( *8i )

Poflure encountring the Dragon with his drawn

Sword. , , „

^ JBy the laft Article of KingHe»>y VIII’s. Statutes, it^ was allowed to be enriched at the Pleafure of the Pof-^ feflor, (as is the great George) which for the moft Parthath been curioufly enamelFd, and the Garter about itfett with Diamonds. And of what weight and bignefsthefe lefler George’s were, may be gather’d from thatfent to the French King Charles IX. being an Ounce andan half and half quarter Weight. The Variety ofWorkmanlhip in thofe Gold Chains whereat this Jewelt hung, was ufually great, according to the Fancy andwi. Pleafure of the Perfons for whom they were wrought.But within a fhort Space, wearing the lefler George inSilk-Ribbands, as well as Gold-Chains, was promifcu-Or it oufly us’d and ad Libitum. (So were the Symbols of Fo-n. reign Orders, as divers Coins and Medals declare.) Butomp the Colour of thefe Ribbands when they came firfl to besnoi wore, was black. ‘John Dudley Vifcount Ltjle, the LordstKibjj St. John and Pan , fo ufed them at their Inveftiture,nfe 55 Henry VIII. and feveral Piftures of other Knights-iWt Companions about that time confirm th£ fame. Thataft fmall Chain whereat hung the lefler George tranfmittedHi to Emanuel of Savoy , Ann. i & a Ph. 8l Mar. was formedi ot of twelve Pieces of Gold, in every of which was fettlijii three fmall Diamonds, and of twelve other like Pieces,on fc wherein were three Rubies and twenty four Pearls.i $3 It appears by a Letter of Sir Richard St. George, Kt..y t e Clarencieux, dated July ioth, 1627. that the blue Ribbandt( id had fome Years before been additional to the Ornamentjtti of the Order 5 and ’tis reported, that Robert Earl ofAt,* Ejjex observing in France the Jewels of the Order ofSt. Michael and St. Efprit worn in blue Ribbands, upon|0 |Jct his return was the principal motive thofe Ribbandstfluife whereat the George hung, were exchanged into thatab' Colour. And in a Picture of Queen Elizabeth, drawn[# towards the Declenfion of her Reign, her lefler Georgejf * s reprefented hanging before hef Breaft in a blue Rib-c / band. And this Colour was more carefled, and grew ini[|V; great repute, by reafon it was the Ground of the Gar-ii' *"» an< ^ neare fl the Colour of the Mantle of the Order:

So that toward the latter End of the Reign of Kingi James