ANDREW, ST., or TILE THISTLE, a Scottish order of knighthood, named after the patron saint of Scotland. Nisbet, with pardonable partiality, prefers it to all other orders, purely military, "chiefly for the antiquity of it, which gives it a place and precedency over all other orders now in being." (Heraldry, part iv. c. xi., p. 107.) He then proceeds, after bishop Lesley, to recount the story of the St. A.'s cross having appeared in heaven to Achaius, king of Scots, and Hungus, king of the Picts, as a sign of the victory which they should gain the following day over Athelstane, king of England; and their subsequent vow, when the prophecy was fulfilled, to bear it on their ensigns and banners. It is frequently said to have been recognized as an order of knighthood in the reign of James V., and after a period of abeyance, to have been revived by James II. of Great Britain in 1687. For the actual facts of the case see, however, the article THISTLE, ORDER OF THE.
The star of the order of the thistle is worn on the left side. It consists of a St. A.'s
cross of silver embroidery, with rays emanating from between the points of the cross, in the center of which is a thistle of gold and green upon u field of green, surrounded by a circle of green, bearing the motto of the order in golden characters.
The badge or jewel is worn pendent to the collar, or to a dark-green ribbon over the left shoulder, and tied under the arm. It consists of a figure of St. A. with the cross enameled and chased on rays of gold; the cross and feet resting upon the ground of enameled green. The collar is of thistles, intermingled with sprigs of rue. By a statute passed in May, 1827, the order is to consist of the sovereign and 16 knights. The letters K.T. are placed after the names of knights of the order. The motto Is Nemo me impune lacessit. Nisbet, differing from Sir George Mackenzie, prefers lacesset, as "having more of daring and gallantly."