INTRODUCTION.

Ixxiii

There is not, however, any allusion whatever either to Garters,to the Motto, to the Feast of Saint George, or to the Fraternity,until towards the close of the year 1347, when the Accountsof John Mareys, the King’s taylor, state, that Garters, with theMotto, were prepared for the hastiludes, and other festivitiesheld (apparently in honour of the King’s return from hisglorious campaign), at Bury, Eltham, Windsor, Canterbury,and Lichfield, facts which are wholly inconsistent with theOrder having been formed, and the first Feast celebrated inApril 1344. 7

This view of the subject is strongly supported, even ifit be not established, by the recent discovery of other Ward-robe Accounts extending from the year 1340 to 1349, thecontents of which do not appear to have been ever beforeused in illustration of the history of the Order. The mostimportant of those Records, in relation to this object, are theAccounts of drapery, mercery, &c. bought in the 16 Edw. III.1342—1343; the Accounts of John Mareys, the King’s taylor,in the 16 Edw. III. 1342; the Accounts of drapery, mercery,&.c. bought in the 18 Edw. III. 1344; and more especiallythe Accounts of the same John Mareys, the King’s taylor, from

7 Mr. Beltz says (Memorials, pp. xxxi. xxxii.) that the entries relating to Garters inthese Accounts occurring on the eighth of the twenty-three membranes of which the Rollconsists, they must be referred to the earliest possible date mentioned in the Accounts, whichis the 21st December 1345 ; but it is certain that the habits which were adorned with Garterswere provided for the hastiludes, &c. that took place towards the end of 1347, and thatthere are no previous notices of the kind. It is also observed in the “ Memorials,” (p. 2,)that Garters, &c. are not mentioned in the Accounts as “ novel objects, but in terms whichjustify a presumption that similar entries might be found in documents of the like naturefor the two or three antecedent years, should such Accounts be hereafter recovered.” It isnot obvious how any article in such documents could appear as novelties; and the Accountsfor some antecedent years do not contain any notice of them.