THE ELEMENTS OF ARMORIES AT LONDON Printed by GEORGE ELD 1610. C. SALLVSTIVS CRISPVS Verumenimuerò is demùm mihi viuere et frui animâ videtur qui aliquo negotio intentus praeclari facinoris aut ARTIS BONAE famam quaerit TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HENRIE EARLE OF NORTHAMPTON BARON HOWARD OF MARNHILL LORD PRIVIE SEALT LORD WARDEN OF THE CINQVE FORTS ONE OF THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS FOR THE EARLE-MARSHALSHIP OF ENGLAND KNIGHT OF THE MOST NOBLE ORDER OF THE GARTER VVORTHIE OF ALL THE HONORS DVE TO HIGH VVISDOME VIRTVE AND LEARNING HIS MOST HONORED GOOD LORD E. B. VVILLINGLIE HVMBLIE AND DESERVEDLIE DEDICATETH THESE HIS ELEMENTS OF ARMORIES The Opinions and Offices of sundry choyce and quallified Gentlemen friendes to the Author touching these his ELEMENTS of ARMORIES A Letter to the Author from the worthy WILLIAM SEGAR Esquire GARTER principall King of Armes SYR I haue viewed your Elementary Booke of Armories and in my poore iudgment doe approue the same no lesse singular for the deuice then generall for the matter and absolutely the best of any in that kind Your labours deserue encouragements by how much they are written freely and ingeniously and may be called as well the ALIMENTS as the ELEMENTS of ARMORIES for that they nourish the mind of the Reader with a profitable and pleasing satiety of excellent matter Finis coronat opus Your good Wine needs no Garland Yet because it was your pleasure I should deliuer you mine opinion thereof I haue aduentured to say thus much And with the same recommend my loue vnto you 14. April 1610. Your louing friend WILLIAM SEGAR GARTER A Letter to the Author from the excellently learned in our Antiquities and in all other humane literature WILLIAM CAMDEN Esquire CLARENCEVX King of Armes SYR whereas your desire is that I should deliuer my full opinion of your Booke which you lately sent and submitted to my censure I assure you if my iudgement be any which I acknowledge to bee very little you haue with that iudicious learning insight handled ARMORIE the subiect of my profession that I cannot but approue it as both learnedly and diligently discouered from his first cradle And could not but allow it if I were Censor librorum publicâ authoritate constitutus as you know I am not Pardon me that I am so breefe for neyther my head nor my hand can as yet performe that which they should and would vntill the Almighty shall restore me to former health to whose protection I commend you and yours resting 11. Iune 1609. Your louing friend WILLIAM CAMDEN CLARENCEVX A LETTER TO THE AVTHOR FROM HIS LATE DEARE FRIEND the Graue and Courtly THOMAS BEDINGFIELD Esquire late Maister of his Maiesties Tents and Toilz c. deceased SYR your ELEMENTS of ARMORIES I haue seene but censure them I dare not Blinde eyes can iudge no colours and ignorance may not meddle with excellent conceit This only I will admire your Work wish you to proceed If you permit these discourses to wander abroad they shall meet with more men to maruail then vnderstand them That is the worst I returned them in haste fearing to foule the paper or iniury the Inck. From Clerckenwel 27. Mar. 1609. Your very louing friend THOMAS BEDINGFIELD Postscr SYR if you adde or write more I pray you make me a partaker I say with PETRARK Stanco non satio mai A LETTER TO THE AVTHOR from the learned young Gentleman I. B. of Grace-dieu in the County of LEICESTER Esquier SYR I haue here with many thanks returned to you your profound discourse of the ELEMENTS of ARMORIES which I haue read ouer with great profit delight for I confesse that till now I neuer saw any thing in this kind worthy the entertainment of a studious mind wherin you haue most commendably shewed your skill finding out rare and vnknowne beauties in an Art whose highest perfection the meanest wits if they could blazon and repeat Pedigrees durst heretofore but shall not now challenge Our sight which of all senses wee hold y e dearest you haue made more precious vnto vs by teaching vs the excellent proportions of our visible obiects In performance wherof as you haue followed none so haue you left it at a rash and desperate aduenture for any to follow you For he that only considers your choice copie of matter without forcing will find it an hard talk to equall your Inuention not to speake of your iudiciall Method wherin you haue made your Workmanship excell your Subiect though it bee most worthy of all ingenuous industry Beleeue me SYR in a word I cannot but highly admire your attempt so wel performed and among many others will be an earnest furtherer of that benefit which this dull age of ours in this our country carelesse of al but gainful Arts claimeth at your hands In which hope I rest 29. Nouemb. 1609. Your most louing friend IOHN BEAVMONT H. C. To the Gentleman Reader IF thou desire to knowe the reason why Thou doo'st in Sheild the Armes of honour bear This Booke will say that they by nature were The HIEROGLYPHICKS of Nobility It shewes beside how Art doth beautifie What Nature doth inspire and how each-where All Arts conion'd in this Art do appeare By structure of a choyce Phylosophie GEOMETRIE giues Lines in ordred Place Numbers ARITHMETICK and thou may'st see How all in OPTICK Colours honour thee But since that Virtue which adorn'd the race From whence thou did'st descend was ground of al Haue care to follow it or all will fall M r. HVGH HOLLAND To his learned friend M r. E. B. the Author vpon his ELEMENTS of ARMORIE'S MY maister CAMDEN sacred King of Armes Who bounds with heau'n aswell as sea our soile So prosed and so praised hath thy toyle As here no need is of my sorry charmes To boast it though my braines APOLLO warmes Where like in IOVE'S MINERVA keeps a coile Yet I a Drone shall but thy Hony spoile Thou art the Maister BE of all the swarmes Deepe is his iudgement spatious is his witte And high his fame that can in Armes enfold VVhat eyther Sea or Land or Heauen hold Philosophers are in a greeuous fitte To see whil'st Enuy doth with Reason Storme New ELEMENTS new MATTER and new FORM. Another of the same by Apostrophe to PHOEBVS finishing in a symbolicall allusion to the most noble Earle of NORTHHAMPTON ON bolt on PHOEBVS spend thy golden Shafts And guild these Papers with thy glorious rayes Crown euery leaf with leaues of flowring Bayes And crown the Author with thy laurell grafts They treat the mystical'st of generous Crafts That shewes what Arms were born in Antique daies By whom where why and how many wayes On Sheilds and blades not set in dugeon haftes Thou MINERVA grace them in the sight Of that great Lord whose iudgment they rely on For as no Eye dare face thy glorious light VVhen as Thou reignest in the golden Lion So dare no Curre
Worlds which delighted not in amorous or pleasant deuises as a-symbolous to the vse of warre E. Afford mee now I pray a Scale of colours according to your particular opinion of their ciuill dignity without regard either to custome or nature A. It were a curiositie of little vse and I might doe it with as little allowance of others For I should not therein doubt to call vp purple to the highest end of the table setting Or and Argent beneath but that wee may not seeme not to vnderstand the price of time let vs bee compendious and consider colours as they are in present Armories E. Vouchsafe then to mee a scale which best answers both the order of nature and the order of dignity according to the which I may make a rule to my selfe concerning the vse of their prioritie or posterioritie in Armories A. Or and Argent are yeelded vnto for the two first places and vpon the warrantie of such reasons as you haue heard I haue worthily restored sable to the third The controuersies then that are rest betweene azure and gules and betweene vert and vulgar purple and in the decision of those controuersies a doubt ariseth which or what shall bee the rule to decide them by authoritie arguments or common opinion All which beeing full of vncertainties I will therefore place the seauen principall Armoriall colours which are euery one of them vnderstood to bee the best of their seuerall kinds as the brighest yellow purest white deepest black and so forth vpon a throne of foure steps according to my present conceit and iudgement of their order leauing others notwithstanding to their particular opinions which I doe the more willingly because I would not tire your spirits in the maze of scruples and not were there any authentick or set forme for ordering them for that I would imitate the licence of the age wherein wee liue in reiecting whatsoeuer stands not with present vse and phantasie and the reason of this my marshalling may partly bee gathered out of the premisses The throne of colours is this Or Argent and Sable admitting in my opinion no controuersie I haue yeelded gules a place before azure Not for that azure hath not more of white then gules if the order of nature were the onely rule of Armoriall dignitie or for that it representeth not a nobler body then it and that azure is borne out of white appeareth for that white mixt there-with doth but weaken the blewnesse abating it to a watchet and so to other degrees of palenesse as the mixture beares but therefore gules praecedes for that true purple is lost into all whose honors gules seemeth to succeed is more often obserued in antient Armories then any other of the colours participateth much of gold or yellow gold it selfe aswell among the learned as vnlearned being not rarely called red with the Poets rutilum is a familiar epithete or attribure of aurum and for our vulgar CHAVCERS rime of Sir THOPAS shall giue you an authoritie where it is said His shield it was of gold so red And this common conceit made MANVVOOD Lord chiefe Baron call golden coyne as I haue heard reported by an alluding by-name Ruddocks and finally gules therefore is suffered to praecede for that most properly it resembleth MARS and is most aptly appliable to martiall behoofes That it is a childe or neere cozen to yellow as azure is of white may bee manifested thus forsomuch as to abate and allay the fulnesse of red we doe not see white vsed as a colour too remote but rather yellow and that so farre-forth as some doe grinde a Chiue of Saffron with Vermillion to make it the more pleasant whereas white in like proportion mixed would dimne and decay it as yellow would spoile azure and turne it greene these in Armorial speculations seeming to be of their kinde which in Naturall are by the learned called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so admitting yellow to bee the chiefe of Armoriall colours for the metalls sake which representeth it rightly is gules preferred before azure in that it partakes so much of yellow Lastly I haue put vert before vulgar purple for that vert is simply and indeed a colour reputed as it were of it it selfe and comming such to vs out of his mineralls or materialls whereas vulgar purple is not I presume found in any one single substance whether minerall or other materiall but is made by mixture in like sort as Orenge-tawnie is of certaine quantities of yellow and redde mixt together And this is the Table of Armoriall colours wherin all respects as well naturall representatiue or customary so farre as I can presently collect are best satisfide which likewise I intend to follow being thus marshalled Or Argent Sable Gules Azure Vert and vulgar Purple The Contents 1. The as it were complections of Armories 2. One colour cannot be an Armes 3. Physicall disputes of colours omitted 4. Atomies are colourlesse 5. The old terme of Claurie in blazon 6. Reasons why one colour cannot be an Armes 7. Examples to the contrary 8. out of the Prophet NAHVM 9. and Pearlesse VIRGIL 10. Of ALEXANDER Magnus 11. AVGVSTVS CAESAR 12. TAMORLAN 13. the antient banner of PORTVGALL 14. the Auriflamb of FRANCE 15. The old banner of ARAGON with the memorable cause of redde Pallets therein 16. De la BRECTE vnder EDVVARD the first 17. The Maister easily puts by the poynt of these exeptions 18. of honorable Additions 19. Admirable modesty of old in assuming Armories 20. The white Knight in IRELAND 21. The old banner of NAVARRE 22. What wee are to iudge of a blancke or empty superficies 24. No good Armories without metal 24. ROKESLEYS coate 25. Extrauagants 26. Metall the vegetatiue soule of Armes 27. Armoriall Harmony CHAP. 29. EVSTACE YOu haue beene bountifull to mee in this delightfull argument worthy Syr AMIAS and greatly opened mine vnderstanding of them A. It would require much more euen as colours are Elementall vnto Armories E. As how I beseech you A. In respect of their coniunctions one with another by which in proportion of the quantities of colours in those coniunctions the as it were complexion of a Coate is made vppe whereas heere the Armoriall colours are onely considered as they are single and of themselues and as single notes are no concords nor proportions in musick so single colours haue no Armoriall harmony In which respect they neither are nor can be in Arms for of one colour onely no coate can consist Wee will not heere touch at the subtilities of the Physicks concerning colours nor dispute whither LVCRETIVS his atomicall Elements or seedes of things haue any colour a matter by him forbidden to be credited saying colore caue contingas semina rerum E. Wherefore then cannot a coate of Armes consist of one colour A. For innumerable causes First to mainetaine the matter of the Elements now in hand for if we admit such an absurdity as the subsistence of a
coate being barely a sheild of one colour which kinde of bearing the antient Armorists called Claurie as I thinke of the clearnesse without any other distinction wee vtterly make voyde the whole doctrine of Armoriall Elements at leastwise two of thē that is to say number position are decarded Then for that a coate of Armes is an artificial distinct compounded body can no more cōsist or be of one color thē a man of one Element And to be breife for that a coate of one coulour is no coate at all but a colour onely or such as SCOHIER saith are Tables d' attentes for the colour thereof beeing mettall it is nothing but as it were all light without shadow or life without body and beeing not metall but colour onely it is all nothing but as it were shadow onely and a soule-lesse body E. Yet are there some examples to the cōtrary A. Examples are not prooues and I can call to minde some particulars wherein this rule seemes to bee infringed after seuerall manners In the Prophesie of NAHVM among the bookes of holy scripture it is said that the sheildes of the mighty were become redde as some translate In prophane authors that of the ROMANE Poet whom by IVSTINIANS imperiall rule when no name is added to signifie which of the Latin Poets wee meane can be none but incomparable VIRGIL is worthily most memorable where HELENOR sonne to the King of MEONIA stolne from his friends by the seruile LICYMNIA and sent to the warres of TROY was parmâ inglorius albâ ALEXANDER Magnus also as it is in IVSTIN in a certaine triumphant iourney of his bestowed Shields of white-plate Siluer-shields vpon his Soldiers whom he therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is farthermore in learning that AVGVSTVS CAESAR after a victory by him obtained in the SICILIAN Sea honoured MARCVS AGRIPPA with an azure Banner vexillo caeruleo TAMORLAN the SCYTHIAN if that bee any thing to the purpose hung out as some report vpon seuerall dayes flagges of seuerall colours Symbolicall to his designes Wee may not in this number forget what ANDREAS RESCENDIVS is said to write that is that the Armes of the Kingdome of PORTVGALL were nothing at first but a white flagge till by occasion of a victory obtained by King ALPHONSO against fiue Moriseo Kings the fiue Escucheons azure were added The celestiall auriflamb so by the FRENCH admired was also but of one colour a square redde Syndon Banner What can wee doe lesse then report the Armes of ARAGON as they were said long since to haue beene to wit onely or that is a field or rather a superficies or not charged with pallets as they now are Blazed which hapned at such time as one of the Kings thereof dipping his fingers in the bloud of new slaine SARACENS or as others say LEVVIS Emperour in the wounds of il Conde de BARCELONA fighting on his side against the NORMANS ennobled that yellow standard by drawing vpon it those bloudy markes which now it hath Many the like examples might bee found and I haue seene an old record in FRENCH verses that at KARLAVAROCK in SCOTLAND in the time of King EDVVARD the first EVMENIONS de la Brecte so is hee there named bare Gules and no more The words are Mais Eumenions de la Brecte La Baniere eut toute rougecte E. And do not all these examples which affront your proposition mooue you A. Were their files doubled and trebled with the like to these they could not mooue mee for of all these there is not one Coat of Armes so I haue no reason to mooue or to remooue For first the place in NAHVM belongs but to the description of a dreadful conquering host there meant and had nothing priuate but nationall to the ASSYRIANS HELENOR in VIRGIL was but a nouice in Armes without hauing atchieued any honorable note and therefore his shield was White As for ALEXANDERS Argyraspides who sees not it was a ryotous ostentation no assignatation of peculiar notes of noblesse AGRIPPA'S azure Banner heere depainted as it was giuen him for a Symbolicall argument of man-hood shewed at sea so was it but in the nature of other militarie graces and signes of seruice valiantly performed and if these were yeelded to bee in the nature of an Armes then would one man be found among the old ROMANS that had a multitude of Armes giuen him as testimonies of his heroick vertues contrary to their very nature vse and institution which is to bee but single and one vnto one person and that also to dessend vnto posterity Though I am not ignorant that for more honors sake an whole Coate hath been giuen to a Name as an augmentation beside the originall Coat as that which in the quarterings of the CLIFFORDS Earles of CVMBERLAND is borne second in which notwithstanding it hath and beares but the nature of a Chiefe or a Canton or the like additions of honor in the same Armories or Shield No more then this empalement which his Maiestie gaue to Sir IOHN RAMSEY now Vicount HADDINGTON The supposed flags of TAMORLAN at his leaguers or sieges were no otherwise any Coates of Armes then at this day flaggs of truce or bloudie colours That the white-banner of PORTVGALL was but a symbolicall Colour not an Armes appeares in this for that then first it changed the inglorious state thereof and came to bee Armorial when it had those notes of honor added As first the said fiue Escucheons in crosse charged seuerally with plates in Saltoir and afterward eight golden Castellets in a border Gules in remembrance say some of the Kingdome of the ALGARBES wherin were so many principal citties al annexed by conquest from the MOORES to the Crowne of PORTVGAL or as my worthy friend Maister CAMDEN admonished me in respect say others that PORTVGAL was feudum CASTILIAE and held thereof the Armories of CASTILE beeing a Castle triple-towred and of like colours with the others border that is to say Gold in Gules To the famous Auriflamb of FRANCE though recorded to haue bin sent from heauen in a more celestiall manner thē the Ancile of anciōt ROME as a sanctified banner to lead the FRENCH hosts fortunately while they liued well I haue nothing here to say for that it presseth not the place with any forceable argument or other which by the same reasōs with the former is not fully satisfied The obiectiō countenanced vnder the Standard of ARAGON is answered auoided as that of PORTVGAL without calling into the least doubt that the Ensigne of the one natiō was wholy yellow the other wholy white til occasionally they thus became distinguished with signes of Noblesse Onely I may not ouerslip one obseruatiō for the honor of Armes For if these two Kingdomes which may also bee presumed to haue laid down their anciēt Ensignes as foil'd eclipst sham'd by the ouer-running of Infidels BARBARIANS made such a religion vpon comming to new heades