proofe of which and that we may behold what excellent Peeres and Princes of our owne and other Nations have in all times successively beene chosen into this most noble Order wee have adjoyn'd a Catalogue of all Saint GEORGE'S Knights from the first institution of it till the present Which Catalogue I have here layed downe according as I finde it in the Catalogue of Honour published by Milles of Canterbury adding unto him such as have beene admitted since that publication Hereafter if this worke may ever have a second birth and that I have ability to nde or meanes to search into the publike Registers of this Order I shall annex to every of them the time of their Creation as wee have done in all of them since the first of Queene ELIZABETH THE FIRST FOVNDERS as they call them of the Garter EDVVARD the III. Of ENGLAND and FRANCE c. being the Chiefe or Soveraigne of it EDVVARD the III. King of England HENRY Duke of Lancaster PETER Capit. de la Bouche WILLIAN MONTACVTE Earle of Salisburie IOHN Lord Lisle IOHN BEAVCHMP Knight HVGH COVRTNEY Knight IOHN GREY of Codnor Knight MILES STAPLETON Knight HVGH WORTHESLEY Knight IOHN CHANDOS Knight Banneret OTHO HOLLAND Knight SANCHIO DAMPREDICOVRT Knight EDVVARD Prince of Wales THOMAS BEAVCHAMP Earle of Warwicke RAPH Earle of Stafford ROGER MORTIMER Earle of March BARTHOLM de Burgherst Knight IOHN Lord Mohun of Dunstere THOMAS HOLLAND Knight RICHARD FITZ-SIMON Knight THOMAS WALE Knight NEELE LORENGE Knight IAMES AVDLEY Knight HENRY ESME Knight WALTER PAVELY Knight Which Founders being dead these following were in the time of the said Edward the third elected in their places according as their stalls became vacant by the death of any of the others viz. RICHARD of Burdeaux Prince of Wales and after King of England of that name the second LIONELL Duke of Clarence IOHN of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster EDMOND of Langley Duke of Yorke IOHN Duke of Brittaine and Earle of Richmond HVMFREY de Bohun Earle of Hereford WIâ—LIAM de Bohun Earle of Northampton IOHN HASTINGS Earle of Pembrooke THOMAS BEAVCHAMP Earle of Warwicke RICHARD FITZ-ALAN Earle of Arundell ROBERT VFFORD Earle of Suffolke HVGH Earle of Stafford GVISCARD of Engolesine Earle of Huntingdon INGELRAM of Coucy Earle of Bedford EDVVARD Lord Despencer WILLIAM Lord Latimer REYNOLD Lord Cobham of Sterborough IOHN Lord Nevill of Raby RAPH Lord Basset of Drayton Sir WALâ— MANNY Banneret Sir THOMAS VFFORD Sir THOMAS FELTON Sir FRANCIS VAN HALL Sir ALAN BOXHVLL Sir RICH. PEMBRVGE Sir THOMAS VTREIGHT Sir THOM. BANISTER Sir RICH. LA VACHE Sir GVY of Brienne RICHARD the II. KING OF ENGLAND and Soveraigne of the Garter Elected in his Time into the Order these that follow THOMAS of Woodstocke Earle of Buckingham and Duke of Gloucester HENRY of Lancaster Earle of Darbie and Duke of Hereford WIL. Duke of Gelderland WIL. Earle of Holland Hainault c. THO. HOLLAND Duke of Surrey IOHN HOLLAND Duke of Exeter THO. MOVVERAY Duke of Norfolke EDVVARD Duke of Aumerle MICHAEL DE LA POLE Earle of Suffolke WIL. SCROPE Earle of Wiltes WILLIAM BEAVCHAMP Lord Aburgevenny IOHN Lord Beaumont WIL. Lord Willoughby RICHARD Lord Grey Sir NICHOLAS SARNESFEILD Sir PHILIP DE LA VACHE Sir ROBERT KNOLLES Sir GVY of Brienne Sir SIMON BVRLEY Sir IOHN D'EVREVX Sir BRIAN STAPLETON Sir RIGH BVRLEY Sir IOHN COVRTNEY Sir IOHN BVRLEY Sir IOHN BOVRCHIER Sir THO. GRANDISON Sir LEVVIS CLIFFORD Sir ROBERT DVMSTAVILL Sir ROBERT of Namurs HENRY the IIII of that Name KING OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter made Choice of HENRY Prince of Wales THOMAS of Lancaster Duke of Clarence IOHN Duke of Bedford HVMFREY Duke of Gloucester ROBERT Count Palatine and Duke of Bavaria THO. BEAVFORT Duke of Exeter IOHN BEAVFORT Earle of Somerset THO. FITZ-ALAN Earle of Arundell EDM. Earle of Stafford EM HOLLAND Earle of Kent RAPH NEVILL Earle of Westmerland GILBERT Lord Talbot GILBERT Lord Roos THO. Lord Morley EDVVARD Lord Powys IOH. Lord Lovell Edvv. Lord Burnell IOH. CORNVVALL Lord Fanhope Sir WIL. ARVNDELL Sir IOH. STANLEY Sir ROE VMFREVILL Sir THOM. RAMPSTON Sir THOM. ERPINGHAM Sir IOH. SVLBIE Sir SANCHIO of Trane HENRY the V. of that Name KING OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter graced with the Order SIGISMVND King of Hungarie and Bohemia Emperour Elect. IOHN King of Portugall CHRISTIERNE King of Danemarke PHILIP Duke of Burgundie IOHN HOLLAND Duke of Exeter WILL. DE LA POLE Duke of Suffolke IOH. MOVVERAY Duke of Norfolke THOM. MONTACVTE Earle of Salisbury RICH. VERE Earle of Oxon. RICH. BEAVCHAMP Earle of Warwicke THOM. Lord Camoys IOHN Lord Clifford ROBERT Lord Willoughby WILLIAM Lord Bardolfe HENRY Lord Fitz-Hugh LEVVIS ROBSART Lord Bourchier HVGH STAFFORD Lord Bourchier WALTER Lord Hungerford Sir SYMON FELBRIDGE Sir IOH. GREY of Eyton Sir IOH. DABRIDGECOVRT Sir IOH. ROBSART Sir TRANK VAN CLVX of Germany Sir WILLIAM HARRINGTON Sir IOHN BLOVNT HENRY the VI. of that Name KING OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter assumed into it ALBERT of Austria King of Bohemia Hungarie and Emperour of Germanie FREDERICK Duke of Austria and Emperour EDVVARD King of Poland ALPHONSO King of Arragon and Naples CASIMIRE King of Portugall EDVVARD Prince of Wales PET. Duke of Conimbria and HENRY Duke of Visontium both Sonnes to the King of Portugall The Duke of Brunswicke RICH. Duke of Yorke IOH. BEAVFORT Duke of Somerset EDM. BRAVFORT Duke of Somerset IASPER of Hatfeild Duke of Bedford IOHN MOVVBRAY Duke of Norfolke HVMPH STAFFORD Duke of Buckingham GASTON DE FOIX Earle of Longueville IOHN DE FOIX Earle of Kendall ALVARES D'ALMADA Earle of Averence IOHN FITZ-ALAN Earle of Arundell RICH. NEVILL Earle of Salisbury RICH. NEVILL Earle of Warwicke IOH. TALBOT Earle of Shrewsbury IOH. TALBOT Earle of Shrewsbury Sonne to the former IAMES BVTLER Earle of Wiltes WILL. NEVILL Earle of Kent RICHARD WIDDEVILL Earle Ryvers HEN. Viscount Bourchier Earle of Essex IOHN Viscount Beaumont IOHN Lord Dudley THO. Lord Scales IOHN Lord Grey of Ruthin RAPH Lord Butler of Sudeley LIONELL Lord Welles IOH. Lord Bourchier of Berners THOMAS Lord Stanley WILL. Lord Bonvill IOH. Lord Wenlocke IOH. Lord Beauchamp of Powys THOMAS Lord Hoo. Sir IOHN RATCLIFFE Sir IOHN FASTOLFE Sir THOMAS KYRIELL Sir EDVVARD HALL EDVVARD the IIII of that Name KING OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter made Knights thereof FERDINAND King of Naples IOHN King of Portugall EDVVARD Prince of Wales CHARLES Duke of Burgundie FR. SFORZA Duke of Millaine FREDERICKE Duke of Vrbine HERCVLES Duke of Ferrara RICH. Duke of Yorke the Kings Sonne RICH. Duke of Gloucester IOHN MOVVBRAY Duke of Norfolke IOHN Lord Howard made afterwards Duke of Norfolke IOHN DE LA POLE Duke of Suffolke HENRY STAFFORD Duke of Buckingham IOHN NEVILL Marquise Montacute THOMAS GREY Marquise Dorset IAMES Earle of Douglas in Scotland WILL. FITZ-ALAN Earle of Arundell THOM. Lord Maltravers ANTH. WOODVILL Earle Ryvers WILL. Lord Herbert Earle of
Pembrooke IOHN STAFFORD Earle of Wiltes HEN. PERCY Earle of Northumberland IOHN TIPTOFT Earle of Worcester GALLIARD Lord Duras IOHN Lord Scrope of Bolton WALT. D'EVREVX Lord Ferrers WALT. BLOVNT Lord Montjoy WILL. Lord Hastings Sir IOHN ASTLEY Sir WILL. CHAMBERLAINE Sir WILL. PARRE Sir ROB. HARICOVRT Sir THOMAS MONTGOMERY RICHARD OF GLOVCESTER of that Name the third c. and Soveraigne of the Garter admitted these viz. THO. HOVVARD Duke of Norfolke THO. Lord Stanley afterwards Earle of Darby FRANCIS Viscount Lovell Sir IGHN COGNIERS Sir RICH. RADCLIFFE Sir THOM. BVRGH Sir RICH. TVNSTALL HENRY the VII of that Name KING OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter admitted to this honour MAXIMILIAN Archduke of Austria and after Emperour IOHN King of Portugall IOHN King of Danemarke PHILIP of Austria King of Castile ALPHONSO Duke of Calabria and after King of Naples ARTHVR Prince of Wales HENRY Duke of Yorke and Prince of Wales after his Brother VEALDO Duke of Vrbine EDVV. STAFFORD Duke of Buckingham THOM. GREY Marquise Dorset IOAN VERE Earle of Oxon. HEN. PERCY Earle of Northumberland GEO. TALBOT Earle of Shrewsbury HEN. BOVRCHIER Earle of Essex RICH. GREY Earle of Kent EDVVARD COVRTNEY Earle of Devon HEN. Lord Stafford Earle of Wiltes EDM. DE LA POLE Earle of Suffolke CH. SOMERSET Earle of Worcester GERALD Earle of Kildare IOHN Viscount Welles GEO. STANLEY Lord Strange WILL. STANLEY the Lord Chamberlaine IOHN Lord Dynham ROB. WILLOVGHBY Lord Brooke Sir GILES D'AVBENY Sir EDVV. POYNINGS Sir EDVV. WIDDEVILE Sir GILBERT TALBOT Sir IOHN CHEYNIE Sir RICHARD GVILFORD Sir THOM. LOVELL Sir THOM. BRANDON Sir REGINALD BRAY. Sir RHESE AP THOMAS Sir IOHN SAVAGE Sir RICH. POOLE HENRY the VIII of that Name KING OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter Chose in his Reigne CHARLES the fifth Emperour of Germany and King of Spaine FERDINAND Archduke of Austria and King of the Romanes FRANCIS the first King of France EMANVEIL King of Portugall IAMES the fifth King of Scotland HENRY FITZ-ROY Duke of Richmond and Somerset IVLIAN DE MEDICES EDVVARD SEYMOVR Earle of Hartford and after Duke of Somerset THOM. HOVVARD Duke of Norfolke CH. BRANDON Duke of Suffolke IOHN DVDLEY Viscount L'isle afterwards Duke of Norhumberland ANNAS Duke of Montmorancie HENRY COVRTNEY Marquise of Exeter WILL. PARRE Marquise of Northampton WILLIAM PAVVLET Lord St. Iohn of Basing after Marquise of Winchester HENRY HOVVARD Earle of Surrey THO. BVLLEN Earle of Wiltes WIL. FITZ-ALAN Earle of Arundell IOHN VERE Earle of Oxon. HENRY PERCY Earle of Northumberland RAPH NEVILL Earle of Westmerland FR. TALBOT Earle of Shrewsbury PHIL. DE CHABOT Earle of Newblanch Admirall of France THOM. MANNOVRS Earle of Rutland ROB. RATCLIFFE Earle of Sussex HENRY CLIFFORD Earle of Cumberland WILL. FITZ-WILLIAMS Earle of South-hampton THOM. Lord Cromwell Earle of Essex IOH. Lord Russell Earle of Bedford THOMAS Lord Wriothesley after Earle of Southampton ARTHVR PLANTAGENET base sonne of Edw. 4. Viscount L'isle WALT. D'EVREVX Viscount Hereford EDVV. HOVVARD Lord Admirall GEO. NEVILL Lord Abergevenny THOM. Wâ—st Lord de la Ware THOM. Lord Dacres of Gillesland THOM. Lord Darcy of the North. EDVVARD SVTTON Lord Dudley WIL. BLOVNT Lord Montjoy EDVV. STANLEY Lord Monteagle WIL. Lord Sands HENRY Lord Marney THO. Lord Audley of Walden Chancellour of England Sir IOHN GAGE Sir HENRY GVILFORD Sir NICH. CAREVV Sir ANTHONY BROVVNE Sir THOM. CHEYNIE Sir RICHARD WINGFEILD Sir ANTH. WINGFEILD Sir ANTH. St. LEGER Lord Deputie of Ireland Sir IOH. WALLOP EVVARD the VI. of that Name KING OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter ascribed into the Order HENRY the second King of France HENRY GREY Duke of Suffolke HENRY NEVILL Earle of Westm. FR. HASTINGS Earle of Huntingdon WILL. HERBERT Earle of Pembrooke EDVV. STANLEY Earle of Darby THO. WEST Lord de la Ware GEO. BROOKE Lord Cobbam EDVVARD Lord Clinton Admirall THOMAS Lord Seymor of Sudeley WILL. Lord Paget of Beaudesert THOM. Lord Darcy of Chiche Sir ANDREVV SVTTON alias Dudley MARY QVEENE OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter assumed into the voide places PHILIP of Austria King of Spaine the Queenes Husband EMANVEL Duke of Sâ—voy HENRY RATCLIFFE Earle of Sussex ANTH. BROVVNE Viscount Montacute WILL. Lord HOVVARD of Effingham WILL. Lord Grey of Wilton EDVV. Lord Hastings of Loughborow ELIZABETH QVEENE OF ENGLAND c. and Soveraigne of the Garter supplied the Vacant places of the Order with 1559. FREDERICK Duke of Wittenberge THOM. HOVVARD Duke of Norfolke 1559. ROB. DVDLEY Lord Denbigh and Earle of Leicester HENRY MANNOVRS Earle of Rutland WIL. PARRE Earle of Essex and Marq. of Northampton 1560. ADOLPHVS Duke of Holsatia 1561. GEORGE TALBOT Earle of Shrewsbury HENRY CARIE Lord Hunsdon 1563. AMEROSE DVDLEY Lord L'isle and Earle of Warwicke THOM. PERCY Earle of Northumberland 1564. CHARIES the Ninth King of France FRANCIS Lord Russell Earle of Bedford 1568. MAXIMILIAN King of Hungary and Bohemia Emperour 1570. FRANCIS HASTINGS Earle of Huntingdon WIL. SOMERSET Earle of Worcester 1572. FRANCIS Duke of Montmorency WALTER Viscount Hereford and Earle of Essex ARTHVR Lord Grey of Wilton EDM. BRVGES Lord Chandos FREDERICK King of Denmarke 1574. HENRY STANLEY Earle of Darby HENRY HERBERT Earle of Pembrooke 1575. CHARLES Lord Howard of Effingham and Admirall of England afterwards Earle of Nottingham 1579. IOHN CASIMIRE Count Palatine of the Rhene and Duke of Bavaria 1584. HENRY the Third King of France EDVV. MANNOVRS Earle of Rutland WIL. CECILL Lord Burghley WIL. BROOKE Lord Cobham HENRY Lord Scrope of Bolton 1486. HENRY RATCLIFFE Earle of Sussex 1588. ROBERT DEVREVX Earle of Essex Sir HENEY SIDNEY Lord President of the Marches Sir CHRISTOPHER HATTON Lord Chancellour 1592. GILBERT TALBOT Earle of Shrewsbury GEORGE CLIFFORD Earle of Cumberland 1593. HENRY PERCY Earle of Northumberland EDVVARD SOMERSET Earle of Worcester THOMAS Lord Burgh EDMOND Lord Sheffeild Sir FRANCIS KNOLLES Treasurer of the Houshold 1596. HENRY the fourth King of France and Navarre 1597. FREDERICKE Duke of Wittemberge THGM SACKVILL Lord Buckhurst afterwards Earle of Dorset THOM. Lord Howard of Walden afterwards Earle of Suffolke GEORGE CARY Lord Hunsdon CH. BIOVNT Lord Montjoy after Earle of Devon Sir HENRY LEA Keeper of the Armorie 1599. ROB. RATCLIFFE Earle of Sussex HENRY BROOKE Lord Cobham 1601. WILL. STANLEY Earle of Darby THOM. CECILL Lord Burghley after Earle of Exeter IAMES the first KING OF GREAT BRITAINE and Soveraigne of the Garter adorned that Noble Order with these Worthies viz. 1603. CHHRISTIERNE the fourth King of Denmarke HENRY Prince of Wales LEVVLS Duke of Lennox and afterwards of Richmond HEN. WRIOTHESLEY Earle of South-hampton IOHN ERESKIN Earle of Marre WILL. HERBERT Earle of Pembrooke 1605. VLRICK Duke of Holst HEN. HOVVARD Earle of Northampton 1606. ROB. CECILL Earle of Salisbury THOM. HOVVARD Viscount Bindon 1608. GEORGE HVME Earle of Dunbarre PHILIP HERBERT Earle of Montgomery 1611. CHARLES the Kings second Sonne after the death of his Brother Henry Prince of Wales THOM. HOVVARD
Master de Bellay hath recorded that IOANE of Orleans so much commemorated in our common Chronicles was not what shee appeared but onely so disguised and prepared before hand Pour faire revenir le courage aux Francoys for to revive the drooping spirits of the French so falne and broken that they were not to bee raised but by a miracle Somewhat to this purpose is related by PLUTARCH of AGESILAUS Who to embolden his Soldiers to the fight wrote with a certaine juyce the word Victorie in the palme of his hand and after being at the Sacrifice hee layed his hand cunningly upon the heart of it so leaving the word Victorie imprinted on it which presently he shewed unto those about him as if it had beene there written by the Gods I cannot say for certaine that this apparition to King Richard was by him set on foot for the same purpose and that it was no other than a Kingly fraud to quicken and revive the spirits of his Soldiers but I perswade my selfe if I did say so having no other testimony than an opinatum est against me I might be pardoned for my boldnesse 6 This notwithstanding the fame of such his apparition to that King did as before I said exceedingly promote the reputation of that Saint among the English so farre that the most excellent Prince King EDVVARD the third made choyce of him for his Patron So Master CAMDEN witnesseth in his Remaines that GEORGE hath beene a name of speciall respect in England since the victorious King EDVVARD the third chose Saint GEORGE for his Patron and the English in all Encounters and Battailes have used the name of Saint George in their cries as the French did Montioy Saint Denis The more immediate occasion was that this Edward at the battaile of Callice Anno 1349. being much troubled with griefe and anger drawing his Sword call'd earnestly upon Saint Edward and Saint George whereupon many of his Soldiers flocking presently unto him they fell upon the enemie and put many of them at that instant to the sword Rex Edwardus providè frendens more apri ab ira dolore turbatus evaginato gladio S. Edwardum S. Georgium invocavit dicens Ha Saint Edward Ha Saint George Quibus auditis visis milites confestim Anglici confluebant ad Regem suum Es facto impetu contra hostes tam animose institerunt quòd ducenti ex illis ceciderunt interfecti c. The next yeare after followed the Institution of that noble Order of the Garter dedicated unto Saint George also by which he came possessed alone of that speciall patronage as the more military Saint which in the former Invocation might seeme to be divided betweene St. Edward and himselfe Nor did the King stay here but having chose St. George to bee the tutelarie Saint and Patron of his Soldierie hee caused him to be painted as upon a lusty Courser holding a white Sheild with a red Crosse on it in his hand and gave unto his Soldiers to every one a white Coat or Cassock with two red Crosses on each side of them one to weare upon their armour Edwardus item saith Pol. Virgil. cum D. Georgium militia praesidem optasset postea ei armato equo insidenti dedit scutum album rubra a cruce perinsigne dedit militibus suis saga alba utrimque binis crucibus item rubris munita quae illi super armaturam induerent So that saith he it is a seemely and magnificent thing to see the Armies of the English to sparkle like the rising Sunne the Soldierie of other Countries having no habit eyther to distinguish or adorne them From henceforth therefore we must not looke upon St. GEORGE as a Saint in generall but as conceived such was the superstition of those times the speciall Patron of the English of which the Pilgrim in the Poet thus prophecieth unto his Red-crosse Knight as hee there calls him Then seeke this path which I to thee presage Which after all to Heaven shall thee send Then peaceably thy painefull Pilgrimage To yonder same Hierusalem doe bend Where is for thee ordain'd a blessed end For thou amongst those Saints which thou dost see Shalt be a saint and thine owne Nations friend And Patron thou St. George shalt called bee St. George of merry England the signe of victorie And hereunto alludes Mich. Draiton in his Poly-Olbion in a great controversie questionlesse which was then hot among some Nymphes of his in that Poem And humbly to St. George their Countries Patrō pray To prosper their designes now in that mighty day 7 Of other honours done by the English to St. GEORGE more than they call'd upon him as their Advocate of victory it may perhaps seeme litle necessary to dilate But since our Invocation of God and St. GEORGE is by some men conceived to bee rather Turkish than truely Christian wee will produce such evidence as may be lesse liable unto offence Of which kinde I perswade my selfe was that honour done unto him in a peece of gold currant in those times in this Kingdome called The George-noble which on the one side had the picture of Saint GEORGE upon it with this Impresse Tali dicata signo mens fluctuare nescit Nor can it be offence that many noble families in this Realme had the name of Saint GEORGE an ancient family of Saint George out of which flourished many Knights since the time of King Henry the first at Hatley which is of them call'd Hatley Saint George as I have found in learned Camden another of them as I conceive it at Hinton Saint GEORGE in Com. Sommerset the Baronie at this present of the right honourable the Lord Pawlet But this I leave unto Clarentieux one of the Kings of Armes as most interessed in it I will not heere observe that CHARLES of Burgundie one of the fellowes of the Gareer beeing in discontent with EDVVARD the fourth for his Peace with France brake out into this Passion Oh LORD Oh Saint GEORGE have you done thus indeed c or that the English used his name as an ordinary oath among them Par St. George dirent les Angloys vous dites vray c. as Froissart notes it These things I say I will not speake of lest they may give offence to our nicer eares nor of more honours of this lesser ranke or qualitie afforded him in England and therefore though the Sea bee very troublesome and unruly we will passe over Saint GEORGE'S Chanell into Ireland And here I shall observe that onely which I finde in Master Seldens notes on the Poly-Olbion as viz. that under Henry 8. it was enacted that the Irish should leave their Cramaboo and Butleraboo words of unlawfull Patronage and name themselves as under St. George and the Kings of England Which noted since I must returne againe for England there to behold the solemne institution of the Garter it will not
afterwards by meanes of friends and upon good excuse and reason by him alleaged in his defence as certainly he was a wise and valiant Captaine however in the stage they haue beene pleased to make merry with him he was restored unto his honour The third and last meanes of avoydance is by Cession Surrendrie the examples hereof also are but few This I am sure of not to make further search into it that Philip King of Spaine beeing offended with Qu. Elizabeth about the altering of Religion and thereby alienated from the English delivered backe to the Lord Vicount Mountague the robes and habit of the Order wherewith he was invested on his marriage with Qu. Mary By which his Act as the Historian hath observed Cum Anglis amicitiam visus est prorsus eiurare he seemed to breake off utterly all amitie and friendship with the realme of England 'T is true indeed King Philip being once resolved to renounce his Order was of necessitie to send backe the habit For so it is ordained amongst them that even such of them as depart this life are to take care especially that the Garter bee restored unto the Soveraigne by him and by the Company of the said Order to be disposed of to some other Examples in which kinde are infinite to bee related Windsore the fairest and most stately of our English Pallaces was by King Edward who adorned and beautified it conceived most fit to bee the Seate of that most excellent Order which he had established An house indeed worthie of such inhabitants and therefore worthily honoured by them For here they alwayes leave in readinesse the mantle of their Order to be layed up for them for any suddaine chances which might happen to require their presence at Saint GEORGES Chappell or in the Chapter-house Here doe they solemnize the Installations of their Brethren and performe their obsequies And lastly such a reverend regard they owe the place that if they come within two miles of it except that they be hindered by some weighty and important businesse they alwayes doe repaire thereto and putting on their mantles which are there in readinesse proceed unto the Chappell and there make their Offerings Nor doe they go at any time from out the Castle if their occasions bring them thither till they have offered in like manner I should now from the Knights and from the Order proceed unto the Patron of it but that I first must meet an errour by some reputed as a Law and Statute of the Order and so delivered by tradition from hand to hand viz. that those of this Heroicke Order are by their Order bound Vt mutuo se iuvent that they defend each other at all extremities and assaies But doubtlesse there is no such matter Onely the Knights are bound not to ingage themselves in the service of a forreine Prince without licence from the Soveraigne nor to beare Armes on one side if any of their Fellowes bee already entertained upon the other This is the ground of the report for Omnis fabula as the Mythologists affirme fundatur in Historia Yet hereupon Alphonso Duke of Calabria sonne unto Ferdinand King of Naples knowing that Charles the eighth of France threatned the conquest of that Kingdome did with great importunitie request to be elected of this Order as accordingly hee was Conceiving that if once he were Companion of that Order the King of England as the Soveraigne thereof would be obliged to countenance and aide him in his Warres against the French Which hopes as they were built upon a false and ruinous ground so is it not to bee admired if they deceived him Polydore Virgil who before accounted mutuall defence to be a Statute of this Order doth in this passage overthrow his owne building Concluding this relation of Alphonsus and his investiture with this note Iampridem ea consuetudo ferendi auxilij obsoleverat that long agoe that custome had beene out of use He might as well have said and more agreeable unto the truth it had never beene 10 Having thus spoken of the Statutes of this most noble Order whereby they are and beene govern'd wee will descend in the next place to give you notice of their Patron which after the opinion of those times they chose unto themselves Of which thus Pol. Virgil in his English Historie Ordâ— verò est D. Georgio ut bellatorum praesidi dicatus quare equites quotannis diem ei sacrum multis ceremonijs colunt This Order is saith hee dedicated unto Saint George as the chiefe Saint and Patron of the men of Warre whose Festivall they therefore solemnely observe with many noble Ceremonies But what need Polydore have beene produced unto this purpose since from the Charter of the Institution we have a testimony more authenticall For there King Edward tells us that to the honour of Almighty GOD and of the blessed Virgin our Ladie St. Mary and of the glorious Martyr Saint GEORGE Patron of the right noble Realme of England and to the exaltation of the holy Catholicke Faith hee had ordained established created and founded within his Castle of Windsore a Company of twenty sixe noble Knights to bee of the said most noble Order of Saint GEORGE named the Garter 'T is true indeed that Polydore hath well observed with how great Ceremonie and solemnitie the Knights doe celebrate this Feast Attending both on the Vespers and the day it selfe at divine Service attired in the most rich and stately Mantles of the Order and gallantly adorned with their most rich sumptuous Collars which wee call of S. S. the Image of Saint GEORGE garnished with pearles and precious stones appendant to them In which their going to the Church and in their setting at the Table they goe and set by two and two every one with his fellow which is foreagainst him in his stall And if by chance it happen that his fellow be not present he doth both goe and set alone I say if so it chance to happen for all the fellowes are obliged to be there personally present without a just and reasonable cause acceptable to the Soveraigne or his Deputie and signified by speciall Letters of excuse Other the pompe and rich magnificence of this Feast I forbeare to mention as utterly unable to expresse it The minde is then best satisfied in such things as this when the eye hath seene them But I proceed unto St. George Of which their Patron and of the noble Order it selfe the Marriage of the Tame and Isis a Poeme written some yeeres past doth thus descant Auratos thalmos regum praeclara sepulchra Et quaecunque refers nunc Windesora referre Desine Cappadocis quamvis sis clara Georgi Militia procerumque cohors chlamydata intenti Cincta periscelidi suras te lumine tanto Illustret tantis radijs perstringet orbem Vt nunc Phrixâ—um spernat Burgundia vellus Contemnat cochleis variatos Gallia torques Et cruce
Earle of Arundell ROB. CARRE Earle of Somerset 1612. FREDERICK Prince Elector Palatine MAVRICE VAN NASSAVV Prince of Orange 1615. THOMAS ERESKIN Viscount Fenton and after Earle of Kellie WILLIAM Lord Knolles after Earle of Banburie 1616. FRANCIS MANNOVRS Earle of Rutland GEORGE VILLIERS Earle Marquise and after Duke of Buckingham ROBERT SIDNEY Viscount L'isle after Earle of Leicester 1623. IAMES Marquise Hamilton 1624. ESME STEVVARD Duke of Lennox and Earle of March CHRISTIAN Duke of Brunswicke CHARLES Of that Name the First KING OF GREAT BRITTAINE FRANCE and IRELAND Soveraigne of the most Noble Order of S t. GEORGE called commonly the Garter adorned therewith 1625. de Lorreine Duke of Chevereuze WILLIAM CECILL Earle of Salisbury IAMES HAY Earle of Carlile EDVVARD SACKVILL Earle of Dorset HENRY RICH Earle of Holland THOMAS HOVVARD Earle of Berkshire 1627. GVSTAVUS ADOLPHVS King of Swethland HENRY Van Nassaw Prince of Orange 1628. THEOPHILVS HOVVARD Earle of Suffolke 1629. WIL. COMPTON Earle of Northampton 1630. RICHARD Lord Weston Lord high Treasurer ROBERT BERTY Earle of Lindsey WILLIAM CECILL Earle of Exeter THE FELLOVVES of that most Noble Order of St. GEORGE call'd commonly the Garter according as they now are this present May Anno 1630. CHARLES King of England CHRISTIERNE King of Denmarke ADOLPHVS King of Swethland FREDERICK King of Bohemia HENRY Prince of Orange Duke of Cheureuze HENRY Earle of Northumberland EDMOND Earle of Moulgrave WILLIAM Earle of Darby IOHN Earle of Marre PHIL. Earle of Pembroke and Montgomery THOM. Earle of Arundell and Surrey ROBERT Earle of Somerset THOMAS Earle of Kelly WILLIAM Earle of Banbury FRANCIS Earle of Rutland WILLIAM Earle of Salisbury IAMES Earle of Carlile EDVVARD Earle of Dorset HENRY Earle of Holland THOMAS Earle of Berkshire THEOPHILVS Earle of Suffolke WILLIAM Earle of Northampton RICHARD Lord Weston of Neyland ROBERT Earle of Lindsey WILLIAM Earle of Exeter Iamque opus exegi Thus have I as I hope made good that which at first I undertooke so to assert the Historie of this most blessed Saint and Martyr that neither we become ashamed of Saint GEORGE nor he of us In which though sometimes upon just and necessary causes I have tooke liberty to digresse a litle yet in the generall I have conform'd my selfe to the rule of Plinie and kept my selfe unto my title In the first part wee have removed those imputations which were cast upon this Storie by the practises of Heretickes and follies of the Legendaries We have given also satisfaction to those doubts and arguments which in these latter ages have beene made against Saint George and that so throughly and point per point as the saâ—ing is that I perswade my selfe there is not anything unsatisfied which may give occasion to reply If any man too passionately affected to mens names and persons shall waiâ—e the cause in hand to take upon him the defence of those whose judgements herein are rejected such I must first enforme that I respect and reverence those famous Writers which have thought the contrary as much as any that I have those excellent copies of themselves which they have left behind them in as high esteeme as any hee that most adores them Onely I must conceive my selfe to bee a Free-man oblig'd to no mans judgement nor sworne to any mans opinion of what eminent ranke soever but left at liberty to search the way of truth and trace the foote-steps of antiquitie from which I would not gladly swerve Which protestation first premised I will bee bold to use Saint Hieromes words unto his Reader Quaeso Lector ut memor tribunalis Domini c. nec mihi nec Adversarijs meis faveas neve personas loquentium sed causam consideres The second Part of this discourse containes the formall justification of Saint GEORGE'S Historie considered in it selfe so farre forth as it hath beene commended to us in the best Authors In that we have confirmed it first by the testimony of such Writers of good qualitie which have unanimously concurr'd in it and those both of the Greeke Church and of the Latine both Protestants and Papists In the next place we had recourse unto the practice of the Church Catholicke which hath abundantly express'd her good opinion of him in giving him such speciall place in her publike Martyrologies and in her ordinarie Service in taking such a tender care of his precious Reliques and consecrating by his name so many goodly and magnificent Temples To this wee have adjoyn'd the publike honours done unto him by the greatest Princes and Republicks in the Christian world Not onely in erecting Monasteries to his name and memory and instituting Orders of Religious persons to his honour but as the times then were in making him the tutelarie Saint of their Men of Warre the speciall Patron of their estates and military Orders also and not so onely but the Guardian of the distressed affaires of Christianitie In the last place wee haue particularly related the honours done unto him heere in England as generally in calling Churches by his name in making him the Patron of this most noble Kingdome in leaving him his place in our publike Calendars and forcing the wilde Irish to call upon him in their battailes so more especially in dedicating to him that most Heroicke Order of Saint GEORGE called commonly the Garter Such honours and of such high esteeme as might have beene of force to make an English-man suspend his censure of him and to forbeare to second any quarrels raised against him had not Saint AVSTIN truely noted this to bee a quality of Errour that whatsoever likes not us wee would not gladly should bee pleasing unto any others Hoc est error is proprium saith hee ut quod cuique displicet id quoqne existimet oportere displicere alijs What hath beene done by mee in the contexture and composition of the whole I leave to bee determined by all learned and Religious men who shall happe to reade it to whose judicious censure next under his most sacred Majestie and this most excellent Church whereof I am I willingly submit my selfe and my performance For my part I resolve of it with the Author of the Macchabees with whose submission of himselfe I conclude this Treatise Ego quoque in his faciam finem sermonis Et si quidem benè ut Historiae competit hoc ipse velim sin autem minus dignè concedendum est mihi If I have done well and as is fitting the Storie it is that which I desired but if slenderly and meanely it is that which I could attaine unto And heere shall be an end FINIS LONDON Printed by B.A. and T. F. for Henry Seile at the Tygers-head in St. Pauls Church-yard 1631. Lib. 11. Cap 4. Epigr. l. 5.10 Ethicâ— l. 1. c. 4. â—th lib. 1. Cap. 6 Tat. de Mor. Germ. V. Chap. 3 §. 6. De Script Eccles. In Chronol L. 4. ad Pag. 131 Pag. 251. b. De Tradend discipl
hundred yeares exactly before the time of Volaterran And so Oraeus in his Nomenclator Simeon Metaphrastes Constantinopolitanus scripsit de vitis Sanctorum Sec. 14. So they but this can nothing prejudice our Simeon Metaphrastes extoll'd so highly by Michael Psellus who liv'd in their account which speake the least Anno 1060. so highly praised by Balsamon who wrote about the yeare 1191. above an hundred yeares before this Scoole-master was talked of Likely it is this Schoole-master might adde those Lives unto the worke of Metaphrastes which by the Cardinall are noted to bee of later date and a lesse standing And this I thinke the rather because Nicephorus who liv'd then with this Schoole-master if such there was hath told vs touching Simeon Stylites the latter of that name how that one Simeon Magister Some Schoole-master perhappes had written of him but not so learnedly as the occasion did require Ea huc vsque de Sim. viz. Stylite sermone omnium celebrantur à Simeone Magistro quanquam non ita doctè ut magnitudo rerum postulavit conscripta But be he what he will and even as ignorant as a Pedant may be in nature it is no matter certaine I am hee cannot be that Metaphrastes so much fam'd by Psellus Balsamon and a whole Councell not that whom wee haue chosen to report the storie of St. George and is now readie to relate it 6 Of Metaphrastes hitherto We now proceed unto the storie which hee tell 's vs thus Georgius in Cappadocia non obscuro loco e Christianis parentibus natus in vera pietate iam inde educatus fuerat Hic cum ad pubertatem nondum pervenisset patrem in certamine pietatis egregis pugnantem amisit è Cappadociaque cum matre in Palestinam vnde erat oriunda se contulit vbi multae illi possessiones et ingens erat haereditas Ob generis igitur nobilitatem cum iam et corporis pulchritudine et aetate ad militiam aptus esset Tribunus militum est constitutus Quo quidem in munere cum virtutem suam in bellicis certaminibus séque strenum militem ostendisset Comes à Diocletiano constitutus est antequà m christianus esse cognosceretur Cum autem eo tempore mater é vita discessisset maioris cupidus dignitatis maximam e divitijs sibi relictis partem accipit et ad Imperatorem profectus est Tunc annum vicessimum aetatis annum impleverat So farre the words of Metaphrastes which I haue therefore here put downe at large because it is the ground worke of the whole businesse I translate it thus St. George was borne in Cappadocia of Christian parents and those not of the meanest qualitie by whom he was brought up in true Religion and the feare of God Hee was no sooner past his Childhood but hee lost his father brauely encountring with the enemies of Christ and thereupon departed with his afflicted Mother into Palestine whereof she was a native and where great fortunes and a faire inheritance did fall unto him Thus qualified in birth and being also of an able bodie and of an age fit for employment in the warres hee was made a Colonell In which employment hee gaue such testimonies of his valour and behav'd himselfe so nobly that forthwith Dioclesian not knowing yet that he was a Christian advanc'd him to the place and dignitie of his Councell for the warres for so on good authoritie I have made bold to render Comes in this place and time About this time his Mother dyed and hee augmenting the heroicke resolutions of his mind with the increase of his revenue did presently applie himselfe vnto the Court and service of his Prince his twentieth yeere being even then compleat and ended This is the first part of St. Georges historie according unto Metaphrastes In affirmation of the which I will adde onely for the present a rowle or catalogue of such which make St. George to bee by birth a Cappadocian which is the thing first doubted As viz. The Martyrologie of the Greeke Church Vincentius Bellovacensis Nicephorus Callistus Iacobus de Voragine The Breviarie of the English Church See Vsum Sarum Edward the third of England in his Charter of the Foundation of the Church in Windsore Antoninus Florentinus Hermannus Schedell Phil. Bergomensis Ralph Volaterran the Magdeburgians and Oraeus twelve honest men besides their fore-man and true most of them besides all those of the Romish partie also which are peremptorie in it The severall places and the words therein alleaged unto this purpose we shall see hereafter Which being so I cannot choose but wonder at the boldnesse of one Fryer Anselme of the Order of St. Francis who makes St. GEORGE a Native of Palestine or Syria and tells us that the house in which he was borne is still standing and call'd commonly S t. GEORGES De Acon versus orientem these are his words ad quinque Leucas occurrit Casale quoddam quod S. Georgius dicitur quia ibi natus fuit situm est inter montana in Valle. But more I marvaile at Sir Walter Raleigh that on such weake and shallow grounds should so report it Five miles saith he from Ptolemais which is the same with Acon towards the East is the Castle of St. GEORGE where he was borne the Valley adjoyning bearing the same name This last indeed we grant that there is such a Valley and that it is so call'd and that there is a Castle and an Oratorie in it consecrated to our Martyr Yet this not in relation to his birth which none besides themselves have thought on but on as weake and faultie grounds his conflict with the Dragon said by the Natives to be slaine by him in this place which before we noted from PATRITIVS and ADRICOMIVS in the latter end of our first Chapter 7 Before we travaile further in the Storie of St. GEORGE we must a litle looke upon the state of the Roman Empire govern'd by Diocletian in the East and in the West by Maximinian surnamed Herculius For Diocletian beeing made Emperour by the Army upon the death of Carus and finding that the burden was too weighty for him to sustaine alone he joyn'd unto him in that honour one of his fellow-Soldiers this Maximinian reserving to himselfe the Easterne parts at that time daily wasted by the neighbouring Persians and sending his Copartner into the West where the Barbarians of the North and Westerne Marches were no lesse troublesome But things not rightly yet succeeding to their wish as well to keepe in quiet that which was peaceable as to regaine such Provinces as had beene lost they tooke unto themselves two CAESARS for so the next Successours were then called viz. Galerius Maximinianus and Constantius Chlorus Of these the latter was by his Parentage and birth of Illyricum and by AVGVSTVS MAXIMINIAN employed in Brittaine which was then revolted The other was of Dacia a neighbour by his Country unto Diocletian by whom hee was sent