ADDITIONAL NOTES.]
ORDER OF THE GARTER.
xli
One of the earliest productions of the Press is the Speech of Dr. Russell, on delivering the Garterto Charles Duke of Burgundy, in January 1469 (vide p. 93, antea). This rare tract, which consists offour quarto leaves, was once bought for £126 ! It is entitled, “ Proposito Clarissimi Oratoris MagistriJohannis Russell decretorum Doctoris ac adtunc Ambassiatoris Xpanissimi Regis Edwardi Dei Gratiaregis Anglie et Francise ad illustrissimu principem Karolum Ducem Burgundie super susceptioneOrdinis Garterij.” The Speech, which is reprinted in Dr. Dibdin’s edition of Ames’ TypographicalAntiquities, does not contain any information about the History of the Order.
It is said in p. 120, that the earliest instance that had been found of a Knight of the Garter beingdescribed by that Title in Public Instruments was in 1492, and that the custom appears to have com-menced in the reign of King Henry the Seventh; but two earlier examples have since been discovered.On the 11th of August 1484, King Richard the Third appointed Sir Thomas Montgomery “ Militispro Corpore nostro, ac de Ordine Nostri Garterii,” one of his Ambassadors to treat with the Duke ofAustria, (Foedera XII. 231), and he was again so styled a few days afterwards (Ibid). On the 20thof September in the same year, Sir Richard Ratclyffe is described as “ Ordinis Garterii Miles'” in theTreaty for a Truce between England and Scotland (Ibid. p. 235).
Investiture of Henry the Second, King of France, p. 177.—Since the preceding sheetswere printed, a valuable addition has been made to English History by the publication of Mr. FraserTytler’s “ England under the Reigns of Edward VI. and Mary, with the Contemporary History ofEurope; Illustrated in a Series of Original Letters never before printed, with Historical Introductionsand Biographical and Critical Notes.” Some of these Letters contain many allusions to the Order ofthe Garter, of which the following extracts are the most material statements:
The Marquess of Northampton and the other Ambassadors sent to Invest the King of France,gave a full account of their proceedings in a Letter from Chateau Brian, dated on the 20th of June1551.
“ About four of the clock at afternoon on Friday last, we arrived here at Chasteau Brian, whereMons. D’Enghien and the Duke de Montpensier with better than one hundred horse of gentlemen, metus half a mile without the town, and brought us straight to the King’s presence, booted and spurred ;the King abiding our coming in his Chamber of Presence, with his Nobility and Guard about him.Assuring your Lordships that we cannot too much commend him for his benign receiving of us, forhe embraced every man, to the meanest gentleman that came in our company ; and that with so gooda countenance, and so courteous words, that the greater could not be wished. That done, and duesalutations made by me the Marquis, I declared unto him that the King, my master, understandingthe good love and zeal that he bare unto him, was willing, for his part, to show the like good-willagain; and had now sent me with His Order unto him, as a token of honour and a manifest declara-tion of his semblable affection ; that, further, he was bent to do and to nourish of his part thosethings that might be honourable and beneficial for the wealth and unity of themselves and of both theirestates : and so I delivered him the King’s Majesty’s letter concerning the Order, which he openedand read himself, yielding great thanks to the King his good brother, with many gentle words of amity.And having a certain space devised with me of the King our master’s health and welfare, and ofhis good towardness, with such like, he caused me to be conveyed to a lodging prepared for me withinthe court; in the which two cloths of estate were hanged, one in the outer chamber, and the other inmy bed-chamber; and further, two mess of meat ordinarily furnished for my table, with such officersof attendance as are marvellously diligent to see that we want nothing.” 2