temp. Ric. ii. and hen. iv.] ORDER OF THE BATH.

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before that on which our Lord wished to make them Knights, the Earl of Ormond,who spoke their language well, for part of his lordships lay in the march ofIreland, was sent to them by the King and his Council. After a conversationon other subjects, the Earl began by degrees to speak of the Order of Knight-hood which they ought to receive; and he explained to them, from point topoint and from article to article, how they should maintain it; what was thenature of Chivalry, and its value; and how those that received it conductedthemselves. All the statements of the Earl of Ormond had great effect withthe four Kings of Ireland, whom I have not yet named, but I will mentionthem: first, the great O’Neale, King of Meath; the second, Brin de Thomond,King of Thomond and Aise; the third, Arthur Mac Maire, King of Leinster;the fourth, Connor, King of Chenon and of Erpe. They were Knighted bythe hand of King Richard of England, in the Cathedral Church of Dublin,which was founded by Saint John the Baptist, on the Feast of Our Lady inMarch, which at that time fell on Thursday, and these four Kings watched ailthe night of Wednesday in the said Church; and on the morrow, at mass andwith great solemnity they were made Knights, and with them Sir ThomasOurediem and Sir Jonathas Pado, and his cousin, Sir John Pado. The fourKings were all richly dressed, as was suitable to them, and they sat 4 that dayat the table of King Richard of England; and they were much looked at bythe English and those who were there, and with good reason, for they werestrange, and differently visaged from those of England and other nations .” 5Froissart states, that on Saturday before the Coronation of King Henry theFourth, “ The King went from Westminster to the Tower of London, with manyfollowers; and all the Esquires who were to be made Knights on the next day,to the number of forty-six, watched all that night, each of whom had hischamber, and his Bath, in which he bathed; and the next day the Duke ofLancaster made them Knights at the celebration of mass, and gave them longgreen coats with straight sleeves, furred with miniver , 6 after the fashion ofPrelates; and the said Knights had on the left shoulder a double cordon ofwhite silk, with tassels hanging down .” 7 The Wardrobe Accounts containentries of the delivery to Thomas, John, and Humphrey, the King’s sons,

5 Froissart, par Buchon, tome III. p. 211.

6 “ with large hoods also furred with miniver.” MS. cited by Anstis, Appendix, No. xxxiv.

7 Froissart, par Buchon, tome III. p. 356.