Mullet or falling Star Lightening c. Watery as Clouds Rain-bowes and their like Living After some sort as Metals or Minerals Liquefiable as Gold Silver c. Not Liquefiable as Stones Precious as the Diamond Saphire Escarbuncle Ruby c. Base as all sorts of stones of vulgar use and imployment Perfectly Plants and other vegetives that grow upon a Stump Simple that doe grow upon one body or stemme as all kind of trees with their limbs leaves and other parts Manifold as Shrubs of all sorts whose leaves flowers and fruits are of more frequent use of bearing in Armes than is their whole bearing Stalke Such are all kindes of herbs and their parts viz. their leaves and flowers Sensible Creatures CoÌ„mon parts Contained whereof onely bloud is of use in Armes Containing Adjuncts scil their Support as the bones Covering which is their Skinne Their Animall parts destinated to Sense and Motion together as the Braine whose excrement viz. teares are onely of use in Armory Motion alone the use whereof in Armes is the heart Kinds which are unreasonable such are Animal Terrestiall that live Upon the earth are Four footed and do produce Living creatures Whole footed as the Elephant Horse Mule Asse c. Diversly cloveÌ„ viz. In two as Harts Goats c. Into many parts as Lions Bears Wolves c. Egges of which some have Four-feet as the Tortois Frog Lizard Crocodile c. More than four feet as the Scorpion Ante Grashopper c. Creeping or rather gliding as Snakes Snailes Blind-wormes c. Above the earth having their feet Whole and plain and are called Palmipedes as the Swan Goose Ducks and other like river Foules Divided as Eagles Hawkes and all Birds of prey and domesticall Foules Watery whose coverings Soft of which some are Skinned as Lampreis Eeles Congers and such like Scaled as the Dolphin Barhell Carp Bream Roch c. Hard which are Crusted as Lobsters Crabs Crevices Prawns Shrimps c. Shelled as Escalops Oysters Periwinkles Muskles c. Reasonable which is Man Artificiall whereof see the Table of the fourth Section at this Character C. SECTION III. CHAP. I. HAving performed the task wâ—ich our proposed Order imposed on us touching Proper Châ—rges together with their making and divers manner of Bearing the same orderly Progression now calleth us to the handling of common charges mentioned in the second member of the same distribution Common Charges what By Common charges I mean all such other charges hereafter following as are not hitherto handled Whether they be Naturall Artificiall Things Naturall according to Philosophers are Essences by themselvs subsisting Zanch. lib. 1. de operibus p. 55. Res naturalis est essentia per se subsistens Manifold and in manner infinite are these things Naturall as Zanchius noteth saying Multae sunt prope infinitae non â—am res quam rerum species in Coelis in Aere in Terris in Aquis therefore it is not to be expected that I should in exemplifying of them pass through all the particulars of them but onely touch superficially some of their chiefest selected out of that innumerable variety whereby I may manifest in what rankes and under what heads each peculiar thing must be bestowed according to their severall kinds and so redeem them from all former confused mixture Of things Naturall some are Formall Materiall Formall natures The formal Nature is most simple and pure and consisteth of the propriety of its own form without any body at all of which sort are Spirits which according to Scribonius are Essentiae formatae rationales immortales Essences perfectly formed reasonable and immortall I say perfectly formed to distinguish them from the soules of men whose forming is not perfect in it selfe but is for the informing and perfecting of the body and the whole Man Amongst such Formes are numbred Angels Cherubims Etymologie of the word Angell Angels in the opinion of most men are incorporeal essences of a spiritual Nature void of all materiall substance Angelus in Latine is the same that Nuntius is that is to say a Messenger and the same is a name of Office and not of Nature as S. Augustine noteth upon Psalme 104. saying Quaeris nomen hujus naturae Spiritus est Quaeris officium Angelus est Will you know the nature of it It is a Spirit Will you know the office of it It is an Angell or Messenger Ministers Gods messengers The like may we finde saith he in man Nomen naturae Homo officij Miles nomen naturae Vir officij Praetor To be a man is a name of nature to be a Souldier or Pretor is a name of office Angels are M ssengers by whom God hath manifested his will and power to his Elect in Christ Iesus In which respect also the Ministers of God are called in Scriptures Gods Angels and therefore to be honoured as his Embassadours and Messengers and their doctrine is Evangelium the good Angelicall Message of life eternall with the Angels in Heaven All Angels are of like sprituall substance of like intelligent facultie of like will and choice In fine all of them created a like good and in nature perfect Neverthelesse as all men by nature and naturall dignity are alike but by accident some of them are of more esteeme and worthinesse than others So it is also with Angels inasmuch as some of them if we give credit to Philosophers are appointed to attend the motion of the Heavens others to expresse the rage of Devils as appeareth Iob 8. Others have charge of preservation of Kingdomes and to keepe under the rage of Tyrants as is manifest Daniel 20. Some have charge of some particular Church others of Apostles and Pastours and others of private persons Psal 91. And all of them are by Scripture said to be Ministring Spirits Of this diversitie of functions and severall administrations it is thought because some of these offices are of higher imployment than others are that some of them are simply called Angels some Archangles some Vertues some Dominations as Saint Hierome expresly sheweth And albeit these heavenly Spirits be in their owne nature void of all corporeal or material substance yet is it certain when it pleased God so to imploy them they had assumpted bodies for the time to the end they might the more effectually accomplish the service that God had injoyned them Such bodies had the three Angels that appeared to Abraham Gen. 18. Assumpted Bodies Such bodies also had the two Angels that came unto Lot Genes 19. And as God gave them bodies for that time so did he give them also the faculties answerable to such bodies viz. to walke talk eate drink and such like These bodies and bodily faculties were given them to the end they might more familiarly converse and discourse with the godly to whom they were sent and the better perform the charge injoyned them insomuch as they did unfainedly eate and drink as Zanchius noteth whereby
so by the other we might magnifie his goodnesse towards man on whom he hath bestowed Fruit for Meat and Leaves for Medicine SECT III. CHAP. XI HAving hitherto handled that part of our distribution which comprehendeth things Vegetable proceed we now to the other Things Sensitive concerning things senstive which are all sorts of Animals or Creatures indued with senses The senses as likewise the sensitive soul are things in themselves not visible and therefore estranged from the Heralds uses but because they reside in Bodies of differing parts and qualities from any other before mentioned therefore in handling of these sensitive Creatures I hold it requisite to begin with their parts for of them the whole is raised and these are either the parts contained or containing or sustaining But sithence we are now to speak of things Sensitive and amongst them first of Terrestial Animals and their parts it shall not be impertinent to produce some few causes amongst many why these Terrestial Animals and Man were created in one day viz. the sixth day First because God had appointed the Earth to be the joynt habitation of Man and Beast together Secondly in respect of the near resemblance both of bodily parts and naturall properties that these Terrestrials have of Man in respect either of Fowles or of Fishes Lastly for that very many of them were to serve for mans ease and necessary use as Oxen to till the ground Horses for his ease in travell Dogs to be watchfull keepers of his House and others for other his necessary and domesticall uses There is no Animal but hath at the least these parts viz. Head wherewithall to receive food and wherein their senses have their residence a Belly to receive and concoct his meat intrals whereby to eject the supperfluities or excrements of aliment members also serving for the use and exercise of the Senses and others ordained for motion from place to place for without these members he cannot receive food or nutriment neither feel nor move Therefore there is neither labouring beast or beast of savage kind domesticall reptiles or other that can be with these bodily parts By the name of Soul and Life wherewith all sorts of Animals are endued from God Moses teacheth us Natural bloud or supplementall Humour that there is no living Creature to be found that hath not either true and natural bloud or at the least some kind of hot humour that is to it instead of bloud Anima enim cujusque Animalis in sanguine est as Moses teacheth Leviticus 17. and in sundry other places And in the common received opinion of all men In humido calido consistit vita That which is spoken of divers kindes of Insecta that there is no bloud to be found in them it is to be understood to be meant of true perfect and naturall bloud but of necessitie they must have in stead thereof some kind of humour in them that hath the qualitie of bloud viz. that is both hot and moist as aforesaid else can they not live Concerning Animals in generall it is not to be doubted but that all sorts of them as well those of savage and ravenous kind as those of domisticall and labouring kind as also venemous Serpents of themselves and of their owne nature were themselves good and might be good to others and profitable for mans use forasmuch as it is said Et vidit Elohim quod bonum But in that they are now become noisome and painefull to man that is per Accidens for this is occasioned by the sinne and transgression of Man whereby all things became accursed for his sake The utilitie or benefit that commeth to Man by these Terrestriall Animals is twofold the one pertaining to the body the other to the Soule The corporall benefit that commeth to man by them who knoweth not For daily experience sheweth us how beneficiall the use of Horses Oxen Kine Calves Sheep and other sorts of Beast and Cattel of all sorts are for the service of Man whereof some serve us for food some for rayment some for carriage some for tillage and other for divers other uses Of this use of them Moses saith That God hath subjected all things to man Omnia subjecisti sub pedibus ejus c. And made him Ruler over the Fishes of the Sea the Fouls of the ayre and the Beasts of the Land whereby he giveth us to understand that all sorts of Animals were created for the divers uses of man and each one of them ordained to a severall end But their spirituall use is far more noble and excellent by how much the soule surpasseth the body in dignity and worthiness And their use consisteth not alone in this that by the consideration of them we are led to the knowledg of God and of his wisedome power and goodnesse for this use hath all things else that are created as appeareth Rom. 1. and elsewhere But also that in these Animals God hath proposed to us such notable examples of imitation in respect of vices to be eschewed that the sacred Scriptures excepted there is no morall precepts can better instruct us than these Animals do which are daily in our view and of which we have daily use amongst these we may produce some examples of Fishes and Foules but many more may we gather from Terrestriall Animals And to the end we should shunne the ignorance of things Psal 32. such especially as are celestiall David the kingly Prophet proposeth to us for examples the Horse and Mule saying Non eritis sicut Equus Mulus in quibus non est intellectus Like as naturall Philosophy consisteth in other things so doth it chiefely in the knowledg of Animals viz. in the understanding of their wisedome natures and properties which knowledge hath beene approved by God himselfe from the beginning and not onely approved but also ordained and given to Adam for Moses saith God brought these Animals unto Adam to the end that he should advisedly view and consider them To the end that Adam should give them names answerable to their shapes natures proportion and qualities And that the imposition of these names should not be casually or at adventure for God abhoreth all disorder and confusion but deliberately and according to reason So as every thing might be aptly distinguished from other by their particular names and according to their severall natures and dispositions And that for our benefit That we hearing their names and understanding their significations may be led to the understanding of their naturall properties for which Etymologie or true interpretation and derivation of words is very behovefull and of great use The Parts contained are Humours and Spirits whereof onely the first is used in Coat-armours wherein are represented sometimes Drops of bloud Humors and sometimes Tears which both are naturally Humors contained though in Armory they are supposed no longer to be contained but shed forth The Bearing of this Humour Bloud Bloud
is understood to be evermore borne Drop-meale as I may so term it or by Drops Which manner of bearing is in Blazon termed Gutte of the Latine word Guttae which signifieth a Drop of any thing that is either by Nature liquid or liquefied by Art These Drops do receive a different manner of Blazon according unto their different colour or diversity of the substance whereof they do consist as by example shall appear Gutte de Larmes In blazoning of Coat-armours charged with drops you must evermore consider the substance whereof they are and to give them a denomination accordingly so shall you not need to name their colour at all forasmuch as by their substance their colours are easily conceived whereof I will give you some few examples in these Escocheons next following which albeit they may seem to be unduly bestowed with these yet in respect of their uniforme manner of bearing to wit by drops as the former I have chosen rather to sort them together with these than to bestow them confusedly under severall heads Note that if such kind of Drops be Or Note then shall they be taken as representations of fusible or liquid gold if they be Vert then shall they be taken to be drops or oyle Olive as herafter shall appeare when I shall speake of Coate-Armours whose fields have no Tincture predominating Bloud what But to returne to the humour of bloud from which we have upon occasion hitherto digressed it is infallible that there is no Animal or living creature but hath in it either bloud or some other kind of hot humor in quality like thereunto as I have said before These humors before mentioned Humors divided in respect of their most and fluent nature doe stand in need of some other thing to containe them and such containing parts are either the outmost includer which is the skinne of which we have already spoken in the first Section where wee treated of Furres or the whole body it selfe with the severall members and parts thereof all which because they need their supporters those we will first speake of and and so descend unto the whole bearings and parts Covering But I will first shew you an example of the bearing of dead mens sculls and then proceed to the supporting parts Parts of support whereof we have use in Armes are those solid substances which sustain the body viz. the Bones whereby the body is not onely underpropped but also carryed from place to place by help of their ligatures and Sinewes Of the use of these in Coat-armour you shall have examples in these Escocheons next following SECT III. CHAP. XII IN following the tract which our Method first chalked out unto us we are at length come to such Blazons as doe present to the eyes those sensitive things which we called the Containing because they are the mansion in which not onely the bloud and spirits but also the bones which we named the parts sustaining are inclosed Definition of Animals These are Animals or living creatures with their parts and members An Animal is any substance consisting both of a Body fitted for diverse functions and of a Soul giving Life Sense and Motion Animals saith Zanchius especially such as do produce a living creature have a more near resemblance of Man both as touching the parts of their Bodies as also concerning the faculties of their mind and subtilty and quickness of wit for their bodies also do consist like as ours do of flesh sinews Arteries bones gristles and skin c. In like sort they have head neck breasts back a chine or back-bone thighes legs and feet As also heart lights liver spleen guts and other inward parts as we have furthermore they do participate with us in our Actions as to eat drink sleep watch and move Albeit in many other things they are much unlike us In the handling of Animals it might be a scruple whether the bearing of such creatures whole should have precedence in their bearing before their parts and also in what rank and order the severall kinds of creatures are to be marshalled by us that thereby the dignity of their bearing may be best conceived because thâ— dignity of those things that are borne in Coat-armour being truly known and duly considered doth not a little illustrate the worthinesse of the Bearers in the displaying of their Ensignes for taking away these scruples I hold it requisite before I proceed to give Examples first to set down certain Notes by way of introduction to that which followeth shewing how the dignity of these Animals hereafter to be handled is to be accounted of either in a relative respect of things of distinct Natures compared one to another or in a comparative reference of Animals of the same kind each to other This dignity cannot be better understood than by taking a considerate view of that Order Dignity of Animals how understood which the Author of all Order and the most wise and powerfull Disposer of all things did observe not onely in the creation of the celestial but also of the elementary parts of the World with their severall Ornaments wherein be observed a continuall progression from things of lesse perfection to things more perfect For was there not a Chaos without form and void before it came to that admirable beauty whereof it is said Loe it was very good In the Celestial the Sun the glory thereof was made after the Firmament and the Night was before the Day In the inferiour bodies the vegetables as Trees Order of God in Nature were made before sensitive and living creatures and amongst these the Fishes which have neither breath nor voice and therefore imperfecter were before the Foules and both of them before terrestrial creatures and all of all sorts before Man made after Gods Image for whose service all other things were made as he was made for Gods Service Moreover in the creation of Man the Body was before the Soul which yet is a thing incomparably of more perfection By this rude draught of God and Natures admirable Method Divers ends of Art and Nature you may conceive the natural dignity of those creatures as often as they shall occur in Armorie But as Art hath not alwayes the same end which Nature hath because the one intendeth the being the other the knowing of things so is not the Method of both alwayes alike in attaining their ends for Natures processe is à simplicibus ad composita from the single parts to the whole whereas Art descendeth from the compounds to the simples in imitation whereof we shall in this our progresse follow this course that first every whole bearing of any Animal shall precede and then such parts and members thereof â—s usually are borne Whole bearing needfull to be first known for so every one that first hath seen the whole will discerne the parts the better whereas he that seeth a part having never seen the
most daintis skinne that so the externall shape might be an evident testimony of the inward mind That this creature Man is aso borne in Coat-Armour both Lim-meale as I may terme it and also entire with all his Parts conjunct I will shew by examples and we will first here set down the whole Bearings and afterward proceed to the Parts Man and his parts borne in Coat-armour In the workmanship of this principall member of mans body may we behold with admiration the unspeakable power providence and mercy of God if we shall attentively consider the order and composition of the head with the externall and internall parts thereof First of all the skull called in Latine Cranium is the uppermost bone of the Head fashioned in the forme of a Globe and distinguished with their orders of small holes and seames An example of bearing in Coat-Armour of three of these skulls on a Cheuron I have formerly given you pag. 153. where I treated of bones The skull is outwardly covered with skin and thin flesh lest the same should be over-burthened with too much weight This flesh with that skin is therefore made full of pores or small invisible holes for the more commodious evaporation of the grosse humors of the braine and certain excrements thereof whereof haires are engendered and may have their passage The skull is inwardly hollow to the end that the braine which is the seat of all the senses might be the more commodiously conferred therein The skull hath God distributed into three parts viz. into Sinciput which is the fore-part thereof and conjoyneth to the forehead into Occiput which is the hindermost part thereof and into Verticem which is the Crowne or middle part of the same seated between the fore and hinder part afore named Under these three partitions are placed three severall faculties In the fore-part is the Phantasie or Sensus Communis scil the Judgment of the senses or universall notion of things In the middle the Imagination And memory in the hinder-part of the head Within the concavity of the skull the braine hath his being distinguished with three little ventricles or Cels one in the fore-part another in the midst and the last in the hinder-part in which three ventricles the formes and Ideas of things apprehended by the exterior senses are severally and distinctly imprinted therefore to the end the same might be more effectually performed God made not the braine fluent like water for then would it not apprehend or retain those conceited forms nor yet of solid substance like bones for then could it not easily admit the impressions of such imaginary forms but he made the braine of an indifferent temper viz. moderately soft and moderately hard to wit of a soft and temperate nature Furthermore God hath made in the brains of man certain concavities or hollownesses and those hath he replenished with vitall spirits without which the interior senses could not consist and these spirits doth the soul use to understand by and to the performance of other actions which she produceth in the head Moreover in the braine hath he placed the fountain of the sinewes which from thence are dispersedly conveyed throughout the body as well those nerves and sinewes as are sensitive as also those that are motive viz those that give motion to the body But who can expresse or conceive in mind the manifold instruments of the soule that God hath placed in the head of man In the head we may observe well-nigh all the uses of the soule Behold the admirable composition of mans head which of all other parts of the body is the noblest and how all and singular the parts thereof are accommodated and applyed by our most gracious Maker Conserver and Redeemer to serve for the uses of all the faculties of the soule If the framing of this one member I mean the head of a man be so admirable in it self how much more is the composition of the whole frame of the body being conjoyned and united together with sinewes and arteries in a proportionable manner and furnished throughout with all the externall and internall parts and their particular appurtenances to be admired The members of Animals are of Philosophers usually distinguished into Externall and Internall and so to be handled severally each one apart by it self but I labouring to be brief herein will handle those outward and inward parts onely whose shapes and forms I find to be borne in Coat-armour leaving the more copious and exact handling of them to the consideration of Physitians Chyrurgions and Anatomists professed to whose consideration they do more properly appertain The head in Latine is called Caput because it is the chief and principall beginning of the whole Fabrick of the body and withall the noblest of all other the members thereof In the head do the two principall faculties of the soul rest viz. the Intelligent and Sentinent and do there execute their functions albeit that the vegetable faculty also hath his operation there but the other two do reign and chiefly predominate therein Therefore it is the seat and residence of all the senses as well Internall as Externall placed in the head and that for good cause for sithence that the faculty Intelligent understandeth not in any other sort than by inspection of Imagination and Imaginary shapes which are ingendered of Externall formes and are by the outward senses conveyed to the Phantasie or Image conveyed in the mind Most wisely therefore hath God there placed the seate and wisdome of all the senses where the mind hath her being that so she need not go far to seek those imaginary formes whereof she is to consider to understand and dispose of according to Order Therefore in as much as the senses are become serviceable to the mind there the seate or residence of the senses is most fitly placed where the mind doth exercise her offices and operations From the same head do proceed all the nerves and sinewes wherewith each bone and members as also the universall body is conjoyned and fastened together and consolidated and also receiveth increase and being In the head is placed the principall part of manly forme the visage whereby he differeth from all other Animals and doth far surpasse them in favour and comlinesse whereof the Poet rightly wrote in these words Finxit in effigiem moderatum cuncta deorum Pronaque cum spectent animalia caetera terram Os homini sublime dedit coelumque tueri Jussit erectos ad sidera tollere vultus Ovid. Met. 1. fixt The forme of all th' all-ruling Deities And wheras others see with down-cast eyes He with a lofty look did man endue And bade him Heavens transcendent glories view Forasmuch as God would that the faculties both intelligent and sentinent should predominate in the head therefore did he forme and accommodate therein instruments well fitting for either use Of these instruments there are onely two sorts whereof the first containeth the instruments
other are Domesticall and Sociable as Dogs of all sorts of which I will first intreat because the Dog whether it be for pleasure and Game in field or for thrift and guard at home deserveth a very high estimation and of all Dogs those of chase are most in use in Armory whereof some prosecute their prey speedily others more leasurably of the first sort is the Greyhound as in example Note that it appeareth in an old Manuscript treating of blazon that a Greyhound cannot properly be termed Rampand for it is contrary to his kind to appear so fierce as the Author there writeth in his said book now remaining in the custody of that worthy Knight Sir William Seger Garter Principall King of Armes whose great study and travell in this Heraldicall Art hath by his own works already published been sufficiently manifest To these must be added all other fourefooted beasts that are provident in acquiring their food as the Hedghog and such other It resteth that I should now give example of the last sort of beasts among them of Savage kinde before spoken of which are those timerous and fearefull nature Such are these that follow and their like And hitherto we have handled such Terrestriall Animals onely as are called Vivipara because they do bring forth Living creatures whereas the other Terrestrials do bring forth Egs and are therefore named Ovipara of which sort we will speak in the next place SECT III. CHAP. XVII THis other sort of four footed Egge-bearing Animals as I may so terme them notwithstanding that in many things they have no small resemblance with man aswell touching the faculties of the Vegetable soule as also the parts of the body yet are they farre more unlike us than those that bring forth a living Creature And albeit that these Egge-breeding four footed Animals do consist of the same bodily parts that the Vivipara or Animal-producing doe and of the foure humors that are answerable in quality to the foure Elements and have all parts as well internall as externall senses and many other things wherein they doe communicate with the Vivipara yet are there many other things wherein they differ not only from these but also even amongst themselves one from another of them For neither doe we finde in these that quicknesse of wit that we observe in others neither like parts of strength of Body that the other have Like as man especially in his soule approacheth neer unto God in likenesse so in like manner doe other Animals resemble man wherein they doe participate with man in likenesse after some sort but in diverse degrees forasmuch as some of them have more and some lesse likenesse with us than others have There is not saith Beda amongst the Universall workes of nature any one thing so little or of so base esteeme wherein a man cannot finde some divine thing worthy of admiration No lesse saith Farnesius may we admire the force of a silly Flea than the hugenesse and strength of an Elephant Not without reason doth the Husband man prognosticate the approach of some great shower of Raine by the croaking of Frogges more frequent than usuall whereupon he saith that they doe cry for Raine For this observation is grounded upon a Physicall reason Omne enim simile gaudet suo simili suae naturae utili ac convenienti Every like is delighted with his like and with that which is commodious and agreeable to his nature Sithence then that Frogges are exceedingly delighted with water as with that which best agreeth with their nature therefore when they doe apprehend a fore-sence of Raine they doe rejoyce and doe testifie their joy by singing after their manner Animals of base esteeme and of no industry have for the most part not onely foure but manifold Feet whereby we are admonished that perverse and evill diposed persons have multiplicities of affections in respect that by the motion of the Feet our bodies are perduced from place to place so doe our affections transfer us from one delight to another according to that saying Pes meus affectus meus eo feror quocunque feror Though some perhaps may esteem these Egge bearing Animals unworthy the dignity of Coat-Armour yet for my own part I hold their bearing to be no lesse Honourable than many of those that in common estimation are reputed far more worthy insomuch that they may well beseem the bearing of the greatest Potentate For if it pleased the Soveraign King of Kings to use them as his speciall instruments to chastise the stubbornnesse of such as rebelled against his Ordinance and to arme those his minute and weak creatures with such an incredible boldnesse as that they feared not the face or forces of men but that the very Frogs entred the houses and chambers of the Aegyptians upon the people into their Ovens and into their kneading Troughes yea even into King Pharaohs Chamber and upon his Bed Moreover if God hath vouchsafed to give to the Grashopper the Canker-worme the Catterpiller and the Palmer-worm the honourable title of his huge great Army why should we prize them at so low a rate as that we should disdain to bear them in Coat-Armour Sithence God saith by the Prophet Joel I will render you the yeers which the Grashopper hath eaten the Canker-worme and the Catterpiller and the Palmer-worm my great Host which I sent among you It is therefore to be observed that they also have their actions not to be omitted in Blazon albeit not in that variable manner nor yet so copious as some others And because they are far different from those formermerly handled not onely in shape but also in the manner of their living in their gate and actions therefore must they receive a divers manner of Blazon They are called in Latine Reptilia or Creeping things Quia reptant super terram and here we must distinguish between those things quae reptant which Creep as Frogs Ants c. and those quae serpunt which glide as Snakes which latter kind we shall speak of afterward But here we mention those Reptiles which are Gressible such as by means of their feet are able to go step by step from one place to another so termed à gradiendo which is proceeding by degrees and hitherto also are referred such as by skipping mounting or leaping raise their bodies above ground and so alter their station place or seat Of which kinds some have four feet some have more Such as have four feet only are these that follow with their like I have omitted in my second Edition that Escocheon Sol charged with three Toades erected Saturne which according to some Authors was the Coat Armour of the ancient Kings of France because since my first Edition I find great variety of opinions concerning this matter of which I have given a touch in the first Chapter of the first Sect. page 5. And in liew thereof I do present you with the Ancient Coat-Armour of the same
and are subject to prey and tyrannicall oppression as these which ensue SECT III. CHAP. XXI FRom Predable Fowles that are Savage we come to Fowles Domesticall and home-br d Fowles domesticall that are delighted with Mans society Such are these that follow with their like And of these I think the Dove as the Emblem of peace mutuall love and other vertues may deserve the precedence Like as there are Insect Animals that live upon the earth as hath been before shewed in shutting up the Tract of Terrestrial Animals so are there in like sort Insects that live above the earth whereof I purpose to produce some few examples and so to perclose this Treatise of such Animals as do live above the Earth in the Air. These small and slender bodies are endued with a perfect soul if I may so say as by the effects appeareth for they do not only live and engender but also have the use of the senses as sight hearing smelling tasting and feeling no lesse than other Volatiles or flying Animals and in some of them we may observe a singular sharpnesse of Wit and to speak with Salomon fulnesse of Wisedom as in these Bees and such others Great is the Lord therefore that made them and right marvellous also is he in all his works who hath given this fulnesse of Wisedom to these contemptible creatures The Bee is reputed to be of a doubtfull kind in regard that it is uncertain whether he may be fitly numbered amongst the Savage or Domesticall kind of Animals therfore they are reckoned his that hath obtained the possession of them according to our vulgar speech Catch that catch may they are said to be ferae naturae therefore the Bees that do swarm on your trees untill you have gathered them into an Hive they are no more reckoned yours then the birds that do build their nests in your tree but being once Hived they cease to be publike and shall be adjudged the possessors though he be not interessed in the ground And till then it is lawfull for any man to take the Honey-combes if they have any at all Also a swarm escaped out of your Hives is no longer reckoned yours then you have them in sight and it is lawfull for you so long to prosecute them but if they flie out of your sight Fiunt occupantis The Aegyptians reckoned the Bee a figure of Regall power because in him besides the nature of bruit Animals he is constituted a King that administreth his function as it were by deepe counsell forasmuch as he is void of sting and governeth his Hive as his common-wealth altogether by lenity If a Bee sting a dead carkase she loseth not her sting but if she sting a living man she loseth her sting So death stinging us who were as dead flesh did not lose his sting But stinging Christ hath lost his sting Therefore we may say O death where is thy sting c. 1 Cor. 15. 1 Cor. 15. death hath onely the name of death but not the sting of death as the Brazen Serpent in the Wildernesse had the forme and shape of a Serpent but not the life nor sting of a Serpent Numb 21.9 Numb 21.9 The Calf the Goose the Bee The World is ruled by these three Meaning that Wax Pens and Parchment sway all mens states Bees have three properties of the best kind of Subjects they stick close to their King they are very industrious for their livelihood expelling all idle drones they will not sting any but such as first provoke them and then they are most fierce SECT III. CHAP. XXII Watry Animals HAving finished our intended survey of Animals both Terrestriall and Aeriall and of their use in Armory I will now according to order proceed to the handling of watery Animals being such as have their principall abode and relief in the waters as Fishes of all sorts As Fishes are of a less compleat nature than Earthly or Aeriall Animals so must they in reason be of lesse esteem in Coat-Armour Data paritate gestantium unlesse the quality of the bearer adde an honour thereto because those others do approach much nearer to the nature of man than the watery sort doth Et iâ—lud est melius quod optimo est propinquius That is the better which comes nearest to the best And the Picture which is the adumbration of the thing pictured cannot invert or alter the order or worth of the things whereof it beareth the similitude Quia fictio non plus operatur quam veritas representations may not alter the truth of the principall Enobled by the bearers dignity But herâ— spake of Armes composed of Fishes as they are considered in their self-nature which notwithstanding as they be borne of many persons desâ—ded of noble and royall Families are so much enoblished in their estimation as that they are to be preferred before many that are formed of Beasts or Fowles This therefore must be here also recommended for a general rule Rule generall that the worthinesse of the bearer is not the least respect we should use in considering the dignity of things borne in Coat-Armour Like as Birds have their plumes wings and trains by means whereof they do cut their way and make smooth passage through the Ayre in like sort Fishes are furnished with Finnes wherewith they guide themselves in their Swimming and cut the current of the streames and waves for their more easie passage wherein their course is directed by their tail as Ships are conducted by their Helme or Ruther And for their kinds of motion Fishes are in Scripture tearmed Reptilia Psal 154.25 In ipso magno Mari spatioso illic reptilia sunt c. In the great and wide Sea there are things creeping innumerable both small and great which are therefore said to be Reptilia as Chassaneus noteth Quiâ—â—mnia quae natant reptandi habent vel speciem vel naturam because things when they swim seem to creep along in the water Fishes albeit they have not breath as we may say in a comparative sort so strong and sensible as four-footed Animals have because they want lungs or lights as Aristotle hath taught yet it behoveth they should have both Attraction and Respiration of breath in some fashion which we call in Latine Inspiratio which is a drawing in of breath and Respiratio which is a venting out of the breath attracted as both Plato and Galen do teach who do affirme that Fishes do receive and deliver their breath by their gils For no longer is any Animal said to have life than he hath attraction and remission of breath Whereas Moses maketh mention Gen. 2.19 20. That God caused all the Beasts of the field and the Fowles of Heaven to come unto Adam that he might see how he would name them there is no mention of the coming of Fishes unto him neither that he gave names to them The reason is for that such is the nature of
intended the Lyon may easily free himself thereof if it were extended throughout to the Corners of the Escocheon Howsoever most true it is that those who are advanced to the calling represented by the Croysier ought to be like Lyons both for courage and vigilancy in execution of that great authority and jurisdiction wherewith Christ and his Church have honoured them for the repressing of obstinate offenders and preservation of the Churches Peace and Discipline To this head must be referred all other Ornaments properly pertaining to persons of Ecclesiasticall Dignity or Function But this is sufficient in this place to shew their use in Coat-Armour SECT IV. CHAP. III. OF things Artificiall borne or worne by Persons in Dignity Things borne by other persons and represented in Coat-Armours we have spoken in the two Chapters preceding In this shall be delivered examples of such Ornaments or representations of Dignity as are borne before Persons of such Majesty or Dignity for the more honour of their place and calling The Bearer hereof is called a Sergeant at Armes whose office is to attend the Estates and persons aforesaid for the execution of their commands for the Arrests of Traitors the Remove of forcible Entries and the Apprehension of Malefactors A man that is under the Arrest of a Sergeant at Armes is protected all that time from all other Arrests Hic est qui Leges Regni cancellat iniquas Et mandata pii Principis aequa facit Siquid obest populis aut legibus est inimicum Quicquid obest per â—um desinit esse nocens Ornaments borne before Ecclesiasticall persons Of Ornaments representing dignity borne before Ecclesiasticall persons the chiefest are the Crosse before exemplified and the Vierge which is borne before them in Cathedrall Churches within their severall Jurisdictions which I leave to each mans own Observation SECT IV. CHAP. IV. Badges of dignity TO these Honorary Ensigns as well Temporall as Ecclesiasticall worne by the persons dignified and borne before them in token of honour it shall no infringe our order if I adde such honourable donations and Badges of dignity as have in former Ages been bestowed by Emperours Kings Princes and States upon their Favourites and upon such others as they esteemed worthy in respect of their merits to possesse some pledges of their favour as testimonies of their own worth in which number are Rings Chains Collars Chaplets and such like That these in former Ages were bestowed upon persons advanced to honour appeareth by many evident testimonies both of sacred and prophane Historie Pharaoh minding to advance Joseph for that he found by experience that God had bestowed upon him gifts worthy to be highly honoured put upon his Finger a Ring and about his Neck a Chain of Gold Detrahens Pharaoh saith Moses annulum suum è manu sua induit illum in manum Josephi jussitque illum induere vestes xylinas apposuit torquem auâ—eum collo ejus c. And as touching Collars of Gold Collars bestowed upon such as were of the Blood Royal. they were bestowed for Rewards upon such as were of the Bloud Royall of Kings or such as were near of Alliance unto them as appeareth in the first Book of Maccabees Fuitque ut audivit Alexander Rex sermones istos ut ampliore honore Jonathanem afficeret mittens ei auream fibulam ut mos est dari cognatis Regum c. Of these last mentioned Ornaments Rings are most usually borne in Coat-Armour The Lacedemonians waging battell against the Messeni a people of Peloponnesus in Greece to the end their people that deceased in the Wars should have funerall rights and not be exposed unburied to all casualties they had certain Rings about their Armes wherein their names were engraven When Gideon purposed to make an Ephod to signifie his thankfulnesse unto God for his victories against the Midianites he required of the Israelites that every man would give him the eare-Ring of his prey whereto they willingly consented the value whereof amounted to the weight of one thousand and seven hundred shekels of Gold besides Collars Jewels and purple raiment that was on the Kings of Midian And besides the chains that were about the Camels necks Judges 8.24 c.. The Ring is a Type or representation of fidelity as appeareth in the sacred writs of the Aegyptians for the ancients did not weare Rings on their fingers so much for ornament or ostentation as for use of Sealing in regard that the Seale gave a better approbation than the writing did concerning the validity and verity of the charter therefore in after-ages men used to fortifie their last Wils and Testaments with seven Manuall Seales or Rings Manuall of witnesses called thereto to signifie the verity and validity thereof Hereof came that saying of Cicero ad Quintum fratrem Annulus tuus non minister alienae voluntatis sed testis tuae SECT IV. CHAP. V. WE now come to Coat-armours betokening or borrowed from the Arts Liberall which according to Joh. de Tur. Cremat are so denominated for three respects First Quia liberam mentem requirunt to put a difference between them and those Mechanicall Sciences wherein Artificers do more exercise their limbs than their minds Secondly they are called liberall in regard they are attained without any impeachment of credit or cawterize of conscience Thirdly for that in times past only the Children of noble and free born persons were admitted to be instructed and trained up in them Patricius saith that Arts Liberall are so termed Quia liberos homines efficiunt ab omni turpi sordido questu c. Because they make men to be of liberall and ingenious minds free from base and sordid covetousnesse and sensuall delights ennobling them with true wisdome the most noble endowment of mankind whereby men are as it were linkt unto God and made most like unto him And this especially is effected by that high and Heavenly Art Theology a Science not invented by man but proceeding from the Eternall wisdome of the Almighty whereunto all other Arts are but Handmaids in which respect the Professors thereof are by right and also by common assent of best approved Heralds to have the precedency of all worldly professions whatsoever and this Celestiall Science tending to the eternall happinesse of the Soul is accompanied with two other Faculties of great esteem though inferior to the former which are Physick and Law the one respecting the good of our Body and therefore worthily to have the next place after our Souls the other tending to our outward estates of fortune which are not to be neglected of the wisest And these three we call the Cardinall Sciences because of their great necessity and noble use above the other seven Liberall Sciences Man naturally desireth knowledge but is not able to attain the perfection thereof no though he be well read in Naturall Histories in Chronography and Morall Discipline as may be seen Eccl. 1.13 And I gave
to the Sovereigne power amongst many regall immunities to that supreme jurisdiction peculiarly belonging and to none others Neverthelesse we read that Monarchicall Kings and Soveraigne States imparted this prerogative or preheminence unto others their inferiours upon speciall acceptable service done or for whatsoever private respect as we may see 1 Maccab. 15.6 Where amongst many other preheminences granted by Antiochus the sonne of Demetrius to Simon the high Priest which had been formerly granted to him by the predecessors of Antiochus he enableth him to coine money saying I give thee leave to coine money of thine own Stampe within thy country To this head must be reduced all other sorts of Bullion or Coine and whatsoever else pertaineth to Traffick or commerce By this open Purse we may understand a man of a charitable disposition and a franke and liberall Steward of the blessings which God hath bestowed upon him for the relief of the needy Of such an one S. Herome hath this saying Non memini me legisse mala morte mortuum qui libenter opera charitatis exercuit habet enim multos intercessores impossibile est multorum preces non exaudiri Though the Shooe be an habit serving for the foot which is the most inferiour part of mans body yet is it not therefore to be contemned forasmuch as it is a note of progression and very behovefull for Travellers In the Scriptures it is often taken for expedition as Psal 60. In Idumeam extendam calceamentum meum And proceeding to Idumea I will cast my Shooe over it It was an ancient custom amongst the Israelites in transferring of possessions for him that departed therewith to pluck off his Shooe and to deliver the same to his neighbour as now it is with us to passe livery and Seizin of Inheritance by the delivery of a Turffe and Sprigs taken off the ground and delivering the same to the purchaser As appeareth in the book of Ruth where it is said Now this was the manner before time in Israel concerning redeeming and changing for to stablish all things A man did pluck off his Shooe and gave it to his neighbour and this was a sure witnesse By which Ceremony he publickly acknowledged that he had transferred and put over his whole right unto the purchasor Ruth 4.7 8 9. But in after ages it seemeth the Jewes passed inheritances by Charters sealed and testified by witnesses a custom of use with us at this day at the Common Law as appeareth in the Prophesie of Jeremiah Men shall buy fields for silver and make writings and seal them and take witnesses in the Land of Benjamin and round about Jerusalem c. 3â— 44 And again Jer. 32.25 And thou hast said unto me O Lord God buy unto thee a field for silver and take witnesses And I bought the field of Hananeel my Vncles son that was in Anathoth and weighed him the mony even seventeen Sheckles of silver and I subscribed the Evidence and sealed it and took witnesses and weighed him the mony in the ballances c. Now sithence I am casually fallen upon this argument of sealing of Deeds I hold it not amisse to give some little touch by the way of the first coming in of this custom of Sealing in this our Nation which is now of so frequent use amongst us First it is to be observed that our Ancestors the Saxons had not the same in use for they used onely to subscribe their names commonly adding the signe of the Crosse And I need not to prove the same by the testimony of divers witnesses for this custom continued here in England untill the time that this Realm was conquered by William Duke of Normandy who together with the state of government a thing of commom custom with absolute Conquerours did alter the before mentioned custom of testification of deeds into sealing with waxe whereupon the Norman custom of Sealing of deeds at length prevailed amongst us Insomuch that the before mentioned use of the Saxons therein was utterly abolished As witnesseth Ingulphus the Abbot of Crowland saying the Normans do change the making of writings which were wont to be firmed in England with Crosses of gold and other holy signes into printing waxe And they rejected also the manner of English writing This change was not effected all at once but took place by degrees So that first the King onely and some few of his nobility besides used to Seal Afterwards Noblemen for the most part and none others At this time also as Joh. Ross noteth they used to grave in their Seals their own Pictures and counterfeits covered with a long Coat over their Armours After this Gentlemen of the better sort took up this fashion And because they were not all Warriours they made seales ingraven with their severall Coats or Shields of Armes for difference sake as the same Author reporteth At length about the time of King Edward the third Seales became very common so as not onely those that beare Armes used to Seal but other men also fashioned to themselves Signets of their owne devising Some taking the letters of their owne names some Flowers some Knots and flourishes and other Beasts and Birds or some other things as now we behold dayly in use SECT IV. CHAP. VIII HAving exemplified such bearings as are borrowed from the two Arts of nourishing and Cloathing our Bodies the third place may justly be challenged by that Art which we call Armature What understood by Armature whereby we are defended from all outward injuries either of Foes or Weather for by Armature we understand not onely those things which appertaine to Military profession where of we will speake in it's proper place but also those defensive Sciences of Masonry and Carpentry and Metall works which doe concurre to building and other necessary strenghtning for protection of our weak Carcases For houses are mansions for our Bodies as our bodies for our Soules and the weaknesse of the one must be supplyed by the strength of the other Escocheons of this kinde are these which ensue as first for Masonry and Stone-work Reference To this head must be reduced all manner of Instruments that do pertain to the severall Trades of Bricklayers Plaisterers Pavyers and such others whose worke consisteth of Stone Lime or Morter So much may suffice for examples for Masonry Now we come to Carpentry as may appear by these next following Escocheons Under this head must be comprehended all sorts of Instruments whereof there is use in Coat-Armours pertaining to the severall trades of Joyners Milwrights Cartwrights Turners Cowpers c. Reference and whatsoever other Trades whose use consisteth and is exercised in working or framing of â—imber Wainscot or any sort of Wood. And so from Tooles of Masonry and Carpentry borne in Coat-armour we come to Instruments of Metal-work the other Species of Armature whether the same be malleable and wrought by Hammer or Fusil and formed by Fire Next will I speake of