ORIGIN OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1988, 14 May 1906, Page 7

ORIGIN OF THE ORDER OF THE BATH.

— * — Ou October 11, 1395), at. the Tower of London, then a Hoyal residence, Henry IV., in the presence of his cousin and predecessor, Richard 11., who had consented to be deprived of his thr.one, conferred knighthood ni on forty-six esquires, including his own four sons, and Thomas Fit - /.- alan, the young and tilth Karl of Arundel : this ceremony taking place just before his own coronation, which was celebrated with great splendour at Westminister Abbey on October 13. From this ceremony authorities on heraldry date the institution of the order of the Bath, though this honour fell into neglect after the coronation of Charles 11., till revived by George 1. in I.72s,according to whom it was to consist of the Sovereign himself, of a Grand Master and thirty-six Knight-Companions, though now it numbers about 230 in different classes or ranks. At any rate, this Order of the Bath was named after an ancient ceremony that was not likely to he in use during the eighteenth century, but to which, in the time of Henry IV., those admitted would be obliged to submit. A bath was i repared in the future knight’s appointed bedchamber, and, after a barber had shaved him and cut his hair, he was taken into this apartment, was undressed, and was placed in this tub. While occupying the bath, two ‘‘ancient and grave” knights informed, instructed, and counselled him concerning the order and feats of chivalry, and afterwards poured some of the water from the bath over his shoulders, signing the left one with the cross, and then retired. He was then taken from the hatit, and put into bed, where ho remained till his body was dry. Throughout the heathen Homan Kmpirc, of which you know Southern Britain became part, baths were a general resort for sport as well as health and cleanliness : hut though some early Christian Fathers thought they might he employed for these latter purposes, they fell into disuse, especially, perhaps, in the colder climate, of Northern Europe, after Home had been devastated by invaders from those parts : and in Knglnd they were not much revived until the seventeenth century and later.