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In the age of the Plantagenets and Tudors, and under the Stuarts, until the coronation of James II., it was customary for the kings to reside in the Tower of London for some time previous to the coronation; and having assembled there the principal nobles, officers of state, and members of the court, to create a certain number of Knights of the Bath. Though bathing was a usual preliminary to knighthood from the earliest ages of chivalry, there is no proof that knights took their designation from this form until the coronation of Henry IV., of which Froissart gives the following

account.

"On the Saturday before the coronation, the new king went from Westminster to the Tower of London, attended by great numbers, and those squires that were to be knighted watched their arms that night: they amounted to forty-six: each squire had his chamber and bath in which he bathed. The ensuing day, the duke of Lancaster (Henry IV.), after mass created them knights, and presented them with long green coats, with straight sleeves lined with miniver, after the manner of prelates. These knights had on their left shoulders, a double cord of white silk, with white tufts hanging down."

In the Harleian Manuscripts we have a particular detail of the ceremonies used in creating Knights of the Bath, at the coronation of Henry V. It is thus translated by Mr. Anstis, in his history of that order of knighthood. "In the year 1413, in the twentysixth year of the age of Henry V., on a Friday before the Passion week, all the requisites for his coronation having been prepared by the direction of his ministers, according to the ancient and laudable rites and usages of the kingdom, the king, accompanied with a noble and numerous train of lords spiritual and temporal, set forward from his palace of Kingston-upon-Thames, towards the Tower of London; he was met on the way

by a great number of earls, barons, knights, esquires, and other his subjects of condition; particularly the citizens of London, who made a splendid and handsome appearance; sparing no expense, whereby they might testify their zeal and exultation, while the clergy made a regular procession with much solemnity. The king, in this manner, and under so many marks of honour, was conducted to the Tower of London, where about fifty gallant young gentlemen or more, of noble birth, well qualified to receive the degree of knighthood, waited in expectation that they might receive this honour from the hands of so great a monarch, at the first opening of so glorious a solemnity.

"These young candidates, being decently habited in their proper vestments, to express the more honour to the king at so great a feast, to which nothing requisite for the magnificence of it was wanting; and while his majesty in royal state, as became his dignity, was attended by the great lords; those candidates, in testimony that they should not be obliged at any time in future, to do the like service in the habits of esquires, served up the dishes at this royal festival, according to the received usage; and immediately after the entertainment was concluded, they retired to an apartment appointed and prepared for that use, where dukes, earls, barons, and honourable knights, as their counsellors or directors, instructed them concerning their proper rules of behaviour upon their accession to this venerable order, and with much prudent and forceable persuasion, taught them what they ought to do, if they would faithfully discharge the duties of it.

"The young candidates at a convenient time prescribed, went into the baths prepared severally for them, performing their vigils and other rites and exercises preparatory to this degree, regularly, with assiduity and an intense degree of pious zeal. The whole night having been devoted to these lucubrations,

early the next morning, upon the first appearance of light, those candidates, having given the rich golden beds wherein they had reposed themselves in the night, to some domestic servants of the king's household as their customary fee, proceeded to hear mass; and when they had regularly gone through the course of their devotion, having mounted their fine horses, they rode in their rich silk mantles, till they came to the gate of the royal palace, where descending from their horses, each of them, being supported by two knights, and conducted with all proper marks of honour and respect suitable to his different quality, was introduced and presented to the king, who, sitting in royal state, the throne being surrounded with a numerous train of noble and great personages, promoted them severally to the honour of knighthood. After their investiture, they were permitted to sit down in their rich mantles in the king's presence, but during the whole time of dinner they did not taste any part of the entertainment.

"After the royal feast was concluded, the young knights, divesting themselves of their mantles, put on rich robes, being the king's livery of the same suit, and when the king in the vigil of the Sunday before Passion week, rode to Westminster in much state and solemn order, attended with a great concourse of princes and noblemen, as became the grandeur of so potent a monarch; all these young knights preceded the king, riding on their horses in admirable order, through the middle of the city, and made so delightful an appearance, that all the spectators were inebriated with joy."

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The most curious portion of this ceremonial is the prohibition imposed on the knights of not eating; in the ancient ritual, the rule says, that a newly created knight ought not to eat or drink, but under the restraint of a bride on the day of her marriage." Chaucer, in

his tale of January and May, describes to us the nature of this restraint:

A custom is unto these Noblis all,
A Bride shall not eten in the hall,
Till dayes four, other thre at the leste
Y passid bin, then let hir go to Feste.

Knights of the Bath were created upon the coronation and marriage of British sovereigns, the inauguration of regents and consorts, the birth and marriage of the royal issue, when monarchs undertook expeditions against foreign enemies, when Knights of the Garter were installed, and when anniversary festivals were celebrated.

The queens in their own right, Mary and Elizabeth, though they girded the swords on the knights with their own hands, did not give them the accolade, or blow, which is the determinate action that impresses the character of knighthood. At both coronations, the same nobleman, Henry, earl of Arundel, performed this office; the following copy of his appointment is extracted from Rymer.

"Elizabeth, by the grace of God, Quene of England, France, and Ireland, Defendour of the Faith, &c. To all men to whome theis presentes shall come Greting.

"WHEREAS Wee,

"Mynding to procede the solemnitie of our coronation, in such and like honorable sorte, as in the coronation of our progenitors hath been accustomed, and to our estate and dignitie royall apperteyneth, have, both for the more adornement of the feast of our coronation, and for the nobilities of blood, good service and other good qualities of many of our servauntes, resolved to cally certain of them to th' order of knighthood.

"We let you wete, that for especial trust and confidence, which we have reposed in our right trustie and right beloved cosen and counsaylour Henry, Erl of Arundell, Lord Steward of our Household, we have appoynted and by theis presentes do appoynt and auctorise him, for us and in our name, and by our auctoritie, not onlie to do and exercise everie thinge and thinges on our behalfe, to be done and exercised for the full making of those Knightes of the Bathe, whom we have caused to be speciallye called for that purpose, but also to make and ordeyn such, and so many other persons knights, within the tyme of two daies

next ensuing the date hereof, as by us shall be named or by himself shall be thought mete, so as he excede not in th'ole the number of thirtie.

"And our further pleasure is, that every person so to be advaunced or made knight by our said cosen and councelour, shall have, houlde, and enjoye the said order of knighthood, with the name, title and dignitye, and all other prerogatyves thereunto belonging, in as large and ample manner as any other knight or knights of like degree, being made in the time of any of our progenitours have and of right ought to have had or enjoyed. "In witness whereof, &c.

"Witness ourself at Westm. the xiv day January.

"PER IPSAM REGINAM."

This ceremonial was performed for the last time as a part of the forms of a coronation, when Charles II. was restored; but since that time it has fallen into disuse, together with the preliminary procession from the Tower. This procession generally took place the day before the coronation, and was perhaps a more imposing pageant, as it certainly was one which could be witnessed by greater multitudes. Froissart gives the following account of Henry IV.'s procession. "The duke of Lancaster left the Tower this Sunday after dinner, on his return to Westminster; he was bare headed, and had round his neck the order of the king of France. The prince of Wales, six dukes, six earls, eighteen barons, accompanied him, and there were of knights and other nobility, from eight to nine hundred horse in the procession. The duke was

dressed in a jacket, after the German fashion, of cloth of gold, mounted on a white courser, with a blue garter on his left leg. He passed through the streets of London, which were all handsomely decorated with tapestries and other rich hangings: there were nine fountains in Cheapside and other streets he passed through, that ran perpetually with white and red wines. He was escorted by prodigious numbers of gentlemen, with their servants in liveries and badges; and the different companies of London were led by their

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