Page:A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Peerage and Baronetage of the British Empire Chunk 2.djvu/587

 BRITISH ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD. THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ORDER OF ST. MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE. Instituted 27th April, 1838, by Letters Patent, under the Great Seal of Great Britain, for Natires of the Usited States of the IONIAN ISLANDS, and of the Island of MALTA and sts Dependencies, and for such other subjects of H,s Majesty as may hold high and confidential situations in the Mediterranean. By Statutes, dated 16 Aug. 1832, the Order is to consist of fifteen Knights Grand Cross, exclusive of the Grand Master, twenty Knights Commanders, and twenty-five Cavalieri or Companions. THE membors of tho Order enjoy rank and precedency immediately nfter the corresponding classes of the Order of the Bath; that is to say, the Knights Grsnd Cross after Knights Grand Cross of the Bath; the Knights Commanders after the Knights Commanders of the Bath; and the Cavalieri and Companions after the Companions of the Bath, with the exception of the present Senior Cavaliere, who retains the appellation of the British Knighthood (“ Sir”), and the precedency assigned to him by the original statutes of April, 1818. All natfres of the Tonian Islands and of Malta, who receive the third clans of the Order, are styled “Cavaliere,”and all natives of Great Britain and Ireland “Com.panious.” The Grand Master is the First and Principal Knight Grand Cross, and the Lord High Commissioner to the lonian States has precedency of all other Knights Grand Cross. The Knights Grand Cross are entitled to bear snpporters, and to encircle their arms witls the collas ribbon, and motto of the Order. The Knights Commanders snd Cavaheri also encircle their arms with the ribbon and motto; and the Companions suspend the badge of the Order to their arms. slANT AND 5NSION5A. Tna STAn of a Knight Grand Crose is composed of seven rays of silver, havixsg a small ray of gold between each of them, and over all / the cross of St. George, gnles. In the centre is n representation of the Archangel St. Michael encountering Satan, within a blue circle, in. / scribed with the motto Ausscsuos Masonss iEvs. THE CeLList is formed alternately of lions of England, of Maltese crosses, and uS’ the ciphers SM and S G, having in the centre the imperial erosvn, over tn’o winged lions, passant.gnardant, each holding s book, and seven arrows. At the opposits end of the collar are two similar lions. The whole is of gold, except the crosses, which are of white enamel, and it is linked together by small gold chains. THE Banon is a gold cross of fonrteen points of white enamel, edged with gold, having in the centre, on one dde, the Archangel St. Michael encountering Satan, and on the other, St. George en horseback, encountering a dragon, within a blue circle, en which the motto of the Order is inscribed. The Cross is snrmonnted by the imperial crown, and is worn by the Kniglsts Grand Cross to the Collar, or to a wide Saxon-blue ribbon, with a scarlet stripe from tlse right shoulder to the left side. TnE MANTLE is of Saxois-blna satin, lined wab scarlet silk, tied with cordons of blue and scarlet silk aud geld, and has on the left side the star of a Knight Grand Crosa Tne CNAPEAU is of blue satin, lined with scarlet, and surmounted with white and black ostrich feathers. Tne Ic.NienTs ComuiNoans wear the badge suspended te a narrower ribbon from the neck, and have on their left side a star composed of four rays, with a small cross of eight points tn saltser, of s,lver, surmonnted by the cross of St. George, gnlus, and having the same centre as the star of the Grand trossrs. Tue CivALsens and CosIriNsoNs wear the smaii cross of the Order from a still narrower ribbon at lie button-hole of their coa’ s. MOTTO-A uspzciu MELIORIS LVI. 1219