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A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

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REPTILIA, OR CREEPING THINGS. 335<br />

There are many other beasts used in arms, which for brevity's sake I pass over,<br />

especially seeing they have no other terms <strong>of</strong> bla/xm than those I have already<br />

mentioned in the former examples : I shall, therefore, end here with four-footed<br />

beasts, only mentioning one <strong>of</strong> a monstrous form, carried with us; its body is like<br />

a wolf, having four feet with long toes, and a tail ; it is headed like a man, called<br />

in our books a 'warivolf, carried by DICKJSON <strong>of</strong> Winkleston, azure, a warwolf passant,<br />

and three stars in chief : argent so blazoned by Mr Thomas Crawfurd, anil<br />

illuminated in several books ; which are also to be seen cut upon a stone above an<br />

old entry <strong>of</strong> a house in the Cowgate in Edinburgh, above the foot <strong>of</strong> Libbert<br />

wynd, which belonged formerly to the name <strong>of</strong> Dickison, which name sc<br />

be from the Dicksons by the stars which they carry.<br />

KEPTILIA; OR CREEPING THINGS.<br />

THESE are in arms top, and have some peculiar terms in the science. Toads and<br />

frogs, when represented sitting in water, holding up their heads without motion,<br />

which some call in that posture, the lording <strong>of</strong> frogs, their heads appearing above<br />

the water like helmets ; and, when in this posture in blazon, they are said to be<br />

erected, as in the arms <strong>of</strong> BOTREAUX in England, argent, three toads erect sable,<br />

Nicol Upton, an English writer about the year 1428, speaking <strong>of</strong> the Lord Botreaux's<br />

arms, says, " Quae quidem arma olim portaverunt reges Francorum;" and<br />

others following him since, have asserted that the Kings <strong>of</strong> France, <strong>of</strong> old, carried<br />

three toads. Menestrier, in his chapter <strong>of</strong> the Rise and Antiquity <strong>of</strong> the Flowerde-luces<br />

<strong>of</strong> France, has sufficiently refuted that story <strong>of</strong> the toads.<br />

Tortoise, an enemy to vipers, and for the delicacy <strong>of</strong> its flesh, and beauty <strong>of</strong><br />

its shell, is carried in arms.<br />

The name <strong>of</strong> GOWDLE in England, carries vert, a tortoise passant argent; and<br />

COWPER there, azure, a tortoise erected or.<br />

Snails are also carried by the name <strong>of</strong> SHELLY in England, sable, a fesse between<br />

three house-snails argent.<br />

With us, the name <strong>of</strong> BARTON, carries gules, three house-snails or. Font's<br />

Manuscript.<br />

One <strong>of</strong> this name, Andrew Barton, commander <strong>of</strong> the Scots fleet, fought the English<br />

in the year 1511. In the New Register <strong>of</strong> Arms, ROBERT BARTON, Writer in<br />

Edinburgh, carries only argent, an anchor in pale azure, placed in the sea, proper,<br />

between two mullets <strong>of</strong> the second, all within a bordure argent ; crest,' a raven<br />

rising sable : motto, His securitas.<br />

The name <strong>of</strong> STUDMAN with us argent,<br />

azure.<br />

a fesse vert, between three house-snails<br />

Serpents are waved when they move forward, and then in blazon are said to be<br />

gliding; the French ondoyante, and the Latins, utidans : But when the serpent casts<br />

itself into a knot, it is said to be nu'ved.<br />

SLEICH <strong>of</strong> Sleich-Houses carries or, three piles issuing from the chief sable, and<br />

in base two serpents gliding fesse-ways in pale, proper. Workman's Manuscript.<br />

The name <strong>of</strong> DUCAT bears argent, three serpents gliding fesse-ways in pale azure.<br />

Ibid.<br />

The name <strong>of</strong> NATHELEY, in England, gules, an adder nuved or. Art. <strong>Heraldry</strong>.<br />

The Principality <strong>of</strong> MILAN in Italy, argent, a demi-infant gules, issuing out <strong>of</strong><br />

the mouth <strong>of</strong> a serpent gliding pale-ways azure, crowned or. Sylvester Petra<br />

Sancta blazons these arms thus, " Boa scutaria in modum pali, sinuosa & cyanea,<br />

" aureoque redimita, cum puero emergente puniceo ex ore illius in parmula ar-<br />

" gento illuso." There are several stories about the rise <strong>of</strong> this odd figure : It is<br />

told, that there was a giant called Volux, very troublesome in Italy, who boasted<br />

he was come <strong>of</strong> Alexander the Great, and carried on the top <strong>of</strong> his helmet this<br />

figure for crest. Otho, Prince <strong>of</strong> Milan, overcame and killed him ; and, in sign <strong>of</strong><br />

his victory, took Volux's crest, a serpent vomiting a child, for his armorial bearing,<br />

as the custom was <strong>of</strong> old for victors to do, and transmitted the same to his posterity<br />

the Dukes <strong>of</strong> Milan. But Menestrier will have those to be speaking arms to the<br />

name <strong>of</strong> an ancient family, Anglere, which comes from anguis a serpent, upon ac-

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