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/Jffa fub Anno primo E D WA R D I Sexti.

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NNO f primo Sereniffimi Regis Edoardi hujus nominis SextiAngite y Er anew y & Hibernia .. .. .

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I N the h firft a Tear of the moß ferene King Edward the Sixth of theName of England, France, and Ireland

and

a Several Alterations were made in this Order du -ring this Reign, and at length a new Body of Statuteswas framed, whereof Dr. Burnet 2 Voi. Reform, p. 205,gives this fucctnll Narrative.

“ On the, 23d of April the former Year, being“ St. George’s Day, a Propoficion was made to con-fider the Order and Statutes, lince there was“ thought to be a great deal of Superftition in“ them : and the Story upon which the Orderwas founded, concerning St. George’s fighting** with the Dragon, looked like a Legend formed“ in the darker Ages, to fupport the Humour of“ Chivalry, that was then very high in the World.“ And as the Story had no great Credibility in it** felfj fo it was delivered by no antient Author,“ nor was it found that there had been any fuch“ Saint : there being among antient Writers none“ mentioned of that Name, but George of Alexan-Ct dria , the Arian Bilhop, that was put in when“ Athanafms was baniihedj Upon this Motion“ in the former Year, the Duke of Somerfet, the“ Marquefs Oi Northampton, and the Earls of“ Wtltfhire, and Warwick, were appointed to review“ the Statutes of the Order. So this Year the“ whole Order was changed, and the Earl of Wift-“ morland and Sir Andrew Òudley, who were now“ to be inftalled, were the firft that were received“ according to the new Model, (which the Reader. . , “ will find in the Colleftion, as it was

JtmUuN°23. “ tranflated into Latin out of the En-fi glifo, by the King himfelf, writtentc all with his own Hand, and it is the third Pa-tC per in his journal) the Preamble of it lets forth“ the noble Delign of the Order, to animate great“ Men to gallant Aftions, and to affociate them“ into a Fraternity, for their better Encourage-ment and Afliftance ; but fays, it had been<c much corrupted by Superftition, therefore thetc Statutes of it were hereafter to be thele,

“ It was no more to be called the Order of St.t£ George , nor was he to be efteemed the Patrontc of it ; but it was to be called the Order of“ the Garter, the Knights of this Order were towear the blew Ribond or Garter as formerly ;“ but at the Collar, inftead of a George, there wasc ‘ to be, on one Side the Jewel, a Knight car-“ rying a Book upon a Sword’s Point, on the“ Sword to be written Proteflio, on the Book“ V rhum Dei • on the reverfe, a Shield, on which“ fhould be written Ftdes ; to exprefs their Refo-tc lution both with olfenfive and defenfive Wea-“ pons to maintain the Word of God. For the“ reft of the Statutes 1 fhall refer the Reader to the<c Paper I mentioned. But this was repealed by** Queen Mary, and fo the old Rules took placet ‘ again, and do fo ftill. This Delign feems to( c have been chiefly intended, that none but thofethe Reformed Religion might be capable oftc c’ ß nce t * le adhering to, and Handing for theScriptures, was then taken to be the diftinguifh-‘ ing Charafter between the Papifts and the Re-‘ formers.

It feems as if this learned Author doth notwrite as an Hiftorian folely in reciting the Opi-nion then newly in Vogue, that St. George had noother Exiftence than in the legendary Fusions, butfavours that Sentiment himfelf, at leali he hath gi-ven no Striftures upon it, though he might havebeen eafily informed by Books publilhed long be-fore the Time of his Writing, that the Memoryof this Saint hath been obferved in the Churchwithout any Interruption from the Age of Con-flantine. See above p. 214. The Introduction to hisNarrative, implies that he efteemed this Paragraphtouching the Change in this Order, as an Incident,only, and not direftly neceflary to his Hiftory,which can be the only Excufe for his Omiffion offome Particulars, that could not efcape his Know-ledge when he had read the Afts of the PrivyCouncil. To fupply therefore his Defefts andHate the whole Fafts together. Before the Coro-nation this King held a Chapter, and not onlykept St. George’s Day following, but the Feftivalwas likewife held at Windfor on 22 May, where theEarl of Warwick was Lieutenant, who in all Proba-bility folemnized it with the ufual Ceremonies,for ’tis exprefsly remembred that the Hatchments ofthe French King were then offered according to Ch-ßom. And the Heralds have alfo entred their Di-vidend of Fees for both thefe Feqfts. This Hifto-rian indeed p. 14 informs us, that nenry g. havingleft a Legacy to this Church of Windfor for Maffesand Obirs, upon this the Judges being confultedtouching fettling Lands for that Purpofe, agreedthe fame mull be palled by Letters Patents. Butthis Bulinefs (as he faith) miniftred an Occafionof enquiring into theUfe and Lawfulnefs of SouleMalfts and Obits, which came to be among théfirft Things that were reformed, The Time hereof,which is omitted by him, will be difeovered fromthe Date of thefe Letters Patents on 7 OEl< in théfirft Year. A[hm. Hift. p. 172. Now on 20 Apr.following (2 E. 6 .) there is this Entry in the Aftsof the Privy Council “ Order taken for abolilhinglC and chaunging of certein Rits in th’order of the<c Garter as appeareth by doble of the letters fent“ to the Knights of th’order beinge abfent.” Theftnew Injunftions were about Proceflions, Reverenceto the King’s Majefty only, the Offerings, &c. andmay be confulted in A'hm. Hift. p. 473, who re-marks that from this Time the Obfervance of theFeftival at Windfor was difeontinued, and the Par-tition Books of the Heralds are filent, as to anyFee received for any Feftival at Windfor after thefirft Year of this Reign, though there are annualEntries of their Fees for St. George’s Day. ThisRegifter of the Garter informs us, that Com-mittees of the Companions were appointed in 3 4& 5 Ed. 6 , to revile the Statutes, and though ’tistrue that there was a Latin Draught or Scheme ofStatutes, tranferibed by this King in 1551, yetthat Draught never received any Sanftion, andtherefore our Hiftorian in fome Meafure mifleadsus, when he abftrafted Parc of it, and referred us

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