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of Monfieur St. M chael, as is manifeft by comparing tbeirStatutes.
'thirdly, It is no fmall Honour that accrues to thisOrder, that the Number of thefe Knights-Companionswere never encreas’d, but as they were Twenty Sixwith the Sovereign, fo they now thus continue, utPretium facial rant as ; for the infringing this Articlehath fplit feveral other military Orders into Contemptand Ruin, as nothing more tarnifhing, or throwing afully on the Worth of Glory and Honour, than whenrender’d fo vulgar, and indifferently difpofed withoutDiftinflion and Merit, as is exemplify’d in' the Orderof the Star, and the now declining Order of St. Mi-chael.
fourthly, It has receiv’d ipore additional Luftre bybeing honour’d with the Companionfhip of divers Em-perors, Kings and Sovereign rrinces, who efteem’d itthe Summit of their Glory, and the higheft Trophy ofadditional Honour, to be enroll’d in the Number. In-fomuch that fome of them with Impatience courted tljpElection. For we find recorded in the Regifter, A. D.1672. Eight Emperors of' Germany, Three Kings ofStrain, FheFrench Kings, Two Kings of Scotland, FiveKings of Denmark, Five Kings of Portugal, Two Kingsof Sweden, One King of Poland, One King of Arragon,Two Kings of Naples, befides divers Dukes and otherfree Princes 5 as One Duke of Guelderland , One Duke ofHolland, Two Dukes of Burgundy, Two Dukes of Brunf-■wickj One Duke of Milan, Two Dukes of Urbin, OneDuke of Ferrara , One Duke of .fotoy, Two Dukes ofHolft'ein, One Duke of Saxony, and One Duke of Wertem-berg, Seyen Count Palatines of the Rhine , Four Princesof Orange, and One Marquis of Brandenburg.
Fifthly, It entitles thofe Knights and Noblemen,whofeyertue hath rais’d them to this Pitch of Greatnefs, tobe Companions and Aflbciates with Emperors andKings, a Prerogative of an high Nature, and a futfici-eirit Recpnjpe'nce for the greateft'Merit. We fhall clofeup all with the high Elogy bellow’d on it by the learned'Setden, that it exceeds in Majejly, Honour and Fame, allChivatrom Orders of the World.
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