The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-09-29
The Order Of the Golden Fleece.

The name of the Golden Fleece had
two-fold signification. 1t meant to
typify the spirit of chivalrous adventure
of going into new lands to conquer
new fame-the same spirit which ac-
tuated 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 re-
demption by knightly'' deeds, in the
best signification of that noble word,
was obviously an object of the new So
ciety of chiValry.
High privileges were early conferred
on the Knights of the Fleece, whose
number was originally limited to 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 success
sion, which left Bourbon on the throne
of Spain, there arose 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 Charles vi, as heir male of
the Hapsburgs, might fairly claim the
knightly heritage as his right. On the
the other hand Philip of Bourbon might
urge descent through an heiress and
plead that in SPAN 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 grandmasters
of the order, with equal power to name
knights. The Austrian and Spanish
badges of the order are almost though
not quite identical in form. Each has
| the well-known collar of gold and flint
stones, with the typical device, % Ante
ferit guam 1iamma micat," though the
nobler legend runs Pretium non vile
laborum."
The Archdukes of Austria and the In
fants of Spain are all, as arule, Knights
of the Fleece. In later years the order
has been conferred with what must to
heralds have appeared undue freedom.
For instance, ON M. Theirs, who was
not even "noble.n and indeed had the
sole merit of being President of the
French Republic and one of the great
est men living. Then it was that po-
litical oddity called the Spanish repub-
lie, which betowed the distinction of
the little red collar riband on M. Theirs.
The Duke of Aosto, by the way while
figuring as Amadeus |. of Spain sent
the Fleece to a distinguished Castilian
nobleman, who returned the decoration
without a word. 1t is waste of words
to characterize the conduct of this
grandee as it deserves. Why the for
eign house of Savoy should be less en-
titled to respect than the foreign house
of France it would be difficult to explain.
The Prince of Wales is Knight OF
the Golden Fleece-the only English
man who enjoys that distinction. Ihe
Spanish order was conferred ON him
when he was ten years old, the Aus
trian some time later. Not long ago il
was whispered that his Catholic Majesty
was rather anxious for an exchange o.
ribands between the Courts of S. Hide
tonso and ST. James. He wanted the
Garter for himself and would have con
ferred the Fleece on the Duke of Edin
burg or on Prince Albert Victor O
Wales-perhaps on both-to secure fol
himself the most coveted of all decora
tions, without no sovereign feels tina
he belongs to the inner circle of royal
tY.-C0r2lhiU Muqnzi2e.