INTRODUCTION.

lxiii

Furnished with this authority, the Author has recentlymade a laborious examination of every known document inthe Queen’s Remembrancers- Office, which was at all likelyto afford information respecting the Order of the Garter.Not only have all records, of which the dates and contents areascertained, been inspected, but more than two thousand“Fragments” (as many undescribed Rolls are absurdly called,)have been examined; and much valuable and original informa-tion obtained. Besides the Wardrobe Accounts cited in Mr.Beltz’s “ Memorials,” which were neither seen by Ashmole norAnstis, nor produced to the Author on his first inquiry, im-portant particulars have been discovered in other similar re-cords, illustrative of the Institution, which it is highly desirableshould be prefixed to, or incorporated with its History.

But there are other circumstances which seem to justifysuch additions. It is the Author’s misfortune to differ entirelyfrom the opinions expressed by the writer of the “ Memo-rials” respecting the two most important facts in the historyof the Noble Fraternity, viz. the date and the cause of itsfoundation. The respect due to Mr. Beltz’s abilities, and tothe length of time and great research which he has employedon those points, requires that the view taken of them in the fol-lowing pages should be supported by the additional evidencesince brought to light.

It is also proper to give this Work the advantage of the feworiginal facts which have rewarded Mr. Beltz’s labours, (besidesthose derived from the Wardrobe Accounts,) all of which arethankfully attributed to their immediate source. The greaterpart of those facts were obtained by Mr. Beltz from theRegisters of the Order in the custody of the Registrar, the