206

HISTORY OF THE

[INSTALLATION.

for the future,, when any vacancy shall happen, the person nominated to supplyit, whether Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, or Baron, or one under the degreeof Nobility, shall constantly be placed in the lowest Stall; in which case all theCompanions in the Stalls lower to that, inclusive, wherein the Knight deceasedwas placed, shall be gradually promoted to the next superior Stall, and theirPlates shall be removed accordingly: but whenever any Prince or Princes ofthe Blood Royal shall be elected into this Fraternity, he or they so elected shallbe seated in the Stalls next to that of the Sovereign; and if there should be novacancy in such Stall or Stalls, then the Plates of the other Companions, in thatcase, are to be removed to lower Stalls: and each Companion is to take place,within all the Ceremonies of this Order, according to the situation of his Stall,and not according to the grandeur of his Estate, Degree, or Office .” 3 Overthe Stall of each Knight, a Banner of his Arms, two yards in length, and oneyard and three quarters in breadth, fringed about with red and white silk,having in the lowest margin the Name and Title of the Companion in letters ofgold upon a black ground , 4 is to be suspended over his Stall, together with hisHelmet, Crest, and Sword; and a Plate containing an Escutcheon of his Arms,enamelled, within a Circle gules, having thereon the Motto of the Order inletters of gold, and beneath it his Name and Title, and the Date of his Installa-tion was to be affixed to the back of his Stall . 5 The Sovereign’s Banner, whichis of velvet, two yards and a half long, and two yards in breadth, is hung overHis Majesty’s Stall, together with the Royal Crest, Helmet, and Sword . 6 Afterthe deaths of the Knights Companions, their Banners, Helmets, Crests, andSwords, are directed to be Offered in solemn manner, and then to be hung upabout the Pillars, or in some other convenient place, towards the West end ofthe Abbey Church of Westminster, “ to remain to posterity for the memorial ofthe deceased Knights, as a public testimony of their honour .” 7

No Knight Companion, or Knight Grand Cross, is considered to be in thefull and actual possession of his Dignity, until he has been Installed, either inPerson or by his Proxy, unless the performance of the Ceremony has been

3 Art. XIV. pp. 58, 59, antea.

4 Additional Statutes, 1st June 1725, Art. II. p. 65, antea.

5 Art. XII. p. 57, antea, and Additional Statutes of 1st June 1725, Art. II. p. 65, antea. Acopy of the Inscriptions on some of the Stall Plates of Knights of the Bath, will be found in theAppendix.

6 Additional Statutes, 1st June 1725, Art. II. p. 65, antea. 7 Ibid.