KNIGHTHOOD. 
their banners and Teals, they exhibited a Tun in fplendour 
on an ancient fliield. See Piate I. Some authors have 
confounded this order with that of St. Mark. 
IX. The Order of the Golden Stole, at Venice. 
The badge of this confuted in a broad hole, or fcarf, richly 
embroidered with gold, thrown over the ffioulder of the 
knight, and reaching down to his knee. Our refearches 
upon the origin of, and particularities concerning, this ora 
der, having been unfuccefsful, we mull; content ourfelves 
with what we have faid above. 
X. The Order of the Knights of St. Mark, at Ve¬ 
nice. In the year 828 of the Chriltian era, the body of St. 
Mark the evangelilt was transferred from Alexandria in 
Egypt toVenice, with great pomp and ceremony; from which 
time and circumftance the Venetian republic was always 
confidered to be under the immediate proteftion of that 
patron faint. It is a matter of doubt whether this order 
took its origin exaftly at that time, or at any fubfequent 
period ; but it appears certain that the badge confilted of 
a medallion of gold richly chafed, reprefenting a lion le- 
jant, with wings elevated, holding in his finifter paw a 
fwordereft, the dexter relting upon a book open, infcribed 
with thefe words: Pax tibi, Marce, evangelijla mens-, on the 
reverfe was the portrait of the doge, with the image of St. 
Mark delivering a Itandard to him. This medal was worn 
on the breaft, pendent from a gold chain; and fometimes 
was placed upon a crofs enamelled blue. The reigning 
doge was, in right of his office, the grand mafter of the 
order, and ufed to beftow this honour either in a public 
college of the knights, or privately at his own palace; in 
which laft cafe, the medal and collar were made at his 
own expence; but, when the ceremony of the inveftiture 
w'as public, the expence was charged to the republic. 
The knight was entitled to the Latin appellation, Divi 
Marci Eques. See Plate I. 
XI. The Order of the Gennet, in France. Charles 
Martel, having obtained a fignal viftory over the Saracens 
and Moors, (under the command of Abderam,) near 
Tours, in which action he deftroyed 385,000 of the enemy, 
thought that the heft way of recompentingthe brave, and of 
keeping up the Itimulus of emulation in his army, was to 
create an order of knighthood, and to beftow the honour of 
it upon thofewho had fo courageoutly diftinguiffied thern- 
felves. This victory happened about the year 726, on 
the 22d of July : iome authors refer it to the year 73S. 
As to the reafon why it fltould have been called the Order 
of the Gennet, fome are of opinion that it was owing to 
a quantity of gennet-fur found among the fpoils ; fome 
others, and with more probability, derive the name from 
a certain breed of fmall horfes called gennet, which the 
Arabs brought into action. The collar of the order was 
compofed of three chains of gold, interlinked with red 
roles, at the end of which hung a gennet gold black 
and red, fitting on a flowery bank, all enamelled with a 
variety of devices and colours. See Plate I. According 
to the ancient cuftom of the Romans, among whom the 
knights wore rings of gold, the fame were ordered by the 
founder himfelf as diftinCtive ornaments for the knights 
of this order; the firft regular inftitution of that kind, and 
efpecially acknowledged, in France. After all this, and 
as a melancholy proof of hiftorical uncertainty, we muft 
obferve that Louis de St. Marthe, called alio Samart/ianus, 
in his Genealogical Hiftory of the Houfe of France, does 
not dare to affirm that this order did ever really exift, 
and feveral authors of note and refpebfability confefs that 
its origin is involved in clouds of doubt, whilft others af¬ 
firm that it (hone with great eclat till the reign of king 
Robert, when it was aboiilhed, and fu.perfeded by a new 
order, called the Order of the Star, in honour of the Vir¬ 
gin Mary, who, in religious poetry, is often called the 
Star of the Sea, Maris Stella, alluding to the beautiful pla¬ 
net, winch, at times, emerging from the lea, precedes the 
riling of the fun, an emblem of the Son of the Almighty, 
who brought upon the earth the light of true religion, 
and the falvation of man. 
791 
XII. The Order of the Knights of Friezf.land, 
or of the Crown Royal. Charlemagne king of France 
and emperor, fon of king Pepin, having gained a fignal vic¬ 
tory over the Sefnes (perhaps Senones) and Saxons (fome 
fay over the Lombards), and having in leveral actions, pre¬ 
vious to this definitive Itruggle, witneffed the courage and 
gallantry of the Frifons, who had acted with him as auxili¬ 
aries, and defirous of rewarding their well-tried valour, and 
of ltirring up others to emulate their virtue and military 
behaviour, inftituted this order about the year 802. It is 
worthy of remark, that the knights of this order were in- 
vefted.with the military belt, and a box on the ear. It 
was at that time, as appears by ancient chroniclers, that 
began the ceremony of giving the colaphum, or a blow on 
the fide of the head with the back of the hand. We 
cannot pretend to give our readers a latisfaftory ftatement 
as to the allulion of this cultom. Some are of opinion 
that it was in order to warn the new knight of future 
“hardlhips and endurances ;” others think that it was in 
conformity with the old rites of manumiffion among the 
Romans, which were performed nearly in the fame man¬ 
ner, as if to make the knight remember that he was 
raifed from the common order of men to a higher call by 
the dignity he had juft received. Yet, as at that period 
chivalry appears more intimately than ever connected 
with religion, this fort of tranfitory affront was probably 
intended to remind the knight that he ftiould be ready to 
buffer all kinds of torments and affronts rather than to 
defert the interefts of the Chriltian faith he had promifed 
to defend. The badge of this order was an imperial or 
royal crown, embroidered in gold, on the breaft of the 
knight’s garment. 
XIII. The Order of the Thistle, one of the four 
Britilh orders. John Leftey, bilhop of Rofs, reports, that, 
when Hungus king of the PiCts, and Achaius king of 
Scotland, were on the point of attacking Athelftan king 
England, or rather of Denmark, to whom king Alured 
had given the kingdom of Northumberland; in the night 
preceding the action, a bright crofs appeared in heaven 
like that upon which St. Andrew had buffered martyr¬ 
dom ; and that they and their army, ftimulated by the 
miraculous vifion, overcame the enemy, and gained a 
complete victory : this was about the year 819. It is re¬ 
ported alfo, that “ both kings went in folemn proceffion, 
bare-footed, to the kirk of St. Andrew, to thank God 
and the apoftle for the viftory, promiling that they and 
their pofterity would ever ufe in their enligns the crofs 
of St. Andrew, wlienfoever they undertook any warlike 
expedition;” which cultom not only remained among the 
Pi< 5 ts, but is ftill kept by the Scots to this day. "And 
they add, that on this occalion thefe kings inftituted the 
order of the Thiftle. 
Favin is of a different opinion; he attributes the origin 
of the order to Achatus alone, who, having made that fa¬ 
mous offenfive and defeniive league with the potent and 
valiant emperor of the French, Charles the Great, againlt 
all other princes, found himfelf by that alliance lo ltrong 
and fecure, that he affumed the thiftle and rue for his 
badge, with the motto “ Pour ma drjcnfc." It has been af- 
ferted, on the other hand, that they conftituted two dif¬ 
ferent orders ; the one called the Thiftle, the other the 
Garland of Rue, Sertum RuUe. The motto or epigraph 
which accompanied the thiftle, Nemo me impme lacejfct, 
“ No one fh.all provoke me with impunity,” bears a plain 
allufion to the circumftance above-mentioned. But it is 
not ealy to guefs what the other plant, the rue, can allude 
to in this cafe: we.do not find any fatisfa&ory explanation 
of it in ancient authors, and therefore muft leave it to 
the ingenuity of our readers. 
Alhmole, who publilhed his Inftitutions and Laws of 
the Order of the Garter, See. previous to the revival of this 
order by James II. gives the following defeription of the 
badge, without taking any notice of the rue. He fays, 
(page 99,) “The chief and principal enfign of this order 
is a gold collar compofed of thirties, interlinked with an- 
3 milets 
