Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1878-10-02
THE ORDER or THE GARTER.

IHE OHDEK Or IHE G1RIER.
The Order of the Garter, with which
Earl Beaconsfield and Lord Salisbury
have been invested by the Queen Of
Great Britain, is one of the Oldest and
most iamouso OF the orders ofknighthood
that remain Europe. The exact date
Of its foundation is not known. One
authority aseribes it to 1902, when in
a baltic with the Saracens on st.
Georges Day, Richard Ceur dc Lion
commanded twenty-six of his knights
TO wear around their legs thongs of blue
leather But most writers agree that
it dates from Edward Ill, though the
precise date is in dispute, Froissart Civ.
ing l344, and Stow 1850. General
tournaments in that time were held at
Windsor Atone OF them, says the fami-
liar story, the Countess of Salisbury
let fall her garter when dancing with
the king and the king picking it up,
tied it around his leg. There were
smiles from the company and jealous
glances from the queen, noticing which
Edward restored the garter to the
countess saying "Honi soft qu NAL y
pehSe," Evil TO him who evil thinks)
and added that those who smiled would
shortly see the garter advanced to such
honor and renown as TO account them
selves happy to wear it. There have
been writers to ridicule this story, but
none to suggest more probable theo-
ry. The order was founded in honor
of the Holy Trinity, the Virgin Mary,
St Edward the Confessors, and st.
George, the latter Of whom had then
become the guardian saint of England,
and was considered the special patron
OF the order. 1t has always born the
title of "The Order Of St. George" as
well as of "The Carter
The original dress of knights was a
blue mantel tunic and capuchin, ON.
broldered with garters OF gold and blue
silk, the largest of which was worn on
the lett shoulder of the mantle. Henry
VIII. changed it, as did Charles | /. af.
ter him, but Charles for the last time.
As now used, it consists of dark blue
velvet garter edged with gold, and
bearing the motto in letters of gold,
and worn below the knee on the lett
leg a mantle blue velvet lined with
white tafieta hood of crimson vel.
vet q surcoat also of crimson velvet,
and lined with white taffeta hat OF
black velvet, lined with tatieta, and
bearing a plume Of ostrich and heron
feathers, fastened by q band of diamonds.
The collar is Of gold, being composed
of twenty-slx pieces, each in the form
Of garter and has appended to it a
figure of st. George on horseback. A
lesser st. George is enameled on gold
and set with diamonds, being suspended
over the left shoulder by dark blue
ribbon. The star has eight points, and
is of silver, having the cross Of st.
George in the centre and being en-
broidered on the left breast.
Ofthe royal family, beside the Queen
and Prince of Wales, who belonged to
the order, there are the Dukes OF Edin-
burgh Connaught and Cambridge and |
Prince Leopold of foreign sovereigns
the kings Of Italy, Portugal, Denmark,
Belgium and the Helenes, and emper-
ors of Germany, Austria, Russia and |
Brazil, beside the Shah of Persia of |
titled persons from abroad, the dukes |
Sake Meiningcn, Brunswick and Saxa |
Coburg Gotha, the grand dukes of
Neutrality-suspicious. aud Hcsso Darn. |
stadt, Louis w. the crown prince Of
Germany, and tho princes Christian of
lIostein and William of Prussia.
Among the English nobility who |
have been invested with the order are
Earls Granville and Shaftesbury, the |
Dukes of Wellington, Devonshirc, Som.
ersct, Sutherland and Westminster
and Viscount Stratiord dc Redclfic. /
The late Earl Russell was of the num-
Der, as was also the late ex. King Geo. |
of Hanover. Few members of the |
British House of Commons have rcceiv-
ed the honor Palmerston was thelast
Walpole received IL while in the House,
as did Lord North fifty years later
Lord North being designated in debate
as "tho noble lord with the blue ribbon"
1t was offered the younger Pitt, who
declined it for himself but asked that |
it might bo given to his wayward elder
brother, second and last Earl Of Cha.
than. The request was granted, but
the king wished it distinctly under
stood that the bestowal was in consid
Grafton Of services rendered to the |
crown by all the members of the fami. |
ly. A writer IN Belgrdrid relates that
when it was offered to the late Lord |
Fitzwiliam, he asked how much it |
would cost. "Aboutat thousand pounds"
some one replied, whereupon the noble |
lord quietly remarked that he thought |
he could make n better nse of his
money.
| vcneratc old age and ! love not
the man who can look without emotion
upon the sunset of life, when the dusk |