The Curiosities of Heraldry Part 1

The Curiosities of Heraldry.

by Mark Antony Lower.

PREFACE.

Little need be said to the lover of antiquity in commendation of the subject of this volume; and I take it for granted that every one who reads the history of the Middle Ages in a right spirit will readily acknowledge that Heraldry, as a system, is by no means so contemptible a thing as the mere utilitarian considers it to be. Yet, notwithstanding, how few are there who have even a partial acquaintance with its principles. To how many, even of those who find pleasure in archaeological pursuits, does the charge apply:

"--_neque enim clypei caelamina norit_."

Two hundred years ago, when the study of armory was much more cultivated than at present, this general ignorance of our 'n.o.ble science' called forth the censure of its admirers. Master Ri. Brathwait, lamenting it, says of some of his contemporaries:

"They weare theire grandsire's signet on their thumb, Yet aske them whence their crest is, they are _mum_;"

and adds:

"Who weare gay _coats_, but can no _coat_ deblaze, Display'd for _gulls_, may bear _gules_ in their face!"[1]

This invective is perhaps a little too severe, yet it is mildness itself when compared with that of Ranulphus Holme, son of the author of the 'Academy of Armory,' who declares that unless the reader a.s.sents to what is contained in his father's book he is

"neither Art's nor Learning's friend, But an ignorant, empty, brainless sot, Whose chiefest study is the _can_ and _pot_!"

Now, though I would by no means place the objector to Heraldry upon the same bench with the devotee of Bacchus, nor even upon the stool of the dunce, yet I hope to make it appear that the study is worthy of more attention than is generally conceded to it.[2] At the same time I wish it to be distinctly understood that I do not over-rate its importance. "The benefit arising from different pursuits will differ, of course, in degree, but nothing that exercises the intellect can be useless, and in this spirit it may be possible to study even conchology without degradation."

Many persons regard arms as nothing more than a set of uncouth and unintelligible emblems by which families are distinguished from one another; the language by which they are described as an antiquated "jargon;" and both as little worthy of an hour's examination as astrology, alchemy or palmistry. This is a mistake; and such individuals are guilty, however unintentionally, of a great injustice to a lordly, poetical, and useful science.

That Heraldry is a _lordly_ science none will deny; that it is also a _poetical_ science I shall shortly attempt to prove; but there are some sour spirits who know not how to dissever the idea of lordliness from that of tyranny, and who "thank the G.o.ds for not having made them poetical."

These, therefore, will be no recommendations of our subject to _such_ readers; but should I be able to show that it is a _useful_ science, what objections can those cavillers then raise?

I purpose to give a short dissertation on the utility of Heraldry, but first let me say a few words on the _poetry_ of the subject. Do not the 'Lion of England,' the 'Red-Cross Banner,' the 'White and Red Roses,' the 'Shamrock of Ireland,' and 'Scotia's barbed Thistle' occupy a place in the breast of every patriot? and what are they but highly poetical expressions? Do not the poetry of Chaucer and Spenser and Shakspeare, not to mention our old heroic ballads and the pleasant legends of a Scott, abound with heraldrical allusions? Ta.s.so is minute, though inaccurate, in the description of the banners of his Christian heroes; he was far from despising blazon as a poetical accessory. And, lastly, see how n.o.bly the stately Drayton makes the 'jargon' of Heraldry chime in with his glorious numbers:

"Upon his surcoat valiant _Neville_ bore A SILVER SALTIRE upon martial red; A LADIE'S SLEEVE high-spirited _Hastings_ wore; _Ferrers_ his tabard with rich VAIRY spred, Well known in many a warlike match before; A RAVEN sate on _Corbet's_ armed head; And _Culpeper_ in SILVER ARMS enrailed Bore thereupon a BLOODIE BEND ENGRAILED; The n.o.ble _Percie_ in that dreadful day With a BRIGHT CRESCENT in his guidhomme came; In his WHITE CORNET _Verdon_ doth display A FRET OF GULES," &c.

_Barons' War_, B. 1, 22, 23.

I now proceed to show that Heraldry is a _useful_ science. It has already been said that nothing which calls into exercise the intellectual powers can be useless. But it may be said that there is an abundance of studies calculated more profitably to exercise them. Granted: but it should be remembered that, as there is a great diversity of tastes, so there is a great disparity in the mental capacities of mankind. Heraldry may therefore be recommended as a study to those who are not qualified to grasp more profound subjects, and as a source of amus.e.m.e.nt to those who wish to relieve their minds in the intervals of graver and more important pursuits. To either cla.s.s a very brief study will give an insight into the theory of heraldry, and a competent knowledge of the terms it employs.

The nomenclature of Heraldry is somewhat repulsive to those who casually look into a treatise on the subject, and often deters even the unprejudiced from entering upon the study; but what science is there that is not in a greater or less degree liable to the same objection?

A recent writer observes: "The language of Heraldry is occasionally barbarous in sound and appearance, but it is always peculiarly expressive; and a practice which involves habitual conciseness and precision in their utmost attainable degree, and in which tautology is viewed as fatally detrimental, may insensibly benefit the student on other more important occasions."[3]

But Heraldry is useful on higher grounds than these, and particularly as an aid to the right understanding of that important period of the history of Christendom, the reign of feudalism. An eminent French writer, Victor Hugo, declares that "for him who can decipher it, Heraldry is an _algebra_, _a language_. The whole history of the second half of the middle ages is written in blazon, as that of the preceding period is in the symbolism of the Roman church." To the student of history, then, Heraldry is far from useless.

The sculptured stone or the emblazoned shield often speaks when the written records of history are silent. A grotesque carving of coat or badge in the spandrel of some old church-door, or over the portal of a decayed mansion, often points out the stock of the otherwise forgotten patron or lord. "A dim-looking pane in an oriel window, or a discoloured coat in the dexter corner of an old Holbein may give not only the name of the benefactor or the portrait, but also identify him personally by showing his relation to the head of the house, his connexions and alliances."[4] The antiquary and the local historian, then, possess in Heraldry a valuable key to many a secret of other times.

To the genealogist a knowledge of Heraldry is indispensable. Coats of arms in church windows, on the walls, upon tombs, and especially on seals, are doc.u.ments of great value. Many persons of the same name can now only be cla.s.sed with their proper families by an inspection of the arms they bore.

In Wales, where the number of surnames is very limited, families are much better recognized by their arms than by their names.[5]

The painter, in representing the gaudy scenes of the courts and camps of other days, can by no means dispense with a knowledge of our science; and the architect who should attempt to raise some stately Gothic fane, omitting the well-carved shield, the heraldric corbel, and the blazoned grandeur of

"rich windows that exclude the light,"

would inevitably fail to impart to his work one of the greatest charms possessed by that n.o.blest of all styles of building, and produce a meagre, soulless, abortion! Heraldry is, then, in the eyes of every man of any pretensions to taste, a useful, because an indispensable, science.

Now for an argument far stronger than all: Heraldry has been known to further the ends of _justice_. "I know three families," says Garter Bigland, "who have acquired estates by virtue of preserving the arms and escutcheons of their ancestors." I repeat, therefore, without the fear of contradiction, that Heraldry is a _useful_ science. Q. E. D.

With respect to the sheets now submitted to the reader a few observations may be necessary. In the first place, I wish it to be understood that I have avoided, as much as possible, the technicalities of blazon: it was not my wish to supersede (even had I been competent to do so) the various excellent treatises on the subject already extant. The sole motive I entertained in writing this volume was a desire to render the science of Heraldry more intelligible to the general reader, and to present it in aspects more interesting and attractive than those writers can possibly do who treat of blazon merely as an art, and to make him acquainted with its origin and progress by means of brief historical and biographical sketches, and by inquiries into the derivation and meaning of armorial figures. In such an antient and well-explored field there has been but little scope for original discovery; but if I have succeeded in concentrating, and placing in a somewhat new light, old and well-known truths, my labour has not been lost, and my wish to render popular a too-much neglected study has been in some measure realized.

The references at the foot of nearly every page render acknowledgments to the authors whose works I have consulted almost unnecessary. It is, however, but justice to confess my obligations to Dallaway and Montagu for the general subject, to n.o.ble for the notices of the heralds, and to Moule for the bibliography. For the ill.u.s.trations and extracts I am princ.i.p.ally indebted to the Boke of St. Albans, Leigh, Bossewell, Ferne, Guillim, Morgan, Randle Holme, and nearly all the writers of the antient school; whose works are rarely met with in an ordinary course of reading. From all these, both antient and modern, it has been my aim to select such points as appeared likely to interest both those who have some acquaintance with the subject and those who are confessedly ignorant of it.

Besides the authors of acknowledged reputation named above, I have consulted many others of comparatively little importance and value, convinced with Pliny, "nullum esse librum tam malum ut non aliqua parte posset prodesse." Should a small proportion only of the reading public peruse my 'Curiosities of Heraldry' on the same principle, I shall not want readers!

My thanks are due to William Courthope, Esq. Rouge-Croix pursuivant of arms, for several obliging communications from the records of the Heralds'

Office, as well as for the great courtesy and prompt.i.tude with which he has invariably attended to every request I have had occasion to make during the progress of the work.

For the notice of the interesting relic discovered at Lewes (Appendix E), I am indebted to the kindness of W. H. Blaauw, Esq., M.A., author of the 'Barons' War,' some remarks from whom on the subject were read at the late meeting of the Archaeological a.s.sociation at Canterbury, where the relic itself was exhibited.

The reader is requested to view the simple designs which ill.u.s.trate these pages with all the candour with which an amateur draughtsman is usually indulged. Every fault they exhibit belongs only to myself, not to Mr.

Vasey, the engraver, who, unlike Sir John Ferne's artist,[6] must be acknowledged to have "done _his_ duety" in a very creditable manner.

It is not unlikely that I may be called upon to justify the orthography of several words of frequent occurrence in this work. I will therefore antic.i.p.ate criticism by a remark or two, premising that I am too thoroughly imbued with the spirit of antiquarianism to make innovations without good and sufficient reason. The words to which I allude are _antient_, _lyon_, _escocheon_, and, particularly, _heraldric_. The first three cannot be regarded as innovations, as they were in use centuries ago. For 'an_t_ient,' apology is scarcely necessary, as many standard writers have used it; and it must be admitted to be quite as much like the low Latin _antia.n.u.s_ as _ancient_ is. 'Lyon' looks _picturesque_, and seems to be in better keeping with the form in which the monarch of the forest is pourtrayed in heraldry than the modern spelling: an antiquarian predilection is all that I can urge in its defence. I would never employ it except in heraldry. 'Escocheon' is used by many modern writers on heraldry in preference to _escutcheon_, not only as a more elegant orthography, but as a closer approximation to the French _ecusson_, from which it is derived.

For 'HERALDRIC' more lengthened arguments may be deemed necessary, as I am not aware that it occurs in any English dictionary. This adjective is _almost_ invariably spelt without the R--heraldic; and that orthography, though sometimes correct, is still oftener false. I contend that two spellings are necessary, because _two totally different words_ are required in different senses,--to wit,

I. Heraldic, belonging to a herald; and

II. Heraldric, belonging to heraldry.

I will ill.u.s.trate the distinction by an example or two.

(I) "The office of Garter is the 'ne plus ultra' of _heraldic_ ambition,"

i. e., it is the height of the herald's ambition ultimately to arrive at that honour. The word here has no relation whatever to proficiency in the science of coat-armour or heraldry, since it is possible that a herald or pursuivant may entertain the desire of gaining the post, _causa honoris_, without any particular predilection for the study. Again,

"Queen Elizabeth was a staunch defender of _heraldic_ prerogatives;" in other words, she defended the rights and privileges of her _officers_ of arms; not the prerogatives of _coats_ of arms, for to what prerogatives can painted ensigns lay claim?

(II) "A. B. is engaged in _heraldric_ pursuits;" that is, in the study of armorial bearings; not in the pursuits of a herald, which consist in the proclamation of peace or war, the attendance on state ceremonials, the _granting_ of arms, &c. To say that A. B., who has no official connexion with the College of Arms, is a herald, would be an obvious misnomer, although he may be quite equal in _heraldrical_ skill to any gentleman of the tabard.

"The so-called arms of the town of Guildford have nothing _heraldric_ about them," that is, they are not framed in accordance with the laws of blazon. To say that they are not _heraldic_, would be to say that they do not declare war, attend coronations, wear a tabard, or perform any of the functions of a herald--a gross absurdity.

A literary friend, who objects to my reasoning, thinks that the _one word_, _heraldic_, answers every purpose for both applications. That it has done so, heretofore, is not certainly a reason why it should after the distinction has been pointed out. Besides, my doctrine is not unsupported by a.n.a.logy. We have a case precisely parallel in the words _monarchal_ and _monarchical_; and he who would charge me with innovation must, to be consistent with himself, expunge _monarchical_ from his dictionary as a useless word.

LEWES; DEC. 1844.