Encyclopaedia Britannica; or, A dictionary of arts and sciences, compiled upon a new plan … > Volume 2, C-L

GAR
tience over all the other parts of the drefs, by reafon
■that from it the noble order is denominated ; that it is
the firft part of the habit prefented to foreign princes,
■ and abfent knights, who, and all other knigbts-eled,
are therewith fidt adorned; and it is of fo great ho¬
nour and grandeur, that by the bare invefliture with this
noble enfign, the knights are efteemed companions of
the greateif military order in the world. It is worn
on the left leg between the-knee and calf, and is en¬
amelled with this motto, Honi so.it qvi mal y
pense ; i. e. Shame t$ him that thinks evil hereof:
The meaning of which is, that king Edward having
laid claim to the kingdom of France, retorted Iliame
and defiance upon him that fhould dare to think amifs
~of the juft enterprize he had undertaken, for recover¬
ing his lawful right to that crown ; and that the bra¬
very of thofe knights whom he had eleded into this
order, was fuch as would enable him to maintain the
quarrel againft thofe that thought ill of it
The mantle {ibid. N° 2.) is the chief of thefe veft-
ments’ made ufe of upon all folemn occafions The
colour of the mantle is by the ftatutes appointed to be
blue. The length of the train of the mantle only di-
ftinguifties the Sovereign from the knights-companions.
To the collar of the mantle is fixed a pair of Iqng
firings, anciently wove with blue filk only, but now
twifted round, and made of Venice gold and filk, of
the colour of the robe, with knobs, or buttons, and
•taflels at the end. The left fhoulder of the mantle
has, from the inftitution. been adorned with a large
garter, with the device, Honi so it, &c. within this
is the crofs of the order, which was ordained to be
worn at all times by king Charles I. At length the
liar was introduced, being a fort of crofs irradiated
with beams of filver. {ibid. N° 3.) .
The collar {ibid. N° 4 ) is appointed to be compo-
fed of pieces of gold in fafhion of garters, the ground
enamelled blue, and the mot o gold.
The manner of eleding a knight companion into
this moft noble order, and the ceremonies of invefti-
ture are as follow. When the fovereign defigns to e-
Ted a companion of the garter, the chancellor belong¬
ing to this order draws up the letters, which, palling
both under the fovereign’s fign-manual and fignet of
the order, are fent to the perfon by garter principal
king at arms ; and are in this manner, or to the fame
effedt: “ We,'with the companions of our moft noble
“ order of the garter, aflembied in chapter, holden this
“ prefent day at our caftle at Windfor, confidering the
virtuous fidelity you have ftiewn, and the honour-
“ able exploits you have done in our fervice, byvin-
‘‘ dicating and maintaining our right, have e-
“ leded and chofen you one of the companions of our
“ order. Therefore, we require you to make your
“ fpeedy repair unto us, to receive the enfigns thereof,
“ and be ready for your inftallation upon the — day
“ of this prefent month, 6 c.”
The garter, which is of blue velvet bordered with
fine gold-wire, having commonly the letters of the
fSiotto of the fame, is, at the time of eledion, buckled
GAS
upon the left kg, by two of the fenior companions,
who receive it from the fovereign, to whom it was
prefented upon a velvet culhion, by garter king at
arms, with the ufual reverence, whilft the chancellor
reads the following admonition, enjoined by the fta¬
tutes : “ To .the honour of God omnipotent, and in
“ memorial of the blefled martyr St George, tie about
“ thy leg, for thy renown, this noble gaiter; wear
“ it as the fymbol of the moft illuftrious order, ne-
“ ver to be forgotten or laid afide ; that thereby
“ thou mayeft be admoniflied to be courageous ; and,
“ having undertaken a juft war, in which thou {halt
u be engaged, thoa mayeft ftand fi m, valiantly fight,
“ and fucceffively conquer.”
The princely garter being then buckled on, and the
words of its fignification pronounced, the knight eled
is brought befor.e the fovereign, who puts about his
neck, kneeling, a fky-coloured ribbon, {ibid. N° 5.)
whereunto is appendant, wrought in gold within the
garter, the image of St George on horieback, with his
fword-drawn, encountering with the dragon. In the
mean time, the chancellor reads the following admo¬
nition: “ Wear this ribbon about thy neck, adorned
“ with the image of the blefled martyr and-foldier of
“ Chrift, St George, by whofe imitation proyoked,
“ thou mayft fo overpafs both profperous and adverfe
“ adventures, that having ftoutly vanquiftied thy ene-
“ mies, both of body and* foul, thou mayft not only
“ receive the praife of this tranfient combat, but be
“ crowned with the palm of eternal vidory.”
Then the knight eleded kifles t^e fovereign’s'hand,
thanks his jnajefty for the great honour done him, rifes
up, and falutes all the companions feverally, whore-
turn their congratulations. NQ 2. {ibid.) exhibits a
view of a knight of the garter in the habit of this
order.
Since the inftituron of this order, there have been
eight emperors, and twenty-eight kings, befides numer¬
ous fovereign princes, enrolled as companions thereof.
Its origin is fomewhat differently related : the common
account is, that it was efeded in honour of a garter of
the countefs of Salilbury, which file dropped dancing
with king Edward, and whi(!h that prince picked’up:
but our beft antiquaries think it was inftituted on ac¬
count of the yidory over the French at Crefly, where
the king ordered his garter to be difplayed as a fignal
of the battle.
GASCOIN, or GastoiGN,.denotes the hinder thigh of
a horfey which begins at the ftifle, and reaches to the
ply or bending of the ham.
GASCONY, the moft fouth-weft province of France,
bounded by Guienne, on the north ; by Languedoc,
on the eaft; by the Pyrenees, which feparate it from
Spain, on the fouth; and by the Bay of Bifcay, on
the weft.
CASSENHOVEN, or Gutzenhoven, a town of the
Auftrian Netherlands, fifteen miles eaft of Louvain:
E: long. 50°, and N. lat. 50 yy7.
GASTEROSTEUS, in ichthyology, a genus of fifties
belonging to the order of thoracici. There are three
rays
( m )