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A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

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OF ARMORIES. 5<br />

" teriora tempora Insignia Gentilitia habuerunt quae arma vulgo vocantur ; quac<br />

" ipsa quoque primum, nunc simile est veri, virtutis premia fuerunt, ac rerum<br />

" pracclare gestarum decora." And elsewhere, " Gentiles tuerunt hi, qui ima-<br />

" gines sui generis proierre poterant, & erant insignia Gentilitia qua; hodie arma<br />

" dicuntur."<br />

Hence they became fond <strong>of</strong> the word Gentilis: And as Sehleti observes in his<br />

Titles <strong>of</strong> Honour, it came to be used, in their language, for an honourable epithet,<br />

glorying probably in that name by which the Romans used to call them in con<br />

tempt ; for the Romans used indifferently to call all those Genriles, who were not<br />

citizens <strong>of</strong> Rome.<br />

These warlike nations, having subdued the Roman Empire, and raised their glory<br />

by military bravery, were naturally led to a high esteem <strong>of</strong> warlike achievements ;<br />

and, therefore, derived their ensigns and titles <strong>of</strong> honour from what chiefly concerned<br />

a soldier, and distinguished the different ranks <strong>of</strong> nobility, according to the<br />

different orders <strong>of</strong> military men, such as Miles, Eques, Scutifer, &-c. and their posterity,<br />

naturally desirous either to imitate, or perpetuate the warlike achievements<br />

<strong>of</strong> their ancestors, continued the same marks and ensigns <strong>of</strong> honour which were<br />

used by their ancestors : And not only so, but collateral descendants were ambi-<br />

tious to share with them in the glories <strong>of</strong> war already purchased ; and, therefore,<br />

assumed the same figures with the principal families, with some variation for difference.<br />

And, in process <strong>of</strong> time, these ensigns were also desired by others, who<br />

justly reckoned, that, by extraordinary services performed in their civil capacities,<br />

they deserved as well <strong>of</strong> their Prince or country, as others had done by their military<br />

achievements. Upon which, many devices were formed into arms, and continued<br />

as hereditary marks <strong>of</strong> honour, <strong>of</strong> which I am to speak particularly in the<br />

following treatise. And so much shall serve at present for the nature and rise <strong>of</strong><br />

arms.<br />

As the Goths, and their northern allies, first brought in armorial bearings, and<br />

transmitted them to their posterity as hereditary marks <strong>of</strong> honour, so did they also<br />

the feudal law, by means <strong>of</strong> which, arms grew up to farther perfection ; as is evident<br />

by many armorial figures (in the following treatise) <strong>of</strong> ancient families, repre-<br />

-.enting the acknowledgments and services they were obliged to perform to their<br />

overlords and superiors, as roses, cinquefoils, spur-revels, bows and arrows, hunting-<br />

horns, ships, &c. upon which account such figures are frequent in armories all<br />

Europe over. Thus the old barons <strong>of</strong> Arran and Lorn were obliged to furnish a<br />

ship to the King in time <strong>of</strong> war, as their old charters bear ; upon which account<br />

they still carry ships, or lymphads in their arms. But <strong>of</strong> such feudal arms I have<br />

discoursed in my above-mentioned essay, and shall be more particular in my fol-<br />

lowing treatise.<br />

Arms were very much improved, and in great esteem in the reign <strong>of</strong> King<br />

Charles the Great <strong>of</strong> France ; for which see Favin's Theatre <strong>of</strong> Honour, and Bartholomacus<br />

Chasa, in his Catalogue <strong>of</strong> the Glory <strong>of</strong> the World, who "<br />

says, That<br />

"<br />

that King not only constituted the Twelve Peers <strong>of</strong> France, but regulated the use<br />

" <strong>of</strong> arms." And all the French writers <strong>of</strong> that age tell us, That that great King,<br />

besides others, honoured the FrieTJanders and Scots with ensigns <strong>of</strong> honour, for<br />

their extraordinary services in his wars ; and when he and Achaius, King <strong>of</strong> Scotland,<br />

entered into that famous league about the year 792, the double tressure,<br />

flowered and counter-flowered with flower-de-luces, was added to the arms <strong>of</strong> Scot-<br />

land, as a badge and memorial <strong>of</strong> that alliance, <strong>of</strong> which I have spoken in my foresaid<br />

essay, and shall have occasion afterwards to speak <strong>of</strong> the same in the following<br />

treatise.<br />

For the better<br />

understanding <strong>of</strong> the antiquity and progress <strong>of</strong> Armories, as \ve<br />

now have them, I shall here mention only two grand occasions which contributed<br />

thereto, viz. the Crusades and Tournaments.<br />

Crusades, or expeditions to the wars in the Holy Land against the Infidels, gave<br />

occasion <strong>of</strong> bearing several new figures, hitherto unknown in arms, such as the be-<br />

zants, martlets, alerions, escalopes, &-c. besides an indefinite number <strong>of</strong> crosses,<br />

which are to be seen in arms all over Europe. For they, who undertook these ex-<br />

peditions, received, from the hands <strong>of</strong> bishops and priests, little crosses, made <strong>of</strong> cloth<br />

or taflcty, which they sewed on their garments, and on which account these ex-<br />

B

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