Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-12-10
THE GOLDEN FLEECE.
A Brief History OF The Most Fa-
nous Order of knighthOOd.

The most famous Of all foreign or
ders of knighth0od is the Golden
Fleece. 1t was founded by Philip,
Duke of Burgundy and Earl of Hol-
land, styled the good" possibly be-
cause he murdered some of his near
est relatives. However, Philip meant
well, according to his dim notions of
right, and really governed his subjects
pretty fairly. On January 10, 1929, he
founded the famous order which is
inseparably associated with his name.
Some ninety years after Edward III.
instituted the more renlwned order of
the Garter.
The name Of the Golden Fleece had
a two fold signifcation. 1t meant to
typify the spirit Of chivalrous adven-
ture, or going into new lands to con
quer new fame-the same spirit which
actuated the Argonauts Of the legend,
who went in search Of the Golden
Fleece. But there was also the re
ligious idea. The Savior has been
represented under the form of a lamb.
To win his redemption by "knightly"
deeds, in the best Specification Of that
noble word, was obviously an object Of
the new society of chivalry.
High privileges were early conferred
on the Knights of the Fleece, whose
number was originally thirty-one.
When the Counts Of Egmont and
Horn were illegally executed under
the reign of Philip III. on account of
the stand they made for the liberties
of their country, they both appealed
against the sentence, alleging, among
other reasons, that, as Knights Of the
Fleece, they had the right to be tried
by their brother knights.
After the war of the Spanish sue
cession, which left a Bourbon on the
throne of Spain, there arose a dispute
between the emperor and the king Of
Spain as to which of them had the
right to the sovereignty of the order.
The question is an extremely compli
Gated one. The emperor Charles VI
as heir male of the Hapsburgs, might
fairly claim the knightly heritage as
his right. On the other hand, Philip
OF Bourbon might urge descent
through an heiress, and plead that ID
Spain and the Low Countries the
Salic law had never been recognized.
The matter was finally arranged
through treaty, the emperor and king
Of Spain being recognized as joint
grand masters of the order, with equal
power to name knights. The Austrian
and Spanish badges of the order ar,
almost, if not quite, identical in form.
Each has the well-known collar o.
gold and flint stones, with the typical
device, ANTE ferit guam famma
mieat,H Though the nobler legend runs
"Pactium non vile laborum."
The archdukes Of Austria and the
%infantas Of Spain are all, as a rule.
Knights of the Fleece. In later year.
the order has been conferred with
what must 10 heralds have appeared
undue freedom. For instance, on NJ
Theirs, who was not even noble .
~~~~u, nad the sole merit q
being president Of the French repub
lie, and n Of the create I men living
Then it was that political oddity called
the Spanish republic which bestowed
the distinction of the little red collal
button on NJ. THEIRS. The duke o.
Aosta, by the way, while figuring as
Amadeus |. Of Spain, sett the Fleec,
to a distinguished Castilisn noblehan.
who returned the decoration without
a word. 1t Is a waste of words t
characterize the conduct of thii
grandee as it deserves. Why the for
eign house Of Savoy should be lesl
entitled to respect than the foreign
house of France it would be Difficult
to explain.
The prince Of Wales is a Knight o
the Golden Fleece, the only English
man who enjoys that distinction. Tn,
Spanish order was conferred on hin
when he was ten years old, the Aus
trian some time later. Not long aqt
it was whispered that bis Catholi,
majesty was rather anxious for a
exchange of ribbons between tn.
courts Of st. Ildeionso and st. James
He wanted the Garter for himself, an,
would have conferred the Fleece Of
the duke of Edinburg, or on Prime
Albert Victor of Wales, perhaps OF
both, to secure for himself the mos
coveted Of all decorations, withou
which no sovereign feels that h
belongs to the inner circle Of royalty