KNIGHTHOOD. 
an order of Knighthood, in honour of the faint, and alfo 
for the purpofe of remunerating military and civil fer- 
vices, and of exciting the emulation of his nobles. He 
created it in 1701 ; and in the fame year Leopold I. con¬ 
firmed and functioned the eftablilhment; upon which oc- 
calion twelve knights were invefted with the infignia of 
the order. The collar confifts of a chain of gold, and 
pendent thereto a crofs of eight points gold, enamelled 
blue; in the centre a medallion, upon which is reprefent- 
ed St. Rupert in his pontifical "habits, the mitre on his 
head, the crofier in his left hand, and his right extended in 
the attitude of giving the epifcopal benediction. We 
cannot allure our readers that this order is (till in exiftence, 
Germany having been for many years convulfed with 
wars and revolutions. 
CIX. The Order of the Chace, or Grand Order 
of Wurtemburg. It was inftituted by Everhard Louis 
in 1701; and the purpofe of it was to give a greater eclat 
to his title of grand veneur, or great huntfman of the em¬ 
pire, an office which is now aboliffied, fince Bonaparte has 
placed himfelf at the head of the Germanic body. The 
fame duke renewed and increafed the ftatutes of the order 
in 1719. The enfign confided of a crofs of eight points, 
made of gold, and enamelled red ; in the angles nearer to 
the centre, an eagle difplayed, enamelled fable, and in the 
exterior angles a bugle-horn gold ; in the centre the let¬ 
ter W. and over, the ducal cap of the empire. This badge 
is worn hanging to a broad watered ribbon ; and on the 
left brealt of the coat was embroidered a filver ftar, with 
the enfign of the order: in the middle, within a great cir¬ 
cle, the following motto : Amiciiiie virtutifque ftzdus ; “ A 
pledge of friendlhip and virtue.” 
CX. The Order of the Bee, in France. Louifa de 
Bourbon, wife to the duke of Maine, inftituted this order 
in 1703, for women as well as for men. The badge con¬ 
fided of a medal of gold : on one fide was enamelled, in 
proper colours, the portrait of the foundrefs ; and on the 
other a bee, with this motto : Jc fuispetite, mais mcs blejfures 
font profondes ; “Though fmall, i wound deeply.” 
CXI. The Order of the Noble Passion, was cre¬ 
ated in 1704 by John duke of Saxony-Weilfenfels, with 
a view to llimulate the minds of his nobility and'other 
lubje&s to great and elevated fentiments, and warlike ex¬ 
ploits. The enfign confilfed in a large white ribbon edged 
with gold, and pendent therefrom a crofs of eight points, 
as mentioned in feveral orders deferibed before, charged 
■with a crofs gules, furmounted with an oval blue, thereon 
the letters J. G. in a cipher of gold. The ground of the 
medal, without the liar, is inferibed with the following 
French words : J'aime l'honneur qui vient par la. vertu ; “ I 
love that honour which comes through virtue.” On the 
reverfe were enamelled the arms of Querfurt, with the 
following infeription : Societ.e de la Noble Pajjion, injlituee par 
. 7 - G. D.S.Q- 1704. The meaning of which is : Society of 
the Noble Paffion, inftituted by John George duke of Sax- 
ony-Querfurt, in the year 1704. 
CXII. The Order of Neighbourly Love, was in¬ 
ftituted in Germany by the emprefs Chriftiana in 1708, 
when fhe was archduchefs of Auftria. The badge con¬ 
fided of a gold crofs, and on a circle in the centre the 
words Amor proximi, “Neighbourly love.” 
CXIII. The Order of St. Catharine, in Ruffia. 
This was inftituted in the year 1714 by the czar Peter I. It 
was founded intentionally for ladits, but men were alfo ad¬ 
mitted. The badge, which was borne fcarfwifependent to a 
broad white ribbon, confifted of a gold medal enriched with 
diamonds: on one fide was enamelled in its proper colours 
the image of St. Catharine; and on the reverie a crofs patee, 
enamelled alfo. Befides this enfign, the knights wore on the 
left bread a ftar embroidered, in the centre of which was 
a crofs, with the motto, Pour Pamour et la fidelite envers la 
patrie-, “For love and faith towards the country.” 
CXIV. The Order of St. Alexander Newski, was 
created by the fame prince, namely, Peter I. and was con- 
brined in 1715 by the emprefs Catharine. The badge was 
8 S(J 
a crofs patee, enamelled gules with gold edges: the cen¬ 
tre was of white enamel, on which was reprefented Alex¬ 
ander on horfeback, all in proper colours. In each angle 
was an imperial eagle, alfo enamelled ; and over the crofs 
an imperial crown proper; the whole pendent from a 
broad red ribbon. 
CXV. The Order of the Bath. Tfk origin of this 
ancient order baffles the molt ftrenuous inquiries, being 
loft in the clouds of antiquity. Camden in England, as 
well as Du Tillet in France, are of opinion, but cannot 
lubftantiate it fatisfaCtorily, that the ceremony of bathing 
and watching, the night preceding the inveftiture, was 
praCtifed by the old Franks or inhabitants of Lower Ger¬ 
many; and Mr. Anftis fuppofes that the Saxons who in¬ 
vaded England brought with them, and introduced here, 
the fame fort of knighthood. The ceremony was folemn, 
and fignificative of the fuppofed purity which a candi¬ 
date fhould poliefs to be admitted into the order; and 
fhows in what high efteein the dignity of a knight was al¬ 
ready held in thole early times. It was like another bap- 
tifm, which raifed the common Chriftian to a higher or¬ 
der, and in which he received a name from his iponfors. 
It was a kind of ablution of all preceding faults or de¬ 
fers, and an anticipating teftimony of future courage and 
bravery. The-vigils were performed in fiience and medi¬ 
tation, intermixed with recitations of pfalms and appropri¬ 
ate prayers. Thole rites were to fignify that fuch as were 
admitted to this deg’ree Ihould be of a pure mind and ho- 
nelt intentions; “be willing, fays Du Tillet, to conflict 
with any dangers or difficulties in the caufe of virtue; to 
take care, both in their words and actions, to follow the 
maxims of prudence; and on ail occafions religioufly to 
obferve the rules of fidelity and honour; which rites and 
conditions ftill continued to be p radii fed in England ; 
and, from the practice of them, gentlemen were denomi¬ 
nated Knights of'the Bath, Milites de Balnco .” 
We cannot refill inferting here an extract of the cere¬ 
monies which ufed to take place at the inveftiture of a 
Knight of the Bath, or de Balneo, as recorded by ancient 
authors, and efpecially by W. Segar, Norroy king of arms, 
in his Honor Military and Civil. “When an efquire 
comes to the court to receive this order of knighthood in 
time of peace, according to the cuftom of England, he 
Hull be very nobly received by the officers of the court, 
and there lliall be ordained two efquires of honour, wife 
and well-learned in courtefy and nurture, as alfo in feats 
of chivalry. If the efquire (the candidate) comes before 
dinner, he (hall ferve the king of water, or with a dilh at 
the firft courle only; and the efquiies lliall lead llim to 
his chamber, and towards evening fend for a barber, and 
lie lliall prepare a bath decked with linen, as well within 
the tub as without, and that the tub be well covered with 
carpets and mantles for the cold of the night; and then 
the beard of the efquire lhall be fflaved, and his hair 
rounded. This done, the efquires-governors lliall go to 
the king, and fay ; “Sir, it is evening, and the efquire is 
ready at the bath when it lliall pleafe you.” Whereupon 
the king fflall command his chamberlain to convey to the 
chamber of the efquire the molt gentle and wifeft knights 
that are prefent, to inform, counfel, and inftruct, him, in 
the order and feats of chivalry; and likewife that the 
other efquires of that houfe with minftrelfy do go before 
the knights, finging, playing, and dancing, to the cham¬ 
ber-door of the faid efquire. And, when the efquires- 
governors do hear the noife of mafic, they lliall unclothe 
the efquire, and put him naked into the bath. And, 
when the efquire has entered the bath, the efquires and 
knights lliall kneel before the tub, and fay fecretly ; “ Sir, 
great honour may this bath do unto you ;” and then one 
of them, as agreed, lhall pour a little of the water of the 
bath upon the Ihoulder of the efquire, and the others lliall 
follow, and do the fame ; and then take leave. This done, 
the elquires-governors lhall take him out of the bath, and 
lay him in his bed till he be dry; which bed ought to be 
fimpie, without curtains; and then he lliall rile, and ap- 
/ 
