Inßitutio Ordinis.
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tur : quam ut animæ Salus illi devoto Collegio fèorfìim àtqj intime com-mendetur : Quanquam utrunque bene habet & confùltiffime fit, tam
ut Equites & Equitum Infignia polleant ad Honorem & Gloriam tem-poralem, quam ut cum debito Dei Cultu Negotium animæ providiffi-me curetur ad æternam. Neque abs re fèle&a Wyndeform eft, ad hujusRei condignam PofTelfionem atque fàmam : locus ad hanc lane Gloriamex omni parte commodifiìmus, leu Naturam inlpexeris aut artem. Natu- P. 12.ra munivit ambitu non minus ad propugnandum idoneo, quam ad alpeólan-dum amoeno. Juftæ mons altitudinis fic ardua creta conlolidatus, ut fun-damentum ibi foli dilli me jeceris : Tamifi fiibter fluente, nemoribus apri-cis, pratis, & feracibus agris undique Circumjectis, abunde ditatur & con-decoratur. Unde fiipremi Reges artem haud imparem adjicientes, Ar-cem ibi fiiperimpofiierunt : adeo præclaram & vere regiam, ut ea præftan-tiorem (h vera fit fama, quam non fblum Incolæ led & externi prædi-cant) non modo hic Orbis Angulus, fed nec totus chriftianus Orbisoffendat. Hæc Arx Regum eft, Regum hæc propria fedes, ipforum hocDomicilium : hic Regni Splendorem & fuum ipfi flatuere, fuis hic ani-mabus precum medelam mutarem femper habendam curaverunt. Et quopræcelliores Rebuff geftis excellentiores quique fuerant, eo majorem &cmagnificentiorem animum Wyndeforum verfus imbiberunt. Arthurus Re-rum egregie geftarum amplitudine fummus famaq; notiffimus, quo reg-nante Britonum Opes ac Vires ampliffime creverunt, arcem illam prænobi-
feparately and entirely committed to that devoted College : Tho’ indeed hothof thefe are rightly provided for, not only that the Knights and their En-ßgns might he referved for temporal Honour and Glory ; hut that alfo, by adue worßipping of God , the eternal Welfare of their Souls might he regarded.Nor is Windfor improperly fet apart for the worthy Poffeffon and Glory ofthis Honour : A Place upon every Account extremely proper, whether youconßder either the Nature or Art of the Place. Nature has drawn a Com -pafs round it, no lefs convenient for its Defence, than beautiful to the Eye.The mount of a good Height, and of hard Chalk, fo that a Foundation mayhe fecurely laid there, the River Thames flowing beneath it, abundantlyenriched and beautified with ßady Groves, fruitful Fields, and Meadows.Wherefore our Sovereigns adding equal Art thereto, built a Tower thereon,fo famous and truly royal, that (if our own Country-men, or even Foreignersthemfelves may be believed) neither this Part of the Globe, nor even allChriftendome can ßew the like. This is the Kings Caflle, and proper Seat andPalace -, here have they eßablißed their own, and their Kingdoms Glory :here have they taken care, that a healing Savour of Prayers fiould be alwaysoffered for their Souls. And by how much the more famous and excellentthey have been for their own Avions, the greater and more unbounded Lovehave each of them had for Windfor. Arthur who for the Excellency ofhis Actions, has been defervedly noted and famous, and in whofe Reign, theRiches and Power of the Britains largely encreafed, began that noble Tower,and there mßituted (as they call it) his round Table. This was (if wemay believe Authors) a Seat made of an extraordinary Wood, drawn round
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