Analogia honorum, or, A treatise of honour and nobility, according to the laws and customes of England collected out of the most authentick authors, both ancient and modern : in two parts : the first containing honour military, and relateth to war, the second, honour civil, and relateth

ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD IN SPAIN.

Knights of the Oak in Navarr.

THE Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Navarr being almost over∣run by the Moors, notwithstand∣ing their great Army raised to oppose them, for that they wanted an experienced General to command them; at length one Don Garcia Ximenes (who had betook himself to a religious and solitary Life) was perswaded to take upon him that Command, which was about the year of Christ 722. And as he was marching out of the City to fight the Moors, there appeared to him from the top of an Oaken Tree the sign of the Cross, which was adored by an in∣numerable quantity of Angels. In this Bat∣tel he gained so signal a Victory, that the people elected him their King; and shortly after he instituted this Order of Knighthood, investing therewith the Nobles, and persons of Renown in his Kingdom, whom he obliged to defend the Christian Faith, and to own Obe∣dience to him and his Successors, Kings of Na∣varr. The Habit that he assigned them was a white Garment, having thereon a plain red Cross set on the top of an Oaken Tree in its Verdure.

Knights of the Lilly in Na∣varr.

GRacius King of Navarr, the sixth of that Name, lying in a languishing and sick Condition, sent to St. Saviour de Lyra, and other places of Devotion, to the end that pray∣ers might be made for his Recovery: In which time in the City of Naiera (where he kept usually his Court) there was found the Image of our Virgin Mary issuing out of a Lilly, holding her Son betwixt her Arms, and sud∣denly after (if you will believe the Story) the King not only recovered his health, but di∣vers other Miracles were done on diseased people in that place; and in honour whereof the King (in Anno 1048.) erected this Order, which consisted of Eight and thirty, of which himself was Sovereign, as were his Successors to be after him. The Badge which these Knights daily wore on their Breasts was a Lil∣ly embroidered in Silver; and on Festival days they wore a double Chain of Gold interlaced

with Letters M. after the manner of a Gothish Letter, with an enamelled Lilly in an Oval Medal hanging at it; and their Habit was white.

Knights of the Band.

THIS Order was first erected by Alphonso King of Spain, in Anno 1368. and for this reason; The King considering that he had many Enemies to deal with, for his better se∣curity, thought it convenient to institute an Order of Knights, making himself Master thereof, which he did a little before his Coro∣nation in the City of Burgos in great Solem∣nity; the whole Night being spent in the Mo∣nastery of St. Mary Royal in watching and prayer, and the day following, after Mass, they were invested with a red Ribon of about three Inches broad, which went cross their left Shoulders like our Knights of the Bath, being the Badge from whence these Knights took their Name. Their Articles are at large set down by Sir William Segar, which being too many to repeat, are here omitted.

Knights of the Dove in Castile.

THIS Order, according to Favin, was first instituted by Iohn the first, King of Ca∣stile, about the year 1379. in the City of Se∣govia. The Collar of this Order was com∣posed of peeces which represented the figure of the Sun in his Glory, to which hung a gol∣den Dove enamelled white, and encircled with rayes: But the King dying the same year, and before it was well received, it became of no great esteem.

Ordo de la Scama in Castile.

JOHN the second, King of Castile, for the stirring up his Nobles to assist him in his Wars against the Moors, in Anno 1420. did e∣rect this order, which took so good effect, that in a short time the Moors were subdued. Their Ensign, according to Ios. Micheli, was a Cross composed of Scales of F••shes, from which it seemeth to have took its Name; for Scama in the Spanish signifies the Scale of a Fish. These Knights were obliged to fight against the Moors, to accompany the King in the Wars, and to die in the defence of the Christian Religion. Their Rules and Statutes for their Government were ordained by the said King, upon whose death this Order lost much of its splendor.

Knights of the Lilly in Aragon.

THIS Order was erected by Ferdinand King of Aragon, in Anno 1403. and de∣dicated to the honour of the blessed Virgin, in token of a signal Victory which this King ob∣tained against the Moors. The Collar was composed of Bough-pots fill'd with white Lil∣lies, interlaced with Griffons.

Knights of Mount-joy.

THIS Order was first instituted in the Holy Land, for the securing these parts against the Moors and Sarazens, and lay in Garison in a Castle built on the point of a Moun∣tain near Ierusalem: And after the loss of the Holy Land, these Knights retired into Spain, and performed good Service against the Moors; but in process of time this Order fell to decay, and were incorporated into the Order of Cala∣trava. Their Habit was a red short Mantle; and on their Breasts they wore a white Star with five Rayes. They observed the Rule of St. Benedict; which afterwards was changed to that of St. Augustine, and vowed Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience.

Knights of Acon, or Acres.

IN the City of Acon these Knights resided, where they used all Duties of Charity to Pilgrims that went to the Holy Land. They assumed the exercise of Arms in imitation of the Knights Hospitallers: They followed the Rule of St. Augustine, and wore a black Gar∣ment, whereon was a white Cross Pattee; but Ios. Micheli Marquez saith it was a red Cross; and in the midst thereof stood the figures of St. Iohn and St. Thomas.

After the City of Acon was taken, they re∣moved into Spain, where they flourished, re∣ceiving great favour from Alphonsus the Astro∣loger, K. of Castile; but after his death by little and little they decayed, and in the end were united to the Knights Hospitallers.

Knights of St. James in Galicia.

THIS Order of Knighthood (called by the Spaniards Cavalieri di san Iago) is of great esteem amongst them; and was first erected upon this occasion: When the Arabi∣ans had almost subdued the Country, the re∣mainder of the Spanish people refusing to live under the Obedience of so barbarous a Nation, retired unto the Mountains of Asturia, where they settled a Government; and after their abode there some few years certain Nobles or Gentlemen of great quality (to the number of Thirteen) upon a serious consultation to re∣gain their Country, resolved to enter into a Fraternity, and to begin a War against the Moors and Barbarians. The Ensign which they wore was a red Cross in form of a Sword, with an Escallop Shell on it, in imitation of the Badge of the Pilgrims that go to Ierusa∣lem to the Sepulchre of St. Iames the Apo∣stle. They elected one chief Governour, who was called Great Master, who with the Thir∣teen other Knights had power to choose or re∣move any Knight at their discretion; and to make Statutes and Orders for the well Go∣vernment of the said Society at their Day of Meeting (which is Annually) on the Feast day of All-Saints in great State, having large Revenues to support their Grandure; this Or∣der being esteemed the chiefest in Spain.

Knights of St. Saviour in Ara∣gon.

DON Alphonso, for his better enabling to force the Moors out of Aragon (about the year of our Lord 1118.) did erect this Order, electing a certain number, which he chose out of those Spanish and French No∣bles, that assisted him in his Wars against the Moors; which Honour engaged them to pur∣sue the War against them the more vigorously. The Moors being subdued, King Alphonso e∣stablished these Knights in the place of the Knights Templars in Montreal, and had a rule of living somewhat conformable unto them (save only to marry) and were obli∣ged to support and defend the Holy Church, and Christian Faith against the Moors. Their Habit was a white Mantle, and on their Breast they wore a red Cross. But when the Moors were expelled (being the chief end for which they were instituted) these Knights were laid aside, or at leastwise not regarded, and their Revenues joyned to the Crown.

Knights of St. Julian de Pereyro, or of Alcantara.

THese Knights take their name from the place of their Institution, viz. the City of Alcantara in Castiglia (seated on the Tago) where they had a stately Church, and were richly endowed: They had many Priviledges and Orders observed amongst them; their Ha∣bit was a black Garment, having on the Breast a green Cross; and their first great Master was Ferdinando the Second, King of Leon and Galicia, about the year of our Lord 1176.

Knights of Calatrava in Castile.

THIS ancient Order was first instituted by Don Sanchio the third, King of Toledo, about the year of Christ 1158. and took its Name from the Castle Calatrava, which is a Frontire both of Toledo and Castile; which place the Moors took upon their Victory they obtained against Don Rodrigro King of Spain, in Anno 714. but after above Four hundred years continuance they were forced thence, and the place given to the Knights Templars by Don Alphonso Emperor of Spain, to be maintained as a Garison against the Incursion of the Moors; but they not being able to maintain and defend it, withdrew their Gari∣son; upon which, lest the Moors should be∣come Masters of it again, the King by his Charter gave the said Castle and Village to one Don Raymund, formerly a Knight of great Fame, and then Abbot of St. Mary de Fitero, who fortified it, and began the said Order of Knighthood, which flourished very much, and became exceeding powerful, so that the Moors durst not make any further Attempt. The Ha∣bit that they wore was a black Garment, with a red Cross on their Breast, and had many great Priviledges, and as great Possessions in divers places of Spain.

Knights of Truxillo, or Trugillo.

THIS Order took its appellation from the City of Trugillo, seated in Estremadura in Spain; but as for the time of its Institution Writers are silent in; but certain it is, they were in being in the year of our Lord 1227. for one Don Arias Perez Dallego, then Ma∣ster of the Order, took this City from the Moors, and there settled a Brotherhood of Knights and Priests, who lived after the man∣ner of a Convent, but what was their Badge or Habit, and what Orders were observed a∣mongst them, is also not certainly known.

Knights of our Lady, and of St George of Montesa in Valen∣cia

THese Knights took their rise from the dis∣solution of the Knights Templars in Va∣lencia, and were instituted by Iames the Se∣cond, King of Aragon and Valencia, in Anno 1317. for the better defence of his Kingdoms against the Inroads of the Moors; but were subject to those of Calatrava before spoken of. The place assigned them for their abode was at Montesa, where they had a Colledge built and dedicated to St. George by the Pope at the in∣stance of the King. The Statutes of the Order are the same as those of Calatrava; they vowed Conjugal Chastity; their Habit was white, with a plain red Cross; and their first Master was Guilielmus de Eril, a valiant Souldier.

Knights of St. Mary de Merced in Aragon.

JAMES the First, King of Aragon, al∣though for his Conquests against the Moors was Surnamed the Invincible; yet had he the ill fate to be a Prisoner to Simon Earl of Mont∣fort in France, where he suffered many trou∣bles, and indured great hardship, which made him throughly sensible of the Miseries the Christians indured under the tyranny of the Moors. Whereupon he made a Vow to the blessed Virgin Mary, that when he was freed from his Captivity, he would endeavour the Redemption of the Captive Christians: And being set at liberty, he heaped up great Sums to be imployed accordingly; and by the ad∣vice of Raymond de Penafort his Confessor, a Dominican Frier, and Pedro Nolasco a Noble Cavalier, he founded an Order of Knights in Barcelona, called la Neuva Merced, so na∣med by the blessed Virgin, who in a Vision ap∣peared at one and the same time in one Night to the King, to Raymond, and Nolasco, giving this Order its Name, and directing them in the whole Institution, because of the great good which the Christian Captives should re∣ceive by this means.

This Order was founded in Anno 1218. and their Feast day for the celebrating the same, was Annually on St. Laurence the Martyr in August. Their Habit was a Coat and Scapu∣lar of Ordinary white Cloth, and garnished with Ribons and Cordons, wherewith they fastned it about their Necks; and from the up∣per part thereof was a Cap that covered half their Head, but the Monks wore their Coats and Scapulars much longer than the Knights. These Knights professed Conjugal Chastity, and Obedience to their Superiors. The first General or Master was Pedro Nolasco, who was sent into the Kingdom of Valencia to re∣deem Captives; which Journey proved so suc∣cessful, that in the space of six years he ran∣somed no less than Four hundred; nor cease they to send abroad their Agents to Algier, Fess, and other places for Redemption of Chri∣stian Captives. And being an Order thus Charitable, great sums of Money are Annu∣ally collected and put into their Hands for that use; and few die (of any account) in Spain, but bequeath a Legacy to this Order, insomuch that they have great Revenues.

Knights of the Rosary in Tole∣do••

THE Country of Toledo being grievously oppressed by the Moors, Roderick Arch∣bishop thereof, assembled together the Nobles and Chiefs of the City, and told them of the great necessity to give their assistance for the defence of the Country, and the extirpation of the Moors, which they readily imbraced, and many of the Nobles entred into this Or∣der; which was instituted for the defence of the Catholick Religion, to fight against the Moors, and to say continually a Rosary of the blessed Lady. They were of the Dominican Order, and their Ensign was the figure of our Lady of the Rosary upon a Cross flory, quar∣terly Argent and Sable.