660 : 
In an-advertisement prefixed to this 
work, itis stated to be compiled from 
‘various authentic pieces of manuscript: 
— “ from the historical collections of Eich- 
ler, and M. Archenholtz, (late librarian to 
his Serene Highness Frederic IL. Landgrave 
of Hegse-Cassel,) and particularly from ori- 
‘ginal documents, deposited in the archives 
‘of several modern orders, which by commands 
‘of the sovereigns, have, by the secretaries of 
‘those orders, been especially communicated 
to the editor. To which are added copious 
explanatory notes, and illustrations dvawn 
from Collins’s. Peerage; Clark’s concise 
History of Knighthood ; and many eminent 
authors who have wrote upon the subject. « 
«Inthe body of this compendium will 
“be found the names of those British noble- 
“men and gentlemen, who are, or have been 
‘invested with foreign orders, during the 
-reign of his present majesty; and in most 
-instan¢es, the causes, for which they have 
received. those distinctions, are impartially 
‘demonstrated. This work is° calculsted for 
the information of those who study modern 
history; or who travel on the Continent.” 
. These volumes are dedicated to Lord 
‘Nelson, whois the patron of the work, and 
whose name, wherever it occurs, is men- 
“tioned in terms of the most odious, con- 
temptible, and disgusting adulation. We 
‘understand that the author of this work, 
which is printed at Hamburg, is a Ger- 
man, M. Ruhl: to an anonymests editor 
“we are indebted for the notes, many of 
which ure very curious and amusing. In 
“4 note to the account of the order of the 
“Bath, the editor says, that “ this name 
was conferred upon it, and the knights 
‘were obliged to bathe themselves before 
‘they could receive the golden spurs.” 
The editor cannot mean toimply, surely, 
that the ceremony of bathing ‘was intro- 
“duced by Henry the Fourth, when he 
created the forty-six knights on his co- 
‘yonation... The ceremony is much more 
ancient, but, perhaps, had been inter- 
rupted, and the Knights of the Bath 
might have been: so denominated from 
the revival of it on this occasion. They 
certainly did bathe themselves on this 
occasion. Selden, whom we must refer 
‘toagain, as we have not Froissart before 
us, thus gives the historian’s words: 
- « Celle nuict,” says he, speaking of the 
Saturday before his coronation, * y veil*" 
‘ Jerent tous les escuyers, qui devoient estre 
‘ faitz chevaliers le lendemuain, que {uerent 
“le nombre de xvi. et ecurent tous ses 
escuyers,chacun sa chambre, ef chacun 
sa baign, ou tls se -baignerent celle nuict; et 
lend main le duc de Lancastre, les fit 
MISCELLANIES. 
chevaliers a sa messe, et leur donne 
longues cottes verdes a estreits manches, 
fourres de menuver en guise de prelats, 
et avoint les dits chevaliers sur la senestre ~ 
espaule, un double cordeau de soye’ 
blanche a blanches houpells pendans.” 
The ancient Franks are supposed to have 
practised bathing before they conferred 
knighthood. ‘Che custom of bathing, 
vigils, and such like,”’ says Selden, ** were 
in some use in the elder times in Fratice, 
at the giving this order of knighthood” 
(Knights Bachelors), And in an old 
book of chess-play, written by a French- 
man, and translated by P. Caxton into 
English, it is said “ when the knights 
been made, they been bayned or bathed. 
That is the sign they should lead a ncw 
life and new manners. Also they wi ke 
all the night in prayer$ and orisons unto 
God, that he would give them grace 
that they may get that thing that they 
may not get by nature. The king or 
prince girdeth about. them a sword in 
sign that they should abide and keepen 
him of whom they have taken their des- 
pences and dignity.” 
But the custom of bathing on re- 
ceiving knighthood, prevailed in Eng- 
land long before the Order of the 
Bath was ‘instituted. Henry the First, 
purposing the marriage of his daughter 
Maud, the empress, ta Geoifry of An- 
jou, toknight him at Roan, in the year 
1127, on Whitsunday following desires 
the earl his father, ut flium suum nudum 
militem ad ipsam Pentecostemy rotoma- 
gum honorifice mitteret, ut ibidem cum 
cocquevis suis arma suscepturus regali- 
bus gaudiis interesset. This young 
gentleman, witly five more of like qua- 
lity, attendgd by twenty-five squires, 
were bathed (according, saith du Favin, 
to the custom of France; but 1, cannot 
doubt, isthe remark which Selden makes, 
but that Henry*the First used the cus- 
toms that were agreeable to his own 
country also, though he gave the order 
in his duchy of Normandy) and then 
coming in robes proper for the. cere 
mony, received the dignity by havin 
horse and arms given them. Mluscent 
weliealtera, balneorum usus, uti tyrocinii sus 
cipiendi consuctudo expostulat (saith Joh 
the monk of Maire-monstier, as du Fav 
cites him) paratus est. Comperto rege a 
cubiculariis quod Andegavensis, et qu 
cum eo venerant, ascen ioe de lavacr 
jussit eos ad se vocari.. Post corporis ab 
lutionem, ascendens de balaeorum lavace 
comitis Andegavorum generosa prole 
