their own happiness, when needful, to their Sovereign's glory: every breast glowed with emulation, and every heart panted to give him proofs of their affection: when he took the field, the meaneft of his foldiers ferved from fentiment, and fought for reputation; whilft those who remained at home cheerfully contributed to the expences of the war. Such are the happy effects which will affuredly proceed from a Prince's endeavours to gain the affections of his people; a reciprocation must follow. The English are naturally well-difpofed, and may be led by gentle methods to give unbounded proofs of their duty. Their fteady attachment to King Edward, during fo long a reign, proves that the fickleness of difpofition imputed to them is, in a great degree, imaginary, and depends much on the qualifications and conduct of their ruler. The contemplation

2

contemplation of this reign, allowing for the propenfity of the age to war and fanguinary pursuits, which learning and a cultivation of the gentler accomplishments have now greatly abated, will always be of use to fucceeding Princes; it cannot fail of exciting in them a wish to imitate, as far as poffible, the fhining and virtuous qualities of this great King and his heroic Son, and to attain the fame honour and respect they acquired by them.

Latter ages feem to have loft even the idea of the romantic fpirit, many inftances of which are here recorded, that conftituted fo capital a part of chivalry; and though fometimes ridiculously exerted in defence of a Lady's beauty, or in equally unimportant croisades, yet, as it caufed an exertion of gallantry, valour, generofity, and many other virtues, was certainly laus

dable,

1

dable, and deferves not the general cenfure it has received. The admonitions given to the Knights of the Garter at their inftallation were framed when this dignity of fentiment was in its full force; and though occafions fel-> dom offer now for the exercise of every article of them, yet the general tendency, if recollected and made a rule in all the concerns of life, would fupport the companions above every degradation of their honour, and enable them to preserve unblemished the dignity of Knighthood. From a neglect of this obfervance, how often do we fee the facred badges of true nobility difgraced by a compliance with the manners of a fervile age, and the fublime purposes of the great Inftitutor counteracted? Virtus Nobilitas fola : It is Virtue that can alone ennoble: If this axiom wanted confirmation, the character of the firft Knight of the

Garter,

Garter, the Hero of the following pages, would eftablish it; for in him were all the graces and virtues concentered, and in him may the affociates. of that noble order behold a model, from which if they fashion their sentiments and actions, they will acquire, as he did, immortal renown.

As my chief view has been to make this work entertaining as well as inftructive, I have not interrupted the narrative with references to the original authors, the ufual methods in compilations, but by which means the attention is every minute drawn off from the relation; nor have I been particular in noting the year in which every event happened: fuffice it to fay, that in the firft cafe, the extracts are felected from the moft authentic accounts; and in the latter, that the dates of the most material tranfactions

F

tranfactions are inferted. A knowledge of the particular year in which a town furrendered, or a fkirmish happened, can be of little importance to the readers of this age; those who wish to gain more minute information, I would refer to the hiftories of England, where they are particu-, larized; the general Hiftorian being obliged, in recording a series of events through different reigns, to attend to this diftinction.

THE