12

HISTORY OF THE

[EDWAItD III.

in honour of the espousals of the Princess Joan with Don Pedro, eldest son ofAlphonso, King of Spain,) 2 certain Habits and other things were supplied,which tends to shew that the Order was then, or very soon after, completelyformed. Besides various articles embroidered with Blue Garters, a Mantle,Hood, and Surcoat, covered with Garters, were made for the King’s per-son ; and a bed of blue taffeta similarly ornamented, containing the MottoIPonj) 00 it q. mal v penste ; and Twelve blue Garters embroidered with gold andsilk, each having the Motto I^onp 0ott q„ mal p pen0e, were provided for theKing’s Tournament at Eltham. 3 Nine of the Knights who jousted on thoseoccasions were original Founders of the Order, namely, the Prince of Wales,the Earl of Lancaster, the Earl of Warwick, Sir John L’lsle, Sir John Grey,Hugh Courtenay, Sir Miles Stapleton, Sir John Beauchamp, and Sir JohnChandos. But there are some circumstances which may justify a doubt whetherall the Companions were at that time chosen. It is not said that Mantlesand Hoods adorned with Garters were made for any other person than theKing; and though the twelve Garters, with the Motto I£onp 0ott q. mal p pen0e,

2 In February preparations were made for her passage to Spain, but the Princess does not appearto have sailed until after the middle of March 1348.— Foedera, N. E. vol. iii. p. 150, 151, 153, 157.

3 The Accounts of the delivery of cloth, furs, &c. out of the King’s Great Wardrobe by the Clerkand Purveyor thereof, from the 29th of September, 22nd Edw. III. 1348, to the 31st January, 23rdEdw. III. 1349, which include the expenses for cloth, furs, and other articles bought by John Marreysthe King’s Taylor, with money received in the King’s Chamber at divers times and places, by the King’scommands, from the 21st December, 19 Edw. III. 1345, to the 31st January, 23 Edw. III. 1349, arenow in the Office of the Queen’s Remembrancer of the Exchequer. As they contain the earliestinformation respecting the Order yet discovered (except the statement of Froissart), a verbatim copyof every entry on the subject will be found in a note at the end; but it is desirable to give, in thisplace, a full abstract of the most material of those notices.

On the 9th of April, (apparently in 22 Edw. III. 1348) materials were issued for making dressesfor Jousts at Lichfield for the King and other Lords, Ladies, and Damoiselles there present, as wellas for eleven Knights of the King’s Chamber. The names of all those persons are mentioned, amongwhom were six of the original Founders of the Order, viz. Sir John LTsle, Sir Hugh Courtenay, SirJohn Grey, Sir Miles Stapleton, Sir John Beauchamp, and the Earl of Lancaster. Among the otherKnights who received robes on that occasion, two were afterwards elected into the Order, viz. SirWalter Manny and Sir Richard la Vache; and it is probable that some of the first Founders wereamong the twelve Knights in the retinue of the Earl of Lancaster, whose names do not occur.

Vizards were provided for the King, Earls, Barons, Knights, and Ladies, for the Jousts atCanterbury.

The King’s armourer received materials for making 72 Standards of the King’s Arms, quarterly,to be sewed, purfled, and painted ; for making 244 Standards of worsted and English cloth, witha leopard entire, at the head, and underneath the Arms of Saint George; for making 86 pennoncellsfor the King’s ships of the Arms of Saint George; for making 800 pennoncells of the Arms of SaintGeorge, for the lances of the King’s Esquires and other men at arms.