Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/328

Rh d. For the Knights' fourth class, the decoration is of a smaller size in silver, and is suspended, also, at the button-hole, by a ribbon about three quarters of an inch wide. The Knights in the army and navy, below the rank of officers, receive with the first class Order, an addition equal to the half of their pay, which is doubled when promoted to the third class. The scale of the degrees is from the fourth class upwards, so that no intervening class can be passed over.

The festival of the Order is annually held on the 16th January.

CIVIL ORDER OF MERIT OF THE BELGIAN LION, (Also called the Order of the Netherlands Lion.)

This Order was also founded by King William I. on the 20th September, 1815, for distinguished merit in civil life, patriotism, or eminence in the arts and sciences; foreigners are not excluded from it.

The monarch holds the Grand Mastership, a dignity inseparable from the Dutch crown.

The Order is divided into three classes: Knights of the Grand Cross, Commanders, and simple Knights.

There is also a fourth class, under the name ' Brothers,' for individuals who have merited well, by useful and humane actions towards their fellow-creatures.

The badge is a white enamelled cross, with a gold letter '"W ' in each of the angles: the blue enamelled middle of the front contains the inscription in gold, of ' Virtus nobilitat ' (Virtue ennobles), and the similar middle of the reverse shows the lion of the national arms. (Plate 46, Tab. II. No. 8). Above the whole is a royal crown. The colour