Armorial hearings.

One of the distinctions possessed by Knights of Orders, is the right of placingsome part of their Ensigns in their Armorial Achievements, which customexisted in England, in the instance of Knights of the Garter, as early as thereign of King Richard the Second, though it did not become general until thetime of King Henry the Eighth, and was probably suggested by the Escutcheonof Saint George on their Mantles being encircled by the Garter. 1 A similarcustom has long prevailed in all other Countries.

Though in some Orders there are express provisions in the Statutes respect-ing the Arms of the Knights, the Statutes of the Garter and Thistle are entirelysilent on the subject; hence usage only, shews in what manner the Knights ofthose Orders are to combine the Ensigns with their Heraldic bearings.

The Knights of the Garter may surround their Escutcheons with the

Garter, or Collar, or with both; but as theCollar was not instituted until about the year1496, 2 the most ancient practice was to encirclethe Arms with the Garter only. On one of theSeals of King Henry the Eighth, in 1532, theCollar, and not the Garter, was placed aroundthe Royal Arms; 3 and in the reign of KingJames the First, both the Garter and the Collaroccur in the Royal escutcheon, the Garterbeing nearest the escutcheon. Since the timeof King Charles the Second the Knights havefrequently borne their Arms in that manner, theGeorge being suspended to the Collar. On the

mm

1 Vide History of the Order of the Garter, p. 338.

2 Ibid. p. 349.

3 Ibid. p. 353.