GARTER. 
elections of new knights, attends the solem- 
nity of their installations, carries the garter 
to the foreign princes, &c. He is the prin- 
cipal officer within the college of arms, and 
chief of the heralds. 
All these officers, except the prelate, 
have fees and pensions. The college of the 
order is seated in the castle of Windsor, 
with the chapel of St. George, and the chap- 
ter-house, erected hy the founder for that 
purpose. The habit and ensign of the order 
are a garter, mantle, cap, George, and collar . 
The four first were assigned the knights 
companions by the founder ; and the George 
and collar by Henry VIII. The garter 
challenges pre-eminence over all the other 
parts of the dress, by reason that from it the 
noble order is denominated ; that it is the 
first part of the habit presented to foreign 
princes, and absent knights, who, and all 
other knights elect, are therewith first adorn- 
ed ; and it is of so great honour and gran- 
deur, that by the hare investiture with this 
noble ensign, the knights are esteemed com- 
panions of the greatest military order in the 
world. It is worn on the left leg between 
the knee and calf, and is enamelled with 
this motto, HONi soit qui mal y pense; 
i. e. “ shame to him that thinks evil hereof.” 
The meaning of which is, that King Edward 
having laid claim to the kingdom of France, 
retorted shame and defiance upon him that 
should dare to think amiss of the just enter- 
prize he had undertaken, for recovering his 
lawful right to that crown, and that the bra- 
very of those knights whom he had elected 
into this order, was such as would enable 
him to maintain the quarrel against those 
that thought ill of it. 
The mantle is the chief of those vestments 
made use of upon all solemn occasions. The 
colour of the mantle is by the statutes ap- 
pointed to he blue. The length of the train 
of the mantle only distinguishes the Sove- 
reign from the knights companions. To the 
collar of the mantle is fixed a pair of long 
strings, antiently woven with blue silk only, 
but now twisted round, and made of Venice 
gold and silk, ot the colour of the robe, with 
knobs, or buttons, and tassels at the end. 
The left shoulder of the mantle has from 
the institution been adorned with a large 
garter' with the device honi soit, &c. 
within this is the cross of the order, which 
was ordained to be worn at all times by 
King Charles I. At length the star was in- 
troduced, being a sort of cross irradiated 
with beams of silver. 
The collar is appointed to be composed 
of pieces of gold in fashion of garters, the 
ground enamelled blue, and the motto gold. 
The manner of electing a knight compa- 
nion into this most noble order, and the ce- 
remonies of investiture, are as follow : when 
the Sovereign designs to elect a companion 
of the garter, the Chancellor belonging to 
this order draws up the letters, which passing 
both under the Sovereign’s sign manual and 
signet of the order, are sent to the person 
by garter principal king at arms, and are 
in this manner, or to the same effect. “ We, 
with the companions of our most noble order 
of the garter, assembled in chapter, holden 
this present day at our castle at Windsor, 
considering the virtuous fidelity you have 
shewn, and the honourable exploits you have 
done in our service, by vindicating and 
maintaining our right, &c. have elected and 
chosen you one of the companions of our 
order. Therefore, we require you to make 
your speedy repair unto us, to receive the 
ensigns thereof, and be ready for your in- 
stallation upon the day of this present 
month, &c.” 
The garter, which is of blue velvet, bor- 
dered with fine gold wire, having commonly 
the letters of the motto of the same, is, at 
the time of election, buckled upon the left 
leg, by two of. the senior companions, who 
receive it from the Sovereign, to whom it 
is presented upon a velvet cushion by gar- 
ter king at arms, with the usual reverence, 
whilst the Chancellor reads the following ad- 
monition, enjoined by the statutes. “ To 
the honour of God omnipotent, and in me- 
morial of the blessed martyr St. George, 
tie about thy leg, for thy renown, this noble 
garter ; wear it as the symbol of the most 
illustrious order, never to be forgotten, or 
laid aside ; that thereby thou mayest be ad- 
monished to be courageous, and having un- 
dertaken a just war in which thou shalt be 
engaged, thou mayest stand firm, valiantly 
fight, and successively conquer.” 
The princely garter being thus buckled 
on, and the words of its signification pro- 
nounced, the knight elect is brought before 
the Sovereign, who puts about his neck, 
kneeling, a sky- coloured ribbon, whereunto 
is appendant, wrought in gold within the 
garter, the image of St. George on horse- 
back, with his sword drawn, encountering 
with the dragon. In the mean time, the 
Chancellor reads the following admonition : 
“ Wear this ribbon about thy neck, adorned 
with the image of the blessed martyr and 
soldier of Christ, St. George, by whose imi- 
tation provoked, thou mayst so overpass 
