Inftitutio Ordinis.

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bönö (quod reor) Spiritu fore prædixit, quum pergere tranfiens, dumCollegium illud (ut honorifice ferebat animus) invileret, in magna Co-rona pulcherrimæ prælèntiæ, hanc (inquit alta Voce) Struduram ccepitHernicus lex tus, perfecit Septimus, ornabit Oftavus, cujus Ori Virtutempropheticam ille dederit, qui Balaamicœ Voci vaticinium indidit : Ethuic ferenilfimo jam Regi, qui ut omne jus Regni in le uno mentitfime conclufit, fic & Antecefiorum omnium Virtutem Imbibit, quamlongilfimos annos det Deus omnipotens Succelfionique continuos, &animum quem nunc habet vere Regium, in omne opus Pietatis, he-roicæque Virtutis iple perpetuet 5 ut nemo majorum ejus militare de-cus, Gloriamque divinam gratiofius & Iplendidius evexerit : quod &eum conari quilque perpendet, qui Regni principium tanta Vidoriarumfelicitate notandum, regalilfimum omniquaque progrelfum, quibus paremdabit Deus exitum, & lequentes hic Annales advertet : in quibus a Con-llitutionis exordio, pro luo cujulque tempore, Regum clarilfimi OrdinisSupremorum Ada digeruntur, ficut infra feriatim videre eli : nifi quoddetrada quædam appareant, aut minus curiole diebus quorundam Regumexarata.

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good Omen foretold. For as his Mind led him to do them the Honour of vi *fitting their College , he faid with a loud Voice , among a large Concourfe, and thenoble Ajfembly then prefent : This Building nuas begun by King Henry theßxth, perfected by the Seventh , and mill be beautified by the Eighth. To mhofiMouth , he mho gave a prophetick Utterance to Balaam, might give a prophetickVirtue alfo : And to this our nom prefent King y {mho as he has in himfelf allBight to thefe Kingdoms y has alfo pojfejfed himfelf of all the Virtues of his Anceßors)may the Almighty give Length of t>ays y and continue them to his Succeffion : Mayhe perpetuate in him his truly royal Mind y to the Perfection of every Work ofPiety and heroick Virtue ; fo that none of his Anceßors ßall have more fplendidlyor glorioufly enlarged this military Order , and the divine Glory. Which everyone may perceive has been his chief eß Endeavour , mho mill look back on the Be-ginning of his Reign y fo remarkable for the Succefs and Happinefs of his Vi&ories yand the Royal Progrefs he hath made in every Virtue y {to mhich may God grant a likeContinuance and Event) and mho fiali regard thefolloming Annals y in mhich accord-ing to their Order of Time , are the Actions of our Kings y mho have been Sovereigns ofthis noble Order , recorded from the very firfi Rife of its Inßitution ; as may be feenhereafter y except mhat feems to be loß y or lefs curioufiy treated of in the Reigns offame of our Kings.

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