( 7 ° )

Brother-in-law Marinas Marcianus , Duke of SeJJa,, whodefign’d to murder him, and transfer the Kingdom tothe Duke of Calabria: But the Plot being defeated, in.{lead of bringing him to Juftice, he not only pardon’dhim, but inftituted this Chevalry, admitting thereinall the Noblemen of Title and Figure in the Kingdom,and generoufly appointed him one of the firft Knights.The Collar was of Gold, intermix’d with Mud or Dirt,to which depended an Ermin and this Motto, Maloniori quam fadari, alluding to the clean Nature of theAnimal.

39. The Order of Michael jn Naples,

Had its Original from the fame King Ferdinand , inhonour of St. Michael the Arch-Angel, Patron of styu-Ha. The Habit of the Knights was a long White Man-tle embroider’d with Ermins, and the Collar of Goldcompos’d of the Letter O, to which hung in an Ovalthe Epigraph Decorum. By the Habit it feetns to bethe preceding Order, if that was dedicated to St. Mi-chael.

40. The Order of St. Michael in France.

Levis XI. King of that Realm, confidering how hisAffairs were entangled, to re-unite the AffeHions ofhis Nobility to himfelf, inftituted thefe Knights, 1469.giving them their Denomination from St. Michael theArch-Angel, the titular Angel and Protestor of France ,in Reyerence of whom their ancient Kings were wontto folemnize this Feaft-day with great Magnificence,and keep an open Court. Their Number at firft wereto be Thirty Six, whereof the King and his Succeflbrswere Chief: But it afterwards proceeded to Three Hun-dred. The Collar is compos’d of Efcallop-Shells ofGold, joyrt’d one with another and double-handed, fa-ften’d on fmall Chains of Gold, at the End of whichis annex’d an Oval of the fame 5 and therein, on anHillock, is the Figure of St. Michael combating andtrampling down the Dragon. The Motto, hnmenfitre-mor Qceani. The Habit was a Mantle of 'White Da-mask