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envioufly be depriv’d of that Glory which it hath in-trinfically deferv’d, and that aClive and hardy Youthsmight not want a Spur in their Progreffion in thePaths of Vertue, which is to be efteem’d glorious andeternal.
It is further obfervable, that the French King, Phi-lip de Valoys , in Emulation of this Seminary at Windfor ,fet up a Round Table at his Court, and invited Knightsand valiant Men of Arms out of Italy and dlmaine thi-ther, left they fhould repair to our King Edward III.which meeting with Succels, prov’d a Countermine tohis main Defign $ who perceiving that his Hofpitalitytowards ftrange Knights, upon Account of revivingKing -Arthur's Round Table was too general, nor did fuf-ficiently ingratiate them to his Perfon, but being un-conftrain’d and at Liberty, did after their Departuretake what Side they pleas’d in the enfuing Wars, he atlength refolv’d upon a Projection more particular andfelefl, and fiich as might oblige thofe whom hethought fit to make his Aflociates, in a lafting Bond ofFriendfhip and Honour: And having iffii’d forth hisown Garter for the Signal of a Battle, that was crown’dwith Succefs, (which is conceiv’d to be the Battle ofCrejfy , fought about Three Years after his erecting theFound Table $ ) upon fo remarkable a ViClory, he thencetook Occafion to inftitute this Order, and gave theGarter Preheminence among the Enfigns of it, whencethat feleft Number, whom he incorporated into a Fra-ternity, _are ftyl’d Eqtdtes dure# Perifcelidis, and vulgarlyKnights of the Garter. By this Symbol he defign’d tobind the Knights and Fellows of it mutually unto oneanother, and all of them joyntly to himfelf, as Sove-reign of the Order; nor was his Expectation fruftra-ted, for it did not ferve only as a vehement Spur andIncentive to Honour and martial Vertue, but alfo as agolden Bond of Unity and internal Society; and forthis Confideration Cambden aptly calls it a Badge ofUnity and Concord.
By the Symbols of this Garter the Knights are re-minded, with all Religioufnefs, Sincerity, Friendlinefs,Faithfulnefs and Dexterity, not to leave the Piirluit ofwhatfoever they take in hand, nor to enterprize any
Thing