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taking notice of, and defirous to put a flop to a Mifehiefnot in his Power to prevent, and to preferve the Re-membrance of the precedent Knights-Companiom ■ com-manded the Dean of tVindfor to defcribe the Stiles of thofethat remained in a Book, which he accordingly did, anddepofited the fame in the College : But what became ofthis Book, could not be afterwards discovered ; fo thatthe moft that could be done, was to draw the Arms, andCopy out the Stiles, engraven on the Plates then remain-ing ; from whence the following Obfervations may bemade.
Firft, That for many Years after the Institution of theOrder, the Plate whereon the Shield was engraved, boteno other Infcription, than the deceafed Knight's Name, letat the Foot thereof, under the Efcutcheon of his Arms.Afterwards, the chief Title of Honour began to be ad-ded, though nowand then, in. the firft and elder times,both were omitted , as alfo their Crefts. But about thebeginning of King Henry VIIl’s Reign, not only theKnight’s chief Title, but all other his Titles and Dignities,whether Honorary, or Officiary,' were drawn togetherin one Infcription, concluding with that of Knight of thismoft Noble Order ; and which, about the fame time, theKjiights-Compamens ufed to inferr, in all their publickand private Inftruments of Writing; a Cuftom obfervedby the Knights of other Sovereigns Orders Abroad.
At firft the IQiights-Companions gave their PaternalCoats of Arms, fingly and without any Quarterings;but toward the beginning of Hen. V. they began to addtheir Quarterings, as appears from the Efcutcheons ofHugh, Lord Burnel, who died 9 Hen. V. Sir Lewis /Qbejj'art, and others. Yet was not the fame generallyufed, but left to the Pleafure of the Kjiights-Comf anions.
But of later times, this very thing was thought of fuchconcern, that where a Knight has been elected, whowanted Quarterings, the Sovereign has been pleafed togrant him another Coat of Arms, to quarter with hisPaternal Coat ; that his Banner, which ought to hangover his Stall, might not feem too naked.
Soon after King Henry VIll's Acceffion, the Knightscomnafled their Shields with the Royal Garter, and there-on (fuch as were Noblemen) placed the Coronet belong-ing to their Dignity. As to Supporters, we obferve two
Plates