DECORATIONS
668
DECORATIONS
Knights. The decoration is a bifurcated or eight-
pointed red enamelled gold cross, in the centre of
which is a blue medallion on which is impressed in
gold the image of St. Gregory, and at the side of his
head near the right ear is a dove; in a circle around the
image appears in golden letters " S. Gregorius Magnus ".
On the reverse side is the device, "Pro Deo et Prin-
cipe", and in the centre around it, gregorius xvi.
p. M. ANNO. 1. The badge is the cross of the order
surrounded with silver rays. The ribbon of the order
is red with orange borders. The cross worn by a
knight of the military division is surmounted by a
military trophy; the cross of a knight of the civil
division is surmounted by a crown of gold oak leaves.
The costume of ceremony is a dress coat of dark green
open in front, and covered on breast and back with
embroideries in the form of oak leaves. WTiite
trousers with silver side stripes, a bicornered orna-
mented hat, and the usual knightly sword, complete
the costume, which is rarely worn.
Order oj St. Sylvester, before the Regulations of Pius X. — This was the Order of the Golden Militia under a new name. Prior to the year 1841 it was known as the Militia of the Golden Spur or Golden Militia, and though it is not historically established who among the many supposed founders is the true one, yet it undoubtedly is the oldest and, at one time, was one of the most prized of the papal orders. Faculties grant<?d to the Sforza family (Paul III " Hinc est quod nos", 14 Apr., 1539), to the College of Abbreviators (Leo X Const. 14 "Summi") and to bishops assistant at the throne (Julius III, 6 Apr., 1557) to create Knights of the Golden Militia resulted in lavish be- stowal and diminished prestige of the decoration. Pope Gregory XVI (Quod hominum mentes", 31 Oct., 1841), retaining the ancient name, placed the order under the patronage of St. Sylvester (one of its alleged founders), withdrew all faculties to whom and by whomsoever given, and forbade the use of the title or the decoration to all knights created by other than by papal Brief. The better to restore it to its ancient glory and splendour, he limited the number of commanders to one hundred and fifty and knights to three hundred (for Papal States only), and appointed the Cardinal of Apostolic Briefs as Chancellor of the Order, with the duty of preserving the name, grade, nimiber and date of admission of each knight. He divided it into two classes, commanders and knights. The former wore the large sized decoration suspended at the neck, the latter the small sized one on the left side of the breast. The decoration, according to the Gregorian Brief, was an eight-pointed gold cross with an image of St. Sylvester wearing the tiara on its white enamelled centre, and around this centre a blue enamelled circle bearing in letters of gold the inscrip- tion SANC. SYLVESTER P. M. On the reverse side, in golden characters, was stamped mdoccxli gregorius XVI RHSTITUIT. A goldcii spur hung suspended from the sides of the bifurcated foot of the cross of the order to mark the unity of the Sylvestrine order with that of the Golden Militia. The ribbon of the decora- tion was of silk composed of five strands, three of which were red, and two black. Commanders wore the decoration at the neck, the knights on the breast. The ribbon of the former was larger than that of the latter, the cross of the former was also more elegant than that of the latter. The official costume was a red evening dress coat with two rows of gold buttons with green collar and facing. The gold embroideries of the coat were of a more ornate design for command- ers than for knights. White trousers, with gold side bands, hat with white plumes and a sword with a silver hilt and also gilt spurs, completed this rarely used costume. Knights of both classes wore around the neck a gold chain from which was svispended a tiny golden spur commemorative of the ancient order of that denomination. Pius X (Motu Proprio, "Multum ad
excitandos", 7 Feb., 1905) divided the Sylvestrine into
two orders of knighthood, one retaining the name of St.
Sylvester and the other taking the ancient name of the
order, i. e. Order of the Golden Militia, or Golden Spur.
Order of St. Sylvester, since the Regulations of Pius X. — The order now has three classes of knights: (1) Knights Grand Cross, (2) Commanders, and (3) Knights. The present decoration is a gold cross of white enam- elled surface, in the centre of which is impressed the image of St. Sylvester P. M., surrounded by a blue enamelled circle bearing the inscription in letters of gold SANC. SYLVESTER P. M. On the opposite side, in the centre, are the pontifical emblems with the date of the Gregorian restoration, mdcccxxxxi, and that of the Pius X renovation, mdccccv, impressed in characters of gold upon a blue circle. The badge is the cross of the order attached to a silver star. The new costume consists of a black (formerly red) coat with one row (formerly two) of gilt buttons, and cuffs and collar of black velvet embroidered in gold; black trousers, with gold stripes, a bicornered hat of rough silk adorned with papal-colovired cockade, and finally a sword with a hilt of mother-of-pearl orna- mented with gold and worn suspended from a gilt belt. The ribbon of the decoration is black silk bordered with red. Simple knights wear the cross on the left breast of the tunic. Commanders wear a larger cross suspended by the ribbon of the order encircling the neck, and the Knights of the Grand Cross wear a cross of largest form pendant from the right shoulder and the badge on the left side of the breast. The hat of the commander is adorned with a black, that of the grand cross knight with a white, plume.
The Order of the Golden Militia, or the Golden Spur. — Pius X, in commemoration of the high prestige to which this order had attained long years before it was absorbed into the Gregorian Order of St. Sylvester, and as a souvenir of the golden jubilee of the dogmatic definition of the Immaculate Conception of the B. V. M., gave back to it the separate existence, name and grade of ancient days, and rendered it still more illus- trious by placing it under the patronage of the Imma- culate Conception. To this order are to be admitted only those who have distinguished themselves in an eminent degree, and either by feat of arms, or by their writings, or by any other conspicuous work, have spread the Catholic Faith, and by their bravery have safeguarded, or by their learning made illustrious, the Church of God. To insure its continued high grade of excellence and desirability, its founder limited it to one class and one hundred knights for the entire world ("Multum ad excitandos", 7 Feb., 1905). It can be conferred on those already knighted in the highest orders, even that of Christ, as well as on those who have never received any order of knighthood. The honour is bestowed by a "Motu Proprio" (Pope's own motion) and as such is expedited through the secretariat of State, and free from all chancery fees. The decoration is an eight-pointed or bifurcated yel- low enamelled gold cross, with a gold trophy on top and pendent from the inner sides of its bifurcated foot a gold spur. On a small white medal in the centre of the cross the word iiari.4. surrounded by a golden circle, and on the reverse side in the centre is stamped the year mdccccv and in the surrounding circle the inscription pius x restituit. The badge is the cross upon the rays of a silver star. The ribbon used for both decoration and badge is red bordered with white. The knights of to-day do not wear the ancient collar. The cross is worn suspended by the ribbon of the order which encircles the neck. The badge is at- tached by the ribbon to the left breast of the tunic. The present official dress consists of a red tunic v/ith two rows of gilt buttons, the collar and cuffs of which are black velvet embroidered with threads of gold, long, black cloth trousers with gold side stripes; epaulettes ornamented with gold fringes and surmounted on top
