Show THE ORDER OF THE GARTER id IN discussing the or origin ilgin of orders as marks of royal favor chambers Man iberal journal assumes that the custom prevailed in pharaohs Phara time for that monarch took off his ring from his bis band and put it upon josephs abandand ban hano dand and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen and put a gold chain about hii hi neck of modern countries tries fiance and england have shown perhaps the most tavor favor to orders of d distinction asti not on in this respect france to is far ahead even of england in the latter country the existing orders are now limited to ten ano and of these the most ancient and highly prized is the most noble order of the garter the origin of orders and companion ships can be traced back to the close of the eighth century chivalry in all its splendor then existed europe was overrun by wandering fig adventurers eager for riches and fame in perilous enterprises they would combine as organizations entitled companions or fraternities of arms eventually these armed fraternities became so powerful that fellowship in them was highly prized and finally a system of military orders was instituted in england the order of the garter is most highly valued it dates back to the time of edward III there are various versions of the story as to how the garter became a symbol of the order one however is taken as aa the most probable because it the most ro mantic lactic during a festival at court a lady happened to drop her garter king edward took it up and observing some of those present smiling significantly he uttered the phrase honi wi soi qui mat inal y pense evil ilevia to him that evil thinks Y 1 and then tied the garter around his hisomu own knee it is is supposed that edward about this unite time had bad in view the institution of a new order of knights after the pattern of those of the round table and adopted the garter as the ensign the garter is now worn on the left leg that worn by charles I 1 at his execution was with diamonds the mantle accompanying it is of purple velvet the collar consists of twenty six gold pieces each in the form of a garter at the time of the foundation of the order its knights numbered 25 exclusive of the king in 1786 the number was enlarged to thirty two A second enlargement took place in 1805 and a third in 1831 by which the lineal descendants of george I 1 and george II 11 were included the order now numbers fifty knights and has in its ranks emperors kings princes besides duke aukee earls and marquises since the reign of henry VII no lady unless she be the reigning queen has been considered eligible for the decoration ad admission mission to it is now re stricter strict ed to the most noble in the land therefore in england a member of the order of the garter may be safely considered 1 I the acme of the bluest of blue blood |