INTRODUCTION.

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been that of Saint Louis of France, which was founded byKing Louis the Fourteenth, in 1693; and the next, the Orderof Maria Teresa of Austria, in 1757. But the custom soonafterwards became almost universal on the Continent, upon theprinciple that as there were various kinds and various degreesof merit, it was the duty of a beneficent Sovereign to providecorresponding kinds and degrees of reward, so that every onewho had, in any capacity, benefitted his Country, might, byreceiving an honourable testimony of his Prince’s favour, bestimulated to greater exertions, and afford an example to othermembers of the Community. The Order of the Bath, in itsenlarged form, was intended to consist of Seventy-two KnightsGrand Cross (exclusive of the Sovereign and Princes of theBlood Royal), One hundred and eighty Knights Commanders,-and of an unlimited number of Companions. Various altera-tions have since been made in the Order, which, together withthe extraordinary anomalies and inconsistencies that prevail inthe Institution, are fully described in its History. The Orderof the Bath now * * 3 consists of 103 Knights Grand Cross, 158Knights Commanders, and about 485 Companions.

In 1815, the Prince Regent instituted an Order for theKingdom of Hanover, called the Order of the Guelphs,of three classes, Knights Grand Cross, Knights Commanders,and Knights; but as it was alwa}^s a Foreign Order, it would

whereat depends the figure of the Cross, and St. George; the second are the Knights , andthese wear the Cross as is above described; the third are Servants, and they bear the

Cross, only wanting the upper arm of it, and the Labarum. The Priests wear the likeCross with the Knights." See also the account of that Order in the “ Historic Chrono-logiche della vera origine di tutti gl’ Ordine Equestri e Religioni Cavalleresche, da BernardoGuistiniano, 4to. Venice, 1672, p. 22.

3 On the 1st of March 1841.

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