Part 25 (1/2)
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 359.--A chevalier on horseback.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 360.--Horse rampant.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 361.--Horse courant.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 362.--Horse pa.s.sant.]
When it is ”comparisoned” or ”furnished” it is shown with saddle and bridle and all appurtenances; but if the saddle is not present it would only be blazoned ”bridled.”
”Gules, a horse argent,” really the arms of Westphalia, is popularly known in this country as the coat of Hanover, inasmuch as it was the most prominent charge upon the inescutcheon or quartering of Hanover formerly borne with the Royal Arms. Every one in this country is familiar with the expression, ”the white horse of Hanover.”
Horses will also be found in many cases as supporters, and these will be referred to in the chapter upon that subject, but reference should be particularly made here to the crest of the family of Lane, of King's Bromley, which is a strawberry roan horse, couped at the flanks, bridled, saddled, and holding in its feet the Imperial crown proper. This commemorates the heroic action of Mistress Jane Lane, afterwards Lady Fisher, and the sister of Sir Thomas Lane, of King's Bromley, who, after the battle of Worcester and when King Charles was in hiding, rode from Staffords.h.i.+re to the south coast upon a strawberry roan horse, with King Charles as her serving-man. For this the Lane family were first of all granted the canton of England as an augmentation to their arms, and shortly afterwards this crest of the demi-horse (Plate II.).
The arms of Trevelyan afford an interesting example of a horse, being: ”Gules, issuant out of water in base proper, a demi-horse argent, hoofed and maned or.”
The heads of horses are either so described or (and more usually) termed ”nags' heads,” though what the difference may be is beyond {202} the comprehension of most people; at any rate heraldry knows of none.
The crest of the family of Duncombe is curious, and is as follows: ”Out of a ducal coronet or, a horse's hind-leg sable, the shoe argent.”
Though they can hardly be termed animate charges, perhaps one may be justified in here mentioning the horse-shoe (Fig. 363), which is far from being an uncommon charge. It will be found in various arms for the name of Ferrar, Ferrers, Farrer, and Marshall; and, in the arms of one Scottish family of Smith, three horse-shoes interlaced together form an unusual and rather a curious charge.
Other instances in which it occurs will be found in the arms of Burlton, and in the arms used by the town of Oakham. In the latter case it doubtless has reference to the toll of a horse-shoe, which the town collects from every peer or member of the Royal Family who pa.s.ses through its limits. The collection of these, which are usually of silver, and are carefully preserved, is one of the features of the town.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 363.--Horse-shoe.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 364.--Sea-horse.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 365.--Pegasus rampant.]
The sea-horse, the unicorn, and the pegasus may perhaps be more properly considered as mythical animals, and the unicorn will, of course, be treated under that heading; but the sea-horse and the pegasus are so closely allied in form to the natural animal that perhaps it will be simpler to treat of them in this chapter. The sea-horse (Fig. 364) is composed of the head and neck of a horse and the tail of a fish, but in place of the fore-feet, webbed paws are usually subst.i.tuted. Two sea-horses respecting each other will be found in the coat of arms of Pirrie, and sea-horses naiant will be found in the arms of McCammond. It is a matter largely left to the discretion of the artist, but the sea-horse will be found as often as not depicted with a fin at the back of its neck in place of a mane. A sea-horse as a crest will be found in the case of Belfast and in the crests of Clippingdale and Jenkinson. The sea-horse is sometimes represented winged, but I know of no officially sanctioned example. When represented rising from the sea the animal is said to be ”a.s.surgeant.” {203}
The pegasus (Figs. 365 and 366), though often met with as a crest or found in use as a supporter, is very unusual as a charge upon an escutcheon. It will be found, however, in the arms of the Society of the Inner Temple and in the arms of Richardson, which afford an example of a pegasus rampant and also an example in the crest of a pegasus sejant, which at present is the only one which exists in British heraldry.
Fig. 367 gives a solitary instance of a mare. The arms, which are from Grunenberg's _Wappenbuch_ (1483), are attributed to ”Herr von Frouberg from the Forest in Bavaria,” and are: Gules, a mare rampant argent, bridled sable.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 366.--Pegasus pa.s.sant.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 367.--Arms of Herr von Frouberg.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 368.--Talbot pa.s.sant.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 369.--Talbot statant.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 370.--Talbot rampant.]
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 371.--Talbot sejant.]
The _a.s.s_ is not a popular charge, but the family of Mainwaring have an a.s.s's head for a crest.
DOGS
Dogs will be found of various kinds in many English and Scottish coats of arms, though more frequently in the former than in the latter. The original English dog, the hound of early days, is, of course, the talbot (Figs. 368, 369, 370, and 371). Under the heading of {204} supporters certain instances will be quoted in which dogs of various kinds and breeds figure in heraldry, but the talbot as a charge will be found in the arms of the old Staffords.h.i.+re family, Wolseley of Wolseley, a cadet of which house is the present Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley. The Wolseley arms are: ”Argent, a talbot pa.s.sant gules.” Other instances of the talbot will be found in the arms or crests of the families of Grosvenor, Talbot, and Gooch. The arms ”Azure, three talbots statant or,” were granted by Cooke to Edward Peke of Heldchurchgate, Kent. A sleuth-hound treading gingerly upon the points of a coronet [”On a ducal coronet, a sleuth-hound proper, collared and leashed gules”] was the crest of the Earl of Perth and Melfort, and one wonders whether the motto, ”Gang warily,” may not really have as much relation to the perambulations of the crest as to the dangerous foothold amongst the galtraps which is provided for the supporters.