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INTRODUCTION.

be built,” &c.;—“ and in order that the said Feast might beknown in all Countries, the King of England sent his heraldsto publish and proclaim the same in France, Scotland, Bur-gundy, Hainault, Flanders, Brabant, and the German Empire,granting to all Knights and Esquires, who should be willingto come, safe conduct until fifteen days after the Feast.—“ Atthis Feast there were to be a Jousting by forty Knights withinthe Lists, against all comers, and also by forty Esquires; andthis Feast was to be celebrated on Saint George’s day nextcoming, which would be in the year of grace 1344, at WindsorCastle.” He adds, that the Feast was accordingly celebratedon that day; that there was much feasting and tourneying forfifteen days; and that many foreign Knights were present.

The first reflection which arises is, that Froissart does notmention the fact of King Edward’s having actually revived theRound Table in 1344; but he alludes to the Round Table onlybecause it was instituted by King Arthur at Windsor Castle,which he says Edward intended to rebuild. He does not ex-pressly state when the Order of the Garter was founded, but hesupposed it to have been some time before the celebration ofthe first Feast, which he says was held on Saint George’sday in 1344. As there is no record of any assembly of Earls,Barons, and Knights (except in Parliament) between the closeof 1343 and April 1344, nor any notice of safe conducts havingbeen given to Foreign Knights within that period, except thewrits of the 1st of January 1344, inviting Knights and Esquiresof all Countries to Jousts at Windsor on Monday next after theFeast of Saint Hilary, next following, with promise of safe con-duct until the octaves of the Feast of the Purification, i. e. the9th of February, 7 there can be little doubt that Froissart alluded