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prerogative of the Sovereign, and in fome Cafes to his Lieu-tenant ; for it’s recorded in the Blacf Booh of the Order, iny lin y VIII’s Statutes : That if any Stalls fall Vacant, itksuli belong to the Sovereign, to EieB new Knights, where-fotver he was Bcfident ; upon Condition, the Chapter con-lifted of fix compleat Knights-Companions ; but if he chan-ced to be out of bis Realms, and the Number was de-ficient, and that his Lieutenant held the Feaft of St. Georgeat fflindjor-, in fuch a Cafe the EleBion belongs to thelieutenant, who is firft to be certified of his SovereignsPleafure, and what Efteem he has for the Candidates,to the intent fuch Information may guide, or dired hisEledion.

This Power of EleBion is fully acknowledged, by theKnights-Companions themlelves, to be in the Sovereign ;as the fragment of a •Letter demonftrates, fent from theChaffer, convened at H'indfor, upon the F eajl of St. George,to Henry V. then in France-, viz. That the Sovereign, in whatflitce foever rejldhg, may, as is mofl fitting, EleB into a.vacant Stall, (there being a fufficient Number of Knightscalled to this EleBion) fuch as he fhall judge ferviceable tohis Crown, or do exceed others in deferts, and noblenefs ofdifeent: And at publilhing the Election of Duk,e Emanuelof Savoy, in the Reign of Philip and Mary, who were j ointSovereigns of the Order ; it’s ftyled, The Eledion ol theKing and the Queen.

This grand Prerogative of the Sovereign being not dulyweighed by Polydore Virgil, cccafioned his tripping in thisAffair, and drew in Claudius Coterxus into the fame pal-pable miftake; for writing of this Order, and the Suc-cefticn of new Knights, reports in his Hiltory of England,That one Knight is received in the room of another deceafed,by the Choice and Election of all the rejl ; and Erhard Cellyin his Anglo-l4 ; irtemb. does as faifely affirm, T hat no Per-fn may be received into this Order, not fo much as by theSovereign, ttnlefs with the common Confent and Suffrage ofal the Knights-C.ompanions.

But thele Palfages are altogether erroneous, the Jfnbgbts-Cotnpaniims only nominate the Perfons, but the right ofElection remains folely in the Sovereign of the Order ; forwhofoever is honoured with his Choice, is immediatelyadmitted ; and pronouncing barely the Name of the Per-son in Chapter, confticutes the Eledion. After the Scru-

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