45. _Knights of the most Glorious Virgin_ Mary _of_ Rome.
_A. D._ 1618. _Pedro_, _John Baptista_, and _Bernardo_, sirnam’d _Petrignaneos_ (three Brethren of _Spelta_ in _Italy_) invented this Order: To which was added, the Rule of St. _Francis d’Assise_, whereof the Popes are Great Masters. _Paul_ V. confirm’d them, and gave these Knights the Palace of St. _John Lateran_ for their Convent, and the City and Port of _Civita Vecchia_ to make their Arsenal; with an Island adjacent, together with the Government of his Gallies. Their Institution was for the Exaltation of the _Roman_ Church, and to check or suppress the _Turks_ roving in the Mediterranean. There are three Sorts of this Order, 1. _Knights Gentlemen_, Laicks. 2. _Knights Gentlemen_, Priests and benefic’d. 3. _Knights Chaplains_, or _Servants of Arms_. All of these wear on the left Side of their Mantles their Badge, which is a _blew Cross floree Azure_, border’d with _Silver_, having 4 _Mullets_, or _Stars_, at the End of each Flower, to signifie the Four Evangelists; in the Middle is a Circle (extended round underneath the Arms of the Cross) set with 12 Rays for the 12 Apostles, inscrib’d, _In hoc signo vincam_; and within it (taking up the Center of the Cross) is a Cypher of _M. S._ i. e. _Sancta Maria_, crown’d with Chaplets of Flowers, and Stars of Gold set over the Chaplet.
46. _Knights of the_ Annunciade, _and St._ Michael _the Archangel in_ Mantua, _or of the Christian Militia in_ Moravia.
BY these Names they have been promiscuously called. It was instituted 1618. by _Charles Gonzaga_, Duke of _Mantua_ and _Nevers_, in Conjunction with _Adolph_, Count of _Altham_ his Brother, and _John Baptist Petrignan Sfortia_. To give it the greater Lustre, they divided the World among them; _Charles_ took the North and West Parts, _Adolph_ the Eastern, and the other had the South, where they were personally to found Convents and invest Knights. Duke _Charles_ began his Institution of this Order under the Rule of St. _Francis_, in _Olmutz_ the Metropolis of _Moravia_, the Year aforesaid, and dedicated it to the blessed Virgin and St. _Michael_: But what Progress the others made in their pious Resolutions, History is silent. It has been likewise styl’d, _Conceptionis Ordo & Militis Virginis annunciatæ_. _Anno_ 1612. several illustrious Princes of divers Countries entered themselves into that Order at _Vienna_. It was approv’d by Pope _Paul_ V. and confirm’d by Pope _Paul_ VIII. 1624. The Design of its Institution was, to establish Peace and Concord among Christian Princes and their Subjects; to release Captives, and deliver the Oppressed out of the Hands of the Infidels.