bellishments, as we may difcern from the reprefentation of a proceffion of the Knights of the Garter given by Afhmole *. The above drawing of Vandyck being in Chiaro fcuro, the Colour of the Habit of the Penfioners is not difcernible; neither does the Captain's official Baton (if then in ufe) appear from the Proceffion in the year 1639; for Theophilus EARL of SUFFOLK (then the CAPTAIN) being a Knight-companion of the Order, walked in his place, and is not diftinguished from the other. Knights by any Enfign of Office.

On a Demife of the Crown, or on the Death of a Queen-Confort, the BAND of PENSIONERS attend the Funeral, and flank the› Canopy, carrying their Axes reversed, and on feveral of these occafions the Axes have been put in Mourning, that is, their Tufts were black, and their Shafts were covered with black velvet, studded with black nails, instead of the ufual covering of crimfon velvet, ornamented with gilt nails, &c †.

Hift. of the Order of the Garter, Chap. XXI. Sect. 4.

+ This was done on the demife of 2. Anne-of K. George I. and of Q. Caroline. Till the Acceffion of his present Majefty, Orders for the Mourning iffued from the CAPTAIN in writing, addreffed to the Clerk of the Cheque, who notified them to the Band, and were not included in any public Order from the Earl MarShal-the Lord Chamberlain, or the Secretary at War. On the demise of the late King, to give the Court a more military appearance, it was only required that the Band and the Officers, (together with the Officers of the Yeomen of the Guard,] in common with naval and military Officers, fhould wear a Crape round the left arm by which means the Band became included in the Order for Mourning which iffued from the War-Office.

Having gone thus far into minutiæ, it may not be amifs to preserve the laft Order of this kind, which iffued interiorly from the Captain.

On the demise of the Crown [1727] the Band was directed to wear---" Scarlet "Coats trimmed with black, black cloth Waistcoats and Breeches, black Swords "and Buckles, and to put their Axes in Mourning."

On 2. Caroline's death [1737] the Mourni: g was ftill closer, viz.--" Scarlet "cloth Coats, without buttons on the fleeves, or pockets, with Waistcoats and "Breeches of black cloth, Weepers broad hemmed, chamoy Gloves, crape Hat"bands, black Swords and Buckles, and their Axes to be covered with black vel"vet." [Order-Book.]

Some

Something might be expected in this account concerning the BATTLE-AXE-GUARDS in Ireland; but they, being a body of Yeomen of the Guard (like those in England) will be mentioned. in a future Memoir.

As to the Duty of the GENTLEMEN PENSIONERS at present, it may be termed very inconfiderable, having diminished in proportion as State has relaxed, and indeed it has always been governed: by the temper of the times; fo that the Band has long been an inactive Body, merely appertaining to the KING's domestic Dignity, though liable to be called into Field-attendance, in confor-mity with what we have seen was intended in the last Reign.

Five of thofe Gentlemen who are on the quarterly Rota now appear every Levée Day and every Drawing-room Day, in the Pre-fence Chamber, and stand to their Arms when any of the Royal. Family pass through*

On Sundays, and whenever the KING goes to the Chapel, the whole Quarterly Guard of Twenty keep the Pass in the Prefence-Chamber, in going, and in the Gallery on the return, bringing up the rear of the Proceffion.. In the Room where the KING receives an Addrefs on the Throne, they are ranked in like manner, as they also are in the interior Approach to the Houfe, of Peers when the KING goes thither, excepting the Five Gentlemen stationed at St. James's.. On all fuch occafions they are, covered, en militaire.

This attendance at the entrance of the House of Peers is a remnant of their ancient Duty, which was formerly carried much further for in the reign of King James I. when the KING and the PEERS went in proceffion to Parliament on horseback in their | Robes, the Gentlemen Penfioners (I prefume the whole Band) escorted the KING on each fide of the Cavalcade on foot +..

* See the Duke of Montagu's Letter, antea, p. 91. wherein this indulgence as to number is given.

+ Extracts from the Journal of Sir Simonds D'Ewes, in Bibl. Topog. Brit., N. XV. pp. 19. 20. The original is in Bibl. Harl. N. 1646..

The

The Duty of the Five Gentlemen attending in the PrefenceChamber likewife went further in the late Reign than it now does; for an Order made by the Duke of Montagu (the CAPTAIN) in the year 1737, directs, that when the KING goes to the Parliament-Houfe, "the Five Gentlemen, waiting in the "Prefence-Chamber, do always attend his MAJESTY down ftairs. with their Axes, to his Coach, and wait till it is gone off; and on his return from the Houfe to St. James's, they are to "receive him at his alighting out of his Coach, and guard his "MAJESTY up-ftairs to the Prefence-Chamber, where they

ufually wait." This Order moreover enjoins, that "Four "of the Gentlemen in waiting on his MAJESTY at the Parlia "ment-Houfe, do receive him at his getting out of his Coach, "and follow into the Prince's Chamber, where his MAJESTY "robes, and place themfelves as near the KING as conveniently may be, before the Yeomen of the Guard, and ftand to their "Arms till his MAJESTY is gone into the House; and that they place themselves in a like manner against his MAJESTY "comes out of the House, and whilft his MAJESTY un-robes, "and attend him down ffairs to his Coach *."

σε

And now, Sir, I have but one more official Circumftance to trouble with on you on the part of the BAND, not the least ancient, nor the least honourable, Branch of their Duty, which is that the Gentlemen Penfioners have a prefcriptive Right to carry up the Royal Dinner on Coronations, without exhibiting any Claims, as others do, who often contend for the performance of fimilar Offices on fuch occafions, in quality of Carver, Cup-bearer, Sewer, &c. &c. &c. These last being feudal services, appendant to Lands and Offices held of the Crown, to be performed folely on Coronations, occur but feldom, while the BAND of PENSIONERS had the further honour of carrying up the second Course at St.

* Order-Book.

George's

George's Feaft. This, which formerly was an annual Solemnity of the first magnitude (exclufive of Festivals purely religious) is now not observed, except as a Collar-day, when the 23d of April (St. George's Day) falls on a Sunday; unless we may be allowed, by tranfpofition to call that day St. George's Feaft, when there is an Installation of Knights of the Garter at Windfor, on which occafion likewife, if the KING be prefent, the GENTLEMEN PENSIONERS now perform the Office of carrying up the fecond Course *.

In reward for fuch fervice on Coronations, the Sovereign has of late years usually conferred the Honour of Knighthood on fome of the Officers or Gentlemen of the Band, ordering the cuf tomary Fees to be paid at the Treasury; and on Installations the King often confers the fame Honour, but does not carry the compliment so far as to discharge the Fees +."

This

* The Ceremonial of serving the second Course of the Royal Dinner on Inftallations of Knights of the Garter is thus exhibited by Afhmole, as performed 1663, though he confeffes that the drawing is defective for want of room in the Plate || :— Enough however is preserved for our purpose, viz.

+ On the Coronation of his prefent MAJESTY the Standard-bearer and the Senior Gentleman of the BAND were knighted, and the usual Fees paid at the Treasury. On the other hand, when the King affumed his Stall at Windfor, as Sovereign of the Order, 1762, the Lieutenant of the BAND received the honour of KnightOrder of the Garter, pp. 588. et. feq, Q hood;

This honourable Service of carrying up a part at least of the Royal Dinner, has long been an appendage of Office to the BAND on other folemn and fplendid occafions, as well as at Coronations and at St. George's Feaft. Thus on the Marriage of King Philip and Queen Mary, the Gentlemen Penfioners we are told chiefly carried up the Dinner, at which Ceremony their CAPTAIN (Thomas Ratcliffe, Earl of Suffex) officiated as Sewer *. On other lefs public Solemnities, and even in Progreffes, when the Sovereign either gave or accepted an entertainment in State, the BAND performed the fame Office: as for example, when Q. Elizabeth, in a Progrefs, vifited Arch-bifhop Parker, at Canterbury, 1573, the Dinner was ferved by her MAJESTY'S PENSIONERS," Reginæ a Stipatoribus, quos Penfionarios appellant, in mensâ miniftratum eft †.”

To return, Sir, for a moment, to the Ceremony used at Inftallations of Knights of the Garter, Afhmole tells us that the BAND formerly went in guard on each side of the Sovereign and the Knights-Companions, as they did, for inftance, in the eighth year of King Charles I. to and from St. George's Chapel: but afterwards, in the next reign, when Afhmole wrote, the BAND clofed the Proceffion, Two and Two, with the CAPTAIN at their head. This change of Poft had at that time taken place hood; but the Fees were not allowed by the Treasury-Board, for want of a precedent, and the Lieutenant paid them himself-as did the Clerk of the Cheque, who was knighted at the Inftallation, 1771. King Charles I. foon after his Coronation in Scotland (1633) knighted no lefs than seventeen of his GENTLEMEN PENSIONERS. [Catalogue of Knights made by King Charles, collected by T. W. London, 1642, duod.]

* Strype's Memorials. Vol. III. p. 136. The Office of the Sewer is to place the Dithes properly on the Table.

+ The account of this Progrefs, written in Latin, is given in the Appendix to the fecond Volume of Strype's Annals of the Reformation.

Hift. of the Order of the Garter, pp. 515. 566. 570.

Idem. See the Plate between p. 576 and p. 577.