20

HISTORY OF THE

linen cloth, clean and white, and covered with thick Carpets, or Mantles, forcold of the night: then shall the Squire’s beard be shaven, and his headrounded, which done, the Governors shall go unto the King, and to him saythus: ‘ Most Mighty Prince, our Sovereign Lord, lo, it waxeth near unto theeven, and our Master is ready unto the Bath, when it pleaseth unto yourRoyal Majestyand upon that, the King shall command his Chamberlain, togo unto the Squire’s Chamber, that is to be made Knight, and to take with himthe most worthy, and most wise Knights, that been there present, to the intent,that they shall the same Squire truly counsel, inform, and teach wisely of theOrder [of making] of Knighthood. And so with that, other young Squires ofHousehold, with Minstrels, singing and dancing, shall go before the Cham-berlain ; and the said Knights, unto the time that they come unto the Chamberdoor of the said Squire, that is to be made Knight. When the Governors hearingnoise of Minstrels, anon they shall make naked their Master, and all nakedshall be put into the Bath, the Minstrels before the entry of the Chamberlain,and other noble Knights, shall abide, and be still without noise together, withthe said Squires, leaving their noise for the time; which thing done, the Cham-berlain with the said noble Knights shall enter privately, without noise, into theChamber of the said Squire, and when they enter, each one to other shall doreverence, and worship, which of them shall be the first for to counsel theSquire in the Bath, of the Order, and the making to perform the King’scommandment: and when they be accorded, then shall the first go to the Bath,and there he shall kneel before the Bath [fat] saying secretly to the Squirethus: ‘ Right dear Brother, great worship be this Order unto you, andAlmighty God give you the praising of all Knighthood ; lo this is the Order;Be ye strong in the faith of holy Church, [steadfast and abiding in wordmanly Protector unto Holy' Church] and Widows, and Maidens oppressedrelieve, as right commandeth: give ye to each one his own, with all thy mind,above all thing love and dread God; and above all other earthly things love theKing thy Sovereign Lord, him, and his right defend unto thy power, and

Esquires that be called Esquires-counsellors, taking them coming from the King’s chamber, and theUsher to bring them to their chamber. Then warn a Pantler, Butler, and an Ewer to wait on them.Also, when they be in their chamber, every Knight to have one of their own Esquires to fetch themmeat, and so to await on them till they have the Order of Knighthood: then it is their part to give agift amongst Yeomen Ushers and other Officers that wait on them: the Esquires no part, for it istheir duty to have a fee for term of life.”—Harleian MS. 642. Printed by the Society of Antiquaries,4 to. 1790.