'■ ■ ■ 1 ■ 1 ■ ■ —- ■ - '
Infììtutio Ordinis .
fois fibi rebus nonnullos relinquerent oraturos, appetentiores inventi font,Arthurus illa prima tamq; mirifica Britannorum Gloria, Edgar us ipfe mul-tus Coenobiorum erector, Henrìci , Edoardi , hujus ipfius rei magnifici Cul-tores erant. Hos commemoro non quod alij nulli fint cum éis in hocPietatis & Virtutisgenere conferendi, fed quod hij-font, qui ficut Armis& Honore præcellebant, ita femper animum appulere foum, ut & decusMilitiæ proveherent, & hoc pacto talutem ànimarum attentifiime refpice-rent. Principio Splendorem hunc militarem, & meritifiimam ejus ReiMagnificentiam aflidue curabant : partim ad anteceflbrum Famam piaperpetuaq; Memoria retinendam, partim propter excitanda Juniorum adimitandum ingenia : Morem antiquiffimorurrt optime fecuti, apud quosob res bene præclareque geftas* imagines & ftatuæ majorum in atriismagnifica: ac gloriola: collocari fidebant, coronæq; fiatuarum Capitibusnonnunquam imponi, & alia deinceps (ut res pofiebat) infignia fignanteroftendi, honorq; generis & familiæ dignitas atq*, Gradus ftemmate diftingui ;ut Nobilitas atq; Juvenes hjis excitata Splendorem ad Corporis atq; animivires fic exercitandas evigilaret, uti paribus aliquando perfunda laboribusac Studiis, pari quoque laude & honore deniq; fiui pofiit. Quippe nonparum intereft Reip. talia Virtutum irritamenta nobili animofæq; Juventutiproponi, quibus accenta femper in opere fe digno ferveat. Unde Socratestapientifllmus omnium Oraculo Delphico judicatus, dum alia probitatis inci- P-tabula deefient, vel in illud eundos illuftres Juvenes vocare confoevit, ut vul-tum
out of their (rum Eßate a Provifion for certam Men to pray for them. Arthurthe flrft and admirable Glory of the Britains, Edgar that frequent Founderof Monafieries, the Henries and the Edwards ‘were bountiful Benefactorsthis Way. I mention thefe, not becaufe we have no others to be comparedwith them in this Part of Religion and Virtue, but becaufe thefe are they,who as they always excelled in Arms and Honour, fo they made it theirchief Study y both to enlarge the Glory of Knighthood, and by this Meansalfo had a particular Regard to the Salvation of their Souls. They at firßchiefly provided for the Splendor and jufi Magnificence of Knighthoody partlyto preferve the Glory of their Ancefiors in good and lofting Memory 3 andpartly to encourage their Touth to imitate them ; wifely following the Ex-amples of the Ancients y among whom for great and good A&'xms, the Ima-ges and Statues of their Ancefiors were wont to be placed in their Houfeswith great Magnificence and Glory, and fometimes Crowns were put uponthe Heads of the Statues, and in Procefis óf Time, other Marks and Difiin-Bions of Honour were publickly made ufe of y as the Cafe requiiredy and theHonour , Dignity , and Degree of their Houfe and Family were difiinguißed bytheir Bearings : That their Nobility and Touth encouraged by thefe Honoursßfiuld aim at Glory } and fo improve the Endowments both of their Bodyand Mind, that having gone thro ’ the fame Labours and Difficulties, theymight at laß attain to the like Honour and Glory. And it is no finali Ad-vantage to a Government, that fiuch Encouragements to Virtue fiould be laidbefore the noble and the brave, by which being fired, they might be whollytaken up, and employed in Allions becoming themfelves. Whence Socrates,
who