815 
KNIGHTHOOD. 
<Jer of knights, in 1498, whofe duty was to defend the 
coafts againlt the depredations of the Turks and Moors: 
but it is controverted among historians whether Paul III. 
was not the founder of this military fraternity. The 
badge was a plain crofs or, encircled with a crown. See 
Plate III. Sometimes the knights wore a George pendent 
from a collar. Whether Paul.III. founded this order or 
not, it became extinct at his death. 
LXXX. The Order of St. Peter and St. Paul, at 
Rome. The origin of this order bears a great fimilarity to 
that of the preceding; for it was likewife inftituted to de¬ 
fend the maritime coafts of the ecclefiaftical dates again ft 
the incurfions of the Turks, who, on account of their 
long .and inveterate feuds with the republic of Venice, of¬ 
ten failed up the Adriatic, and committed great devafta- 
tions and cruelties. Leo X. was the founder of the Order 
of St. Peter, and in 1520 created four hundred knights : 
they wore the image of St. Peter hanging to a gold 
chain. Paul III. confirmed the order in 1540, and cre¬ 
ated another, which he placed under the protection, and 
•with the title, of St. Paul; he created-two hundred 
knights during the ten years of his pontificate which fol¬ 
lowed the foundation : they wore for badge the image of 
St. Paul on a medal pendent at a gold chain ; but, (ince the 
•union of this order to that of St. Peter, the images of 
both the apoftles were enamelled on the fame medal o£ 
gold, one on each fide. 
LXXXI. The Order of the Sword and Military 
Belt, in Sweden. This order was founded by Gufta- 
vus I. king of Sweden in 1525 ; and, after having been 
long neglected, was revived by Frederic I. in 1748. As 
a military order, and a particular means of rewarding war¬ 
like fervices, it coniifts of three diftinCt degrees. The firft 
or junior degree comprifes the knights, who wear at the 
button-hole of their coat the badge of the order pendent 
to a yellow ribbon edged with blue. The fecond degree 
is that of the commanders, who wear a badge pendent 
from a ribbon of the fame colours placed fcarfwife. The 
third and higheft degree confifts of the grand crojfes, who 
wear the badge in the fame way as the commanders, with 
the addition of a ftar embroidered on the coat. The 
badge is a crofs of eight points enamelled white and 
edged with gold ; in the centre, which is of blue enamel, 
a fword ereCl argent, hilt and pommel or, between three 
ducal coronets gold ; between the branches of the crofs, 
in the angles, alfo four ducal coronets ; and toyvards the 
end of the points fix fwords or, in the manner following: 
in chief two fwords in faltier, the fcabbard enamelled 
blue ; in bafe two fwords likewife; on each fide one fword 
in pale, with belts environing the others. Over the two 
fwords in chief the regal crown of Denmark, the cape 
enamelled blue. The collar is of gold, compofed of fwords 
and belts and the guards of the fwords joined by chains. 
On the fword-guard is enamelled an helmet blue. The 
reverfe of the badge is alfo of azure enamel, thereon a 
fword argent in pale, enfiled with a ducal coronet or, and 
over it this motto : Pro Patria. See Plate V. 
LXXXII. The Order of St. George, at Ravenna, 
owes its origin to Paul III. who is fuppofed to have 
founded it in the year 1534. He at the lame time aflTigned 
the city of Ravenna for the refidence of the knights, that 
they might be ready not only to defend that city, but alfo 
to drive away the corfairs, who made frequent and difaf- 
trous defcents on the marches of Ancona. This order 
cannot boaft of long duration, as it was utterly aboliftied 
by pope Gregory in the year 1572. The badge confifted 
in a ftar of eight points gules, over it a ducal coronet or. 
LXXXIII. The Order of the Golden Spur, in 
Rome. The fpur being a principal part of the complete 
armour of a knight, by the medium of which he conveys 
his will and intention to the noble and obedient anima] 
who bears him undauntedly againft his rival, we ought 
not to be furprifed at its having given its name to an or¬ 
der of knighthood. It is alfo called the Order of the 
Knights called Pios. In 1560, pope Pius IV. ereded this 
order,'and gave to the knights the title of pios. The num¬ 
ber was at firft 375, but they increafed to 535. They 
were alfo called imperiales, but more ufually compenfales. 
Their principal office confifted in carrying the papal chair 
on their Ihoulders whenever the pope went in public. 
Their badge was a ftar or crofs of eight points argent, and 
between the two bottom points a fpur or. See Phfte IV. 
LXXXIV. The Order of St. Stephen, at Flo¬ 
rence. ' The family of the Medici, although it fprung 
from a low, and hardly known, origin, were at all times 
molt beneficial to the city of Florence'. When t!*>j af- 
lertors of liberty, as they called themfelves, contrived to 
opprefs, in order to deftroy, the oligarchy of Florence, 
ColVno de Medicis oppofed and defeated them in a fan- 
guinary battle at Marciano in the year 1554 ; and by this 
fplendid exploit fecured his power, eftablifiied his fame, 
and laid the foundation for his future grandeur. He was 
the fecond duke of Florence, and fought this battle on the 
6th of Auguft, the fealt-day of St. Stephen pope and mar¬ 
tyr. In commemoration of this fortunate event, he 
founded the order under confideration in the year 1561. 
Pius IV. approved and confirmed the order, and afcribed 
to it the rule of St. Benedict ; it was alfo famfHoned by 
feveral other popes, who granted to the knights the fame 
privileges as to the knights of Malta ; and the grand-maf- 
terftiip defcended to the dukes of Tufcany. According 
to the ancient cuftom, the members of this aftociation 
were obliged to take the vows of chaftity, obedience, and 
charity :—of charity towards all thofe who wanted to be 
aflifted in advice, defence, or money ; of obedience to¬ 
wards their fuperiors in the order; and of chaftity; but 
this was reftrifted, or rather extended, to what Was ftyled 
conjugal chajlity ; as celibacy began now to be confined to 
prielts and monks only. 
The principal feat of the order was the city of Pifii, 
where the founder built a church and convent for the ha¬ 
bitation of the knights, and as a fort of feminary for the 
order, in which young men were brought up to be ena¬ 
bled -to fill the vacant places in the fraternity, whofe 
principal duties confifted in repelling the Turkifti pirates 
from the Italian (hores. The habit was a long mantle of 
white camelot with red trimmings ; on the left breaft a 
crofs, like that of Malta, of red or crimfon fatin fimbri¬ 
ated with gold. This order was revived by the emprefs- 
queen Maria Therefa in 1764; and confifted of twenty 
grand-croftes, thirty commanders, and fifty knights. The 
emperors of Germany, having fucceeded to the dukedom 
of Tufcany, became hereditary grand-mafters of the or¬ 
der. The badge, as above defcribed, was worn from a 
red ribbon fcarfwife. 
LXXXV. The Order of the Saviour of the 
World, In Sweden. Eric XIII. king'of Sweden is fup¬ 
pofed to have been the inftitutor of this order, either on 
his coronation-day in 1561, or on the occalion of his 
marriage with Catharine filter to Sigifmund king of Po¬ 
land. It continued in exiftence and reputation till the 
reformation took place in Sweden. The collar confifted 
of cherubims heads intermixed with gold pillars. The 
badge was a medal of gold, thereon the image of our 
Saviour enamelled in proper colours. 
LXXXVI. The Order of Thusin of Austria, or 
Thusini Equites. The origin of this order is enveloped 
in clouds of doubts ; the belt account we are able to 
find is, that it was inltituted by the emperor Albert III. in 
1562 ; but to what purpofe, and upon what occalion, Sel- 
den, Segar, Afhmole, and all other writers, feem to have 
made fruitlefs inquiries. The badge was a plain crofs 
green embroidered on a red mantle ; the members of this 
order were fometimes called Hungarian knights. 
LXXXVII. The Order of the Burgundian Cross. 
Charles V. emperor of Germany and king of Spain, after 
he had reftored Mulleafles, king of Tunis, to his kingdom, 
from which he had been expelled by the famous pirate 
Barbarofla, on the day of his vifilorious entry into the ca¬ 
pital with folemn and-magnificent pomp, was apparalled 
