Part 3 (1/2)

[33] Paper read by Mr. J. A. H. Murray of Hawick to the Hawick Archaeological Society.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 23.--Banner of the Douglas's.]

Along with them is preserved another old flag of the Douglas's, but evidently of a later date. It is a good example of the square banner borne by knights of n.o.ble rank. It is about 28 inches square, and bears on a s.h.i.+eld the Douglas arms, but with the heart as originally borne before it was ensigned with a crown, and the chivalric motto still used by the Cavers family, ”Doe or die” (Fig. 23).

FLAGS BORNE BY TRADES.

Besides national and personal flags, those of Trades and Companies were frequently carried in armies, and of these many examples occur in the illuminated copies of Froissart. On one occasion we find on a banner azure a chevron between a hammer, trowel, and plumb. On another there is an axe and two pairs of compa.s.ses. And on the painting of the battle between Philip d'Artevel and the Flemings, and the King of France, banners occur charged with boots and shoes, drinking vessels, &c. In Scotland an interesting example is preserved of a Trades flag which was borne at Flodden, and which was presented in 1482 by James III. to the Trades of Edinburgh (Fig. 24). It is familiarly known as the _Blue Blanket_, and is in the possession of the Trades' Maidens' Hospital of Edinburgh. In an accompanying memorandum it is described thus: ”The Blue Blanket or standard of the Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh. Renewed by Margaret, Queen of James III., King of Scots: Borne by the craftsmen at the battle of Flodden in 1513, and displayed on subsequent occasions when the liberties of the city or the life of the sovereign were in danger.”

The field of the flag has been blue, but it is now much faded. In the upper corner is the white saltire of Scotland, with the crown above and the thistle in base. On a scroll in the upper part of the flag are the words, ”Fear G.o.d and Honor the king with a long life and a prosperous reigne;” and, in a scroll below, the words, ”And we that is Tradds shall ever pray to be faithfull for the defence of his sacred Majestes royal persone till death.” The flag is about ten feet in length.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 24.--The ”Blue Blanket,” A.D. 1482.]

FLAGS OF THE COVENANTERS.

Of the flags borne in Scotland by the Covenanters, in their n.o.ble struggle for liberty, several are extant, and connected as they are with so important a part of Scottish national history, they are replete with interest. One of these, which is preserved by the Antiquarian Society of Edinburgh, bears the national cross, the white saltire of Scotland, with five roses in the centre point, and the inscription ”For religion, Covenants, king, and kingdomes” (Fig. 25).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 25.--Flag of the Covenanters, A.D. 1679.]

For the description of another of these flags of the Covenanters, to which a more than usual interest attaches, we are indebted to the late distinguished artist and archaeologist Mr. James Drummond, R.S.A.[34]

Mr. Drummond says it was known as ”the Bluidy Banner,” and it is important as confirming a statement which had been disputed, namely, that Hamilton of Preston, who commanded the Covenanters at the battle of Bothwell Brig, gave out ”No quarter” as the word of the day.

Hamilton himself, in his ”Vindication,” not only acknowledges this, but boasts of it--”blessing G.o.d for it,” he says, and ”desiring to bless his holy name that since he helped me to set my face to his work, I never had nor would take a favour from mine enemies, either on the right or left hand, and desire to give as few.” But Wodrow denies the statement--characterizing it as an unjust imputation on the Covenanters, and in this he is followed by Dr. M'Crie. The discovery of the flag, however, puts the matter beyond doubt. Mr. Drummond found it in the possession of an old gentleman and his sister in East Lothian, and it was only after much persuasion that he was allowed to see it and take a drawing of it. On his asking the old lady why she objected to show it to strangers, she said: ”It's the Bluidy Banner, ye ken, and what would the Roman Catholics say if they kenned that our forbears had fought under such a bluidy banner.” By Roman Catholics Mr. Drummond understood her to include Episcopalians and all others of a different religious persuasion from her own. The flag is of blue silk. The first line of the inscription, which is composed of gilt letters, is in the Hebrew language--”Jehovah Nissi”--the Lord is my banner. The next line is painted in white--”For Christ and his truths;” and then come the words, in a reddish or blood colour, ”No quarters for y^e active enimies of y^e Covenant.” The detailed account given by the custodiers to Mr.

Drummond, left no doubt as to the authenticity of this flag. (See Plate II.)

[34] Paper read before the Society of Antiquarians of Scotland, 14th June, 1859.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PLATE II.

”THE BLUIDIE BANNER” CARRIED AT BOTHWELL BRIG. A.D. 1679.]

NATIONAL FLAGS.

But I must proceed to speak of our national flags. For a long time the distinguis.h.i.+ng flag of England has been a red cross on a white field.

The flag of Scotland is a white saltire (or St. Andrew's cross) on a blue field, and what has come to be called the flag of Ireland is a red saltire on a white field. But Ireland, strictly speaking, never had till lately a national flag. The kings of Ireland previous to 1172 were not hereditary but elective. They were chosen from among the petty kings, and each king, when elected, brought with him and continued to use his own standard. After the invasion of 1172 the standard of Ireland bore three golden crowns on a blue field, and the three crowns appear on ancient Irish coins. Henry VIII. relinquished this device for the harp, from an apprehension, it is said, that the three crowns might be taken for the triple crown of the pope; but the harp did not appear in the royal standard till it was placed there by James I. Neither had St.

Patrick a cross. The cross-saltire, so far as it belongs to any saint, is sacred to St. Andrew only. The origin of the Scottish saltire, however, may possibly be found in the sacred monogram--the Greek X (CH), the initial letter of our Lord's name as borne by the Emperor Constantine, to which I have already referred. I do not know when the Irish saltire was first introduced, as a national flag, but from the early conquest of Ireland the Fitzgeralds have borne as their arms a red saltire on a white field.[35]

[35] _Heraldry of the Sea._

THE UNION FLAG.

In 1603, on the union of the _crowns_ of England and Scotland, the first union flag was formed by the combination of St. George's cross with the saltire of Scotland; but this flag appears to have been used for s.h.i.+ps only. The order by the king for its construction and use bears to have been made ”in consequence of certain differences between his subjects of North and South Britain anent the bearing of their flags;” and in the proclamation issued in 1606, King James appoints that ”from henceforth all our subjects of this Isle and Kingdom of Great Britain shall bear in the maintop the red cross commonly called St. George's Cross, and the white cross commonly called St. Andrew's Cross, joined together according to a form made by our heralds, and sent by us to our admiral to be published to our said subjects.” This was the first union flag.

The Scots being, however, sensitively jealous of England, insisted on using their own national flag as well as the union, and it was no doubt owing to this that the proclamation goes on to provide that ”in their foretop our subjects of South Britain shall wear the red cross only as they were wont, and our subjects of North Britain in their foretop the white cross only, as they were accustomed.” In the ensign the union was not worn till a considerable time afterwards--the union by itself being then as now worn by the king's s.h.i.+ps as a jack at the bowsprit.

On the death of Charles I. the Commonwealth Parliament, professing to be the Parliament of England only, and of Ireland as a dependency, expunged the Scottish cross from the flag with its blue field. The flag of command ordered to take the place of the union, and to be borne by the admirals of the respective squadrons, at the main, fore, and mizen, is described[36] as ”the arms of England and Ireland in two escutcheons on a red flag within a compartment or,”--that of the admiral, according to Mr. Pepys, being encircled by a laurel wreath, while those of the vice and rear-admirals were plain. The ensigns showed the Irish harp on the fly.[37]