TOGETHER with the King’s Treasure in the Jewel House are kept the insignia of the Orders of Chivalry as well as decorations for bravery in battle. The oldest of these is the Order of the Garter, which was created by Edward III as far back as the year 1348. It is rather English that so ancient and highly esteemed an honour should owe its origin to quite a trivial incident. A lady, the Countess of Salisbury, who was dancing with the King at a Court Ball, dropped her garter. In this less emotional age nobody would be greatly amused if a lady dropped her garter; probably few would even notice it, unless perchance it happened to be set with diamonds. But in 1348 very small jokes apparently went a long way, and the dropping of this particular lady’s garter caused vast amusement amongst the gallants. A garter is a garter, and there is evidently nothing either indecent or improper or even amusing about it; it is merely an article used by a few people now, and most people of both sexes in those days, to keep their stockings from slipping down. However, there was the garter on the floor, and the fine gentlemen sniggering at it, whilst the poor lady who owned this harmless article was covered with confusion. In this tremendous crisis the King with a courtesy lacking amongst his courtiers stepped forward, picked up the garter, tied it round his own knee, and uttered the well-known rebuke, “Honi soit qui mal y pense.” For English Kings spoke French in those days. Edward III. was a gentleman, and it is not a little interesting to find that the oldest Order, not only in England but in the world, owes its origin to a little act of courtesy. In ancient days the Order was termed a Fraternity of Knights, and these were chosen by the King from amongst the most noble of those about the Royal person. They were not necessarily warriors of the sword, but must be Gentlemen of the Blood, such as the King thought fit to wear the same emblem as himself. A Gentleman of the Blood, it is explained, was one who could claim three descents in the _noblesse_, both on his father’s and also his mother’s side. In bestowing the Garter the exhortation used was: “Sir, the loving Company of the Order of the Garter hath received you their Brother, Lover, and Fellow, and in token and knowledge of this, they give you and present you with this present Garter, the which God will that you receive and wear henceforth to his praise and pleasure and to the exaltation and honour of the said Most Noble Order and of yourself.”