him the fecond Stall on the Sovereign’s fide, (wherein him*felf fat whilft Prince of Wales,) and where hitherto hisPlate remains as a fixed Memorial of his Inftallationtherein.

Although it has been made apparent, that the Rnights.Companions, at their Election or Inftallation,fucceeded theimmediate defuncl Knight in his Stall, yet we may ob-ferve, that (ometimes after Inftallation, as an efpecial fig.nal of Favour and Indulgence, the Sovereign hath beenpleafed, though very rarely, to advance a Knight-Com-panion to a higher Stall than that wherein he was firftplaced; and though there be no fuch Permiflion grantedby the Law of the Order, yet we find John of Gaunt, Dukeof Leincetfier, removed from the feventh Stall on the Prince’slide, to the Prince’s Stall it felf, and it’s faid to be doneby the Decree of the Sovereign and the Knights-Compa-nions. And no doubt but as this was done by fo goodAuthority, and fo upon no lefs enducenients to the Sove-reign, and the whole Society. We (hall here mention afew of thefe extraordinary Cafes. William Henalt, Earl ofOjlervant, was advanced by King Richard II. from theeleventh Stall on the Sovereign’s fide, to the Duke ofBritain’s, being the fecond on the Prince’s fide. HumphryDuke of Gloucejler, in the Reign of King Henry VI. wasremoved from the eleventh Stall on the Sovereign’s fide,to the fecond on the fame fide ; and Richard Nevil, Earl ofWarwick^ by the Ccnfent of the Kjtights-Companions inChapter, Anno 39 Henry VI. was translated to the Dukeof Buckingham’s Stall; the Lord Bonvil, to the Lord Scales’sSeat ; Sir Thomas i^yr/e//, to the Place of the Earl ofShrewsbury, and the Lord Wenlock, to the Stall of VifcountBeaumont. But King Henry VIII. thinking it requifitefor the Sovereign of this moft Noble Order, to be impow-ered by a General, how to Adt that at Pleafure, whichthe former Sovereigns did not, but by the Power of par-ticular Adis, or Orders, in the Chapter; after he hadconfirmed the ancient Law of fucceeding in the Stall ofthe immediate Predeceffor, and not to fuffer an alterationwithout the Sovereign’s Licence, in the next Article heeftablifhed this Privilege upon Himfeif and SuccefTors:That if there were any Place or Stall vid, the Sovereign, athis own Plettfure, might Advance and Tran ft ate any Kytight

• of

j!'f Nj it?

tTa

a

s?.a'iMwtia, tl

se con,fa ti)iiteniladoi

tint

■ink

sfiu

si®

*|rti. «toit■'its^’lllA«t(

%

&

4