A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF THE SURCOAT, ENSIGN, AND SHIELD.
those utensils and things, upon which arms have been anciently, and of later
placed ; such as, the surcoat, ensign, and shield.
CHAP. III.
OF THE SURCOAT, ENSIGN, AND SHIELD.
THESE are called by heralds, the three principal signs of honour, upon the
account that arms have been commonly placed upon them ; which I ^hall
here briefly describe.
The surcoat, is a thin, loose, light, taftety coat, used by military men over their armour
; upon which their arms were painted or embroidered, that they might be
distinguished in time of battle. Sovereigns and other great men are represented
on the equestrian side of their seals, on horseback, with such surcoats of arms.
Sandford, in his Genealogical History of England, tells us, " That Gilbert Earl of
"
Clare was killed in the battle of Bannockburn by the Scots, for want of his
"
surcoat of amis who otherwise would have been ; saved, because he was a near
" kinsman to King Robert the Bruce." These surcoats were much of the same
shape and form of those now worn by heralds.
The other principal sign of honour, is the ensign ; under which general name,
are comprehended standards, banners, pennons, gideons, and gonfanouns.
The first two, standards and banners, are of a square form, painted or embroidered
with the whole achievements of those, who have right to display them in the field,
or in solemnities ; and anciently they were allowed to none under the degree of a
knight-banneret.
The pennon and gideon are of an oblong figure, and ending in a sharp point or
of the
two, carried on the points of spears ; and on them are only painted a part
owner's arms, such as his device,. crest, and motto.
The is gonfanoun a banner or standard of the church, which is square, but has
rhree labels or fanions (i.e. pieces of stuff, from which it is named), hanging
down ;
and the bearers thereof are called gonfaloniers.
Arms have also appeared anciently upon the furniture of horses, such as the
caparisons, as may be seen on the seals of kings, and other great men, who are represented
on horseback, holding on their left arm the shield of their arms, and the
same armorial figures embroidered on the caparisons of their horses. I have seen a
*eal of Alexander II. King of Scotland, appended to a charter of confirmation of
-,;ral lands to the abbacy of Melrose, upon which he is represented sitting on a
throne with a crown on his head, in his right hand a sceptre, and in his left a
mond : On the other side of this seal, he is represented on horseback in his coat
of mail, holding in his right hand a sword, and on his left arm a shield, with the
arms of Scotland, and the same arms are on the caparisons of his horse. Sandford,
in his Genealogical History, makes King Edward I. of England, the first of their
kings fhat had the arms of England on the caparisons of his horse; so that the
fustom of placing arms upon caparisons was sooner with us than in England. I
have seen the seals of the earls of March, Fife, &c. appended to evidents in the
reign of Alexander III. whereon they were represented on horseback, holding their
>hield of arms ; and the same on the caparisons of their horses.
I shall not insist here further upon several other things, on which arms have
been placed, but proceed to the principal one, the shield, called by the ancients
Scutum, from the Greek word Te?, Corium, because they were made or covered
with hides of beasts. From Scutum comes also the French words Escu and Escussion;
the English Escutcheon; and the Italian Scudo, for a shield: From which
came these titles of honour, Scutifer, Scutiger ; the Spanish Escudros ; the
French Escuire ; and the English Esquire.
The shield was also called
Clypeus, wo yKvtfcm, Sculpere to engrave ; because figures
Di armorial bearings or achievements were commonly painted, engraven, or imr-
bossed upon it ;
as Virgil,
Mutemus Clypeos, Danaumque insignia nobis
dptemus