The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-01-20
The Golden Fleece.
Rose.

The most famous of all foreign Or
ders of knighthood is the" Golden
Fleece" 1t was founded by Philip,
Duke of Burgundy and Earl of Hol.
land styled The Good" possibly
because he murdered several Of his
nearest relatives. However, Philip
meant well, according to his dim no
tons of right, and really governed his
subjects pretty fairly. On January 10,
1920, he founded the famous order
which is inseparably associated with
his name. Some ninet years after
our Edward III instituted the more
renowned order of the Garter. The
name Of the Golden Fleece had a two
fold Specification. 1t meant to typify
the spirit Of chivalrous adventure-of
going into new lands to conquer new
iame-the same spirit which actuated
the Argonauts of legend, who went in
search Of the Golden Fleece. But
there was also the religious idea. The
Savior has been represented under the
form of lamb. To win His redemp-
ton by 20 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, VIII Sc number was originally
limited to thirty-one. When the
Counts Of Egmnnt and Horn were
! illegally executed under the reign of
Philip II. on account of the stand they
made for the liberties Of their country,
they both appealed against the SEN
tence, 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 succession, which left Bour-
bon on the throne of Spain, there arose
Il 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
complicated one. The Emperor Char
les VI, as heir male OF the Hapsburgs,
might fairly claim the knightly herit-
age as his right On the other hand,
Philip OF Bourbon might urge descent
through an heiress, and plead that in
Spain and the Low Countries the
Salic law had never been recognized
The matter was finally arranged
through, the Emperor and the 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 are almost
though not quite, identical in from
Each has the well-known collar Of gold
and flint-stones, with the typical de-
vice, - Ante ferit qnam fiamma micat,'
though the nobler legent runs, % Fret
ium non vile laborum." The Arch
dukes of Austria and the Infants OF
Spain are all, rs a rule, Knights Of the
Fleece. In later years the order has
been conferred with what must to her,
aids have appeared undue freedom
for instance, on NJ. Theirs, who was
not even NOBLE" and indeed had the
sole merit Of being President Of the
French Republic. Then it was that
political oddly called the Spanish
Republic, which bestowed the distinc,
ton Of the little red collar ribbon or
VI. Thiers The Duke Of Aosto. by the
way, while figuring as Amadeus l. oil
Spain, sent the Fleece to q distinguished
Castilian nobleman, who returned the
decoration with word 1t is q waste o.
words to. characterize the conduct Of
this grandee as is deserves Why the
foreign house of Savoy should be less
entitled to respect than the foreign
house of France it would be difficult tc
explain. The Prince of Wales is 8
Knight of the Golden FIeece-the only
EngLishman who enjoys that distinction
The Spanish order WAS conferred or
him when he was ten years old, the
Austrian some time later. Not long
ago it was whispered that his Catholic
Majesty was rather anxious for ar
exchange of ribbons between the court;
of St. IIdefonso and St. James. H.
wanted the Garter for hineIf, anC
would have conferred the Fleece on the
Duke Of Edinburgh, or on Prince Alber-
Victor Of WaIes-perhaps on both-tc
secure for himself the most coveted Of
all decorations, without which no sover
eign feels that he belongs to the innel
circle of royalty Were the old Cour
Of France still existing, and Henry V
determined to maintain the old orders
that of the Holy Ghost would come
next in Importance to the Colder
Fleece. The order is not actually, ex,
tinct, for the King is naturally Away
Grand Master, and the Duke of Mem
OURS is an ordinary knight-the las
surviving one. The last but one, the
Duke of Monternart, died a few YEAR
ago.-Tbe CornbjU Magazine,