1. WHen an Esquire comes to Court, to receive the Order of Knighthood, in the time of peace, according to the Custome of England, he shall be honourably received by the Offi­cers of the Court; sc. the Steward or the Chamberlain, if they be present, but other­wise, by the Marshalls and Ushers. Then there shall be provided two Esquires of Honour, grave, and well seen in Courtship and Nurture; as also in the feats of chivalry; and they shall be Esquires, and Governours in all things re­lating to him which shall take the Order abovesaid.

2. And if the Esquire do come before Dinner, he shall carry up one dish of the first course to the Kings Table.

3. And after this the Esquires Governours shall conduct the Es­quire that is to receive the Order, into his Chamber, without any more being seen that day.

4. And in the Evening the Esquires Governours shall send for the Barber, and they shall make ready a Bath, handsomely hung with linnen, both within and without the Vessel, taking care that it be covered with Tapistry, and blankets, in respect of the coldnesse of [Page 2]the night. And then shall the Esquire be shaven, and his hair cut round. After which the Esquires Governours shall go to the King and say, Sir, it is now in the Evening, and the Esquire is fitted for the Bath, when you please: whereupon the King shall command his Cham­berlain, that he shall take along with him unto the Esquires chamber, the most gentile and grave Knights that are present, to inform, coun­sell, and instruct him touching the Order, and feats of Chivalry: And in like manner, that the other Esquires of the Houshold, with the Minstrels, shall proceed before the Knights, singing, dancing and sporting, even to the Chamber door of the said Esquire.

5. And when the Esquires Governours shall hear the noise of the Minstrells, they shall undresse the said Esquire, and put him na­ked into the Bath; but at the entrance into the Chamber, the Es­quires Governours shall cause the Musick to cease, and the Esquires also for a while. And this being done, the grave Knights shall en­ter into the Chamber, without making any noise, and doing reve­rence to each other, shall consider which of themselves it shall be that is to instruct the Esquire in the Order and course of the Bath. And when they are agreed, then shall the chief of them go to the Bath, and kneeling down before it, say with a soft voice: Sir! Be this Bath of great honour to you; and then he shall declare unto him the feats of the Order, as far as he can, putting part of the water of the Bath upon the shoulder of the Esquire; and having so done, take his leave. And the Esquires Governours shall attend at the sides of the Bath, and so likewise the other Knights, the one after the other, till all be done.

6. Then shall these Knights go out of the Chamber for a while; and the Esquires Governours shall take the Esquire out of the Bath, and help him to his Bed, there to continue till his body be dry; which Bed shall be plain, and without Curtains. And as soon as he is dry, they shall help him out of Bed; they shall cloath him very warm, in respect of the cold of the night; and over his inner gar­ments shall put on a Robe of Russet with long slieves, having a hood thereto, like unto that of an Hermite. And the Esquire being out of the Bath, the Barber shall take away the Bath, with whatsoever appertaineth thereto, both within and without for his fee; and like­wise for the Collar (about his neck) be he Earl, Baron, Banneret or Batchelour, according to the custome of the Court.

7. And then shall the Esquires Governours open the door of the Chamber, and shall cause the antient and grave Knights to enter, to conduct the Esquire to the Chappel: And when they are come in, the Esquires sporting and dancing, shall go before the Esquire, with the Minstrels, making melody to the Chappel.

8. And being entred the Chappell, there shall be wine, and Spices ready to give to the Knights and Esquires. And then the Esquires Governours shall bring the said Knights before the Esquires, to take their leave of him; and he shall give them thanks all together, for the pains, favour and courtesie which they have done him: and this being performed, they shall depart out of the Chappel.

9. Then shall the Esquires Governours shut the door of the Chappel, none staying therein except themselves, the Priest, the Chandler and the Watch. And in this manner shall the Esquire stay in the Chappel all night, till it be day, bestowing himself in Orisons and Prayers, beseeching Almighty God, and his blessed Mother, that of their good grace they will give him ability to receive this high temporal dignity, to the honour, praise, and service of them; as also of the holy Church, and the Order of Knighthood. And at the Day-break, one shall call the Priest to confesse him of all his sins, and having heard Mattins and Masse, shall afterwards be commended, if he please.

10. And after his entrance into the Chappel, there shall be a Taper burning before him; and so soon as Masse is begun, one of the Governours shall hold the taper, untill the reading of the Gospel; and then shall the Governour deliver it into his hands, who shall hold it himself, till the Gospel be ended; but then he shall receive it again from him, and set it before him, there to stand during the whole time of Masse.

11. And at the elevation of the Host, one of the Go­vernours shall take the Hood from the Esquire, and after­wards deliver it to him again, untill the Gospel in Prin­cipio; And at the beginning thereof, the Governour shall take the same hood again, and cause it to be carried a­way, [Page 4]and shall give him the taper again into his own hands.

12 And then having a Penny, or more, in readinesse, near to the Candlestick, at the words verbum caro factum est, the Esquire kneeling, shall offer the Taper and the Penny; that is to say, the Taper to the honour of God, and the Penny to the honour of the person that makes him a Knight. All which being performed, the Esquires Governours shall con­duct the Esquire to his Chamber, and shall lay him again in Bed till it be full Day-light. And when he shall be thus in Bed, till the time of his rising, he shall be cloathed with a co­vering of Gold, called Singleton, and this shall be lined with blew Cardene. And when the Governours shall see it fit time, they shall go to the King, and say to him, Sir! When doth it please you that our Master shall rise? Whereupon the King shall command the grave Knights, Esquires and Minstrels, to go to the chamber of the said Esquire, for to raise him, and to attire and dresse him, and to bring him before him into the Hall. But before their entrance, and the noise of the minstrels heard, the Esquires Governours shall provide all necessaries ready for the Order, to deliver to the Knights, for to attire and dresse the Esquire.

And when the Knights are come to the Esquires Cham­ber, they shall enter with leave, and say to him; Sir! Good morrow to you, it is time to get up, and make your self ready; and thereupon they shall take him by the Arme to be dressed, the most antient of the said Knights reaching him his Shirt, another giving him his Breeche [...], the third his Doublet; and another putting upon him a Kirtle of red Tartarin: two o­thers shall raise him from the Bed, and two others put on his nether stockings, with soles of leather sewed to them; two o­thers shall lace his slieves, and another shall gird him with a Girdle of white leather without any buckles thereon: Ano­ther shall combe his Head; another shall put on his Coife; another shall give him his mantle of silk, (over the Bases or Kirtle of red Tartarin) tyed with a lace of white silk, with a [Page 5]pair of white gloves hanging at the end of the Lace. And the Chandler shall take for his Fees, all the Garments, with the whole array and necessaries, wherewith the Esquire shall be apparelled and clothed on the day that he comes into the Court to receive the Order: As also the Bed wherein he first lay after his Bathing, together with the Singleton and other necessaries: In consideration of which Fees, the same Chand­ler shall find at his proper costs, the said Coife, the Gloves, the Girdle and the Lace.

13. And when all this is done, the grave Knights shall get on horsepack, and conduct the Esquire to the Hall, the Minstrels going before making musick: but the horse must be accoutred as followeth: The Saddle having a cover of black leather, the bow of the Saddle being of white wood quartered; the Stirrop-leathers black, the Stirrops gilt; the Paitrel of black leather gilt, with a Crosse pate gilt, hanging before the breast of the Horse, but without any Crooper: the Bridle black, with long notched Reines after the Spanish fashion, and a Crosse pate on the front. And there must be provided a young Esquire, courteous, who shall ride before the Esquire bare-headed, and carry the Esquires sword, with the Spurs hanging at the handle of the Sword: and the Scab­bard of the Sword shall be of white leather, and the Girdle of white leather, without buckles. And the Youth shall hold the Sword by the point, and after this manner must they ride to the Kings Hall, the Governours being ready at hand.

14. And the grave Knights shall conduct the said Esquire; and so soon as they come before the Hall door, the Mar­shals and Ushers are to be ready to meet him, and desire him to alight: And being alighted, the Marshal shall take the Horse for his Fee, or else C. s. Then shall the Knights conduct him into the Hall, up to the high table; and afterwards up to the end of the second table, until the Kings coming, the Knights standing on each side of him, and the Youth holding the sword upright before him, between the two Governours.

25. And when the King is come into the Hall, and be­holdeth thy Esquire ready to receive his high Order, and temporal dignitie, he shall ask for the Sword and Spurs, which the Chamberlain shall take from the Youth, and shew to the King. And thereupon the King taking the right Spur, shall deliver it to the most noble and gentile person there, and shall say to him, Put this upon the Esquires heel; and he kneeling on one knee, must take the Esquire by the right Leg, and putting his foot on his own knee, is to fasten the Spur upon the right heel of the Esquire; and then making a crosse upon the Esquires knee, shall kisse him: which being done, another Knight must come, and put on his left Spur in like manner. And then shall the King of his great favour, take the Sword and gird the Esquire therewith: whereupon the Esquire is to lift up his Armes, holding his hands together, and the Gloves betwixt his thumbs and fingers.

16. And the King putting his own armes about the Esquires neck, shall say, Be thou a good Knight, and afterwards kisse him. Then are the antient Knights to conduct this new Knight to the Chappel with much musick, even to the High Altar, and there he shall kneel; and putting his right hand upon the Altar, is to promise to maintain the rights of holy Church du­ring his whole life.

17. And then he shall ungirt himself of his Sword, and with great devotion to God and Holy Church, offer it there; praying unto God and all his Saints, that he may keep that Order which he hath so taken, even to the end: all which being accomplished, he is to take a draught of Wine.

18. And at his going out of the Chappel, the Kings Ma­ster-Cook being ready to take off his Spurs for his own Fee, shall say, I the Kings Master-Cook am come to receive your Spurs for my Fee; and if you do any thing contrary to the Order of Knighthood (which God forbid) I shall back your Spurs from your heels.

19. After this the Knights must conduct him again into [Page 7]the Hall, where he shall sit the first at the Knights table, and the Knights about him, himself to be served as the others are, but he must neither eat nor drink at the table, nor spit, nor look about him, upwards nor downwards, more than a Bride. And this being done, one of his Governours having a Handker­chief in his hand, shall hold it before his face when he is to spit. And when the King is risen from his table, and gone into his Chamber, then shall the new Knight be conducted with great store of Knights and minstrels proceeding before him unto his own chamber; and at his entrance the Knights and Min­strels shall take leave of him, and go to Dinner.

20. And the Knights being thus gone, the Chamber door shall be fastened, and the new Knight dis-robed of his attire, which is to be given to the Kings of Armes, in case they be there present, and if not, then to the other He­raulds, if they be there; otherwise to the Minstrels, together with a mark of silver, if he be a Knight Batcheler; if a Baron, double to that; if an Earl, or of a superiour rank, double thereto. And the russet Night-cap must be given to the Watch, or else a Noble.

21. Then is he to be clothed again with a blew robe, the slieves whereof to be streight, shaped after the fashion of a Priests; and upon his left shoulder to have a Lace of white silk, hanging: and he shall wear that Lace upon all his garments, from that day forwards, until he have gained some honour and renown by Armes, and is registred of as high record, as the Nobles, Knights, Esquires, and Heraulds of Armes; and be renowned for some feats of Armes, as aforesaid, or that some great Prince, or most noble Lady can cut that Lace from his shoulder, saying; Sir! we have heard so much of the true renown concerning your honour, which you have done in divers parts, to the great fame of Chivalry, as to your self, and of him that made you a Knight, that it is meet this Lace be taken from you.

22. After Dinner the Knights of honour and Gentlemen, must come to the Knight, and conduct him into the pre­sence [Page 8]of the King, the Esquires Governours going before him, where he is to say, Right Noble and Renowned Sir! I do in all that I can, give you thanks for these Honours, Cour­tesies, and Bounty which you have vouchsafed to me: and having so said, shall take his leave of the King.

23. Then are the Esquires Governours to take leave of this their Master, saying, Sir, We have according to the Kings command, and as we were obliged, done what we can; but if through negligence we have in ought displeased you, or by any thing we have done amisse at this time, we desire pardon of you for it. And on the other side, Sir, as right is, and according to the Customes of the Court, and antient Kingdomes, we do re­quire our Robes and Fees, as the Kings Esquires, companions to Batchelers and other Lords.