AN NO 1783.]

ORDER OF SAINT PATRICK.

5

diately afterwards added. His Majesty, His Heirs and Successors, Kings ofGreat Britain, were declared to be the Sovereign, and His Lieutenant-Generaland General Governor of Ireland, or the Lord Deputy or Deputies, or the LordsJustices or other Chief Governor or Governors of that Kingdom for the timebeing, were to officiate as Grand Masters. Every person of, or above the rankof Knight was eligible to be elected a Knight of the Order; but of the Fifteenoriginally nominated, one was a Prince of the Blood Royal, one was a Duke,and thirteen were Earls of Ireland. The qualifications, and forms of admis-sion, the Ceremonials, including Investiture and Installation, are similar tothose in the Order of the Garter, the Statutes of which were made, as far aspossible, the model of those of the new Fraternity. The Prelate was to be theLord Archbishop of Armagh, Primate of all Ireland; the Chancellor was tobe the Lord Archbishop of Dublin; and the Registrar was to be the Dean ofthe Cathedral Church of Saint Patrick, for the time being. Ulster King ofArms and his successors were always to be the King of Arms of the Order;but all the other Officers were to be appointed by the Sovereign.

On the 5th of February 1783, the following Royal Warrant was addressedto George Nugent Temple Grenville, second Earl Temple, afterwards createdMarquess of Buckingham, then Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, who became thefirst Grand Master of the Order :

‘ GEORGE R.

‘ Right trusty and right well-beloved Cousin and Councillor, We greet you‘ well. Whereas it hath been the custom of wise and beneficent Princes in all‘ ages to distinguish the virtue and loyalty of their subjects by marks of honour,

1 to be a testimony of their dignity and of their excellency in all qualifications

summons to their meetings, is there given, the principal of which is a Collar composed of eight Knots.The writer adds, that an ornament, consisting of several Hearts, surmounted by an Eastern Crown,and having an Escrol over the Hearts, with the words quis separabit, was worn by all theMembers of the Society, embroidered on a green ribband, between two buttonholes of their waistcoats:that “ The more perfect Brothers” wore a Gold Medal to one of the buttonholes, having on one sidethe Hearts, &c. just described, and, on the obverse, what seems to be a Cross, charged in the centre,with the Hearts under the Crown, the whole being within the Collar above-mentioned, and the words“ Fidelis et Constans.” In the plate, the Medal is attached to the Collar, but it is not said by whomthe Collar is worn. Sir William Betham has, however, obligingly supplied the omission, by statingthat the Society still exists, under the title of The Benevolent Order of Friendly Brothersof Saint Patrick ; that the Members wear a green Ribband and gold Badge; and that the GrandMaster wears a Collar of Knots of Gold ornamented with Shamrocks.