though the performance of that ceremony was always contemplated by its successive Sovereigns. Immediately after the election and investiture of a Knight, a warrant has always been issued, dispensing with the installation, and granting him "all honours, dignities, powers, and privileges" belonging to the members of the Order. He is, by the same instrument, granted "full power and authority to carry and wear the medal, riband, badge, collar, and all other ornaments whatsoever belonging to this most ancient and most noble Order."

ORDER OF ST. PATRICK. This Order having been founded on the model of the Garter, differs in no important particulars with respect to the ceremonial of installation; but until its performance has taken place in person or by proxy, or else has been dispensed with under royal warrant, the Knight elect cannot wear either the collar, star, or mantle, cannot encircle his arms with the collar, cannot attend a chapter or other ceremonial of the Order. The 28th of August, 1821, was the last occasion when an installation took place, and since that period, the Sovereign grants the Knightelect a dispensation for the ceremony, and authorizes him "to have, hold, and enjoy all and singular the rights, privileges, and advantages belonging to a Knight Companion of the Order, in as full and ample a manner as if he had been formally installed." Though no installations have taken place since 1821, the first issue of such a warrant of dispensation took place in 1833. There have only

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been two instances of installation by proxy, viz. one in 1783, and the other in 1821.

ORDER OF THE BATH. Henry VII.'s Chapel was in 1725 assigned as the place where stalls for each member of this Order should be erected, and the stall opposite to that of the Sovereign was declared next in rank, and so on alternately from side to side throughout the whole course. All newly-appointed knights occupy the lowest stalls, and on the occurrence of a vacancy, all below are advanced a step, so that seniority is the principle of precedence. A helmet, crest, and sword, together with the banner of his arms, is suspended over each knight's stall. The first installation took place in June, 1725, and the last in June, 1812, there having been eleven altogether. The augmentation of the Order in 1815, probably led to the discontinuance of this ceremony, and subsequenty to the year 1821, it was the practice to grant warrants of dispensation to the Knights Grand Cross, authorizing its omission. But since the 21st of March, 1838, no such warrant has been granted, although several appointments have taken place, and it is highly probable that even this recognition of the ancient ceremony may become obsolete. It was not at first intended that Knights Commander should be installed, but escutcheons, banners of their arms, and plates with their names and titles, were to be affixed in Westminster Abbey; together with a plate containing the name and title of every Companion of the Bath. Neither of these intentions have however been car

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ried into effect. So that no memorial is to be found in Westminster Abbey of the two lower classes of the Order of the Bath, nor of those members of the first class, who have been appointed since 1812, when the last installation took place.

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ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE. church or other public edifice has been appropriated for the reception of the banners and stall-plates of the knights of this Order, nor does installation appear to have ever been contemplated on its establishment; so that no other memorial of its members exists than the records and history of its institution.

ORDER OF THE GUELPHS OF HANOVER. Though the Statutes of this Order directed that the arms and names of all its members should be affixed in the Church of the palace at Hanover, and also in the Hall of Knights in the said palace, yet this duty has not been performed, nor has the book of illuminated drawings containing the arms of the knights ever been completed; though at one time considerable progress was made in its compilation. installation has ever taken place, nor has it been the practice to issue warrants of dispensation.

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INVESTITURES OF KNIGHTS.

THE final and ceremonial proceedings, by which it has been the practice to ratify the admission of members into the Orders of Knighthood, and to clothe

them formally with all the privileges and ensigns peculiar to those fraternities, is known by the name of "investiture." The statutes of many of the Orders of Knighthood peremptorily require that every knight-elect should be clothed or "invested" with the costume and decorations belonging to the Order, shortly after his appointment; and they regard its omission as fatal to his election, or rather they consider no Knight as legally possessed of the precedence and privileges which the Order confers, until this ceremony has been gone through. Although it has been the practice in some of the Orders to include in the warrants dispensing with the ceremony of installation, a similar dispensation for investiture, yet as the latter is still performed with regularity in the majority of the knightly fraternities, and as frequent reference to it is made in speaking of knighthood, it has been thought necessary to give a brief outline of the formula followed in each of the Orders, so as to complete the view intended to be given of all ceremonies which are connected with titular distinctions.

ORDER OF THE GARTER. The Knights being assembled in chapter, the Garter King of Arms, accompanied by the Usher of the Black Rod, introduces the Knight-elect, between the two junior Knights present. If the Knight-elect be a sovereign prince, however, the two senior Knights accompany him instead of the two junior. Advancing to the right of the Sovereign, the Knight-elect places his eft foot upon a stool, and Her Majesty, assisted by the senior Knight present, buckles the Garter upot

his left leg, a little below the knee, while the Chancellor of the Order delivers the following admonition, "To the honour of God Omnipotent, and in memorial of the blessed martyr Saint George, tie about thy leg for thy renown this most noble Garter; wear it as the symbol of the most illustrious Order, never to be forgotten or laid aside, that thereby thou mayest be admonished to be courageous; and having undertaken a just war (into which only thou shalt be engaged), thou mayest stand firm, valiantly fight, courageously and successfully conquer."

The Knight-elect having then advanced in front of the Sovereign, the latter places the riband and George over his left shoulder, while the Chancellor addresses him, "Wear this riband about thy neck, adorned with the image of the blessed martyr and soldier of Christ, Saint George, by whose imitation provoked, thou mayest so overpass both prosperous and adverse encounters, that having stoutly vanquished thine enemies, both of body and soul, thou mayest not only receive the praise of this transient combat, but be crowned with the palm of eternal victory."

The statutes prescribe that no Knight should be invested with the collar until he has been installed (or obtained a patent dispensing with that ceremony); but foreigners have always received both the collar and the whole habit without any reference to their respective installations.

At the conclusion of the ceremony the other members of the Order congratulate the new Knight, and "joyfully receive him into their fellowship and society."