ON Thursday (18 April 1661) those Lords and Gentlemen, who were by his Majesties Command, cal­led by the Lord Chamberlains Letter, to be Knights of the Bath, met about four of the Clock in the Afternoon, at the Court of Requests at Westminster, where the Duke of Ormond, the Earles of Northumberland, Suffolk, Lindsey, and Manchester, His Majesties Commissioners for that purpose, Sate, attended by Sir Edward Walker, Garter, Principal King at Arms, and other Heralds, and by Sir John Eaton, Huissier of the Black Rod, and called over a List of the Names of those Persons, in such order as they had been Ranck­ed by the said Lords Commissioners, which was for the most part according to their proper places.

Of the whole Number in the List, only 3 or 4 were absent, so that 68 onely Appeared and An­swered to their Names, and were Directed by the Heralds to proceed orderly towards Henry the 7ths Chappel, the Junior Knights first, each between his two Esquires, and the Page following him; both Knights and Esquires were then in their ordinary [Page 4] Habits, most Regularly in Black, some of the Heralds going before them, with their Coats of Office upon their Armes.

When they came to the Chappel, every Knight made the wonted Reverence to the Altar, and so tooke his Seat; Evening Song being done, they were again called in order by the Heralds, the Junior Knight first, did like Reverence, and went back in like order to the Painted Chamber and Rooms ad­joyning, where they Reposed themselves till Sup­per was ready, which consisted of at least 200 dishes of meat, besides a noble Service of Sweet-meats at his Majesties Charges.

This Supper was in Court of Requests, where a continued long Table was set up all along one side of the Room, an Escutcheon of the Knights Armes affixed upon the Hangings in order as they were first called, which was a perfect Index to direct the Knights to their proper places, and a means for the Esquires and Pages to find their Knights, the crowd of people being great.

The Knights being placed on the Wall side, each under his Escutcheon of Armes, the Esquires stood opposite to them on the other side the Table; the Antient Custome it seems was, that the Knights should sit demurely for some time with the meat be­fore them and eat nothing, but retire and leave it to their Esquires, but that Custome having former­ly been broken, it was so now also.

The Esquires stood bare for a short time, till the Knights had begun to eat, and then the Esquires (ei­ther by Right, or by their Permission) were covered, [Page 5] and did eat also, but stood all Supper time.

About one of the clock in the morning, Supper being ended, the Lord Cornwallis and Sir Charles Berkley, the Treasurer and Comptroler of his Ma­jesties Houshold, bade them Welcome in his Majesties Name, and then conducted them to the Painted Chamber, where, and in the Lords House, and other Roomes adjoyning, their Bathing Tubs and Beds (which were Pallets, with Canopies) were prepared; which Canopies were of Red Say, and the Vessels were covered with the same, and at the Tester of every Bed alike Escutcheon of the Knights Armes was set up severally, which directed each of them to his severall Appartiment or Stall.

The Linnen (which was 24 Ells of Holland for every Bathing-Tub,) was provided by his Majesties Barber, (at the Knights charge) and is part of his Fee; and after the Knights had bath'd themselves more or lesse, as they pleased, they went to bed, and early in the morning were bid Good Morrow by his Majesties Musick of severall kinds. Then arising and Apparelling themselves in a Hermit or Cordeliers ha­bit, (being a long Russed Gown with wide Sleeves and Hoods tyed close about the middle with a Cor­don of Ash colour'd and Russed Silk, reaching down almost to the Knees, and a Handkerchef hanging thereat) they proceeded to King Henry the sevenths Chappell in the same order as on the Night before; and then doing the same Reverence, where they heard Divine Service, and took this Oath, which was read to them by Sir Edward Walker, before the said Lord Commissioners who were seated in the midst of the Chappell near the Altar.

This done, and the Bible kiss'd, they return'd in the same order they came to the Painted Chamber, and there put off their Hermits Weed, and were then roab'd with the habit of their Order, which was a Mantle and Surcoat of red Taffaty lin'd and edg'd with white Sarcenet, and thereto fastned two long strings of white silk, with Buttons and Tassels of red Silk and Gold, and a pair of White Gloves tied to them, a White Hat, and White Feather: Thus attir'd, they came to the [Page 7] Court of Requests, where a noble dinner was prepa­red for them at his Majesties charge also, served up by his Majesties Servants and Yeomen of the Guard, the Kings Kettle-Drum and Trumpets sound­ing.

Dinner being done, each Knight had a Sword, the Pummell whereof and Cross-Hilt were gilt, a Scab­bard of White Leather, a Girdle and Belt of the like and gilt Spurs carried by their Pages, then they pro­ceeded to the Old Palace-Yard, where they took Horse, the Senior first, and the Heralds before them in their Coats, they Rode round the New Pa­lace-Yard, and so thorough Kings-Street round about where Charing-Cross stood, and then back a­gain to White-Hall, where they alighted, and after they had gone about the first Court, they were con­ducted by the Heralds up to the Banqueting-House, where his Majesty sate under a Cloth of State to receive them, they were brought up six by six, each between his two Esquires, with his Page carrying his Sword and Spurs before him. In their Approaches before his Ma­jesty they made three Obeysances, and each Knight be­ing presented by his Esq upon their knees to his Ma­jesty, the Lord Chamberlain of his Majesties Hous­hold received the Knights Sword from the Page, and delivered it to his Majesty, who then with the Sword of State (ready drawn) conferred upon them their respe­ctive Knighthoods by laying the Sword upon their Shoulders, and putting the presented Sword about the Knights neck in such sort that it might hang on his left side, & then his Majesty put the Red Ribband, with the Order hanging at it, over the Knights head; which Or­der [Page 8] has three Crowns of Gold Enamelled with Green, and Incompassed with this Motto, In uno tria juncta. Which done, the Knight made his Obeysan­ces of Gratitude to his Majesty; And falling back the rest were Knighted in like manner. The premi­er Knight had his Spurs put on by an Earl, according the Ancient Custome, which was omitted in the rest for Brevity-Sake.

After they were all Knighted, they went down through the Privy Gallery into his Majesties Chap­pel, and there heard Divine Service, with Musick and Anthems, and then went up six at a time to the Al­tar, and offered up their Swords, where the Lord Bishop of London, Dean of his Majesties Chappel Royal received them, and laid them upon the Altar, and afterwards restored them with this admonition.

‘ By the Oath which you have taken this day, I Ex­hort and Admonish you, to use these Swords to the Glory of God, and Defence of the Gospel, to the Maintenance of your Soveraigns Right and Honour, and to the upholding of Justice and Equity to your Power; So help you God.’

Whilst the Bishop laid the Swords upon the Altar, each Knight presented an Angel of Gold into a Gold Bason held by a Divine of his Majesties Chappel, who stood on the left hand of the Bishop to Receive them.

This done, the Knights returned from the Chap­pel; but at the door, the Kings Master Cook stood with his Apron on, and Chopping Knife in his hand, and as every Knight passed by, Said thus;

‘ Noble Knight, You know what a great Oath you have taken, which if you keep, it will be great [Page 9] Honour to you; but if you break it, I must back off your Spurrs at your Heeles, as unworthy of this Dig­nity, which God forbid.’

And for Redemption of his Spurrs, each Knight gave the Cook a Noble for his Fee. When they came to the great Hall, the Officers at Arms acquaint­ed them, that on Munday following they were to attend his Majesty from the Tower to White-Hall on Horseback, in the same Robes wherein they were Knighted.

Both the Knights, and Esquires, to ride in distinct bodyes by themselves: And on Tuesday the Knights to meet early in the Painted Chamber, in their Pur­ple Sattin Habits, thence to proceed before his Ma­jesty to the Coronation at Westminster-Abby, and to attend him at Dinner in Westminster-Hall: All which was performed accordingly.