GREAT MASTER.]

ORDER OF THE BATH.

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sarily require the immediate direction of the Sovereign, so that He may not con-veniently give all the attention requisite for the benefit of this Order; We havetherefore ordained and constituted a Great Master of this Fraternity, whounder the Sovereign, and in His absence, shall supply the Sovereign’s place, andtake especial care that these Statutes, and the ancient Rituals belonging to thisKnighthood, be observed with the greatest exactness; and he shall do and per-form whatever else shall be meet and commodious for the dignity thereof: andhave nominated, constituted, and appointed, Our right trusty and right entirelybeloved cousin, John Duke of Montagu, to be the first Great Master of thisOrder; and we do hereby dispense with his performance of the rites of Bathingand Vigils, and other preparative ceremonies, which by the constitution of thisOrder he would be obliged to; declaring it to be Our Royal pleasure, that Wehaving conferred the honour of Knighthood on him formerly with the Sword ofState, his receiving the Symbol of the Knighthood of the Bath, with the Ribbonof the said Order, from Our Royal hands, and his taking the Oath in Our pre-sence, shall be sufficient to invest him fully and effectually with the Knighthoodof this Order, and in the Office of Great Master thereof, giving to him the fullpower and authority before mentioned; and We do hereby enjoin all the Com-panions to render him due service, so far as he shall act within this Order, andaccording to the tenor of these Statutes; and since it may be found necessary,by reason of unforeseen accidents, to Dispense with some of the particulars inthe ancient Ceremonials of it, We do hereby empower and authorize the GreatMaster to grant such Dispensations, under the abovementioned Seal of thisOrder; which Seal shall for the future remain in the custody of the Great Masterfor the time being, with a power vested in him to affix the same to all summons,significations of elections, commissions, mandates, certificates, and transcripts ofthese Statutes, to be delivered unto each person elected, and to all other instru-ments whatsoever relating to this Order.” 3

The Great Master is to notify the election of persons chosen into the Order,and in the absence of the Sovereign, to preside over all Chapters and Ceremo-nials, to confer the honour of Knighthood on the Knights-Elect, to Invest themwith the Ribband and Badge, 4 and to Install, and Invest them with the Collar.He is also to signify all vacancies to the Sovereign, take His Majesty’s pleasureas to the persons who are to fill them, and to cause the necessary arrangements

3 Art. VI. Vide p. 49, antea.

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4 Art. VII. Vide pp. 49—52.