THE
PREFACE
Those who are acquainted with Mr. Ashmole’s History of the most Noble Order of the Garter, will easily satisfy themselves; that no Pains or Industry was wanting to Perfect and Complete so Voluminous a Work: He had the Encouragement of a very gracious Prince, and the use of publick Records, more particularly the several Books of the Order, with the Assistance of several MSS wrote by the Officers of Arms, who bore Part in the Ceremonies, or went on Embassies to Stranger Kings, Princes, &c. and by their constant Observations, were familiarly versed in all its Laws and Customs.
These were very great helps to him, and it must be confessed his own elaborate Study had not less owing to it. There is nothing that has relation to this most Noble Order, which he has not touched on; and indeed it is a Work so very copious, that he does himself acknowledge he has inserted some things of little importance; which he desires may be considered to be done, to gratify some few who have a more immediate concern therein.
The Reader will in this Treatise find little else omitted: A very painful and exact Abridgment has been made, many Corrections of the Author’s, which he saw before his Death, and left among his other Books in his Library at Oxford, are here carefully altered; some Additions are made, a List continued, of the several Knights-Companions, as well as Officers of the Order, for above forty Years; and the Coats of Arms of abundance of the Knights-Companions visibly corrected from good Authorities; and every distinct Chapter treated of at large; so that this Work has not been compleated but at great Labour as well as Expence, which could not have been supported, but for the Encouragement some of the Knights-Companions of the most Noble Order were pleased to give it; as well in their Subscriptions, as in the good Opinion they seemed to Express of the Design.