Reaföns of its Inflitution, which I am going co recite.It may be queftioned, indeed, whether there is anyRule extant, in any Order, that may noc be reducedto one, or other of the excellent Ends, for which thisDegree, in particular, of the Bath was inftitutedjEnds fo great, fo good, fo pious, and comprehenfive,that they do not feem capable of receiving any Addi-tional Improvement: For what can be fäid to am-plify, or llluftrate the Defign of an Inflitution, afcerwe are told, It ff is for the Exaltation of the Holytc Chriflian Religion $ the Support of the Rights off< our Sovereigns j the Defence of their Real ms the£C Advancement of Juflice $ the Protedion of Virgins,<c Widows, and Orphans ; the Relief of the Op-tc prefled; and for demonflrating the AfFedion of ourtc Monarchs towards the Eflate of Chevalrie ; to thecc End, both their Subjecls, and Foreigners may beff rewarded for heroick military Adions, and towardstc exciting other Perfons to imitate fuch Examples,”So that in refped to the Origin of this Degree, in ge-neral, we may conclüde, it to be founded, upon re-rcligious, upon moral, and political Confiderations.

II. In Reference to the Antiquity of Knight-hood of the Bath , I (Fall eite the Authority of a ‘Jeandu Tillet , who fuppofeth it to have been pradiced by

Rccueil des Roys de France , ieurs co'uronne, 8 c maifon A31.

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