LIBRARY THE BRANCH LIBRARIES NY PUBLIC J 3 3333 08119 5782 CHILDREN'S ROCK :<ARY CENTER 20ivV..:i 3 STREET HEW YORK, S.Y. 1Q019. .. :^j . PEEPS AT HERALDRY AGENTS AMERICA .... THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 64 & 66 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK AUSTRALASIA . OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS BOS FLINDERS LANE, MELBOURNE CANADA THE MACMILLAN COMPANY OF CANADA, LTD. ST. MARTIN'S HOUSE, 70 BOND STREET, TORONTO INDIA ....... MACMILLAN & COMPANY, LTD. MACMILLAN BUILDING, BOMBAY 309 Bow BAZAAR STREET, CALCUTTA PLATE 1. HERALD, SHOWING TABARD ORIGINALLY WORN OVER MAIL ARMOUR. PEEPS AT HERALDRY BY PHCEBE ALLEN CONTAINING 8 FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS IN COLOUR AND NUMEROUS LINE DRAWINGS IN THE TEXT ADAM AN:D, CHARLES BLACK L TO MY COUSIN ELIZABETH MAUD ALEXANDER 00 a O > J ) J IP n -i o . , * J > - > I ' - 1 o , ' CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER - I I. AN INTRODUCTORY TALK ABOUT HERALDRY TINCTURES - II. THE SHIELD ITS FORM, POINTS, AND - X III. DIVISIONS OF THE SHIELD - - IV. THE BLAZONING OF ARMORIAL BEARINGS 24 - V. COMMON OR MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES 31 - - - ~ VI. ANIMAL CHARGES - 39 - VII. ANIMAL CHARGES (CONTINUED) 47 - . vm. ANIMAL CHARGES -(CONTINUED),. ,T 5^ - IX. INANIMATE' O^ECTS AS CHARGEG''- 63 - - ~ X. QUARTERING AND ', MAiJHAiLlUuG 7 . ' ' , , . i - Otf. ARMS/ T 74 COATS f < < XI. FIVE I I I 80 XII. PENNONS, BANNERS,' AND STANDARDS VI LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PLATE 1. HERALD SHOWING TABARD, ORIGINALLY WORN OVER MAIL - - ARMOUR frontispiece FACING PAGE 2. THE DUKE OF LEINSTER - - 8 Arms : Arg. saltire gu. environed round Crest : Monkey statant ppr., the loins and chained or. environed and Supporters : Two monkeys chained or. Motto : Crom a boo. - - 3. MARQUIS OF HERTFORD 16 and or a Arms : Quarterly, ist 4th, on pile gu., between 6 fleurs-de- lions in or 2nd and 2 lys az., 3 passant guardant pale ; 3rd gu., wings conjoined in lure or. Seymour. a or a Crest : Out of ducal coronet phcenix ppr. Supporters : Two blackamoors. Motto : Fide et amore. OF SCARBOROUGH - " 4. THE EARL 4 1 Arms : Arg. a fesse gu. between 3 parrots vert, collared of the second. in Crest : A pelican her piety. Supporters : Two parrots, wings inverted vert. Motto : Murus aeneus conscientia sana. - - - - - - 5. BARON HAWKE 48 a Arms : Arg. chevron erminois between three pilgrim's staves purpure. and Crest : A hawk, wings displayed inverted ppr., belled and charged on the breast with a fleur-de-lys or. : a Supporters Dexter, Neptune ; sinister, sea-horse. Motto : Strike. 6. SIR WILLIAM HERSCHEL - - - - 73 Arms : Arg. on mount vert, representation of the 40 feet reflecting a telescope with its apparatus ppr., on chief az., the astronomical symbol of Uranus irradiated or. Crest : A demi-terrestrial sphere ppr., thereon an eagle, wings elevated or. Motto : Ccelis exploratis. - - - - 7. THE FLAGS OF GREAT BRITAIN 80 (i) The Union Jack, (2) The Royal Standard. 8. A CRUSADER IN MAIL ARMOUR - -on the cover Also fifty-fa'? small black and white illustrations throughout the text. vn "... The noble science once of The study and delight every gentleman. " And thus the story Of great deeds was told." Vlll PEEPS AT HERALDRY CHAPTER I AN INTRODUCTORY TALK ABOUT HERALDRY WHAT is heraldry ? The art of heraldry, or armoury, as the old writers in the called it, consists blazoning the arms and telling descent and history of families by certain pictorial signs. Thus from age to age an authenticated register of genealogies has been kept and handed on from gener- ation to generation. The making and keeping of these records have always been the special duty of a duly appointed herald. Perhaps you think that explanation of heraldry sounds rather dull, but you will soon find out that very much that is interesting and amusing, too, is associated with the study of armorial bearings. For heraldry, which, you know, was reckoned as one of the prime glories of chivalry, is the language that keeps alive the golden deeds done in the world, and that is why those who have once learnt its H. I Peeps at Heraldry secrets are always anxious to persuade others to learn them too. the old "our "Although," says writer, Montague ; ancestors were little given to study, they held a know- ledge of heraldry to be indispensable, because they con- sidered that it was the outward sign of the spirit of chivalry and the index also to a lengthy chronicle of doughty deeds." Now, it is in a language that is all its own that heraldry tells its stones, and it is unlike any other in which history has been written. This language, as expressed in armorial bearings, contains no words, no letters, even, for signs and devices do the work of words, and very well they do it. And as almost every object, animate and inanimate, under the sun was used to compose this alphabet, we shall find as we go on that not only are the sun, moon and stars, the clouds and the rainbow, fountains and sea, rocks and stones, trees and plants of all kinds, fruits and the grain, pressed into service of this heraldic language, but that all manner of living creatures figure as well in this strange alphabet, from tiny insects, such as bees and flies and butterflies, to the full-length representations of angels, kings, bishops, and warriors. Mythical creatures dragons and cockatrices, and even mermaidens have also found their way into heraldry, just as we find tradi- tions and legends still lingering in the history of nations, like the pale ghosts of old-world beliefs. And as though heavenly bodies and plants and 2 An Introductory Talk about Heraldry animals were not sufficient for their purpose, heralds "letters" to their in the added yet other alphabet musical instruments, shape of crowns, maces, rings, etc. ploughs, scythes, spades, wheels, spindles, lamps, as can understand, Each of these signs, you easily as did also the castles, told a story of its own, towers, anchors, arches, bridges, bells, cups, ships, hunting- and other horns, spears, bows, arrows, many objects, we shall which, with their own special meaning, gradu- into the of ally find introduced language heraldry. are to wonder But perhaps by now you beginning one-half of what all these how you can possibly learn to but will not wonder signs are meant convey, you has its own about that long, for heraldry well-arranged means fixed grammar, and grammar, as you know, or rules which are simple guides for writing speaking a language correctly. teacher and the Moreover, happily both for learner, as all the other fish and birds and beasts (as well objects do not come on to we have just mentioned) swarming and flocks and but we have our pages in shoals herds, in twos and threes. to do with them either singly or about Now, even those people who know nothing " with the a coat of heraldry are quite familiar term, it means the of a arms." They know, too, that figure in a of so as shield, marked and coloured variety ways, to be distinctive of individuals, families, etc. coat of arms when But why do we speak of it as a a term ? there is nothing to suggest such 3 Peeps at Heraldry I will tell you. In the of far-away days quite another age, heraldry was so connected closely with warlike exploits, and its signs and tokens were so much used on the battle-field to distinguish friends from foes, that each warrior wore his own special badge, embroidered on the garment or surcoat which covered his armour, as well as, later on, upon the shield which he carried into battle. And this reminds us of the poor Earl of Gloucester's fate at the Battle of Bannockburn. For, having for- to on his gotten put surcoat, he was slain by the enemy, " we are told that the though Scottes would gladly have him for a ransom kept had they only recognized him for the but he Earl, had forgot to put on his coat of armour !" On the other hand, we have good reason to remember that the flower of knighthood," Sir John Chandos, lost his life because he did wear his white sarcenet robe emblazoned with his arms. For it was because his feet became in its folds Froissart entangled (as tells us) in his encounter with the French on the Bridge of Lussac, that he stumbled on the on that slippery ground early winter's and thus morning, was quickly despatched by the enemy's blows. c the end for Now, principal which these signs were first taken and up put in use," says Guillim, "was that serve as notes and marks to they might distinguish families tribes, and particular persons from the other. Nor was this their only use. They also served to 4 An Introductory Talk about Heraldry of their describe the nature, quality, and disposition bearer." Sir G. Mackenzie goes farther, and declares that heraldry was invented, or, at any rate, kept up, for two chief purposes : First, in order to perpetuate the memory of great actions and noble deeds. Secondly, that governors might have the means of encouraging others to perform high exploits by rewarding their deserving subjects by a cheap kind of immortality. (To our ears that last sentence sounds rather disrespectful to the honour of heraldry.) Thus, for example, King Robert the Bruce gave armorial bearings to the House of Wintoun, which a to represented a falling crown supported by sword, show that its members had supported the crown in its distress, while to one Veitch he gave a bullock's head, " "to remember posterity that the bearer had succoured the King with food in bringing some bullocks to the camp, when he was in want of provisions.