( 1*7 )

•Toff

'dfe

i4tV

A Duke-- - 120'

A Marquis -no

An Earl- - - 100

AViicount-90

A Baron ----- 80

A Baronet - - - - 70

A Knight-Batchelor- 60

Garters.

T 1 ' About the Reign of King He my VI. the Sovereigns" Number of Garters did not much exceed thofe which^ the Founder allow’d tohimfelfat the Inftitution; for theWK. Surcoat and Hood of the faid King confided ot 173;leo ‘b and the King of Portugal, Anno 13 Henry VI. 120 Garters.

But this Drapery of their Robes became at length quite1 ^ obfolete, perhaps when Cloth was altered to Velvet,fo'df and the plain Surcoat hath to this Day continued inUfe.(les, tt While thefe Surcoats remained of Cloth, they were^fined with Bellies of pure Minever Fur, only theMstli Sovereigns was purfled with Ermin 5 and of thefe, itfeems, a like Proportion was at firft dated to all thef Knights-Companions, viz. 200 Bellies. Yet in the!®tk Reign of King Richard II. fome Difference began in theiltW Allowance to the Knights-Companions, for a Baron,ikk'P and all Degrees upward had 200 Bellies 3 but under a Ba-idu ron 120 only. However, Anno 1. Henry V. the Barons,cSoffi- were tantamount to theKnights-Batchelors, for all De-ar K grees above a Baron were allow’d, a Fur of 200 Bellies.itAeS But the Barons and Knights-Batchelors Furs were on-fall ly 120 Bellies.

until! Afterwards, by the Precedent of the Garter, there: tt\ei was another Proportion limited, the Prince, a Duke,glut,, a Marquis, an Earl, had each of them Five Timber ofpure Minever allowed to a Surcoat 3 but the Vifcount,jjjteii, Baron, Baronet and Batchelor-Knights but Threei;0 , Timber apiece. In time thefe Furs were difufid, andffa s,«■ the Surcoats came to be lined with white Sarcenet, to[tfs^ which, temp. Eliz. white TafFaty fuccceded, and thatdill continues.

What became of the old Surcoats, fince the Knights-Companions had new ones every Year, the Black Bookof the Order informs us, That on the Eve of the Feaft

of