442 GERMANY. 



of the eagle is seen the imperial crown. On the breast of the eagle 

 is an escutcheon quarterly of eight, for Hungary, Naples, Jerusalem* 

 Arragon, Anjou, Guelders, Brabant, and Barr. It would be as useless 

 as difficult to enumerate all the different quarterings and armorial 

 bearings of the archducal family. Every elector, and indeed every 

 independent prince of any importance in Germany, claims a right of 

 instituting orders ; but the emperors pretend that they are not admis- 

 sible unless confirmed by them. The emperors of Germany, as well 

 as the kings of Spain, confer the order of the Golden Fleece, as des- 

 cended from the house of Burgundy. The empress dowager, Eleonora, 

 in 1662 and 1666, created two orders of ladies, or female knights; 

 and the late empress queen instituted the order of St. Theresa. 



The " Order of the Golden Fleece" was instituted at Bruges, in 

 Flanders, on the 10th of January, 1429, by Philip, duke of Burgundy, 

 on the day of his marriage with his third wife. It is supposed that 

 he chose the badge, as being the chief of the staple manufactures of 

 his country. It at first consisted of thirty knights, including the 

 sovereign, who were of the first families in the Low Countries ; and 

 it still continues to be classed with the most illustrious orders of 

 knighthood in Europe. At present there are two branches of it; of 

 the one the emperor is sovereign, and the king of Spain of the other; 

 all must prove their noble descent from the twelfth century. The 

 motto of the order is " Pretium non vile laborum." The "Teutonic 

 Order" owed its origin to some religious Germans in Jerusalem 

 during the crusades, who assumed the title of " Teutonic knights, or 

 brethren of the hospital of our Lady of the Germans at Jerusalem." 

 Conrade, duke of Swabia, invited them into Prussia, about the year 

 1230 ; soon after they conquered Prussia for themselves, and became 

 one of the most powerful orders in Europe. By their internal quar- 

 rels, they afterwards lost their power and possessions : and Alberts 

 marquis of Brandenburg, grand master of the order, on his abjuring 

 popery, abdicated the grand mastership, subdued Prussia, and ex- 

 pelled all the papists who would not follow his example. The order 

 is now divided into two branches : the protestant branch, which had a 

 house at Utrecht ; and that for papists, which has a house at Mer- 

 gentheim, in Germany, and of which the members must take the oath 

 of celibacy. The ensign distinguishing this branch is worn round 

 the neck, pendent to a gold chain. 



The time of the institution of the " Order of the Red Eagle" is 

 uncertain. The margrave ol Bareith is sovereign of it, and it is gene- 

 rally bestowed on military officers. In the year 1690, John George, 

 elector of Saxony, and Frederic III, elector of Brandenburg, on ter- 

 minating their disputes, established the " Order of Sincerity," as a 

 confirmation and security hereafter of their amity. The knights of 

 this order wear a bracelet of gold; on one side are the names of 

 the two princes, with this device, " Amitie sincere ,-" on the other 

 side are two armed hands, joined together, and placed on two swords, 

 with two palm branches crossed, with this motto, " Unis fi our jamais." 



John George, duke of Saxe Weissenfels, instituted the " Order of 

 the Noble Passion/' in the year 1704, of which the duke is the 

 sovereign. Each knight of the order is to contribute to the main- 

 tenance of the maimed or decayed soldiers in the service of the 

 sovereign. In the year 1709, Louisa Elizabeth, widow of Philip duke 

 of Saxe Merseburg, revived the " Order of the Death's Head," first 

 instituted in 1652, by her father, the duke of Wurtemberg. A prin- 



