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
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
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
9 The publike service of that Church on St. Georges day 10 Arguments drawne from the Church service of what validitie 11 Saint George continually famous in the Church Christian. 12 And among the Turkes CHAP. V. 1 The honour done vnto the Dead in the decent buriall of their bodies 2 The reliques of the Saints of what esteeme in the Church primitive 3 The care of Gregorie of Tours to preserve his writings and what he testifieth of St. George's reliques 4 What mention there is made of them in Aymonius and others 5 Churches distinguished anciently by the names of Saints and for what reason 6 St. George's Churches in Lydda and in Ramula made afterwards a Byshops Seate 7 St. George's Church built by Sidonius Archbyshop of Mentz 8 That mention'd in St. Gregories Epistles 9 St. George's Church in Rome the title of a Cardinall 10 Churches erected to St. George in Alexandria and elsewhere 11 Of Faustus Rhegiensis 12 And the Pseudo-Martyr in Sulpitius 13 An application of the rule in Lerinensis vnto the businesse now in hand CHAP. VI. 1 St. George how hee became to bee accounted the chiefe Saint of Souldiers 2 St. George when first esteemed a chiefe Patron of Christianity 3 The expedition of the Westerne Princes to the Holy Land 4 The Storie of the succours brought unto their Army by St. George 5 Second apparition to them at the Leaguer of Hierusalem 6 The probability of the former myracle disputed 8 An essay of the famous battaile of Antiochia by way of Poem CHAP. VII 1 The honours 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 a 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 CHAP. VIII 1 St. George not anciently esteemed the Patron of the English 2 Churches erected to him here in England 3 His apparition to King Richard in the Holy Land 4 What may bee thought in generall touching the apparition of the Saints 5 And what in this particular 6 St. George when he began to be entituled particularly to the English 7 The honours done him here and among the Irish. 8 The institution of the Noble Order of the Garter 9 A briefe view of the chiefe Statutes of the Order 10 St. George the Patron of it 11 Sr. W. Raleighs opinion touching the killing of the Dragon 12 And of them also which desire to haue the George Symbolicall 13 A Catalogue of all St. George's Knights of that most noble Order vntill this present 14 The Conclusion of the whole THE HISTORIE OF That most famous Saint and Soldier 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 PREFACE 1 The natur◠of Curiositie 2 And pronenesse of the present Age to new fancies 3 The opening of the cause in hand 4 The Reasons which induced the Author to vndertake the Patronage of St. George's Cause and Historie 5 His resolution in it and the manner of his proceeding 6 The method of the whole 7 The Authors free submission of himselfe and his performance to the wise and learned 1 IT is a sad Complaint of Melchior Canus that many of us in this more neate and curious Age doe peevishly to say no worse reject those ancient Stories which are commended to us in the best and gravest Authors Plerique nostra hac aetate perversè ne dicam impudenter res quas esse gestas gravissimi autores testati sunt in dubium vocant So hee and certainly he spake it not at randome but as a man which well fore-saw to what extremities that restlesse humour of leaving nothing undiscussed and not so onely but leaving nothing in the state wee found it at the last would bring us For such the nature is of Curiositie especially if once attended with Selfe-love and that vnquiet spirit of Opposition that wee are alwayes watchfull to prie into the passages of former Times and Authors and leaue no path vntroden how crooked and indirect soever which may conduce to the advancement eyther of our cause or credit By meanes whereof as sometimes happily wee doe good service to the Common-wealth of Learning in the correcting of an Errour so for the most part wee involue it in uncertainties or broach new errours vnder a pretence of canvassing the Old or by denying credit to Antiquitie we onely teach posteritie how litle credit may be due vnto our selves 2 I say not this to blunt the edge of any vertuous endeavours nor to the prejudice of those heroicke spirits by whom so many of the ancient Writers which had beene buried in their owne dust and made a prey to moathes and cobwebs have beene restor'd vnto themselues Ill may I prosper in my Studies if I deny the least of due respects to them to whose most fortunate and painfull travailes wee owe no lesse than to the Authors Nor would I gladly be esteem'd a Patron eyther of lazie ignorance or of dull credulitie nor willingly bee thought to countenance those of the vulgar Heard who runne into receiv'd opinions as Calderinus in Ludovic Vives did to Masse Eamus ergo said he quia sic placet in communes errores Not so I know it argue's a degenerous and ignoble mind barely and simply to submit it selfe unto the tyrannie of popular fames or old traditions not daring once to search into them to see at least some shew of reason in our bondage Much like those noble Housekeepers so much commended in the Country who rather choose to haue their judgements question'd in giving entertainment vnto all than that their Hospitalitie should bee accused in excluding any Onely I said it a litle to take downe if possible that height of selfe-conceit and stomacke wherewith too many of vs doe affront those Worthies of the former dayes and set our selves against our Fathers Which humour if it once possesse vs in spight of him that told vs nihil novum est sub sole without regard of him that said it quia vetus est melius we must have every thing as new and moderne as our selves new Organons for Logicke new modells of Divinity scarce any thing which hath beene hitherto resolv'd eyther in Philologicall Theologie or in Philosophie no not in Ecclesiasticall or civill History not new not altered The tendries and decisions of our Ancestours growne as unfashionable as their garments and if we please our selves in any thing it must be somewhat which
made the tutelarie Saint of Soldiers at what time he first began to be accounted so principall a Patron of Christianitie before we can descend unto particulars And first if we demand how our Saint George became to bee accounted the chiefe Saint of Soldiers we answere that he was himselfe a Soldier of chiefe ranke and qualitie and therefore in the superstitious times before us conceived to be most worthy to countenance that calling For which cause also it pleased the Church of Rome who then did what she listed to joyne with him in commission although perhaps not with equall power St. Maurice and St. Sebastian So witnesseth Baronius out of the Roman Ceremoniall De divinis officijs Romanam ipsam Ecclesiam ad expugnandos fidei hostes hos praecipuè martyres invocare consuevisse Mauritium Sebastianum Georgium Which Maurice and Sebastian also were both of them Soldiers of the same time with our St. George and both of eminent place in their severall Armies MAVRITIUS being one of the Chiefetaines of the Theban Legion slaughtered by MAXIMINIANUS in his expedition towards Brittaine SEBASTIAN a Commander of the first ranke Princeps primae cohortis under DIOCLETIAN This was the reason why they were first selected to take upon them the defence of militarie men Saint GEORGE as chiefe upon the earth in birth and honours so also generally reckoned by the men of Warre to bee of greater power than eyther of the other and therefore most devoutly prayed to Hence is it that the Poet MANTVAN calls him the MARS of Christians MARS being at the first some notable swash-buckler himselfe and afterwards the GOD of Soldiers in the opinion of the Gentiles Vt Martem Latij sic nos te Dive Georgi Nunc colimus As Rome did MARS so wee St. GEORGE doe honour thee And in another place Inclyte bellorum rector quem nostra Inventu◠Pro Mavorte colit Thou famous President of Wars Whom we adore instead of MARS 2 Nor was St. George only reckoned as a chiefe Saint of soldiers but after and before the English tooke him to themselves esteemed a principall patron of the affaire of Christendome For as before I noted the Christians used to call upon him being so lessoned by their superstitious teachers as an advocate of victory and did implore his helpe ad expugnandos fidei hostes in all their Warres against the enemies of our religion as they did also pray unto St. Maurice and St. Sebastian though not so generally Hence is it that St. Marke St. Iames St. Davis St. Andrew and the rest being once chosen the Protectors of particular States and Countries were never importuned to take upon them the tuition and defence of any others It may be they were fastned unto those imployments as once the Tyrians chained the statua of Hercules their especiall Guardian to their Altars for feare he might be wonne to take part against them and give succour to their enemies But of St. George we finde not any such sufficient bond by which he is obliged either unto particular places or designes as one whom they thought good to leave at large that so hee might the better succour the afflicted parts of Christendome For which cause howsoever in the latter dayes hee was conceived to be a speciall fautor of the English yet have the Georgians and the Genoese alwayes esteem'd him as their Patron and by the German Emperours he hath beene made Protectour also of their military orders of which more hereafter How and on what occasion he came to have the generall patronage of Christianitie conferred upon him at the least as I conceive it I am next to shew first making roome for that which followes by a short but necessarie digression 3 After the yeare 600. the affaires of Christendome began in all places to decline the Westerne parts beginning to be over-spread by superstition the Easterne made a prey unto the Saracens who in their conquests laboured what they could to advance the sect of Mahomet By this meanes as they inlarged their Empire so did they also propagate the infinite impieties of that Impostour whose irreligion had the fortune not onely to be entertained by those poore wretches whom the Saracens had conquered but also to inveigle them by whom they were subdued For when the Turkes under the conduct of Tangrolipix had made themselves masters of the Persian Empire then in possession of the Saracens they tooke upon them presently the Law of that seducer as if Mahometanisme had beene annexed inseparably unto the Diademe Proud of this victory and litle able to conteine their active spirits in an obedient Peace at home they were employed in severall Armies and to severall purposes one of them under Cutlu-Moses who turned his forces on the Christian Empire the other under Ducat and Melech two kinsmen of the Persian Sultan who bent their strength against the Saracens of Syria and Damascus In this designe the issue prooved so answerable to their hopes that quickly they became possessed of almost all Armenia Media and the Lesser Asia inhabited in most parts of them then by Christians as of all Syria the Holy Land and therein of Hierusalem So that in all the East the Gospell of our Saviour was eyther utterly extinguished or his name celebrated onely in obscure and private places Religion being in this state the Christian Princes of the West most of them then in peace and amitie with one another joyntly and joyfully resolve upon the freeing of the miserable East from thraldome Perswaded thereunto piously by a Reverend Hermit whose name was Peter who had beene witnesse of those miseries which the Christians there endured and cunningly by Vrban of that name the second Pope of Rome who by employing such so many Princes in those remote Countries fore-saw a way to bring the Roman Prelates to their so-much-expected greatnesse The Princes of most note which put themselves into the action were Robert Duke of Normandie brother to Will. Rufus King of England Hugh brother to the King of France Godfrey of Bouillon Duke of Lorreine with his two brethren Baldwin and Eustace Tancred and Beomond two noble Normans of the Kingdome of Naples and he which for his spirit and magnanimity might have beene reckoned with the first Ademar Byshop of La Puy en Velay a litle territorie neere unto Auvergne in France the Popes Legate The Armie which attended them amounted to no lesse than 30000. fighting men the time of this their expedition an 1096. or thereabouts their fortune so succesful that they expell'd the Turks out of all Asia the lesse compelling them into the Easterne parts of their dominions Having no enemy at their backs they passed the streights of Taurus entring into Syria which they quickly mastered they sate them downe at last before the famous City of Antiochia A place of chiefe importance for the assurance of their new conquests and therefore very much desired 4 This famous City after a long
haply because they descended of those Georgi which PLINIE nameth among the Caspian Inhabitants Let it suffice that though they take not their denomination from Saint GEORGE yet they affoord him more honour than any other of the Saints the same Authour telling us that when they goe into a Church they give meane respect to other Images but that Saint George is so worshipped we will permit him to make merry with himselfe that his Horses hoofes are kissed of them Michael ab Ysselt more seriously though he erre somewhat in the derivation Georgiani verò vocantur à D. Georgio quem velut patronum praecipuum in suis contra Paganos praelijs velut signiferum propugnatorem ingenti honore venerantur Quocunque enim tendunt turmatim incedunt vexillum D. Georgij insignitum circumferentes cuius ope auxilio in bello maximè se iuvari credunt The Georgians saith hee are so denominated from Saint GEORGE whom as their principall Patron and theyr Champion in their warres against the Pagans they worship with especiall honour For which way soever they employ their Forces they carry with them a faire Banner with the picture of Saint George upon it beleeving that by his assistance they are much comforted and ayded in their warres So the Historian 11 But howsoever we dare not say with him that this Asian people had their appellation from Saint George their Patron yet wee are confident of this that many places both of Asia and Europe have received denomination from him For heere in Asia wee finde a large and spacious Valley not farre from Libanus which is call'd St. George's Valley and we have also noted that the Towne of Lydda or Diospolis was by the Christians called Saint George's and that there is in Europe a St. George's Vally also in the midst of Germanie Adde hereunto that the Thracian Chersonesse is now called commonly St. George's Arme which is remembred by Maginus in his Geographie and hath beene since observed by Sir George Sandys The learned Munster doth transferre this appellation from the Land unto the Sea from the Thracian Chersonesse unto the narrow streight or Arme neere to it which they call Bosphorus Porrò Bosphorus appellatur brachium S. Georgij saith hee and like inough the name is fitted unto both But why this Chersonesse was call'd Saint George's Arme I cannot say unlesse perhaps that Relique of Saint George was there in former times layed up which after by Iustinian the Emperour was bestowed upon Saint German as before I noted Paulus Diaconus makes mention of Saint George's River neare to the Country of the Bulgarians Coeterùm Aprili mense saith hee of Constantine the Sonne of Eirene cum castra moveret contra Bulgares venit ad castellum quod dicitur Probati ad rivum D. Georgij Wee reade in our industrious CAMDEN also that the Irish Ocean which runneth betweene Brittaine and Ireland is called by Sea-men at this day Saint GEORGE'S Chanell And lest that any part of the old World should not have some place in it of this name PATRITIUS tells us in the booke of his owne Navigations that one of the Azores is call'd St. George's Est D. Georgij insula c. 12 To draw up that together which hath beene formerly alleaged in Saint GEORGE'S cause I hope it will appeare that there is no occasion why hee should eyther bee reputed as an Arian or a Counterfeit a Larva nay why hee should not bee accounted to have as high a place in immortalitie as any of the other those blessed Spirits the Apostles excepted onely For if antiquitie may bee thought worthy of any credit wee have antiquitie to friend or if the common suffrages of so many famous and renowned writers successively in every age may bee of any reckoning with us Saint George may challenge as much interest in them as any in the Calendar However put case that they have erred in their relations of Saint GEORGE and that they tooke that evidence which out of them wee borrowed on trust from one another yet what shall bee replyed to this that in the Church of God hee hath beene hitherto reputed as an holy Martyr Shall wee conceive the Church of God would bee so carefull to preserve his memorie in the publike Martyrologies or give him place in their publike Liturgies or take such heed unto his Reliques or honour him with Temples had hee beene such a damnable and bloudie Hereticke or which they say is better if hee had never beene at all Or if hee had beene such may it bee thought that both the Church and all the learned members of it for 1300 yeares almost should be deluded no man in all that time able to see into the fraud or that the Spirit of God should quite abandon all the rest and settle onely on some two or three of later times who though they kept amongst themselves the Band of Peace had not as it appeares the Spirit of Vnitie Or last of all suppose the Monkes and Fryers should joyne together to put a tricke upon the world and that they had prevailed upon the Church to give countenance unto it shall wee conceive so poorely of the greatest Kings and Princes in the Christian world that they were all of them abused and drawne to do◠such honours to one which eyther never was a man or was now a Divell All this is hard to bee digested And wee may well bee counted easie of beleefe if onely on the ipse dixit of one man and the conjectures of another were they of greater reputation than they are wee should give faith unto their sayings to one of them I meane for both are not to be beleeved together when such a Cloud of Witnesses affirme the contrarie Catalogus testium veritatis a Catalogue of witnesses in all times and ages If men may be beleeved upon their bare assertion why may not they be credited which say Saint George was once a Martyr and is now a Saint as well as they which say he was not Or if wee will not take up any thing on trust without some reason for it why rather should not they bee worthy of beleefe which have good proofe for what they say than those that build upon conjectures ill-grounded and worse-raised Lastly if that may be beleeved most safely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the words of Aristotle which both the vulgar wits and more excellent spirits have agreed on joyntly still we are where we were and still St. George must be a Martyr But I am now for England where I am sure to finde as ample testimonies for St. George as any other part of the world what ever CHAP. VIII 1 St. George not anciently esteemed the Patron of the English 2 Churches erected to him here in England 3 His apparition to King Richard in the Holy Land 4 What may be thought in generall touching the apparition of the Saints 5 And what in this particular
6 St. George when he began to bee entituled particularly to the English 7 The honours done him here and among the Irish. 8 The institution of the noble Order of the Carter 9 A briefe view of the chiefe Statutes of the Order 10 St. George the Patron of it 11 Sir Walter Raleighs opinion touching the killing of the Dragon 12 And of them also which desire to have the George Symbolicall 13 A Catalogue of all St. George's Knights of that most noble Order untill this present 14 The Conclusion of the whole 1 OVr course is now for England divisos orbe Britannos as the Poet hath it divided from the other parts of the World as in her situation so in her felicities Of which and of the testimonies which she is able to afford unto Saint GEORGE wee shall speake in severall it being as the Panegyrick and Solinus call it another world the rather because in the latter dayes hee hath beene reckoned as the especiall Patron of this Nation and as particular to us as is Saint ANTONIE to Italie Saint DENIS unto France or any of the other to their proper places I say in the later dayes onely for anciently we were not thought to have more right to him than any other of our Neighbours however it bee said by some that hee hath alwayes beene the tutelarie Saint and Guardian of our Nation For if wee will beleeve our English Fugitives wee may behold the picture of Saint GEORGE in their Church at Rome with this inscription Georgium Cappadocem Anglia sibi protectorem elegit maximis beneficijs tùm pace tùm bello receptis semper religiosissimè coluit Id est This GEORGE of Cappadocia the English chose to be their Patron and for the many benefits received from him both in Peace and Warre have alwayes very religiously worshipped him Or if we will beleeve that the victorious Prince King ARTHUR bare him in one of his royall banners which was a signe of speciall dependance on him and relation to him we finde in Master Selden that so by some it is repâ—rted and HARDING whom I have not seene is cyted in the Margin And first to make reply to that which was first alleaged if so our Fugitives of Rome doe by their Semper understand that ever since his Martyrdome Saint GEGRGE hath beene esteemed and worshipped as the Patron of the English wee must needes tell them that howsoever this may bee beleeved at Rome it is not likely to bee entertained with us here in England If by their Semper they meane onely that alwayes since the English chose him for their Patron hee hath beene specially esteemed and worshipped by them wee grant indeed that since that time Saint GEORGE hath alwayes beene especially honoured though not religiously worshipped As for King ARTHUR wee reade in MALMESBURIE that at the Seige of Bannesdowne mons Badonicus not farre from Bathe to which the Saxons had retyred and thereon fortified that in his royall Armes hee bare the portraiture of the blessed Virgin Postremò in obsidione Badonici montis fretus imagine dominicae matris quam armis suis insuerat c. as he there hath it Of any Image of Saint George wee have ne gry quidem eyther in him or any other of our Historians Nor is it easie to bee credited that in so small a tract of time Saint George was growne so eminent in the opinion of the Brittaines as to be deem'd the Patron of their Armies their tutelarie Saint against their enemies 2 If from the Brittaines we proceed unto the Saxons I have not found as yet that eyther in their Heptarchie or after they became one entire state a Monarchie they had St. GEORGE in more than ordinary honour Vnlesse perhaps we may beleeve that Theobald one of the Saxon Kings might take a speciall liking to him upon the commendation of Cunibert King of the Lombards by whom hee was magnificently feasted in his journey towards Rome His diebus Theobald rex Anglorum Saxonum qui multa in sua patria bella gesserat ad Christum conversus Romam properavit qui ad Cunibertum regem veniens this Cunibert as before we noted had built St. George a Monasterie ab eo mirificè susceptus est saith Paul the Deacon But in the Empire of the Normans we have variety and store inough some of it even in their first entrance before their state and affaires here were well setled For in the yeare 1074 which was some eight yeares after the death of Harald Robert D'Oyley a Nobleman of Normandie when he had received at the hands of William the Conquerour in reward of his service in the Warres large possessions in the County of Oxon built a spacious Castle on the West side of the City of Oxford with deepe Ditches Ramparts an high raised Mount and therein a Parish-Church unto St. George unto which when the Parishioners could not have accesse by reason that King Stephen most streightly besiedged Maud the Empresse within this Castle St. Thomas Chappell in the street hard by was built Afterwards King Edward the 3. that famous and puissant Prince being borne at Windsore erected there out of the ground a most strong Castle equall in bignesse to a pretty Cittie and in the very entrance of it a most stately Church consecrated B. Virgini Mariae S. Georgio Cappadoci unto the blessed Virgin Marie and St. George of Cappadocia but brought unto that sumptuous magnificence which now we see it carry by King Edward the fourth and Sir Reginald Bray Of which both Church and Castle thus Draytons Muse in the 15. song of his Poly-Olbion Then hand in hand her Thames the Forrest softly brings To that supreamest place of the great English Kings The Garters royall seate from him who did advance That princely Order first our first that conqured France The Temple of St. George whereas his honour'd Knights Vpon his hallowed day observe their ancient rights Thus had we as we finde in Camden a Monasterie dedicated to St. GEORGE in the County of Derby built by the Greyslayes gentlemen of good ancientrie in that country Thus have wee also a faire Church consecrated to St. George's name in Doncaster a St. GEORGE'S Church in South-werke and in London and not to travaile further in this enquirie a St. GEORGE'S Church in Burford where it pleased GOD to give mee first my naturalll being and afterwards my education In which regard I hold my selfe bound in a manner to vindicate St. GEORGE'S honour having received such comforts in a place where his memorie was anciently precious and the onely Church in it dedicated by his name 3 St. George thus generally honoured by the English as a Saint it was not long before they fastned superstition being then in the very height a more particular respect upon him the first beginnings whereof wee must referre unto King Richard of that name the first according to the information which William
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