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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1900 Excerpt: ... gold, "Pius IX." encircled by the motto, "Virtuti et Merito"; reverse, "AnnoMDCCCXLVII." Ribbon: dark blue, with four narrow red stripes, two on each border. There are also the Papal Orders of St Sylvester, founded in 1841; that of the Golden Spurs and St John of Jerusalem, both of which may be regarded as branches of the Knights of Malta. Naturally, there are in Rome many orders of a purely religious formation, among which are those of St Peter, St Paul, St George, St John of the Lateran, and a most ancient knighthood known as that of The Merciful Brethren of the Holy Ghost The badges and insignia of all of these orders are most interesting, consisting, as they mostly do, of crosses, or half-forgotten church emblems handed down from remote ages. There is not a Papal decoration about which do not linger strange mysteries and histories. Of course, the crosses of the saints, St Peter's Keys, and the "Triple Crown " are of frequent occurrence, as is the yellow and white ribbon, the colors of the Papal flag. Yellow, which stands for gold (or), and white, standing for argent (silver), is "metal on metal," a violation of one of the most rigid rules of heraldry. An exception to this rule was purposelv made as early as the jtime of Godfrey, the Crusader King of Jerusalem, who adopted the device of five golden crowns (for the five wounds of Christ) on a silver field, and yellow and white were soon sanctioned and approved by the Papal government, and the famous "flag of two metals" became one of world-wide celebrity. ENGLAND--OKDER OF THE GARTER. The most noble Order of the Garter, outranking as it does all others "in majesty, honour, and fame," according to popular belief, originated in an act of...