Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The knights haue certeine lawes and rules apper|teining to their order, amongst the which this is chéef|lie to be obserued (as Polydor also notech) that they shall aid and defend one another, and neuer turne their backes or runne awaie out of the field in time of battell, where he is present with his souereigne lord, his lieutenant or deputie, or other capteine, ha|uing the kings power roiall and authoritie, and wher|as his banners, standards, or pennons are spred. The residue of the lawes and rules apperteining vnto this noble order, I doo here purposelie omit, for that the same in Looke in [...] description: Britaine. an other place more conuenient is ex|pressed, so far as may be thought expedient. But now touching these six and twentie noble men & knights, which were first chosen and admitted into the same or|der, by the first founder thereof, this king Edward the third, their names are as followeth.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 First the said noble prince king Edward the third, the prince of Wales duke of Cornewall and earle of Chester his eldest sonne, Henrie duke of Lanca|ster, the earle of Warwike, the capitall de Beuch aliàs Buz or B [...]ufe, Rafe earle of Stafford, William Montacute earle of Salisburie, Roger lord Morti|mer, Iohn lord Lisle, Bartholomew lord Burwasch or Berghesech, the lord Iohn Beauchampe, the lord de Mahun, Hugh lord Courtnie, Thomas lord Ho|land, Iohn lord Graie, Richard lord Fitz Simon, sir Miles Stapleton, sir Thomas Walle, sir Hugh Wrottesley, sir Néele Loring, sir Iohn Chandos, Iames lord Audelie, sir Otes Holand, sir Henrie Eme, sir Sanchet Dabrichcourt, sir Walter Pa|nell. ¶ Christopher Okland speaking of the first insti|tution of this honorable order, dooth saie, In Angl. prae [...] sub Edwardo 3. that after foure daies were expired in the said exercises of chi|ualrie, the king besides the rich garter which he be|stowed vpon them that tried maisteries, did also giue them a pretious collar of S S. but whether this collar had his first institution then with the garter he saith nothing, belike it was an ornament of greater anti|quitie. Oklands words are these as followeth;

—concertatoribus ampla

Praemia dat princeps, baccatas induit illis

Crura periscelides, quas vnio mistus Eous

Commendat, flammis interlucente pyropo.

Praeterea ex auro puro, quod odorifer Indus

Miserat, inserta donabat iaspide gemma,

Si formam spectes duplicato ex sygmate torques.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 ¶ The cause and first originall of instituting this order is vncerteine.The occasion that moued K. Edward to institute the order of the garter. But there goeth a tale amongst the people, that it rose by this means. It chanced that K. Edward finding either the garter of the quéene, or of some The countr [...] of Salisburie. ladie with whom he was in loue, being fallen from hir leg, stooped downe and tooke it vp, whereat diuerse of his nobles found matter to iest, and to talke their fansies merilie, touching the kings affection towards the woman, vnto whome he said, that if he liued, it should come so passe, that most high honor should be giuen vnto them for the garters sake: and there vpon shortlie after, he deuised and or|deined this order of the garter, with such a posie, wher|by he signified, that his nobles iudged otherwise of him than the truth was. Though some may thinke, that so noble an order had but a meane beginning, if this tale be true, yet manie honorable degrees of e|states haue had their beginnings of more base and meane things, than of loue, which being orderlie vsed, is most noble and commendable, sith nobilitie it selfe is couered vnder loue, as the poet Ouid aptlie saith,

Nobilitas sub amore iacet.