A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

306
OF FOUR-FOOTED BEASTS.
which he is designed Magifter y Praceptor capitals capelli Dominte Magdalene ,
on the seal were three unicorns' heads couped within a bordure ingrailed.
PRESTON of Formartin, argent, three unicorns' heads erased sable ; which 'ami-
ly ended in an heiress, married to one of the progenitors of Forbes of Tolquhon,
who now quarter these arms with their own, as other families who have matched
with heiresses of that name of old, as Stewart of Galsington, and Stewart of Dal-
swinton, accompany their fesse cheques with three unicorn's heads erased sable,
for Preston. Several families in England carry unicorn's heads, as the name of
SHELLY, gules, three unicorn's heads couped argent*
OF THE HORSE,
THE horse, for his commendable and useful qualities, long before the use of
armories, was, with the Romans, a sign of honour, proper to those of the equestrian
order ; and from it came the titles of honour, eques, chevalier, and ridder with the
Germans, for a Knight.
In arms, his posture is to be erected with his head in profile, as Sylvester Petra
Sancta observes, p. 371, " Ut ad equum veniam generosum quidem,
haud tamen
" ferum, is modo effraenis, &. modo fraenum patiens figuratur, unoque tantum
" oculo intuens exprimitur semper, quemadmodum &. leo ; sed & quandoque
" graditur, quandoque incedere aut procurrere videtur."
When the horse is erected, the English say salient ; the French cabre or effraye ;
the Latins surrectus ; and he is sometimes carried passant or courant, without bridle
or saddle ; and, when with them, he is said to be bridled, equipt, or furnished ; be-
ing of such tinctures different from the colour of the horse.
The horse has been anciently borne in arms, as by Hengist, the founder of the
Saxon race, who had a horse erect, which his name did signify. His successors
continued the same, in the Saxon language, called phalon, which gave name to the
countries of East and West-Phalia, as Beckmanus in his Notitia Dignitatum Imp.
p. 176. " Equum generositas commendat, & Witikindus Saxo, infracti animi prin-
" ceps, insigne ejus constanter circumtulit, unde &. Ostphaliorum &- Westphali-
" orum nomen enatum."
WESTPHALIA, gules, a horse salient, argent. Many princes in Germany carry
the horse salient, to show their descent from SAXONY, as does the Duke of Savoy
carry in the second quarter of his achievement, gules, a horse cabre and cotitourne,
argent', for ancient Sax, parti, with modern Sax, barry of eight pieces or
and sable, surmounted of a crancelin, (a crown) bend-ways sinople.
With us the name of TORRY, as equivocally relative to the name, argent,
a horse
passant, proper, furnished gules ; so said when a horse is bridled and saddled ; and
when with other furniture, as caparisons, he is said to be equipt. There was a
family of this name designed of Torry (of that Ilk), in the shire of Dumfries, who
was forfeit in the reign of King James III. as in a charter of these lands granted
by that King, to Thomas Carruthers, of the lands and church of Torry, and other
lands, " quae ad Georgium Tory de eoderri, nostrum felonem & proditorem per-
"
tinueruat, ratione ejus forfeiturae." (Haddington's Collections.)
The name of TROTTER, as in Workman's Manuscript of Blazons, argent, a horse
trotting, table ; furnished, gitles, on a mount in base, vert ; and in chief, a star of
the third. These of that name give other arms, of which afterwards, and carry a
horse for their crest.
HORSBURGH of that Ilk, an ancient family in the shire of Tweeddale, azure,
a horse-head couped argent ; and of late, by marrying the heiress of Tait of Pirn,
quarters the arms of that family with their own \ being argent, a saltier ingrailed,
and a chief gules ; crest, a horse-head ; motto, Egre de tramite recto. As in Plate
of Achievements.
The name of CESSFORD, parted per fesse, gules and argent ; on the first, a cross
argent ; and on the second, a horse-head couped sable. Workman's Manuscript.
The surname of COURSER or CORSER gives for arms relative to the name, argent,
three coursers, (z. e. running horses) heads couped, sable i bridled of the first.
Balfour's Manuscript.