potent an Emperour And this was a noble institution of Charles the fourth that not onely the skilfull professors of the Civill Lawes but the learned proficients and the judicious students in other Arts and Professions might receive remuneration for their vertues Honos enim alit Artes omnesque incendunâ—ur ad studia gloria Abr. Fra. pa. 76. And without all doubt there is great reason that Armes should be distributed unto men renowned for their learning wisdome who with expence even of their lives spirits in continuall study to enable themselves to be fit for to serve the Weal-publick at home by magistracy and civill government wherein they may no lesse merit reward of their Prince at home by their politick managing of civill affaires than the Martiall man abroad with his brandished slaughtering sword sithence they oftentimes in their civill government doe prescribe limits to Martiall affaires also how farre they shall extend their power according to that saying of Cicero Offici 1. Parva sunt foris Arma nisi est consilium domi And this is the cause that Armes are given for remuneration in later times as well to learned and religious men as to Martiall men yet not so much for their valour as for their wisdome and to honour them withall according to the saying of a certain Author Arma dantur vâ—ris religiosis non propter strenuitatem sed propter honorem quia honorabile est Arma portare ut Doctor in legibus viginâ—i annis per legem Armorum fiet miles non tamen propter ejus strenuitatem sed propter ejus dignitatem The examples of these two Great Potentates before mentioned in remunerating their well meriting Souldiers faithfull servants and vertuous and learned subjects with these Signes or Symbols called Armes the one viz. Alexander the Great for service done in wars The other namely Charles the fourth for politick managing of Civill affaires by learning and wisdome at home have been immitated by divers Emperors Kings and Princes of succeeding ages using therein the ministery of the Office of Heralds as subordinate officers thereunto appointed and authorized reserving alwayes to themselves the supream Jurisdiction of judging and remunerating persons according to their deserts but using the ministery of the Heralds as for sundry other uses of great importance in a State so also for the inventing and devising of congruent tokens of honour answerable to the merits of those that shall receive the same to doe which although there is a power seeming absolute committed to them by the Soveraign yet the same is restrained into a power ordinary which is to devise with discretion Armes correspondent to the desert of the person that shall be thought worthy to have these honourable badges or tokens of honour bestowed upon him Now sithence we have had cause here in this Chapter to make mention of a Herald it shall not be amisse to shew what this word is and his naturall signification Here-heaulte by abbreviation as Verstegan noteth Herault as also Herauld doth rightly signifie the Champion of the Army and growing to be a Name of Office he that in the Army hath the speciall charge to denounce Wars or to challenge to Battell or Combat in which sense our name of Heraulte approacheth neerest to Fecialis in Latine SECT I. CHAP. II. SO much of such notes as are necessary to be observed for the better understanding of these things that shall be hereafter delivered touching the subject of this work Now we proceed to the practick exercise of these Armoriall tokens which pertain to the function of Heralds and is termed Armory Definition of Armory and may be thus defined Armory is an Art rightly prescribing the true knowledge and use of Armes Now like as in things naturall the effects doe evermore immediately ensue their causes even so division which is a demonstration of the extent and power of things must by immediate consequence follow definition which doth express the nature of the thing defined Division is a distribution of things common Of Division and Use into things particular or lesse common The use thereof consisteth herein that by the assistance of this division words of large intendment and signification are reduced to their definite and determinate sense and meaning that so the mind of the learner be not misled through the ambiguity of words either of manifold or uncertain interpretations Moreover it serveth to illuminate the understanding of the learner and to make him more capable of such things as are delivered Ea enim quae divisim traduntur facilius intelliguntur The practise hereof shall be manifested in the distribution of the skill of Armory with all the parts and complements thereof throughout this whole work Distribution This skill of Armory consisteth of Blazoning and Marshalling Albeit I doe here make mention of the Marshalling or conjoyning of diverse Armes in one Shield or Escocheon nevertheless sithence it is far besides my purpose for the present to have further to doe with them in this place than onely to nominate them for distributions sake I will reserve this kind of Marshalling or conjoyning of the Armes of distinct Families in one Escocheon unto a more convenient time and place peculiarly destinated to that purpose and I will proceed to the explication of those things which doe concern the first member of this distribution viz. Blazoning Blazon is taken Definition of Blazon either strictly for an explication of Armes in apt and significant terms or else it is taken largely for a display of the vertues of the Bearers of Armes in which sense Chassaneus defineth the same in this manner Blazonia est quasi alicujus vera laudatio sub quibusdam signis secundum prudentiam justitiam fortitudinem temperantiam A certain French Armorist saith that to Blazon is to express what the shapes kindes and colour of things born in Armes are together with their apt significations Like as definitions are forerunners of divisions Of a rule even so divisions also have precedence of rules To speak properly of a rule It may be said to be any straight or levell thing whereby lines are drawn in a direct and even form In resemblance whereof we here understand it to be a briefe precept or instruction for knowing or doing of things aright as witnesseth Calepine saying Regula per translationem dicitur brevis rerum praeceptio that is to say a compendious or ready instruction of matters Rules are taken for brief documents prescribed for the delivery or apprehension of some Art or Science by these the wits and inventions of men are much comforted and quickened according to that saying of Seneca Ingenii vis praeceptis alitur crescit non aliter quam scintilla flatu levi adjuta novasque persuasiones adjicit innatas depravatas corrigit The force of wit is nourished and augmented by Rules or Precepts like as a spark is kindled with a soft and gentle fire and doe adde new
never went out but still gave light yet was not maintained with any kind of Oyle or other fatty matter or substance and this was holden for a speciall miraculous thing yet might the same be performed by some other naturall means as with a certain kind of stone that is found in Arcadia and is called Asphestus which is said to be of that nature that being once kindled and set on fire doth never extinguish or go out neither is it thereby consumed or wasted Zan. lib. 4. de potent daemon chap. 12. pag. 255. There are doubtlesse both in herbs and stones admirable virtues not manifest whereby strange and unwonted effects may be wrought Therefore men being ignorant of the efficacy and forcible vertues of things naturall and apprehending only their effects by sight do forth with conceive that there is wrought some strange or great miracle whereas indeed it is nothing lesse but a matter proceeding meerly from some naturall cause Besides these aforesaid there are sundry other Instruments of Houshold use as Mortars Gridirons c. which we leave to observation And to this may be referred Candles torches c. The great Turke Solimannus gave foure Candles for his Device one burning the other three extinct to signifie that other Religions were nothing light in respect of his or that the other parts of the World should lose their beauty by the brightnesse of his glory Endlesse is the swift passage of time which we shall better discerne if we looke backwards to the times that have already overslipped us The best meanes we can devise to bridle time is to be evermore well exercised in some honest vertuous and laudable worke so shall it not escape us fruitlessely acording to that saying of Petrarch Virtute industria bonarumque artium studijs fraenari possunt tempora non quia fugiant sed ne pereant So shall we be sure to carry a hand over time and not time over us so shall we if not clippe his wings that he glide not from us yet shall we so attach him that he shall not so passe us but that we shall make some good use of him that he passe us not unprofitably Time slippeth from us suddenly and outstrippeth us which onely we ought greedily to seize upon and in no case barter or exchange the same for any costly price or reward let us though late yet not too late begin to love and hold time in estimation which onely a man may lawfully and honestly covet Let us bethink our selves of the shortnesse of our time and our own frailty and endeavour our selves to make good use thereof and let us not then as Seneca admonisheth us begin to live when life begins to leave us To this place are Clocks Watches and such like Instruments representing the swift incessant motion of time to be referred wherein we may observe that every wheele therein is moved by some other of more swift motion than it selfe hath whereby is verified this saying Quilibet motus mensuratur per velociorem motum seipso SECT IV. CHAP. X. The Art of Armature NExt to Armature with the appendices thereof succeedeth Navigation whereunto pertain all sorts of Ships and Boats with their severall parts their Huls Stem Sterne Masts Tops Tacklings Sailes Oares Cables Anchors c. Whereof divers are borne in Coat-armour as shall by these next examples partly appear He is second son to Nathaniel Terne of much Wenlock in the County of Salop lately deceased and of Sarah Daughter and Coheir to Edmund Hill of the Court of Hill in Tenbury in the same County by whom he had also issue William eldest son Henry third son Nathaniel deceased SECT IV. CHAP. XI THE last of the aforesaid Arts we reckoned to be Venation which Plato divideth into three Species Hunting Hawking and Fishing all which because they tend to the providing of sustenance for man Farnesius doth therefore account a Species of Agriculture The dangerous chases of the Bear the wild Boare Bull c. whether the same be performed on horse-back or on foot hath a resemblance of Military practise for it maketh a man provident in assaulting as also valorous in sustaining the brunt of the enemy it maketh them politick for choice of places of advantage and enableth them to tolerate hunger thirst labour stormes tempests c. all which are most requisite for such as do professe a military course of life What valorous commanders those men have proved that have been trained up in the Art of Hunting when they have come to the administration and managing of Martiall Affaires the Persians can sufficiently witnesse unto us who had no better means to become expert Souldiers than their dayly exercise of Hunting As also the History of Mithridates King of Pontus who was so much transported with the love of Hunting as that according to Farnesius by the space of seven years he took not the benefit of any house either in City or Country to lye in by means whereof he so enabled and enured his body to sustain all hardnesse that afterward he became a scourge and terrour to the Romans And therefore this noble kind of Venation is priviledged from the title of an Illiberal Art being a Princely and Generous Exercise The priviledge of Venation but those onely who use it for a trade of life to make gain thereof are to be marshalled in the rank of Mechanicks and Illiberal Artizans As touching the number of examples of things pertaining to this noble exercise of Hunting proposed for the first Species of Venation I purpose to be very brief not in respect of their scarcity but because of the manifold imployments of the workman for the present that he is not able to furnish me with more And having ended with them I will proceed according to order with the other two Species of Venation viz. Hawking and Fishing The Skill of Fishing is diversly exercised viz. sometimes with Nets sometimes with Hooks other whiles with Sammon-spears or Eele-spears and sometimes with Ginnes with Puttes Weeles c. all which are found borne in Coat-armour now first of Nets These are most usually borne in Armes piece-meal or in fragments which are the same if I be not deceived which we call in Blazon Frets because the Frenchmen call a Net Retz and we by intermixture of Language have added thereunto the letter F. These fragments are sometimes borne single and other-whiles manifold as appeareth by these next examples There is also borne Gules eight Losenges Argent 4.3.1 by the name of Preston SECT IV. CHAP. XII ARTS Mechanicall of more necessary use for the nourishing and preserving of Mans body we have proposed in the preceding examples there yet rest other Arts of a second rank which tend rather to the embellishing and beautifying of Natures works than to the necessary supply of humane uses yea some of them such as are rather boites to please the senses than means to further mans good Yet because the custom
services especially if they be ancient and bestowed by a Noble and renowned Prince and this is according to their use in the time of Alexander the Great and since untill of later times 3. Difinition of them But according to their modern I mean since the time of Charles the fourth and present use Arms may be said to be Hieroglyphicall or Enigmaticall Symboles or Signs testifying and demonstrating the Nobility or Gentry acquired by the vertue and good service performed by their Bearer or some of his Ancestors either in martiall exploits abroad or by their learning and wisdom which they attained to by spending their bodies and spirits in continuall study to make themselves fit for the patronage and defence of the Weal-publick at home How great the dignity and estimation of Arms ever hath been and yet is we may easily conceive by this that they do delight the beholders and greatly grace and beautifie the places wherin they are erected so also they do occasion their spectators to make serious inquisition whose they are who is the owner of the house wherein they are set up of what family their Bearer is descended and who were his next and who is his remote parents or ancestors Armes externall demonstrations of the mind It is very probable that these Signs which we call Arms at this day howsoever in former Ages they have been named whether Emblems or Pictures graven painted or embossed or notes representing some secret or hidden Mystery as Hieroglyphicks or Enigmaticall or hidden conceits they were externall notes of the inward disposition of the mind manifesting in some sort the naturall qualities of their Bearers yet so as they were hidden from the vulgar sort and known to the judicious onely experimented in the knowledge of the naturall vertues and dispositions of bodies Celestiall of Animals and of Vegetables c. Armes abstracts of Nature These in their begining and first institution were not bestowed upon vulgar persons neither were their intendments fitted for common capacity but such as were extracted out of the bowels very intrals of nature and were neither obscure to the learned nor over-familiar to the common sort Their conformity with Names Between Arms and Names there is a certain conformity so that as it is a thing unlawfull for a man but upon great occasion to change his name Sic neque arma saith Chass mutare licet nisi magna honorifica causa accesserit and another saith A nominibus ad arma bonum deducitur Argumentum There are sometimes Arms borne that may seem to have been devised in their first institution according to the Sirnames of the Bearers as a Bear for Vrsonne three Castles for Castleton three Conies for Conesby c. Whether these be either better or more ancient than other Arms it is a question of more difficulty to be resolved than commodious if it were known If there were two distinct families of one Sirname yet bearing severall Coat-Armours it is no consequence that they are originally issued from the same Ancestors for their agreement of their Sirnames may be said to be a probability but yet it is no proof that they are both extracted from the same Ancestors unlesse there be withall a resemblance of their Coat-Armours which are the expresse notes of distinction In case where there are two families diverse in name and issued from severall parents and both of them do bear one and the selfesame Coat-Armour and the name of one of them is agreeable to the Coat-Armour and the other dissonant from the same The same being in question to whether of them this Coat doth properly appertain it may be probably conjectured that he is interessed in the Coat-Armour whose appellation is agreeable therewith rather than his whose name hath no conformity with it For names were instituted for differencing of each person from other severally according to the saying Sicut nomina inventa sunt ad cognoscendos homines Ita Arma insignia ad recognoscendum homines sunt inventa If two men of severall Families shall bear one Coat-Armour and have their abode in one Country or Territory and one of them can produce no more proof why he doth arrogate the propriety thereof than the other can In such case the cause shall be questioned before the Soveraign or before such as do from him derive their authority for the hearing examining and determining cases of this nature Otherwise if either of them can prove that his Ancestors received the same of the Kings gift as a remuneration for service done the Arms shall be adjudged to be his The sympathy of Arms with their Bearers Also there is between these Arms and their Bearers a kind of Sympathy or naturall participation of qualities in so much as who so dishonourably or unreverently useth the Arms of any man seemeth to have offered indignity to the person of their Bearer so according to some Authors their owner shall right himself against such an offender or wrong-doer Actione injuriarum As touching the antiquity of these signs which we call Arms The Antiquity of Arms and Ensigns Armoriall Diodorus Siculus maketh mention that Osyris surnamed Jupiter the just son to Cham the cursed son of Noah called of the Gentiles Janus being banished from the blessed Tents of Shem and Japhet by reason of the curse fallen upon his father was constrained to seek some remote place wherein he might settle himself his children and people for which purpose he assembled a great army and appointed Hercules his eldest son Captain And in this so ancient an expedition of wars as well Osyris himself as Hercules Macedon and Annubis his sons and others did paint certain signs upon their shields bucklers and other weapons which signs were after called Arms As for example Osyris bare a Scepter royall insigned on the top with an Eye Hercules a Lyon rampant holding a Battle-axe Macedon a Wolf and Annubis a Dog And we find in Homer and in Virgil that the Heroes had their signs or marks whereby their persons were distinctly known and discerned in Battell as well as their Kings and commons had their publick Ensigns For the Athenians bare the Owle The Persians an Ancher or Sagitary stamped in their coynes The Romans bare an Eagle Minotaure and sundry other shapes which according to Pliny they bare in Battell unto the time of Marius who bare in his Ensign an Eagle Argent figured and embossed Sus une haute longue as may be seen in ancient Medals and chiefly in which is found this word Allocutio Paulus Emilius saith That anciently the French Kings did beare Argent The ancient Arms of the French Kings three Diadems Gules Others say they bare three Toads Sable in a field Vert alias Sinople which cannot be good Armory as the Masters of that Mystery do hold because of Colour upon Colour Whence they received those Arms it is not certainly known unless they had them from the Romans
Sable a Fesse Engrailed between three Flowers de lis Argent by the name of Ashfield of which is now Sir Richard Ashfield of Netherhall in Suffolk Baronet son of Sir John Ashfield of the same place created Baronet July 27. 1626. He beareth Gules three Flowers de lis Argent a Chief Vaire by the name of Palmes of York-shire and elsewhere He beareth Argent six Flowers de lis Azure a Chief Or being with the Armes of Vlster the Atchievement of the honourable Sir William Paston of Oxnead in the County of Norfolk Knight and Baronet a great Patron and Promoter of Arts and Ingenuity â—olledge of Winchester The Field is Sable three Lillies slipped their stalks seeds blades and leaves Argent These Armes pertain to the Colledge of Winchester founded by the renowned Architect William Wickham Bishop of Winton who contrived those many and most curious Castles and other buildings of King Edward the third and besides this goodly Colledge of Winton built another magnificent Colledge called the New Colledge in the Vniversity of Oxford two such absolute Foundations as never any King of this Land did the like This Wickham having finished the Castle of Windsor caused to be inscribed on the Wall of the Round Tower This made Wickham which caused such as were envious of his high favour to suggest unto the King that he arrogated all the honour of that great Work to himself but he pleasantly satisfied the King saying that he wrote not Wickham made this but This made Wickham because by his service in these Works he had gained his Soveraigns Princely favour Treefoiles slipped He beareth Argent a Fesse Nebule between three treefoiles slipped Gules This Coat pertaineh to George Thorpe of Wanswell in the County of Glocester Esquire one of the honourable band of his Majesties Gentlemen Pensioners The Treefoile is accounted the Husbandmans Almanack because when it shutteth in the leaves it fore-telleth raine The husbandmans calender and therefore the Fesse Nebule representing the rainy clouds is not unaptly joyned with it This Leafe being grassie some may marvell I should reckon it amongst the Coronaries but they must know that in ancient Roman times amongst other sorts of Crowns the Graminea corona or Grassie Crown was of very high honour to the Wearer He beareth Sable a Cheuron between three Treefoiles Or which is the Coat of that worthy Merchant John Lewis Esquire of an ancient Family of that name in York-shire He beareth Argent on a Cheuron Azure between three Treefoiles Parted per Pale Gules and Vert as many Bezants being the Coat of Sir Henry Row of Shakelwell of Colonel Owen Row c. He beareth Or two Cheurons between three Treefoyles Sable which is the Coat of Sir Thomas Abdy of Felphall in Essex Knight and Baronet and Robert Abdy of London Merchant and John Abdy sons of Anthony Abdy sometime Alderman of London He beareth Azure three Quaterfoyles Argent which is the Coat of Sir Francis Vincent of Stoke Dabernon in Surrey Baronet of which Family is also William Vincent Esquire Alderman of London Sheriff 1659. He beareth Argent a Cheuron Sable Columbines slipped between three Columbines slipped Proper by the name of Hall of Coventrie The Columbine is pleasing to the eye as well in respect of the seemly and not vulgar shape as in regard of the Azurie colour thereof and is holden to be very medicinable for the disolving of impostumations or swellings in the throat He beareth Gules a Bend Or in the sinister Chief a Cinquefoyle Ermine this is the Coat of Sir Erasmus de la Fountaine of London Knight whose Lady is Sister to the right honourable Baptist Viscount Camden He beareth Argent a Cheuron Sable in the dexter point a Cinquefoyle Gules and is the Coat of Alderman Ricard of London He beareth Sable a Cheuron Ermine between three Cinquefoyles Or being the Coat of the honourable John Thurloe Secretary of State He beareth Gules a Cheuron between ten Cinquefoiles The Cinquefoile four two one two and one Argent This Coat-Armour pertaineth to the worshipful Family of Barkley of Wymundham which descended out of the right noble progeny of the Lord Barkley This Coat is of an usuall kind of Blazon and therefore I held it the fitter to be here inserted as a pattern for all such Coat-Armours whose Charges are marshalled in this order The Cinquefoile is an Herbe wholesome for many good uses and is of ancient bearing in Escocheons The number of the leaves answer to the five senses in a man and he that can conquer his affections Resemblance thereof and master his senses which sensuall and vicious men are wholy addicted unto he may worthily and with honour bear the Cinquefoile as the signe of his fivefold victory over a stronger Enemy than that three headed monster Cerberus He beareth Argent three Gilloflowers slipped Proper Gilloflowers slipped by the name of Jorney These kinds of flowers for beauty variety of colour and pleasant redolencie may be compared with the choisest attires of the garden yet because such daintinesse and affected adornings better befit Ladies and Gentlewomen than Knights and men of valour whose worth must be tried in the Field not under a Rose-bed or in a Garden plot therefore the ancient Generous made choise rather of such Herbs as grew in the Fields as the Cinquefoile Treefoile c. He beareth Argent a Cheuron Gules between three blew Bottles Blew Bottles slipped proper by the name of Chorley of Chorley an ancient Family in the County Palatine of Lancaster These few examples may suffice to shew that all others of like kind which I for brevity sake voluntarily passe over are to be reduced unto this head of Coronary-Herbs from which we will now proceed to the Physicall whose chief and more frequent use consisteth in asswaging or curing of maladies and diseases And of these some are Aromaticall which for the most part in respect of their familiar and pleasing nature do serve for the corroborating comforting of the inward parts of mans body and for that purpose are oft used in meats of which sort are Saffron Ginger and such like other are meerly Medicinall and such as a man were it not for necessity would wish rather to wear in his Escocheon than in his belly Examples of which kinds I will willingly passe over onely as it were pointing out with the finger unto what head they must be reduced if any such be borne in Armes Of the Plants Trees Fruits and Herbs before mentioned some are forrein and some Domesticall Of Plants Trees c. some grow in Mountains some in Marish and Fenny grounds some by the Rivers some by Sea-coast Concerning their causes natures and effects Phylosophers Physitians and Herbalists do seriously dispute and doubtlesse they are the admirable work of the most Omnipotent God who hath sent as many kinds of Medicines as of Maladies that as by the one we may see our own wretchednesse
the Sun than by copulation and if by this latter whether they come of Egs or come forth living SECT III. CHAP. XVI NOw touching such Creatures as we termed Gliding Gliding Animals those may properly be said to be such which having no Feet at all do yet move and as it were slide from place to place some more slowly but other some with a certain Volubility and flexible Agitation of the Body do make their speedy way upon the Earth with many pliant Bowings and of these also some have for coverture their Skin onely some both Skin and Shell also of the Former sort are those now following with their like To the four-footed Egge-breeding Animals do the Serpents come very nigh as also other Reptiles For all Serpents have blood flesh sinewes and other like parts as four-footed Animals have although not in that perfection that they have them They are indowed also with head nostrils eyes tongue teeth and with lights and spleen and other inward parts and bowels of the body but much discrepant from the members and bowels of all others Notwithstanding that Serpents are farre unequall to four-footed Animals both in shape and strength yet will they not give place to many of them for sharpnesse of wit It is a creature full of subtilty as Moses testifieth Gen. 3. And the Serpent was more subtill then any beast of the field for besides his exterior senses he is crafty and and subtill in preserving his life in making choice of his lurking dens in acquiring his food in hatching up his brood in expelling from him and putting off his old slowgh So that for good cause did our Saviour exhort us in goodnesse to imitate the wisdome of the Serpent Animals as have both skin and shell These few examples may serve instead of many which might be brought of Serpents of sundry other names and natures which all are hitherto to be referred Now let us see one example of such Gliding or Sliding Animals as are more slow-paced and have both Skin and Shell to cover them of which number is the Snaile reckoned of all other that are borne in Coat-Armour the slowest and no marvell sith it carrieth on her back no lesse a burden than her whole house for which cause she is called Tardigrada Domiporta the slow-going House-bearer SECT III. CHAP. XIX Animals living above the earth A Second general member of our division of living Creatures concerning such as live above the Earth in the Aire as are the Fowles and Birds of all sorts and as we distinguished the former by their Feet so the same Method we will follow in these Their Feet therefore are in some whole or conjoyned in others divided the whole-footed do in a sort resemble the Palme of a mans hand and are therefore in Latine called Palmipedes such as the Swan Whole-footed what Goose Duck and for the most part all River Fowles as partly shall appear hereafter by Examples But here I hold it necessary entring into this Discourse to set down some general Rules or Notes concerning the Bearing of Birds or Fowles Fowles more worthy than Fishes that the Reader may know whither to resort for a resolution of such doubts as may arise touching their bearing Fowles or Birds are of more worthy Bearing in Coat-Armour than Fishes because they do more participate of Aire and Fire the two noblest and highest Elements than of Water or Earth All Fowles of whatsoever kind must be borne in Coat-armour as is best fitting the propriety of their naturall actions of going sitting standing stying c. Rule generall Otherwise such Armorie shall be said to be false because Ars imitatur naturam in quantum potest Art as much as possible it can doth imitate nature All Birds are mustered under the name of Fowles as under their Genus or Generall and so may seem after a sort to be one Neverthelesse in their Species Different qualities of Fowles or severall kinds they differ much touching their particular qualities for some of them are simple some others subtill some solitarie some sociable some melodious some articulate some docible some doltish and indocible some of long continuance and some onely of a few months lasting Leigh saith that Birds in an Escocheon shall be numbred unto Tenne and if they exceed that number Numbring of Fowles in Armes then they shall be said to be sans number and shall be so Blazoned but Chassaneus saith that they shall be numbred unto sixteen and of such Bearing and Blazoning he giveth instances of Monsieur Montmorancie and of the Lord Lovale Concerning the Beaks or Bills and Feet of Birds most Armorists finding them to be of a different colour from the rest of the body do term them all generally membred But under reformation of the skill I hold that as there is a difference in the Nobility of Birds so ought they to have distinct terms of blazon so that all those that either are whole-footed or have their feet divided and yet have no Tallons should be termed membred But the Cock and also all Birds of prey should be termed in Blazon Armed for as much as nature hath assigned the Cock being a Bird much addicted to battle spurs and to the birds of prey sharp and hooked Beaks and Tallons The Cock and Fowles of prey termed Armed not onely for encounter and defence but also to seize upon gripe and rend their prey and are to them as teeth and clawes unto Lyons Tigers and other fierce beasts Similium enim similis est ratio Where the things are like the reason is like It is generally observed that amongst Fowles of Prey The Female of fowles of prey hardiest the Female is the noblest and most hardie which Nature did so provide because besides her own sustenance the care of feeding her young doth especially lye on the Female and therefore if she should be timorous or cowardly she should not be able to provide food for her self and them Such Fowles saith Vpton as either in respect of their uniformity do never change colour naturally or by nature are diversly coloured shall be onely named in Blazon and no mention at all made of their Colours but shall be termed Proper unlesse they either in part or in whole be borne of some other Colour than is Naturall to them In the Blazoning of Fowles much exercised in flight if their Wings be not displaied they shall be said to be borne close as he Beareth an Eagle Falcon Swallow c. Close As in other fore-mentioned Creatures so in Fowles also besides the whole bearing the Parts or Members are also usually borne in Coat-armour as the Heads Wings Feathers and Legs and both Couping and Erasing are as incident unto the parts of Fowles as of those Terrestrials as by Examples following shall appear wherein I will first begin with River Fowles which for the most part are Whole-footed using neither Curiousnesse in their form of Placing or