Page:The Book of Orders of Knighthood and Decorations of Honour of All Nations.djvu/13

Turkey and Sardinia, which Governments have bestowed them liberally, in acknowledgment of merit or daring in certain hazardous services. This has drawn greater attention to the Honorary Decorations and Orders of other countries. Hitherto, however, our knowledge of them has been extremely imperfect; no English publication existing which represented them to the eye, or included the entire series. The value of an authority on such a subject, in which the reader can ascertain who has been decorated, and what is the character of the decoration, must be obvious. To supply this desideratum, a full account has been compiled from the best authorities, of all the orders, with a description of every distinction now worn at home and abroad; and trustworthy lists have been appended, brought down to the latest announcements, of the English recipients of both. The Illustrations will speak for themselves. It is only necessary to add, that every possible care has been taken to render the volume worthy of general patronage.