 In Rastel 's Chronicle , I. vi. under the life of Edward III is the following curious passage : " About the 19 yere of this kinge , he made a solempne feest at Wyndesore , and a greate justes and turnament , where he devysed , and perfyted substanegally , the order of the knyghtes of the garter ; howe be it some afferme that this order began fyrst by kynge Rycharde , Cure de Lyon , at the sege of the citye of Acres ; where , in his great necessyte , there were but 26 knyghtes that fyrmely and surely abode by the kynge ; where he caused all them to were thonges of blew leyther about theyr legges . And afterwarde they were called the knyghtes of the blew thonge . " I am obliged for this passage to John Fenn , Esq ; a curious and ingenious gentleman of East @-@ Dereham , in Norfolk , who is in possession of the most rare book whence it is taken . Hence some affirm , that the origin of the garter is to be dated from Richard I * and that it owes its pomp and splendor to Edward III . 
