ORDER OF THE BATH.

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Prince, when that it liketh unto your high Majesty, our Master shall awake

and thereupon shall the King command the Knights of Arms, Squires, and Min-

Governors shall ordain all manner necessaries ready by order, for to bedelivered unto the Knights, and when these Knights be come unto the Chamberof the Squire, they shall enter softly without noise, and say to the Squire,

‘ Sir, good day, it is time to ariseand with that, the Governors shall take,and raise him up by the arms; then the most worthy, and most wise shall takeunto him his shirt, another next worthy his breeches, the third his doublet, thefourth shall clothe him with a surcoat [gown] of red tartan, [other two shall lifthim up off his bed] other two shall do on his hose, which shall be of black silk,or of black cloth with soles of leather sewed to them, other two shall button hissleeves, another shall gird him with a girdle of white leather without harness ofany metal of the breadth of an inch; another shall comb his head [anothershall put the coif upon his head], another shall give him his mantle of the suitof the curtell of red tartan fastened with a lace of white silk, with a pair ofwhite gloves hanging at the end of the lace; but he shall have of the Cham-berlain of the Household the corce [coif] girdle and the gloves : 4 and on the

especially, where circumstances would not admit dispute or delay. And here I am to remark, thataccording to the Heraldic system, Spurs are carried, among other trophies, at the funeral of a Knightof the Bath ; a privilege not allowed to any other person, under the degree of a Baron, except only toBannerets, and in later times, to Colonels of Horse. His white Girdle or Belt, represents the virtueof chastity, not in opposition to marriage, but to impure and criminal love (see Du Fresne Gloss, v.Cingulo militari decorare), which Knights ought particularly to detest, as being the avowed guardiansof female virtue and honour. The ceremonial directs, that the Lords, who by the Sovereign’s appoint-ment, shall put on the Spurs, do likewise make the sign of the Cross on each knee of the Knight;and several monuments of Knights of the Bath were lately, if not still remaining, having Crossesplaced in this manner upon their knees. The Sword is designed as a token of the Knight’s declaringopen defiance to the Devil, and of his resolving to defend Religion, and the duties of his calling, withall vigour and constancy ; particularly to undertake the protection and defence of poor men againstthe rich, and of weak men against the strong. The Coif, white Covering, and white Hat, upon thehead, imports, in the moral design of it, that as a Knight is under indispensable obligations, in virtue ofhis character and function, to perform good and commendable works; so he ought to preserve a pureconscience before God, and should be careful never to do, never to design any thing, for which hismind may inwardly challenge or reproach him. The Blow on the neck is intended, as a memorial tohim, that he ought not to be insensible of any real indignity, or affront; that honour is a tender point;and no impressions are sooner felt, or ought to be longer retained, than those whereby any personsuffers in his character, as a man of honour.”

strels aforesaid, that they go unto the Chamber of the Squire, to awake him,array him, and clothe him, and bring him into the Hall before thehimself: but before the coming of the Knights into the Squire’s Chamber, the