4 The first is the Cross of the Legion of Honor (see note for p. 8, ll. 5–6), which was preserved by the Bourbons

4 The first is the Cross of the Legion of Honor (see note for p. 8, ll. 5–6), which was preserved by the Bourbons but which became depreciated by its proliferation. The second is the cordon bleu, the decoration that denoted membership in the Ordre du Saint-Esprit (Order of the Holy Spirit), founded by Henri III in 1578.