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InjUtutio Ordinis.

lem inchoavit, & rotundam ibi (quam vocant) Menlâm inftituit 5 fuit hæc(fi Fides conllet Authoribus) Infigni Materia ièdes, in gyrum ornata, quamelecliffimorum Equitum, quos ex omni Numero delegerat & libi junxeratArt bums, Selfioni leorlìim affermata quam & Archiepilcopus tum Cantuarien -fis lultrali manu reddidit inligniorem. Erat iplâ hæc optimorum Equitum,Oèto & Viginti conjunótorum. Qui Numerus non multum abeft ab eo,qui jampridem oblervatur in ea Societate militari, quæ non paucis poll an-nis in hujus (ut videtur) locum optime men nifi meq; fubolevit, & ad tan-tum Splendorem inlìgniter evalit. In hac iplà nanq; lèx & viginti connu-merantur : quibus lupremus ac iilullrilîimus luperadditur, Andorum protempore Rex inviótilfimus. Ut ab Arthuro (ne quid de Precellbribus inie-ram,) per tam longam illuftrilfimorum Regum Anglorum retro Seriem, nonparvam rei militaris & ornatus illiusCuram fuiflè conllet,quamquam non om-nes eodem Ordine famaq-, procelferint. Arthurus autem tali pugilum Certa-mine militariq-, peritia mirifice delectatus, lèlcctos Athletas quos inprimis Arsipla commendaverat, non fclum inter fele, verum fibi etiam ipfi familiaresefiè confiituit ; quorum Ingenio, Viribus, & Indullria, fi quando res polce-ret in omm arduo periculofoq; Negotio fidenter & lecure couti polfit.Hos cum epulandum eilet vel de Negotio militari conlultandum, in Coro-nam fic utiq j lèdere julfit, ne quilquam alteri prælatus,ad invidiæ Periculum,P- 13. elle videretur, utqj quos conleflus Equalitas ita lociarat, amicitia pari modocouniret, & quos par animi Virtus ac Fortitudo copularat, eos nulla fortuna

into a Circle and beautifully adorned , ‘which Arthur had fet apart for thofefieleU Knights, ‘which he had chofen and united for himfelf ; and ‘was fiillfarther ennobled, by the confecrating Hand of the then Archbißop of Can-terbury. Thefe ‘were twenty eight of the befi Knights joined together :Which Number does not much differ from that, ‘which is now obferved bythis military Society, which fioon after with equal Glory and Defert came in-to the Place of this. For in this Order are twenty fix, over which as Sove-reign the King of England for the Time being, always prefides. As fromArthur (to fay nothing of his Predece (fors, or trace bach fo long a Seriesof illufirious Things) it is plain what Regard was had to the military Af-fairs, and how curious they were in their Drefs and Ornaments, tho alldid not proceed in the fame Order and Glory. For Arthur who was won-derfully delighted with the Tilts and Tournaments of thofe Times, and a greatLover of thofe, who had given Infiances of their Courage and Shill in War,confiituted feleB Champions, who were defervedly famous on thefe Accounts,and joined them not only in Familiarity one with another, but alfio withhimfelf -, on whofe Wit, Courage, and Induftry, if Occafion required in anydifficult and dangerous Undertaking he might fiafely rely. Thefe he orderedwhen they were either to banquet together, or take Counfel about any Buß -nefs in War, to fit together in a Circle, that fo no Envy might arife atone's being preferred before other, but that being joined in Friendßip, asthey were in • Place and Degree, no ill Fortune ßould f eparate or alienatethem from one mother, whom an equal Share of Virtue and Courage had join-ed together. The Place of their fitting both our own Countrymen and Stran-gers

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