Emperour this wee will take upon the word of Metaphrastes untill wee finde some evidence not yet discovered which can prove the contrary Nor shall it be sufficient for any of the adverse party to say that no such circumstance may bee found in Eusebius who largely wrote the Story of that last and greatest Persecution no nor in Bede which mentions him nor in Vincentius or Antoninus both which are large inough in the expression of his History For wee know well inough that Argumenta ab authoritate negativè are shamefully exploded in the Schooles of Logicke that the argument would bee ridiculous should any one conclude that all the Silvian Kings reckoned in our Chronologies are to bee rejected because so many Writers of the history of Rome have spared to name them I know indeed in points of Faith and Morall duties wee may resolve it with the Fathers Non credimus quia non legimus and therefore I restraine my selfe to Cases of this qualitie and that no further till I see evidence of reason to convince me of an Error where proofe of testimony failes Which ground thus layd wee will proceed unto the justification of the history in METAPHRASTES so much thereof as wee have taken and is most materiall But we will first make cleare our passage in the removing of one doubt and commenting a little upon one memorable circumstance therein the better to explaine the meaning of the Author and content the Reader and having pointed out the scene of this great Action descend unto our evidence CHAP. II. 1 Magnentius mentioned in the former Storie what hee was 2 Vestem exuere militarem the meaning of it and when used 3 Lydda the Scene of this great action now called Saint George's 4 Malmesbury reconciled with other Authors 5 No executions permitted by the Ancients within their Cities 6 The former Storie justified most of it by Eusebius 7 St. Ambrose testimonie of St. George how certaine to bee his 8 The time and Canon of Pope Gelasius 9 The Storie of Saint George why reckoned as Apocryphall 10 The meaning of Gelasius not to explode the Martyr with his Historie 11 The Arian George not likely in so small a tract of time to bee reputed as a Martyr 12 A Catalogue of the Authors cyted in this Booke which have made honourable mention of Saint George as also of those Princes Peeres and Prelates which have done him Honour digested in their times and Ages 1 THree thinges there are then which are to bee dispatch'd before wee come to the producing of further Evidence on our party viz. A doubt to bee remooved a notable circumstance to bee explained and the designment of the place or scene of this great Action Of these the doubt to bee removed is that particular passage touching Magnentius said then to be a principall Favorite of DIOCLETIAN and at that time Consul and this may well be call'd a doubt because in all the Consular tables which I have searched and seene I cannot meete during the whole Empire of Diocletian a Consul of that Name But if wee can finde out the man I hope we shall agree with case inough about his being Consul and for the finding out the man wee must make two enquiries My first enquiry is whether Magnentius there mentioned might not be hee which afterwards slew Constans Sonne unto Constantine the Great and tooke unto himselfe that part of the Roman Empire which Constans then commanded To make this probable for wee aspire no further we must first understand that Diocletian when hee associated Maximinian in the Empire did take unto himselfe the name from IVPITER the other his from HERCVLES the one being thenceforth call'd Diocletianus Iovius the other Maximinianus Herculius But not content with this to make their memory in these adjuncts more eternall they rais'd two severall Companies of selected Souldiers whom they call'd Iovij Herculij Of these selected Companies Magnentius was at that time Captain or Commander Comes Herculiorum Ioviorum hee is called in the Latine storie when hee made slaughter of Prince Constans and therefore not unlikely but he may be the Favourite of Diocletian mentioned in Metaphrastes and by him rais'd unto this honour If any thing may bee objected against this it is that if Magnentius were at that time Consul when Saint George was made a Martyr eyther he had beene dead before the murther of the young Emperour Constans or else too old to undertake such enterprises Of his decease before that time I thinke there can bee nothing proov'd unlesse by way of possible conjecture And for his age allowing him for twenty anno 290. when our Martyr suffered about which age and sooner many
The HISTORY of That most famous Saynt and Souldier of CHRIST IESUS S t. GEORGE of Cappadocia Asserted from the Fictions of the middle ages of the CHVRCH and opposition of the present By Peter Heylyn Psalm 116 v 15 Right precious in the sight of the Lord is the Death of his Sayntes London Printed for Henry Seyle and are to be sould at his shope the Tygers head in Saynt Paules Churchyard 1631 Will. Marshall Sculpsit THE HISTORIE OF That most famous Saint and Souldier of CHRIST IESUS S t. GEORGE OF CAPPADOCIA Asserted from the Fictions of the middle Ages of the CHURCH and opposition of the present The Institution of the most Noble ORDER of St. GEORGE named the GARTER A Catalogue of all the Knights thereof untill this present By PET. HEYLYN PSAL. 116.15 Right precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints LONDON Printed for HENRY SEYLE and are to be sold at his Shop the signe of the Tygers-head in St. Pauls Church-yard 1631. TO THE MOST HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE CHARLES By the Grace of GOD King of GREAT BRITTAINE FRANCE and IRELAND Defender of the Faith c. Sovereigne of the most Noble Order of S t. GEORGE called the Garter MOST DREAD SOVEREIGNE YOur Sacred Majestie being a KING then onely in the hopes and expectation of your people vouchsafed to Grace me in the Infancie and cradle as it were of mine endeavours Your Majestie was then my choise and I was prompted to devote my selfe unto You onely upon the true renowne of your Princely vertues But now I am no longer left at my former liberty For since your Maiestie hath pleased so graciously to admit of mee to your Service it might be iustâ—ly accounted an Apostasie from Dutie should I not consecrate my selfe and all that I am able unto your Maiesties acceptance Yet were I as a Subject bound onely in alleigeance to your Majestie yea were I borne an Alien to your Maiesties Dominions this present Worke which heere in all humilitie I prostrate at your Gracious feet could not so fitly bee addressed to any other It is so please your Majestie a Iustification or Assertion of the Historie of St. GEORGE the Martyr whom some have so farre quarrelled as eyther not to grant him heretofore a being on the Earth or now an habitation only with the Feinds in Hell St. GEORGE thus tainted in his Honour and in a word dethroned from all his former glories to whom should hee referre the hearing of his cause but to your Maiestie the Sovereigne of that most Noble and Heroicke Order which in the first Foundation of it was entituled by his Name and as the times then were committed to his Patronage Which favour if your Maiestie vouchsafe him this great and weighty cause unfortunate in such an Advocate will yet be happie in the Iudge The onely Ruler of Princes which hath set a Crowne of pure gold upon your Head prevent You with the blessings of his Goodnesse and grant unto your Maiestie a long and prosperous Life here and length of dayes for ever and ever These the continuall prayers of Your Majesties Most humble Subject and faithfull Servant PET. HEYLYN TO ALL THOSE MOST ILLVSTRIOVS KINGS PRINCES and PEERES Knights of the Famous and most Noble ORDER of S t. GEORGE named the Garter Most Excellent KINGS PRINCES and PEERES IT is accounted an especiall Honour in the GARTER that it makes them which for theyr vertue and deserts are admitted of it Companions even unto KINGS and PRINCES Those therefore which are ioyned together in so strict a bond of Vnitie and made the same in a communion of all Noble qualities farre bee it from my thoughts to take asunder or to select Particulars out of a Generall bodie so united The rather because I now addresse my selfe unto You in commendation of a Cause wherein your whole Fraternitie is ingaged ioyntly It is almost Three hundred yeares since that most excellent Order never before adorned at once with such and so many Noble spirits was by the Founder of it Dedicated to St. GEORGE of CAPPADOCIA A Saint more than a Thousand yeares before that Institution crowned with Martyrdome And ever since continually famous in the Church of GOD. Onely some few of late on what authoritie I know not have tooke upon them to discharge him both of his place in Heaven and reputation in the Church In which though their opinions are so contrary that possibly there can bee no agreement made betweene them yet they agree together to disgrace that holy Martyr For by the first ranke of them it is undoubtedly affirmed that GEORGE the Martyr so much honoured in the Christian world is but a Counterfeit a Larva onely some strange Chimaera the issue of an idle braine one that had never any being on the Earth The others as unquestionably have made him in his life a dangerous and bloudy Hereticke and since his death a wretched Soule amongst the damned On both sides Satis pro imperio For this cause it hath often beene one of my chiefest wishes that some of those whose names are great for learning and eminent in point of knowledge would undertake the vindicating of this iniured Saint But finding none that have as yet adventured in it I rather chose to put my selfe upon the taske than that Saint GEORGE should longer suffer in his honour and this Realme in him The worke such as it is next under his most sacred Maiestie I consecrate to you most excellent Kings Princes and Peeres and to the honour of that most noble Order whereof you are and in defence of which you were all ingaged at your severall Installations You celebrate St. GEORGE'S Feast with many stately and magnificent Ceremonies you weare his image and representation as your chiefest Ornament you count it an especiall honour to be called his Knights I doubt not therefore but St. GEORGE thus vindicated from the pennes and stomacke of his Enemies will finde a gracious welcome to you and that you will be pleased for St. GEORGE'S sake to entertaine a favourable opinion both of the Worke and of the Author In a full hope whereof I doe with all Humilitie and Reverence subscribe my selfe The most unfainedly devoted unto your Noble and Heroicke Order PET. HEYLYN Errata PAge 18. line 19. for all read almost all Twice in the booke for See Vsum Sarum r. Sec. Vsum Sarum Pag. 213. In the beginning of the Chapter blot out Of the bodies of the Dead Pag. 240. l. ult for 30000. r. 300000. And lastly whereas it is reckoned p. 314. l. 4. as an ordinarie habit of the most noble Order of the Garter to weare a Cloke with the Sunne on the left shoulder of it in his full glory Let the mistake be thus amended A Cloke with a device upon the left shoulder of it compassing round the Garter and St. GEORGE'S Crosse. Such other litterall Errors as occurre in it the Reader may correct and pardon these
of October not long before Archbyshop of that Citie But if wee will beleeve the people and the common fables wee must take it thus There was a poysonous Dragon which had done much harme unto this Province whom they had tryed by many meanes to make away but none prospered At last St. Romain then Archbishop of Roan accompanied with a Murderer and a Theefe whose lives were forfeit to the Law undertakes the enterprise Vpon the first sight of the Dragon the Theefe according to his nature stole away the Murderer more hardened in his trade goeth forwards with him To make short worke the Dragon layeth aside his fury and patiently submits himselfe unto that godly Praelate who binding him about the necke with his stole or tippet delivereth him unto the murderer and leades him prisoner unto Roan This wondrous accident is said to happen on an holy Thursday and that St. Audoin or Owen who next succeeded in that Church in memorie thereof obtain'd this priviledge that from thence forwards the Chanoins of Our Ladies should every holy Thursday have the releasing of any Murderer whom themselves would choose I say of any Murderer Theeves not being capable at all of any mercy because say they the Theefe which was to have attended in that service stole away 3 So farre the storie as I was told by mine Host at Roan but for the priviledge it is still in practise and famous by a great and memorable tryall not long since hapning related to me by a Gentleman of good account and a practitioner in the Parliamentarie Court in that City The case is this Not much above some twelue yeares since a Noble-man of Gascoigne tooke occasion to kill his wife which done he fled into Normandie and having first acquainted the Canons of the Church of Nostre Dame with his desires put him selfe to the sentence of the Court is adjudg'd unto the Wheele Ascention day immediately comming on the Canons chalenged him for theirs and the chiefe Iudges according to the custome caused him to bee dilivered But on the other side it was pleaded by the Normans that the benefit of this priviledge belonged onely to the Natives of that Province and they pleaded with such violence that the poore Baron was againe committed to his irons till the Qu. Mother had wooed and wonne the people pro ea saltem vice to admit of his reprivall 4 This storie of St. Romains Dragon in which there is no passage true conducts me on unto St. George of whose encounter with the Dragon there may be somewhat said to qualifie the matter thought not to justifie it altogether For by the Dragon if we understand the Divell that old malicious Serpent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Ignatius calls him and the combat betwixt our blessed Martyr and that Monster those many snares and baites which by the Divell were provided to intrappe him we may soone find how and in what respect St George his fighting with the Dragon may be justified An exposition of that fabulous text occurring in the Legend not forced unnaturally but such as doth agree as with the truth of storie so also with the words and meanings of some Authors which have written of our Martyr Certaine I am that Metaphrastes in an Encomion or Anniversarie Oration made in the memorie and commendation of our Saint doth not allude unto it onely but affirmeth it For thus that Author speaking of those severall baites which had beene layed for the inveigling of this blessed man of GDD the Kingdomes of the world and the glories of them the frownes and anger of the Prince the terrours both of Death and tortures speaking I say of these and how that all of them and other the devises of that old Serpent were by that noble Champion frustrate and deluded he concludes it thus Licebat igitur videre astutissimum Draconem adversus carnem sanguinem gloriari solitum elatumque sese efferentem à juvene illo uno illusum ita despectum atque confusum ut quid ageret non haberet So hee and this may also seeme to be intended by Hermannus Schedell in his worke entituled Chronica Chronicorum where he doth joyne together the Martyrdome of our St. George and his encounter with the Dragon both as it were one act or undertaking Et velut alter Curtius Romanus vel Codrus Rex Atheniensium pro patriae liberatione sese internecioni ad Draconis occisionem martyrij tolerantiam dedit as he there hath it 5 For further proofe of which and that this exposition on that fabulous text as before I call'd it is not unnaturally forced but suitable unto the truth of storie and in all likelyhood agreeable to their intents who gave the first hint occasion to the fables in the Legends let us behold awhile the portraiture of Constantine the Great erected in the same figure in a manner and to the same intent and purpose Of him wee need not make report how great a victory hee had against that enemie of mankinde in his promoting of the faith and ruining those Heathenish Temples consecrated to impietie and the Divell After which glorious conquest and the establishing of true Religion in all the quarters of his Empire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. hee caus'd his portraiture to bee erected up on high in a faire table for that purpose and at the entrance of his Pallace that so it might be obvious to the eye of every Passenger Over his head the Crosse that venerable signe of mans redemption and underneath his feet that great and working enemie of man the Divell cast downe into the lowest deeps under the figure of a Dragon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The râ—ason why he caus'd himselfe so to be portraited to shew no doubt how great and notable an overthrow hee had given the Divell but why hee made the Divell in the likenesse of a Dragon was in allusion questionlesse unto the Scriptures where he is call'd a Serpent and in the Revelation more particularly a Dragon So witnesseth Eusebius in the words immediately following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divell 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6 To the same purpose also and on occasion not much different at the least as he conceived it did Sigismund the Emperour an King of Hungarie erect and order of Knighthood which he entituled Of the Dragon He had beene fortunate in many severall battailes against the greatest enimies of CHRIST the Turkes and hee had also laboured with much diligence to ruine and suppresse the Hussites the greatest enemies of the Roman Church then being whereof he was Protectour This last not onely by persecutions privately and force of armes in publike but by procuring the two Councels of Basil and Constance to bee assembled where the poore Hussites were condemn'd their cause unheard and the chiefe Patrons of their cause adjudg'd unto the fire Proud of his fortunate successe in these great enterprises he instituted this his militarie
out Commander of his Armies against the Persian Those thus engaged in the common service of the State and the affaires thereof in better order than before the Emperours now out of action converted all their force and furie on the Christians whom they afflicted with the greatest and most savage Persecution of all others For now not onely some part or other of the Church was harassed and depopulated but all at once a prey unto the Sword and Tortures of the publike Hangman no corner of the Empire so farre distant from the Seates Imperiall wherein there was not havocke made of Gods beloved Interea Diocletianus in Oriente Maximinianus in Occidente vastari Ecclesias affligi interficique Christianos praeceperunt quae persecutio omnibus ferè anteactis diuturnior immanior fuit So PAVL OROSIVS briefly according to his manner 8 The Persecution thus resolv'd on and begun already in the Court and Seates Imperiall and not so onely but warrants granted out unto the Officers and Rulers of the Provinces to speed the Execution and that done also in a frequent Senate the Emperour DIOCLETIAN there himselfe in person St. GEORGE though not yet Sainted could conteine no longer but thus exposed himselfe unto their fury his owne glory For thus it followeth in the Storie Cum igitur primo statim die tantam in Christianos crudelitatem animadvertisset c Omnem pecuniam vestem celeriter pauperibus distribuit c. tertio Concilij die qua Senatus decretum confirmandum er at c. ipsi omni foi midine reiecta c. in medio consessu ste tit in hunc modum locutus est Quousque tandem O imperator vos Patres Conscripti furorem vestrum in Christianos augebitis legesque adversus eos iniquas sancietis c. Eosque ad eam quam vos an vera sit religionem ignoratis eos qui veram didicere compelletis Haec Idola non sunt dij non sunt inquam Nolite per errorem falli Christus solus Deus est idemque solus Dominus in gloria Dei patris Aut igitur vos item veram agnoscite religionem aut certe eos qui illam colunt nolite per dementiam vestram perturbare His verbis attoniti inopinata dicendi libertate perculsi oculos ad Imperatorem omnes converterunt audituri quidnam is ad ea responderet c. When therefore GEORGE even in the first beginnings had observ'd the extraordinarie cruelty of these proceedings hee presently put off his military abiliments and making dole of all his substance to the poore on the third Session of the Senate when the Imperiall decree was to be verified quite voide of feare he came in-the Senate-house and spake unto them in this manner How long most noble Emperour and you Conscript Fathers will you augment your tyrannies against the Christians How long will you enact unjust and cruell Lawes against them Compelling those which are aright instructed in the faith to follow that Religion of whose truth your selves are doubtfull Your Idols are no Gods and I am bold to say againe they are not Be not you longer couzned in the same errour Our Christ alone is God he onely is the Lord in the glory of the Father Eyther do you therefore acknowledge that Religion which undoubtedly is true or else disturbe not them by your raging follies which would willingly embrace it This said and all the Senate wonderfully amazed at the free speech and boldnesse of the man they all of them turn'd their eyes upon the Emperour expecting what hee would reply who beckoning to Magnentius then Consull and one of his speciall Favourites to returne an answere hee presently applyed himselfe to satisfie his Princes pleasure Further we will not prosecute the storie in our Authors words which are long and full of needlesse conference but briefly will declare the substance of it which is this Vpon St. Georges constant profession of his Faith they wooed him first with promises of future honours and more faire advancements but finding him unmoveable not to bee wrought upon with words they tryed him next with torments not sparing any thing which might expresse their cruelty or ennoble his affliction When they saw all was fruitlesse at last the fatall Sentence was pronounced against him in this manner that beeing had againe to prison hee should the following day be drawne through the City and beheaded Reclusus ergo in carcere sequenti die tali sententia damnatur ut per totam Civitatem detractus demum capite puniretur Which Sentence was accordingly perform'd and GEORGE invested with the glorious Crowne of Martyrdome upon the 23. day of April Anno Domini nostri 290. 9 For this the yeare and day of S. GEORGE his death we shall have proofe enough hereafter of the day chiefly in the Martyrologies and of the yeare thereof in severall Histories Proofe also store inough for this that he was beheaded in which particular all Authors which have descended to particulars agree joyntly Onely the old Franciscan Fryer Anselme whom I lately mention'd will have him end his sufferings in a flaming fire at Rama in the Holy-Land For so it followeth in his text In Beryth autem occidit draconem in Rama autem quae distat à Hierusalem per 20 miliaria fertur fuisse combustus 'T is well they are so link'd together his Martyrdome by fire and his encounter with the Dragon being both of them of the same medley I had almost forgot the doughtie Authour of the Seaven Champions Who as hee makes the first atchievement of Saint GEORGE to bee the killing of a burning Dragon in the Land of Egypt whereby hee sav'd from death the Princesse Sabra so doth he make his last to be a dangerous combate which hee had with a poysonous Dragon upon Dunsmere Heath wherein the Dragon lost his life and the poore Knight return'd to Coventrey his owne Citie so extreamely wounded that hee shortly after dyed And yet the foolish Author tells us expresly in his Title that there wee have the true and certaine manner of his Death But as good lucke would have it hee left behind him to comfort his afflicted people no fewer than three Sonnes and one of them a matter of no common knowledge was GVY that famous Earle of Warwicke the other two being preferr'd to place in Court 10 To returne then to METAPHRASTES for wee will heare him speake no further of St. GEORGE wee now dismisse him to relate the rest that followes unto them that dare beleeve him Wee have already shewne you how hideously the Heretickes had falsified the lives of Saints and Martyrs to countenance their cause and with what little choyce of argument the Church-historians had compiled their Martyrologies and Actes Ecclesiasticall Both observations verified in the storie of our Martyr and the collections of this Author For in the rest that followes wee have the Arian tale of George and Athanasius the Magitian
made their hands with their own bloud embrew'd Or that they saw the Christian troopes recoyle And thought them lost and quarrell'd for the spoyle Thus they for how could mortall man suppose That God had arm'd his Saints against his foes When suddainly their fancies thus perplext Appeares a Comment which explain'd the Text Their eyes but how they knew not opened were Their sight before obscur'd was now growne cleere So cleere and piercing that they durst abide To brave the Sunne in his full height of pride And saw at noone the starres where sixt they be As if their eyes had brighter beames than he Lifting their pious heads up to the skie As men amaz'd to see the orbes so nie They straight espyed what least they thought to finde The glorious Angell hovering in the Winde And not farre off the Saints those blessed sprights Ah how could sinfull man deserve such sights Raging with bloudied swords in their defence All arm'd in white the robe of innocence As the Disciples full of care and dread In their Lords death themseves as good as dead When they beheld him entred in the place Where they all stood and viewed his sacred face And heard his voyce never was voyce so sweet Warbling this note Behold my hands and feet Beleev'd not yet their joyes were so extreame But thought it was a vision or a dreame So stood the Christian Troopes and did not know Whether the things they saw were true or no. At last thus Ademare Behold he said The host of Heaven assembled in our aid Legions of Saints by their Creatours will Sent downe to helpe us from his Holy Hill Avenging us upon our foes this day As once the starres fought against Sisera See how St. George the Captaine of the rest Never in such a charge before so blest See how he leades them on how in one hand With wondrous strength he shakes his flaming brand And in the other valiantly doth weild The colours of the Saints a silver Feild Charg'd with a bloudy Crosse and this the Word The deare remembrance of our dying Lord. See how the Heavenly Legions following close Vpon their Leader execute their foes What slaughter they have made upon the Plaine How many millions of the foes are slaine But see blest Soldiers see the Saints have wonne A glorious day and backe to heaven are gone They lookt and saw all true as he had sed The Saints departed and the Pagans fled And would have plyed the chase but Ademare Told them the time was fitter farre for prayer So downe upon the ground themselves they flung And made a Temple of the field and sung Te deum to their God upon the place Sing Soldiers sing sing Soldiers sing apace For since the Angels caroll'd credit mee Never had men more cause to sing than yee CHAP. VII 1 The honour done by Kings to others of what reckoning 2 Arguments used by the Iewes in the defence of their Temple of Hierusalem 3 Of Monasteries dedicated to St. George 4 St. George's Canons a Religious order 5 St. George by what Kings honoured anciently as the chiefe Saint of Soldierie 6 The military Order of St. George in Austria 7 The German or Dutch Order call'd Sanct Georgen Schilts 8 St. George's banke in Genoa 9 And his band in Italie 10 The Georgians why so called and of the honour done by them to our Martyr 11 A view of severall places denominated of St. George 12 A recollection of the Arguments before used in the present businesse 1 THe ground thus layed we now proceed unto those publike honours which have beene done unto our Martyr by the Kings and Princes of the earth of which some of them as before I said reflect upon him onely as a Saint in generall some as the principall Saint or Guardian of the military men and others as an especiall Patron of the affaires of Christendome With these we shall upon occasion intermingle such honours also as have beene afforded to him by some few Patriarches and Prelates Princes Ecclesiasticall chiefe Rulers of their severall Churches Which we shall doe the rather that so the pious actions of the King and civill Magistrate may be abetted by the faire example of the Prelates and the devout performances of the Prelates may be defended by the power and countenance of their Soveraigne Princes A matter questionlesse of chiefe importance to the businesse now in hand the Soveraigne Prince as hee alone is the originall of Civill honour and Politicall nobilitie so also not a little to be regarded in his demeanor towards those above whom he may honour though he cannot make them honourable We take it kindly when those of lower qualitie give us that worship and respect that is due unto us but if we find an extraordinary regard at the hands of those to whom the Lord hath made us subject we then conceive our selves to be upon the very top and pinacle of all worldly happinesse It was a greater honour unto IOSEPH that PHARAOH tooke a ring from his owne hand and put it upon Iosephs arayed him in vestures of fine linnen and put a gold chaine about his necke than if the whole united suffrages of the Common people had decreed to crie before him bow the knee More also did it adde to the esteeme of DANIEL that the great Emperour of the East gave him the name of Belteshassar according to the name of one of his especiall Gods Than if that all his Subjects had studied to adorne him with the most glorious attributes that possibly the wit of man could have invented For if according unto ARISTOTLES affirmation Honour is rather seated in those which give it than in them that doe receive it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then certainely by how much greater and more excellent the party is who doth respect or honour us by so much more may wee conceive that wee are honoured and respected For which cause when King AHASVERVS proposed this question unto HAMAN What shall bee done unto the man whom the King delighteth to honour That proud and haughty Favorite conceiv'd it rightly that possibly a greater favour could not bee done unto a Subject and thereupon concluded in his owne heart thus To whom should the King delight to doe honour more than to my selfe so highly raised and setled in his good opinion A false Conclusion though the premises were true I meane the Maior or the Proposition as they call it Popular spirits are carried commonly about with popular reports and like a flocke of silly sheepe are prone to take that way which any better than themselves have layd before them But Kings haue Kingly mindes and use not to relie upon uncertaine rumours more likely to deny respects where they may bee challeng'd than to conferre them upon those that have not truely merited 2 How much the honour done by Kings ought to bee valued wee may perceive in that which is related by IOSEPHVS touching the
be amisse to note that notwithstanding all the opposition made against him both heere among our selves and abroad with others St. George doth still retaine his place in our common Calendars Not in those onely made for the state of every yeare where commonly he shines in Festivall red letters as doe no other of the Saints but those whose Feasts are by the Church observed as Holy but also in the Calendar prefixed before the publike Liturgie of our most blessed Church of England where he is specially honoured with the name of Saint as is not any of the rest excepting those which saw our Saviour in the flesh Excellent evidence that as the state of England is much devoted to Saint GEORGE'S honour so he doth still preserve his place and reputation in the opinion of the Church An argument to me so powerfull and prevailing that in Morbonium the meere word or bare conjecture of every one of what especiall fame soever which guided by his private spirit shall resolve the contrary 8 I said the state of England is much devoted to Saint GEORGE'S honour and if we looke upon the Institution of the most noble Order of the Garter wee shall see cause inough to say it An Order of that excellencie that the mightiest Princes of Christendome have reputed it among their greatest honours to bee chosen and admitted to it the names and dignities of whom we shall see presently in our Catalogue of this Order A founder it had of a most accomplish'd vertue the Thunderbolt of Warre as some call Antiochus and in the times of Peace nothing inferiour to any of the Law-makers of the best ages so much celebrated Briefly wee may affirme of him as the Historian of Augustus the fittest paralell that I can finde for him amongst famous Princes Homo omnibus omnium gentium viris magnitudine sua inducturus caliginem This most excellent Prince the glorie of his times and a chiefe ornament of Europe having exceedingly prevail'd both against the French and Scottish Kings discomfited their Armies and taken one of them in person ordained this most noble Order and societie of Knights so to adorne their valour manifested in the Warres with honour the reward of vertue Their number 26. no more Vt pretium faciat raritas lest being else communicated unto many it might at last become despicable nor ever have our Kings exceeded in the number but still confined themselves unto the first intention of the Founder COVVELL in his Interpreter printed at Cambridge Anno 1607. relates the Institution of it thus EDVVARD the third after he had obtain'd many great victories King IOHN of France King IAMES of Scotland being both Prisoners in the Tower of London at one time and King HENRY of Castile the Bastard being expulsed and DON PEDRO restored by the Prince of Wales did on no weighty occasion first erect this Order Anno 1350. Of the occasion afterwards obâ—erving for the present how ill his Historie agrees with his Chronologie For true it is that this most noble Order was instituted on the 23. of this King which falls out rightly with the yeare 350. But then King IOHN of France was but newly entred on his Kingdome and the expulsion of King HENRY was the last act almost of that tryumphant Prince of Wales Don Pedro not comming into England till the thirty ninth of King Edward As much is he mistaken also in the name of the King of Scotland who was then Prisoner in the Tower which was not Iames but David there being no Iames King of that Country in more than fiftie yeares after For the occasion of it it is received generally that it tooke beginning from a Garter of the Queene or rather of Ioane Countesse of Salisburie a Ladie of incomparable beauty which fell from her as she danced and the King tooke up from the ground For when a number of Nobles and Gentlemen standing by laughed thereat he made answere againe that shortly it should come to passe that Garter should be in high honour and estimation adding withall these words in French Hony Soit qui maly pense Id est Shame bee to him that evill thinks which after was the Motto or Impresse of the Garter Which were it so saith Master Camden it need not seeme to be a base originall thereof considering as one saith nobilitas sub amore iacet He addes withall that some report how from his owne Garter given forth as a signall of a battaile which sped so fortunately hee call'd them Knights of the Garter But whatsoever the occasion of it was likely it is that it tooke this name from the blew Garter which the Fellowes of it weare on their left Leg carrying the foresaid impresse wrought with golden Letters and enchased with precious Stones and fastned with a buckle of Gold as with the Bond of most inward societie in token of unitie and Concord that so there might be a Communion as it were of vertues and good will amongst them Doctor Cowell reports in his Interpreter that he hath seene an ancient monument wherein it doth appeare that this most noble Order is a Colledge or Corporation having a Common seale consisting of the Kings of England as Soveraignes thereof or chiefe Guardians of it 25. Knights fellowes as they call them or Companions of the Garter 14. Canons resident beeing secular Preists 13. Vicars or Chorall Preists and 26. of the inferiour sort of gentrie militarie men call'd commonly Poore Knights of Windsore whereof indeed there are but twelve There belongs also unto this Heroicke Order the Prelate of the Garter which is the Lord Byshop of Winton for the time being a Chancellour a Register thereof which alwayes is the Deane of Windsore an Vsher which is one of the Vshers of the Kings Chamber called Black-rod and last of all a chiefe Herald even the most principall of all GARTER first King of Armes instituted by that victorious Prince King Henry the fifth to attend chiefly on this Order and doe them service at their Funerals 9 The Kings of England are as I said before the Soveraignes of this noble Order and either doe in person or by their lawfull Deputie by them nominated and appointed elect the fellowes of the Order and solemnize the Festivals and hold the Chapters To them it also appertaines to have the declaration reformation and disposition of the Lawes and Statutes of the said most noble Order Which Lawes and Statutes were first instituted and devised by the victorious Prince King Edward of that name the third after revised and ratified by many the succeeding Kings And on the Reformation of Religion much altered by King Edward of that name the sixt About this time saith Sir Iohn Hayward in his Historie of that Prince the Order was almost wholly altered as by the Statutes thereof then made it doth appeare A thing not to bee wondred at For even the Lawes of the most setled States and Kingdomes have beene