Inßitutio Ordinis .

& Infigniti majores ante fuerunt, coeperunt Olympia Vocari. Gymnicumrevera Certamen fub ipio jam olympo celebrari Solitum, juxta Olympiam,Urbem inter Offam & Olympum, illa quinquennali Celebritate admoduminclytam, mercatuqj famigeratam. Decretumq; fuit a Cundis ibi Cele-britatis hujus authoribus & honorifico Conlortio junciis, ne quis utcun-que princeps in univerfâ Grœcia per annuam Regni lui Nomenclaturam tem-pora diftingueret, antequam in hoc honoratilfimo Concurfii CeCe, quis &qualis Vir effet, egregie demonffraffet. Coeptum & hoc, ut annorum di-llindioni Nomen Olympiadis inditum elïet. Quæ Prærogativa poftmodumut ab Initio mundi ipfius Creationi : Sic uni jam Servatoris incarnationidebita remanfit, quanquam Principes inde, ficut & prius, in fua quilq- Re-gione difcretionem quandam Annorum fiibintulere. Certe ficut t Traci perOlympiades fie per Confiilatus Romàni lìipputantes, rerum geftarum leriemindicabant. Qui vero cum Jafone profèdi funt in Colchos Equites In-clytilfimi, Venerandam quoq^ Societatem inierunt atqj Intégré conlèrvâ-runt, velut ad eundem fimul honorem alpirantes. Præcipui quidem Caßor& Pollux 3 Thelamon, Orpheus, Hercules & Hilas. Übi Velleris aurei decus &

" Ordo coeperunt. Athenienfium autem & Lacedaemoniorum qualis Ordo quamqjIlluftre commilitium diutilîimè Conlliterit, qui legit, quis non intelligit ?Affyriorum, Perfarum & Medorum quorum Gloria tanta fuit, non dubiumquin & Ordo militaris infignis extitit, & quibusdam honoribus ad mi-litaria facinora femper invitatus. Sed horum hanc Gloriolam Alexander

Macedo

the very Foot of Olympus, near the City Olympia, lying between Offa andOlympus, a City not only remarkable and renowned for thefe quinquennialGames, but alfo for its Trade. It was alfi refolded by all the Authors of thisSolemnity, and Members of this honourable Society, that no Prince in Greecefiould make any Computation of Time by the Tears of his Reign, unlefs he hadßrß publickly given fome Token of his Courage and Virtue before this gloriousConcourfe of Nobility. And hence it was that the Computation of their Tearswas called Olympiads. Which Prerogative continued afterwards, and as atßrß it was ßxed from the Creation, fo now all Calculations of Time are madeonly from the Incarnation of our Saviour. Neverthelefs Princes even fromthat Time, as heretofore, have in their own Dominions taken the Liberty of In-troducing fome other particular Way of Computation. And dis certain that asthe Greeks reckoned by Olympiads, fo the Romans computing by their Con -fulfinps preferved the Order and Continuance of their Actions. But the nobleKnights who went with Jalon to Colchos, entered into an honourable Society,,and preferved it entirely, afpiring as it were to the fame Honour ; the chiefindeed were Caftor, and Pollux, Thelamon, Orpheus, Hercules, andHilas. Where the Honour and Order of the golden Fleece were ßrß inßi -tuted. As to the Athenians and Lacedæmonians we may fee plainly bytheir Hißories, what Order they had among them. And it is no Doubt butthat the Affyrians, Perfians, and Medes whofe ABions have gained themgreat Glory and Renown, had alfo among them fome extraordinary Order ofKnighthood, inviting and encouraging their Members to noble and WarlikeABions by particular Rewards and Honours. But Alexander the Macedo-nia^