Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/580

Rh lozenge crown, and containing, upon golden ground, the motto of the Order. (Tab. I. No. 1.)

It has no statutes.

THE MILITARY ORDER OF SAINT HENRY.

This Order, destined as a reward for distinguished merit upon the battle field, was originated by Augustus III. King of Poland, and Elector of Saxony, who decorated with it, on his fortieth birth-day (7th October, 1739), at Hubertsburgh, himself, the Crown Prince and several of his Generals. At that time the Order consisted of only one class, while the badge was a red enamelled cross, with the Polish white eagle in the angles, and the figure of St. Henry in the middle, It was worn upon the breast suspended by a dark red ribbon with white borders.

In this state and form, it remained until the 4th September, 1768, when Prince Xavier, administrator of the Electorate, divided the Knights into three classes, altering at the same time the shape and form of the decoration. No further distribution took place until 1796, when seven more Knights were decorated with the Order. In 1807, however, numerous distributions were made in all the three classes. On the 23rd December, 1829, King Antony added a new class to the former, that of second class Commanders, and proclaimed also the following statutes:

1. The Order is to bear the name of the Saxon Emperor St. Henry.

2. The Grand Mastership to be vested in the Crown of Saxony.

3. The Military Members to be divided into four classes: Knights, Grand Cross Commanders, first and second classes,