The institution, laws & ceremonies of the most noble Order of the Garter collected and digested into one body by Elias Ashmole ...

SECT. I. The Proceeding to the Chappel in the Morning.

ALbeit the Celebrations of the Feast of St. George take up three days inclusively, that is to say, part of the 22. all the 23. and part of the 24. days of April; yet the 23. day [the day of St. George] is the Grand day, wherein the chiefest and most solemn Ceremonies are celebrated; all things being set forth after the noblest order that can be devised, for the greater honor and lustre of this Princely and Ancient Order of the Garter.

The Ceremonies of this Grand day may be divided, into Sacred and Civil; the former solemnized in the Chappel, the latter in St. George's Hall. The Sacred (as is most requisite) are first celebrated; in reference to which, the Knights-Compa∣nions then present at Windesor, repair to the Soveraign in his Privy Lodgings, about the hour he had appointed them the night before, vested in the whole Habit of the Order; and thither also repair all the Officers of the Order.

In the mean time, the rest of the Degrees and Persons, which compleated the Proceeding to the Chappel, on the Eve of the Grand Feast (and before remembred) do repair to the several stations that were then appointed for them, and there attend the Soveraign's coming forth into the Chamber of Presence, viz.

The Attendants on the Knights-Companions	To the Passage from the Guard-Chamber door, down into the Cloister and upper Ward.
Alms-Knights and Prebends Into the Guard-Chamber.	Officers of Arms Into the Presence.

And in these several places, do they all rank themselves, in the very same Order, as is before set down, and directed to be observed on the Eve.

Here it will be proper to note, that though the Serjeant Trumpeter, and the Trumpets, do not pass in this Proceeding, nor in that on the Eve; yet at the Feast held an. 23 Car. 2. they stood ranked one by one, when the Proceeding came forth of the great Gate, in the Upper Court to Morning Service, on the right hand against the Wall, but ••ounded not.

When the Soveraign (having the Knights-Companions, and Officers of the Order before him) hath entred the Presence, the Sword is delivered to the Noble∣man appointed to bear it; and after the Soveraigns usual Salutation, and Knights-Companions Reverences returned, the whole Proceeding sets forward towards the Chappel in the same Order, as on the Eve; the Knights-Companions having their Trains born by some of their own Gentlemen.

At the a foot of the Stairs, entring the Cloyster or Stone-Gallery, do b twelve Gentlemen of the Privy-Chamber attend, with a rich Canopy of Cloth of Gold; who, when the Soveraign approacheth receive him under it, and bear it over his head, c until he arriv•• at the Choire Door of St. George's Chappel; and this Canopy is carried over the Soveraign only in the Morning of the Feast Day, not in the Afternoon, nor on the Eve, nor the Day after the Feast.

The Processional way to the Chappel, is the same they traversed on the Eve, if the Soveraign and Knights-Companions march to the Chapter-House first; for d anciently it was the Custom to hold a Chapter in the Morning of the Feast Day, either before Mattins, and sometimes when e Mattins was finished before the Grand Procession set ••orward. This course received interruption in Queen Elizabeths time; during which no Chapter was held in the Morning, but in the f 26. g 31. &h 38. years of her Reign, and then only for admitting of some of the Officers of the Order. But the time of holding this Chapter, was restored by King Charls the First, who several times held it before the first Service began, as in the i 5. k 14. & l 15. Years of his Reign.

But if no Chapter be at this time held, then as soon as the Proceeding comes near to the Chappel, instead of entring the passage between the East end of the Chappel, and King Henry the Eighth's Tomb-House, (as it doth on the Eve, because the Soveraign goes first to the Chapter-House) it proceedeth straight on to the South Door of the Chappel, and thence into the Choire. Yet the pre∣sent Soveraign An. 15. of his Reign, appointed the whole Proceeding to pass by the said South Door, along the Southside of the Chappel, and then to enter in at the West Door, which was then, and since, so observed.

When the Alms-Knights are come to the West Door of the Choire, they en∣ter, and pass up above the steps to the Altar, in the very same manner and Or∣der, as is at large described and mentioned to be observed, upon the entry of the Proceeding into the Choire, on the Eve of the Feast.

Then do the Prebends take their Seats, and

The Officers of Arms pass to the Haut Pas's of the Altar.

After this, the Knights-Companions proceed, and stand before their Stalls.

The Officers of the Order before their Forms, and

The Soveraign ascends his Royal Seat, as also

The Knights-Companions their Stalls.

Then the Prelate, conducted by the Serjeant of the Vestry, goes up to the Altar,

The Officers of Arms descend into the Choire, and lastly

The Alms-Knights retire to their Seats.

All which being done, the Prelate begins the Morning Service; wherein he proceeds according to the order prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer, save only that the first Lesson, being made proper to the Festival, is taken out of the 44 Chapter of Ecclesiasticus.

This solemn Proceeding to the Chappel in the Morning of the Feast day, is, and hath been most usually performed on Foot; nevertheless sometimes heretofore, the Soveraign and Knights-Companions have proceeded on Horseback, to enlarge the state and gallantry of the show.

For it is remembred, that an. m 16. E. 4. the Feast of St. George being then celebrated at Windesor, the Soveraign and Knights-Companions n rode to the Chappel on Horseback, to hear Mass that morning: and with them also rode the o Queen, the Lady Elizabeth the King's Daughter, and the Dutchess of Suffolk the King's Sister, the Lady Marchioness Mountague, the Marchioness Dorset, and divers other Ladies, in p Gowns embroidered with Garters; concerning which Habit we have q already spoken.

So also r an. 3. H. 7. on the Morning of the Feast-day, did the Soveraign and Knights-Companions proceed on Horseback to Matins, with equal splendor, or rather more glorious, than on the Eve to the first Vespers: For the Knights-Companions were vested in Surcoats of White Cloth, embroidered with Garters, (the Livery of the new year) the Kings Courser was trapped with a Trapper of St. George, of white Cloth of Gold, and the Lord Berners bare the King's Sword, his Courser being trapped with St. Edward's Arms. This Proceeding was aug∣mented by the presence of the s Queen, and the Kings Mother, attended with a splendid Train of Ladies, and others that waited on them, themselves being at∣tired in the Livery of the Order, and their Horses most richly accoutred with Foot-Cloths, Trappings, and all other Furniture correspondant, in like State as on the Eve. Again, in the 20 year of the same Soveraign, who then held the Feast of St. George at t Baynards Castle in London, he proceeded on Horseback to St. Paul's Church (in like order as on the Evening before) where he heard Ma∣tins. And King Henry the Eighth, at the Feast held at Windesor in the u 11. year of his Reign, rode with the Knights-Companions, about eight a Clock in the morn∣ing, down to the Colledge to hear Mattins, in like manner as on the Eve, and alighted at the South door of the Chappel. The like did w King Philip an. 1. & 2. Ph. & Mar. And Queen Elizabeth in the sixth year of her Reign, proceeded also on Horseback to the Morning Service, in her whole Habit of the Order.

Lastly, an. 6. Eliz. the x Soveraign in the whole Habit of the Order (the French Ambassador riding neer her) and all the Knights-Companions with the Officers of the Order, and Officers of Arms, proceeded on y Horseback to the Chappel on the Morning of the Feast-day. And in like manner did the Soveraign's Lieute∣nant, at the same Feast, ride to the z first and second Vespers, and to the Morning Service the day after the Feast.

It was a Custom begun by Queen Elizabeth, and used when she celebrated the Feast of St. George, either at Whitehall or Greenwich, for the a Soveraign's Lieu∣tenant and the Knights-Companions in full Robes, attended with the Officers of the Order and of Arms, to b meet in the Presence-Chamber, (about 9 a Clock in the Morning of the Feast day) and thence to c proceed as they did the Evening before, through the Guard-Chamber down into the Great Hall, and thence into the Chappel, where they took their Stalls as on the Eve; after which, d Morning Prayer, according to the order established in the Church of England, was begun and continued so far as the Letany; and this was called the e first Service; which done, they all descended from their Stalls, in the accustomed order, and f pro∣ceeded back to the Presence, in the same manner, and by the same way as they went to the Chappel, and there waited the coming of the Soveraign; before whom they proceeded a second time to the Choire, where the Letany and Grand Proces∣sion begun, (called the g second Service) at which the Soveraign was usually pre∣sent, but never at the first Service.

And the first memorial that we have met with, of this double proceed∣ing to the Chappel in the Morning of the Feast-day, is re∣corded in the h Blue Book of the Order, an. 3. Eliz. And this double Proceeding and dividing of the Service, continued throughout the Reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King Iames, not only when the Feast of St. George was celebrated at Whitehall or Greenwich, an. i 7.8.10.12.13.14. and 16. Iac. R. but also an. k 15. l 20. m 21. and n 22. of the same Sove∣raign, when solemnized at Windesor, and also the o first year of King Charles the First. But from that time, the Soveraign

went to the Chappel to the p beginning of Divine Service, and the celebration thereof continued on, without any interruption, to the end; and this latter Custom hath been ever since duly observed by the present Soveraign.

But when it was known (before the Lieutenant proceeded to the first Service) that the Soveraign did not go the Grand Procession, (as, when either through indisposition of Body, or some other occasion, she could not come abroad) there the Service being begun, continued; and at the usual time the Grand Procession began, wherein the Soveraigns place was supplied by the Lieutenant.

Nevertheless once we observe, that the Soveraigns Lieutenant, at the q finish∣ing of the first service, proceeded back to the Soveraign's Lodgings (the Feast being then kept at Windesor) not knowing of the Soveraigns indisposition, which understanding to be such, as permitted him not to go in the Grand Proceeding, he with the rest of the Knights-Companions, r returned to the Chappel a second time, to celebrate the rest of that Mornings Ceremonies.

Notes

• a

  Palmers large Iourn. p. 14. & 15.
• b

  Palmers large Iourn. p. 14. & 15.
• c

  Palmers large Iourn. p. 14. & 15.
• d

  Ex Vetust. MS. pen. G.O.Y.
• e

  MS. f. p. 12. an. 1. & 2. Ph. & Mar.
• f

  Lib. C. p. 94.
• g

  Ibid. p. 111.
• h

  Pag. 130.
• i

  Lib. R. p. 48.
• k

  Ibid. p. 140. See Palmers large Iournal, pag. 14.
• l

  Palmers Iour∣nal, pro an. 1639. pag. 20.
• m

  Vide Lib. vocat. Dal∣ton.
• n

  Vide Lib. vocat. Dal∣ton.
• o

  Vide Lib. vocat. Dal∣ton.
• p

  Vide Lib. vocat. Dal∣ton.
• q

  Chap. 7. Sect. 5.
• r

  Lib. N. p. 166.
• MS. penes Arth. Com. An∣glesey, fol. 167.
• s

  Lib. N. p. 166.
• t

  MS.
• u

  MS. in Offic. Armor. [M. 17] fol. 27.
• w

  MS. pag. 12••
• MS. f. penes W.D.N. f. 15. b.
• x

  Lib. C. p. 46. vide MS. f. pen. W.D.N. p. 17. b. & etiam MS. in Offic. Arm. [H. 12.] fol. 142.
• y

  Lib. C. p. 46. vide MS. f. pen. W.D.N. p. 17. b. & etiam MS. in Offic. Arm. [H. 12.] fol. 142.
• z

  Lib. C. p. 46. vide MS. f. pen. W.D.N. p. 17. b. & etiam MS. in Offic. Arm. [H. 12.] fol. 142.
• a

  Ex eod. MS. pen. W. D. N. vide et••am MS. f. penes G.O.Y. p. 113, & 123. & Collect. R. C. Cl.
• b

  Ex eod. MS. pen. W. D. N. vide et••am MS. f. penes G.O.Y. p. 113, & 123. & Collect. R. C. Cl.
• c

  Ex eod. MS. pen. W. D. N. vide et••am MS. f. penes G.O.Y. p. 113, & 123. & Collect. R. C. Cl.
• d

  Ex eod. MS. pen. W. D. N. vide et••am MS. f. penes G.O.Y. p. 113, & 123. & Collect. R. C. Cl.
• e

  Ex eod. MS. pen. W. D. N. vide et••am MS. f. penes G.O.Y. p. 113, & 123. & Collect. R. C. Cl.
• f

  Ex eod. MS. pen. W. D. N. vide et••am MS. f. penes G.O.Y. p. 113, & 123. & Collect. R. C. Cl.
• g

  Ex eod. MS. pen. W. D. N. vide et••am MS. f. penes G.O.Y. p. 113, & 123. & Collect. R. C. Cl.
• h

  Pag. 32. Illustrissimus Comes Arundel (constituted the Soveraign's Lieutenant for that Feast) cum reliquo Ordinis co∣mitatu slipatus, Matutinis Precibus in∣tersuit. Postea verò omnes celeberri∣mi Ordinis Commilitones, illustrissimae Reginae dederunt operam seduli, quae Sa∣cellum est ingressa, inibi{que} Regis sed••••l recepta, quod reliquum erat celebritatis gratiosè peregit.
• i

  MS. pen. E.W.G.
• k

  Eod. MS.
• l

  Lib. C. p. 1.
• m

  Ibid. pag. 6.
• n

  Pag. 19.
• o

  Pag. 30.
• p

  Lib. C. pag. 41.62.74.85.107.117. & 127.
• q

  Lib. R. p. 1. & 2. an. 20. Iac. R.
• r

  Lib. R. p. 1. & 2. an. 20. Iac. R.