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of May, Anno aO Vac. I. did prefent to the Sovereigncertain Articles, fubfcribed with their Hands, which,for the Honour of rhe Order, they thought requifitcto be duly obferv’d.

By the firft of which they made Provifion for a fur-ther Progreffion and Advancement of the illuftrious In-ftituti'ori, in propofing, that every Year a Commiffionfrom the Sovereign fhould be granted, or continu'd tofuch Knights of the Order as the Chapter fhould pitchon, to deliberate and weigh all Affairs that fell underthe Order, and that the Year after, an Eftimate, by theKnights in Chapter, fhould be exhibited, of their Re-folutions and Proceedings by Virtue of the faid Com-miffion. This, with Eight other Articles, were con-firm’d by the Sovereign and Twelve of the Knights-Companions, the aid of May following, in a Chapterheld at Whitehall ; and fo profperoufly their Endeavoursfucceeded, that on the Feaft-day of St. George, at Wind fatin the enfuing Year, the Earl of Worcejfer, ( being thenthe Sovereign-Deputy) with Ten Knights-Companionsmore, gave their aflent to Eight other Articles (moftof them concerning the Alms-Knights ) which theMorning after had the Approbation of the Sovereign;and before the Celebration of Divine Service, by hisDeputy and Companions aflembled in the Chapter-Houfe, the Obfervation thereof was duly decreed.

King Charles I. defign’d and endeavour’d the moflcompleat and abfolute Reformation of any of his Pre-deceflors ; and at the Solemnity of St. George, held atWindfor the 6th of OHoher, in the 6th Year of his Reign,He commiffion’d Nine Knights-Companions, m. theEarls of Mitlgrave, Pembroke, Montgomery, Arundel, Surry,Salisbury, Carlijle, Dorfet, Holland, Berl^fhirt and Suffolk}with command to affemble Four Times in a Year, totake into their Confederation the Affairs of the Order;all which, but the Earls of Mulgrave and Dorfet, met atWhitehall the ad of January following, where fome feWMatters fell under their Confultation. This Commitfion was feconded by one of a larger extent aboutThree Months after, and direded to the faid KnightsCompanions, or to any Eight, Seven, Six, Five orFour of them, empowering them to meet and devife.