414 
HERA] 
dominions. This-monarch, in 1466, inftituted an order 
of Knights of the Garter in Ireland; but it was abo- 
liflied by parliament in 1494. 
The battle of Bofworth conveyed the right of regal 
honours from the Plantagenets to the Tudors, in the 
perfon of Henry VII. who was maternally'defcended 
from an illegitimate fprig.of the Lancaftrian branch. 
To cement the interefts of the contending houfes, lie 
received the hand of Edward IV.’s daughter, by which 
confummation he united the red and white rofes, the badges 
of the houfes of Lancafter and York. During this reign 
the dragon and the greyhound were the fupporters of 
the Englifh arms; and liltewife during part of that of 
Henry VIII. being the firft from the houfe of Tudor. 
Richard II. is faid to have been the firft who introduced 
the fplendid decoration of fupporters. He chofe for the 
upholder of his ftiield a white hart couchant, ducally 
gorged ; the novelty and beauty of which foon gave oc- 
cafion to the fign-painters to erett it as the emblem of 
hofpitality before the gates of inns. The feal of Wil¬ 
liam Montacute, earl of Salilbury, which he ufed in the 
reign of Richard II. had fupporters to it; which proves 
that the example was quickly followed. This is fiiown 
in the plate of feals publiftied in the “ Hiftory of the Hie 
of Wight,” by the late fir Richard Worfiey. Henry IV. 
who fucceeded Richard, alTumed the lion and the ante¬ 
lope as his fupporters ; but they were varied by fubfe- 
quent fovereigns. Queen Elizabeth, during her reign, 
had the dragon as a fupporter on the finifter fide of the 
royal arms, and the lion on the dexter fide. The fup¬ 
porters, as now emblazoned, took place'in the reign of 
James I. who added the unicorn of Scotland to the lion 
of England ; and thus they have ever fince continued. 
The origin of thefe emblematic guardians or fupporters 
of the ftiield, is faid to have taken its rife from the 
ancient tournaments; at which it was ufual for the 
efquires or armour-bearers attendant upon princes or 
great lords, to drefs themfelves up in the fkins of lions, 
tigers, bears, &c. and thus ftand by the fide of their 
inafter’s ftiield or efcutcheon, to report and proclaim 
the name of any challenger, whofe de'fiance was fignified 
by the act of touching the fhield thus guarded with the 
point of a fpear. Hence fupporters were affumed only 
by the higher nobility; and have been very fparingly 
granted to commoners. 
Henry VIII. was the moft fumptuous of all the kings 
of England in the difplay of magnificent heraldic en- 
figns; and this was manifefted at the gorgeous tourna¬ 
ment proclaimed inconjunflion with Francis I. of France, 
celebrated in 1520 in the plains of Picardy ; and on 
which occafion the furniture and caparifons were fo coft- 
ly and brilliant, that the place where the tournament 
was holden, acquired the name of “the field of the 
cloth of gold;” le champ dc drap d’cr. —See the article 
En-gland, vol.vi. p.634; and France, vol. vii. p.699. 
Henry made tilts and tournaments the chief entertain¬ 
ment of the court; and he difcomfited, at jouft, many 
a valiant knight. He ran a tilt againft the famous Gran- 
deval, whom he difabled on the firft encounter: he en¬ 
gaged the valiant Montmorency, whom, however, he 
could not throw fronuhis faddle; but the next French 
knight gave up his courier in token of fubmilfion. The 
formidable and princely figure which Henry made in 
armour, (he who ipared no man in his anger, nor woman 
in his lull,) may be feen, and is highly worthy of being 
feen, in the l ower of London. Armorial fplendour was 
every where vifible throughout his reign : he dubbed 
every ftieriffnom/nated to the chief rnagiftracy, and even 
honoured one of them with the order of the Bath : but 
this is the only inftance of the title being given to a lord- 
mayor. Henry was the firft of our monarehs who ailumed 
the arms and title of “ king of Ireland ;” the pope had 
previoufly given him that of “ defender of thefaith. ” 
The kings of England and Spain had formerly no other 
title than that of Highnefs, until the reigns of Henry VIII. 
vDRY, 
and the emperor Charles V. who refpettively alTutiied 
that of Majcjly. The petty princes of Italy began firft 
to be complimented with the title of Highnefs in the 
year 1630. In 1631, the then Duke of Orleans,aflumed 
the title of Royal Highnefs , to diftinguilh himfelf from the 
other princes of France, which foon after was generally 
applied to the fons and brothers of all the kings of 
Europe. The Dukes of Savoy, (before they became 
Kings of Sardinia,) took the title of Royal Highnefs, on 
account of their pretenfions to the kingdom of Cyprus. 
It is faid of the firft; duke who aflumed it, that he only 
took the title of Royal Highnefs, to put himfelf above the 
Duke of Florence, who was called the Great Duke. But 
the Great Duke foon after aflumed the title of Royal 
Highnefs, to put himfelf on a level witli the Duke of 
Savoy. The Prince of Conde firft took the title of Mojl 
Serene Highnefs, leaving that of limply Highnefs to the na¬ 
tural princes. And the German princes, not royally 
related, adopted that of Mojl Serene Highnefs. 
During the fubfequent reigns of Edward VI. queen 
Mary, and Elizabeth, few events occurred that had any 
relation to heraldry. Queen Elizabeth, though faulty 
as a woman, was excellent as a fovereign. She was re¬ 
markably frugal of bellowing either titles or wealtli : 
ftie left no one of her lubjetts dignified with the ducal 
honours, though Ihe had more favourites than one among 
the nobles; nor did Ihe leave the peerage more nume¬ 
rous than file found it. She was extremely cautious 
upon whom knighthood was bellowed, referving it for 
thofe only whofe claims arofe from merit. 
The union of the two crowns, under James I. brought 
the Scotch and Englilh titles into a clofer alliance. He 
conferred ducal honours, and fettled the precedency of 
rank for his kingdoms; but he made the order of knight 
bachelor of lefs confequence, by inftituting the fuperior 
order of baronets, which was to have been limited to two 
hundred only; though in his own reign it was much 
increaled. Not lefs than three thoufand patents have 
ifiued fince its firft commencement to the prefent time. 
His fon Charles I. was dill more profufe in bellowing 
titles. He gave the defected lady of fir Robert Dudley 
the rank of duchefs; he alfo created two countefles, 
and a baronefs. The parliament would not allow the 
honours he conferred during the civil war; but the re- 
ftoration confirmed them. One of Charles’s moft unpo¬ 
pular projects to raife money without the aid of parlia¬ 
ment was, to oblige all who pofiefled forty pounds a-year 
to receive knighthood, or compound for an exemption ! 
Charles.had alfo an intention of creating a fet of nobles 
with the fame titles as the peers have, but without the 
privilege of being hereditary legiflators : they were to 
have neither voice nor feat in the houfe of lords : but 
the project fell with the unfortunate Strafford. If the 
revival of the order of the Bath and the creation of ba¬ 
ronets have leflened, in fome degree, the importance of 
the fimple and plain order of knighthood ; if the title 
of mere knight bachelor is lefs efteemed than the above- 
mentioned ; yet it is an honour that deferves Hill our 
confideration and refpeH, as it originates in the choice 
of the fovereign, ilfues immediately from the royal 
rnouth, and ought to exift, or is pre-fuppofed, in the 
perfon elected for the higher orders of knighthood : it 
is a title that has been bellowed on the experience of 
judges, the integrity of magiftrates, on the eloquence of 
advocates, and the fagacity of counfels, on the talents 
of artifts, and often, as a gracious expreflion of royal 
pleafure and condefcenfion, on thofe whom the Confi¬ 
dence and refpedt of their fellow-citizens have chofen 
to approach the throne with an addrefs, exprefiive of 
their patriotic feelings; although, in fome cafes, we 
muft confefs that the fovereign leeins rather to bellow 
an honour upon the corporation who fend their acknow. 
ledgments, than individually on the perfon of their 
reprefentative. 
With the return of Charles II. from exile> new ho- 
nourSj 
