I cannot here forget to inform that of old Our Acts of Parl. had oftentimes the Kings great seal appended to them Upon the right hand were appended all the seals of the Ecclesiasticks and upon the left all the seals of the Nobility with which the whole Act was surrounded Of these I have seen many and particularly a ratification granted by King Iames 4. to Hepburn Earl of Bothwel upon the forfeiture of the Ramsay Anno 1480. Which bears In quorum omnium fidem ac corroborationem laudationem earundem praefatus supremus Dominus noster Rex regni status per se singulariter requisiti sua sigilla quorum nomina sigilla representant praesentibus appendi jusserunt I conceive that Seals may very well represent not only the bearing it self but the colours which I first order'd to be practised for the Seal may be varried in its cut as the other figures of this Book are which may be very useful seing many mens Arms differ only in the colours CHAP. II. Who can give or bear ARMS OF old Emperours or Senats only gave Arms Laz. lib. 9. cap. 17. But thereafter they did choose an old expert Warriour on whom they bestowed the power of rewarding with Coats of Arms such as had deserved well and these were called Foeciales by the Romans but now are called Heraldi or Herawldi For Heer signifies an Army and alt an Elder Senes in armis or from heer an Army and Alda which in the Hungarian tongue signifies a common servant Hopping cap. 6. part 9. The ehief of that Society is called Lyon King of or at Arms with us Rex armorum in Latine Which name he bears from the Lyon which is the Royal charge with us and Konning Van Wappen by the Germans Ibid. Garter in England and Montjoy St. Denis in France and His Patent in Scotland runs thus CAROLUS Dei gratia c. tenoreque praesentium facimus creamus constituimus ordinamus memoratum Carolum Aereskin Leonem nostrum Foecialem Regem armorum c. Dedimus imposuimus tenoreque praesentium damus imponimus ei nomen Leonis nostri Foecialis Regis armorum Una cum stilo titulo c. ac per praesentes ordinamus eum in dicto officio actualiter investiri secundum praxin coronari c. similiter munimus pranominatum CAE tanquam Leonem Regem armorum plenâ potestate libertate licentiâ authoritate personis virtute praeditis de nobis benè meritis diplomata armorum secundum ordinem constitutiones eatenus praescriptas concedendi But though this power be bestowed upon Heralds yet Princes have not so denuded themselves of it but that they may and do ordinarily grant Coats of Arms And thus when Noble-men get their honours by Patent with us there is either a command given therein to the Lyon King at Arms to grant Arms Crest Crown and Supporters or else they are specified in the Patent And it is a rule in the Heraldry of all Nations and in use with us that no part of the Royal bearing can be bestowed by the Lyon without a special order from the Prince Colomb cap. des brisurs pag. 74. and this may reprehend the error of some of our Heralds who have given the Tressure-flori Conter-flori to private persons without a warrand The Lyon in Scotland did formerly direct his Patents thus TO all and singular to whose knowledge these presents shall come Iames Balfour of Kinnaird Knight Lyon King of Arms through the whole Kingdom of Scotland and Islands thereto adjacent sendeth his due commendations and greeting Know you That Sir Iames Galloway Knight Master of Requests to Our dread Soveraign CHARLES King of Scotland England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. One of His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council in this Kingdom hath requested me by vertue of my Office to give and assign unto this his ancient Coat-armour being arg a Lyon rampant azure langued and arm'd Gules a Crest with Escrol and Motto which he may bear without wrong doing to others To whose reasonable request I have condescended and for Crest does assign him to bear above his Helmet upon an wreath arg and Azure A mound Bespread with the rayes of the Sun proper embrac'd betwixt two Corn ears Saltoir wayes Or and above all in an Escrol this motto Higher as here in the margent adjected is to be seen All which Arms Crest Escrol and Motto I the said Lyon King of Arms doth by these presents ratifie confirm give grant and assign unto the said Sir Iames Galloway Knight and to his posterity for ever to use bear and show forth the famine in Signet Shield Coat-armour Ensign or otherwise at all times and in all places at his and their free liberty and pleasure In witnesse whereof I have to thir presents affixt my hand and seal of Office at Holy-rood-house the nineteenth day of December in the sixth year of the Reign of our Soveraign Lord King Charles and of our Redemption 1631. Iames Balfour Lyon The Concessions by the Lyon do now run thus TO all and sundry whom it effeirs I Sir Charles Areskine of Cambo Knight and Baronet Lyon King of Arms Considering That by several Acts of Parliament as well of Our dread Soveraign Lord CHARLES the Second By the Grace of God King of Scotland England France and Ireland Defender of the Faith as of His Majesties Royal Predecessors especially by the twenty one Act of the third Session of this Current Parliament I am impowered to visit the whole Arms and Bearings within this Kingdom and to distinguish them and matriculate the same in my Books and Registers and to give Extracts of all Arms expressing the Blazoning thereof under my hand and seal of Office And which Register is by the fore-cited Act ordained to be respected as the true and unrepealable Rule of all Arms and Bearings in Scotland to remain with the Lyons Office as a publick Register of the Kingdom Therefore conform to the power given to me by His Sacred Majesty and according to the tenors of the said Acts of Parliament I testifie and make known that the Arms of old belonging to the Royal Burgh of Aberdeen and now confirm'd by me are matriculate in my said publick Rigister upon the day and date of thir presents And are thus blazoned viz. The said Royal Burgh of Aberdeen Gives for Ensigns Armorial Gules three Towers triple towered within a double Tressure Counterflowred Argent Supported by two Leopards propper The Motto in an Escrol above Bon-Accord the Word Bon-Accord was given them by King Robert Bruce for killing all the English in one night in their Town their word being that night Bon-Accord And upon the Reverse of the Seal of the said Burgh is insculped in a Field Azure a Temple Argent Saint Michael standing in the Porch mitered and vested propper with his Dexter hand lifted up to Heaven praying over three Children in a boyling Caldron
the only reason why these differences were invented And therefore Colomb concludes thus mais quant à mâ—y Ie tiens toutes ces contra in tes inutiles pource quelles ne peuent pas conveniru à toute sorte d' armes The French have constantly and the Scots frequently taken such differences or brisurs as might expresse at once some considerable alliance or action and might likewise distinguish their Families from that of their Chief for so we call the representative of the Family from the French Word chef a head and in the Irish with us the chief of the Family is call'd the head of the Clane Thus the Lord Balmerrinoch chaâ—ges the Cheveron which the Elphinston carryes with three Buckles because his mother was Monteeth and daughter to the Laird of Carse whose charge these are and the Lord Couper Brother to Balmerrinoch did charge the Cheveron with three hearts because his mother was daughter to Maxwel of Newark Sometimes also they chang'd only the colour of any one part of their chiefs bearing and sometimes they alter'd the ordinaries taking on a bend these cognizances which the Chief carry'd in chief or upon a Saltire what he carry'd on a Crosse c. as is to be seen in the Families descended of the Craufoords Rutherfoords Purvesses c. Our Predecessors also took marks of difference from their Employments and thus Forbes of Corse a Cross fitché because they were Learned-Church-men for many generations Bruce of Earls-hall a Flower deluce given him as a reward by the French King which the Patent yet showes and there are no better differences than any one of the ordinaries or to alter the ordinary lines Thus Sir William Bruce of Balcaskie got the lowest line of the Chief in the Bruces Arms wav'd to show his kindnesse to and his Skill in the art of Navigation Sometimes also Cadets add to the number of what is born by their Predecessors as if he carry two Stars they add a third and sometimes they diminish the Number otherwise alter the position so that if the eldest have five Crescents saltirewayes the Cadet will dispose them on a Bend c. Albiet every person may take any Cognizance he pleases to difference his own Arms from these of the Chief and all others of the name yet there are some Rules here to be observed as First that they take no part of their Princes Arms without his Majesties licence Such as Lyons nor the double tressure flower deluc'd and contre flower-deluc'd nor the flower deluce simple for though his Majestie bears not these as Kings of Scotland yet they are still a Royal bearing and the Doctors assert that this Rule holds in Spain as to all the Kingdoms under that Kings subjection The bearing or charge of the Chiefs house should not be alter'd as many Families in Scotland have done Thus Auchinleck of Balmanno gives arg a Cross embatled Sable whereas Auchinleck of that Ilk gives arg three Bars sable and Scot of Balwyrie bears different Arms from these of Balcleuch But this was occasion'd by Cadets their marrying Heretrixes whose Arms they assum'd without using their own seing they got no Patrimony from their Predecessors 2. It is irregular to alter the Chiefs Colours as Campbel of Lundy does who bears gyronie of eight pieces Er. and Sa. whereas the Earl of Argyle bears gyrone of eight peeces as we erroneously blazen O. and Sa yet this was allow'd of old by our Custome which may defend what was done though it should be no precedent for the future seing all Nations do now endeavourvery justly not to differ that so all Arms may be universally understood 3. It was thought irregular to diminish any part of the Chiefs bearing as Campbel of Cesnock has done who fill'd the room of one of the Gyrons with a Cheveron for how can he be said to bear the Chiefs Arms with a difference who diminishes them and how can it be known that he is descended of that Family when he bears not the Arms of it For either of the alterations makes the bearings very different and there are original Families who differ only so and yet such differences are ordinar abroad 4. These Cadets who have their Arms quarter'd with other Arms need no difference for the quartering or empaling is a sufficient difference as is clear in the example of Campbel of Glenarchie Hoom of Râ—nton and others And therefore it was unnecessar for the Earle of Kellie to have born a Crescent for a mark of difference as Second Son of the Earl of Mar seing he bears quarterly with the Arms Aerskine 1. and 4. an Imperial Crown within a double Tressure Or bestowed upon him for his assistance given to King James in Gauri's conspiracy 5. It is observable that though a Cadet be descended of a Cadet yet I think he needs not express the difference of that Family out of which he is immediatly come for else the Coat should be fill'd with differences and the use of differences is only to distinguish from the chiefs Family Albeit there be no stated and constant differences in France yet the Cadets of the Royal Family have their certain and constant differencies Orleans carrys the label aniou a bordur Gules Alencon a bordure G charg'd with eight besants c. for by these they are known to the people in Coaches It is also observable That the Heralds of all Nations aggree that Sisters should carry no mark of difference the reason of which is by Guilims said to be that when they are marry'd they losse their sirname and receive that of their Husbands But I crave pardon to think this reason not sufficient for it would only prove that they should not at all bear their paternal Coats and yet I have formerly demonstrated that they may in some cases nor does the reason prove that daughters before their marriage should not bear their paternal Coats with difference seing till then they loose not their own sirnames But the true reason of this rule is that albeit amongst Sons the eldest excludes all the younger from the Succession and therefore differences are given for clearing the right of succession amongst Brothers yet Sisters succeed equally and are Heirs Portioners and so there is no use for thir differences amongst them seing Seniority infers no priviledge It is generally believed that thir differences are excepted from that general Rule whereby it is declared false Haraldry to place colour upon colour or mettal upon mettal though Guilims nor Carter have not observed it But yet seing the instances of this exception are only given in Royal Bearings I conceive it is safer to avoid the exception in Coat-armours of private persons Sunt enim Principes legibus soluti In what part of the Shield these differences should be born is not certain But the point of Honour is the most proper place in my opinion to receive diminutions or additions of honour and yet Guilims Morgan and others give us many
in Blazoning we only say With Crown Helmet and Mantling befitting his degree without expressing the Colours But since Mantlings represent only the Coverts of Shields and must be represented all torn I see no reason why they should with us represent the Robes of our Noblemen and of old with us our Mantlings were of the colour of the Coats lin'd or doubl'd with the Metalls which was more proper than that we now use Sometimes the Atchievement stands within a Pavilion as that of the Emperour and King of France this Petra Sancta calls Tentorium and is as he observes competent only to Princes though all use them not But I admire why the Kings of England did not assume as well the Pavilion as Arms of France seing that is one of the special Honours of that Kingdom But yet Subjects use Mantlings in form of a Pavilion as is to be seen in the Atchievement of Belchier of Gilsborough represented by Guilims pag. 409. And these Pet. Sanct. calls Chlamys Vmbella or Palliolum pag. 642. where he also informs us that the General of the Pope's Armies carries ratione Officii his Arms within a Pavilion or Tent. CHAP. XXVIII Of WREATHS ABove the Helmet immediately did stand the Wreath which the French call Burlet and in our ancient Scots Herauldry it was call'd the Roll or Row because of its shape Sometimes the English and we in imitation of them do terme it a Torse à torquendo It was a Corde of their Mistresses Colours as Favin relates pag. 1. cap. 3. fol. 24. and did hang and dangle to the very Cruppers of their Horses the Extremities being tassl'd and enrich'd The use of it was to fasten their Mantlings to their Helmet Now these Wreaths should be of the colours of the Field and Charge and the Rule is That the first should be that of the Field and then that of the immediate Charge and after that the next mediate and so forth if there be moe Charges than one yet some old Wreaths with us differ from these and possibly these have been at first Mistresses colours Though the Earl Marshal bear arg on a Chief Or three Pales gules yet his Wreath is Or and Gules whereas it should have been Arg. Or and Gules The Earl of Nithisdale arg a double Eagle sable membred gules yet his Wreath arg and sable yet this may be ascribed as an errour of the Painter but it should be reform'd When moe Coats are quarter'd the Colours of the Paternal Coat are only to be twisted in the Wreath and this Rule is observ'd in all our Atchievements two or three excepted which may be reform'd without naming the Bearers If the Field be charg'd with a Furr and colour then some make the Wreath to be of that same Furr and Colour Thus the Earl of Lowâ—on bears Gyronâ—e of 8 pieces Ermine and Gules and his Wreath is Ermine and Gules but I think that the Wreath should never consist of any Furr for Furr is not fit to be twisted in a Wreath nor to bind the Helmet which was the use of a Wreath nor did I ever see any such Wreath in approven Authors and we say constantly On a Wreath of his colours but never of his Furrs so that these who carry only Furrs in their Shield should carry a Wreath of these Colours as if Ermine then White and Black c. CHAP. XXIX Of CRESTS THe Ancients did wear the shapes of several Creatures or some such things above their Helmets call'd Crista to make them appear terrible Virg. lib. 8. Aen. Terribilem Cristis Galeam flamasque vomentem Or to distinguish them in Battell Sed cum centuriones Galeas haberent ferreas transversis tamen argentatis Eristis quo facilius agnoscerentur à suis Veget. lib. 2. cap. 16. Or to adorn their Helmet Stat. lib. 2. Interdum Cristas hilaris jactare comantes That these are Iuris Gentium in use amongst and approven by all Nations is clear from Limn lib. cap. 6 num 74. and now all such as are allowed to wear Helmets are allowed to adorn them with Crests and for Crests men choose what they fancy only it is not proper to choose such things as could not stand or be carry'd by Warriours upon their Helmets such as Ballances or such other things which cannot either stand fixt or wave with Beauty The French call the Crest Cimier because it stands upon the top of the Shield sur la Cime de L'escu but the old and proper term us'd in Scotland for a Crest was a Badge because our Noblemen in riding Parliaments and at other Solemnities do bear their Crest wrought out in a Plate of Gold or Silver upon their Lacquies Coats which are of Velvet And now the Crest is us'd upon all Seals and Plates and therefore it is necessar for Noblemen amongst us to carry differing Crests from the chief Family out of which they are descended It is ordinar to bear for a Crest a part of what is born in the Charge thus the Crest of Scotland is a Lyon the Crest of England is a Leopard the Crest of France a double Flower de lis And with us the Earl of Dumfermling carrys a Cressent and the Earl of Lothian a Sun in his Glory sometimes also the Crest is a part of the Supporters thus the Earl of Linlithgow carrys for his Crest a Demy-Savage proper holding a Batton in Hand dexter and his Supporters are two Savages with Battons The Earl of Weems carry's for his Crest a Swan proper and his Supporters are two Swans Sometimes also the Crest is bestow'd by the Prince as a Reward of Service done to the Crown and the Royal Crest cannot be born without special warrand and thus the Earl of Lauderdale bears the Crest of Scotland for his Crest having a Flower de-lis in place of the Scepter Sometimes it is relative to Alliances and thus the Earl of Kinghorn bears for his Crest a Lady to the West holding in her right Hand the Royal Thistle and inclosed within a Circle of Laurells in memory of the honour that Family had in marrying King ROBERT the second 's Daughter Sometimes it represents some valiant Act done by the Bearer thus M cclelland of Bombie did and now the Lord Kirkcudbright does bear a naked Arm supporting on the point of a sword a Mores head because Bombie being forfeited his Son kill'd a More who came in with some Sarazens to infest Galloway to the Killer of whom the King had promised the Forfeiture of Bombie and thereupon he was restored to his Fathers land as his Evidents yet testifie Sometimes it respects the Title of the Bearer thus the Lord Ross of Halkhead bears for his Crest a Falcons head eras'd Sometimes it relates to an Office or Employment thus the Lord Iohnstoun being Warden of the Marches and very famous for repressing Robbery took for his Crest a Spurr with Wings Sometimes it is à rebus that is to say something borrow'd from
choosed not for its nature but for its aptness to express this effect of courage The ordinary and common Ensigne worn by the Knights of the Order was a green Ribband whereat hung a thistle of Gold crowned with an Imperial Crown within a Circle also of Gold bearing the foresaid Motto Nemo me impunè lacesset Likewayes upon the Feast of St. Andrew yearlie being the 30 day of Noevmber when the Knights met solemnly in the Cathedral Church of the Town of St. Andrews for celebrating the feast they were during the Solemnity richly apparelled and wore their Parliament Robes having fixed on their left shoulders an azure Rundle on which was embroydred St. Andrews Cross argent invironed in the centre with a Crown beautified with Flowers de lis Or. The Blazon of the Atchievement of His Majesty of Great BRITAIN THe Most High and Mighty Monarch CHARLES the II. by the Grace of GOD King of Great Britain France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. For His Majestie 's Atchievement and Soveraign Ensigns Armorial bears these Royal Coats quarterly quartered viz. First Or a Lyon Rampant within a double Tressure counter-flowerdelised gules armed and langued azure as the Royal Arms of Scotland Second quartered first and last azure three Flowers de lis Or as the Royal Arms of France Second and third gules three Lyons passant guardant in pale Or for the Royal Ensignes of England Third azure an Irish Harp Or stringed argent for the Ensigne of His Majestie 's Kingdom of Ireland Fourth and last in all points as the first All within the Orders of St. Andrew and of the Garter Above the same an Helmet answerable to His Majesties soveraigne Jurisdiction and thereon a Mantle of Cloath of Gold doubled Ermine adorned with an Imperial Crown surmounted on the Top for His Majesties Crest of a Lyon sejant full faced gules Crowned Or holding in his dexter paw a naked Sword and in the sinister a Scepter both erected supported on the dexter by an Unicorn argent crowned with an Imperial and gorged with an open Crown to this a gold chain affixed passing betwixt his fore Leggs and reflexed over his Back and on the sinister by a Lyon rampant guardant or crowned also with an Imperial Crown as the other the first embracing and bearing up a Banner azure charged with a S t. Andrews Cross argent and the last another Banner argent charged with a Plain Cross called of St. George gules Both standing on a rich Compartment from the middle whereof issue a Thistle and Rose as the two Royal Badges of Scotland and England and for his Majesties Royal Motto's in an Escrol above all In Defence for Scotland and in the Table of the Compartment Dieu et mon Droit for England France and Ireland The Royal Badges are a Thistle of Gold crowned for Scotland A Rose gules for England A Flower de lis or for France An Harp or stringed argent for Ireland Besides these there are Badges peculiar to the Kingdoms of Scotland and England represented on the Banners in the Royal Atchievement and advanced in His Majesties Standards by Land and Sea viz. Azure a Cross of St. Andrew argent for Scotland St. Andrew being Patron thereof Argent a Cross of St. George or plain Cross gules for England St. George being Patron thereof Thus have I for the Honor and Satisfaction of my Countrey interrupted so far the course of my ordinary studies at spare hours nor was this Book only necessary for them but for all such as love this Science since the Theory of our Civilians was not hitherto sufficiently illuminated by the knowledge of Blazoning nor the practical and common knowledge of Blazoning rightly founded upon the civil Law and Law of Nations our ordinary Practicians in this Art having been such as cited the civil Law without understanding it and as it is much nobler to raise a Science than to be raised by it so having writ this Book as a Gentleman I designe as little Praise or thanks as I would disdain all other Rewards FINIS An Alphabetical TABLE of the Sirnames of these Noblemen and Gentlemen whose Atchievements or any part of the same are made Patterns of Bearings in this Science of Herauldry A ABerbuthnet Page 52. Earl of Abercorn vide Hamilton Aberdeen Town 9 65. Abernethy 80 81. Addair 28. Agnew 54. Aikenhead 63. Aikman 53. Ainsly 45. Airth 31. Aiton 44 64. Alexander 29 97. Alison 29. Allan 28. Andrada in Spain 41. Anstruther 29 91. Areskine 32 75 81 84 85 91 94 97. Arran 67. Atchison 58. Auchinleck 34 46 74. Auchmoutie 36. B Badzenoch 55. Bailzie 52 97. Bain 54 64. Baird 56. Balfour ibid. Baliol 17 49. Balnewis 28. Bannatine alias Ballanden 38 44 57. Barrie 58. Bell 68. Bennet 45. Beton 49. Betson 46. Bickerton 58. Binning 35 52. Birnie 54. Bisset 35. Blackhall 54 59. Blackstock 63. Blair 50. Bonyman 54. Borthwick 95. Braig 65. Branch 38. Brand 36. Lord Brechin of old vide Wishart Brown 39 52 63. Brownhill 51. Bruce 2 3 29 47 74 83 84 94. Brymer 60. Buchanan 42. Buckleuch vide Scot. Bunten 59. Burnet 3 31 96. Butter 44. C Cairns 59. Caithnes 66 84. Calder 57. Calderwood 63. Callendar 49 64. Campbel 29 41 74 89. Cant 36. Carmichael 34. Carnagy 33 52 58. Carron 31. Carruthers 39. Carse 46. Cartwright 53. Cathcairt 52. Cay or Kay 36. Chambers 55. Charters 33. Cheap 64. Chein 45. Cheislie 39. Clayhills 57. Clealand 57. Cochran 39. Cockburn 59. Colquhoun 46. Colvill ibid. Corbet 60. Cornwall ibid. Corsby 44. Cowper 39. Crab 62. Craigdallie 60. Craik 66. Cranston 59 91. Craw 60. Crawfurd 74. Crawmond 60. Crichton 55. Cumming 64. Cuninghame 33 96 97. Currie 47. Cuthbert 65. D Dalgleish 63. Dalmahoy 31. Dalrymple 46. Dalzel 53. Dawson 45. Delaluna in England 52. Dempster 36 65. Denham 88. Dewar 31. Dickson ibid. Die 52. Dischington 35. Dowglas 2 81 83 95. Drummond 28 29 34 95 97. Duiguid 45. Dumbar 3 42 95. Earl of Dumfermling vide Seaton Dun 67. Dundas 3 55 95 96. Dundie Town 63. Dunlop 58. Durham 52. E Eccles 66. Edgar 55. Edington 53. Edmiston 52. Eglington 50 84. Earl of Elgin vide Bruce Elleis 66. Elliot 36. Elphingston 38 74 88. Esplin 33. F Falconer 59. Fenton 35. Fenwick 60. Fin 59. Findlay 65. Fisher 61. Fishing-Company Royal ibid. Fleeming 42. Fletcher 45. Fockhart 38. Forbes 56 74. Forman 61. Forrest 62. Forrester 3 57 97. Forsyth 59. Fotheringham 34 94. Fountain 49. Fowlis 63. Fraser 64 68. Fullerton 56. Fythie 59. G Gallie 67. Galloway 8. Earl of Galloway vide Stewart Lord Garrioch 68. Garvie 61. Ged ibid. Geddes ibid. Gibson 68. Gifford 3. Gilchryst 51. Gladstains 53. Gleg 55. Glen 84. Earl of Glencairn vide Cuninghame Glendinning 44. Gordon 56 83. Gorran 47. Graham 29 31 82 83 Grant 68. Gray 41. Grierson 67. Guthrie 44 55. H Hacket 29. Halyburton 35 36 94. Hamilton 62 64 72 82 95. Hardie 54. Hay 17 49 85. Heart 54. Hepburn