Inflitutio Ordinis.
Tuum perveniret, fie huic Ordini cum Nominibus Veftes & Ornamentacoaptavit : ut omnia hæc ad Amicitiam, Concordiam & reliquam Virtu-tem tendere, nemo non intelligat. Quotquot enim hujus Ofdinis fiunt Socii,Sodales, Collega:, Fratres & Commilitones appellantur, Ordo nimirum ip-le, Societas, Sodalicium, Collegium Equitum, fraternitas 8C Cömmili-cium. Quid Socii vocitantur nifi quod fideliter in utraque fortuna con-junfiti, pacis ac belli comparticipes, in omni Re fèria periculofave certi Co-adjutores, & per omne Vitæ genus fideles inter fie fie amici fiemper effie debe-ant? Sodales autem quod in una Men fa fèdentes fimul edant, vel quod utiliafiuadentes Salutariaq; Reip. confiulentes,in eadem quoque Men fa confidere fb-leant. Ad quem modum & nofter hic Supremus ab initio fiios Equites in-flituit ; ut dum convefci vel confultare deberent, in eadem fimul Menla con-fiderent aut confiderent : Suorum ita Majorum, hoc eft nobiliffimorumEquitum prænobilis Arthuri Veftigiis infiftentes, quorum circum unam &ceandem Menfam perfimilis confeffius antecellit. Id quod totum ad Con-cordiam ac Unanimitatem (pectat ; ut quorum eft unus atq; idem confeffius,eorum diverfa non debeat effie Voluntas. Collegæ, Fratres ac Commilito- p - l6 -nes, quod in omni Fortuna: Jaótu, Cafuq^ Militari, fraterno quoque amoretanquam duos honore poteftateqj fibi pares,hos omnes oporteat effie Confo-ciatos. Quem ad modum etiam perfæpe Reges, Imperatores, & ExercituumSupremi du&ores, tanquam fuis Militibus haud Impares, eadem fe illis ap-pellatione fociarunt : ut Majoris inde Virtutis & Audacia: Singularioris anfa
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ez/ thefe Things tended to Virtue, Friendßip and Concord. For asmany as are of this Order , are called Fellows, Companions, Collè-gues, Brothers, and Fellow-Soldiers -, and the Order it felf was called aSociety, a Fellowßip , a College of Knights, and a Brotherhood. Why werethey Felloes, hut that being faithful Sharers in all Fortune of Peace and War,they ßould in every great and dangerous Undertaking afßß one another, and inevery part of Life remain firm and faithful Friends. They were called Compa-nions, becaufe they did eat together, fitting at one Table -, or that when they wereadvifing and confulting for the Benefit and Welfare of the Kingdom, they ac-cufiomed alfo to fit together at the fame Table. After this Manner our Sove-reign at firfl infiituted his Knights, that when they were called upon, either to 'eat or confult together, they ßould fit at, or fand round the fame Table together^following in this Method, the Example of the illufirious Knights of the nobleArthur, who had before in the fame Manner fat round one and the fame Table.All which tends only to Unanimity and Concord -, and that they who have noDifference in Place and Honour, ßould not be of a different Opinion. They werecalled Collègues, Brothers,and Fellow-Soldiers, becaufe in every Change of Fortune,and Chance of War they ought all to be united in a brotherly Love : As twoonly,equal in Honour and Power. After which Manner, Kings, Emperors, andGener aliffmo' standing as it were upon the fame Level with their Soldiers,have join-ed themfelves to them by the fame Name, that from thence they might have a greaterEncouragement to Virtue and Boldnefs. 0 Companions, Companions, fays theTrojan Æneas 5 Arthur calls them Copartners of his Profperity and Adverfity :And Cæfâr in his Commentaries very often calls them Fellow-Soldiers, as many
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