A Scotch Copy of a Poem on Heraldry

The text

[Harleian MS 6149, leaves 151—155, from a book of Sir William
Cummyn's of Inverallochy, Marchmond Herald, ab. 1500 A.D.]

THIS poem appears to have been composed late in the 15th century, by one of that unwise class of writers on Heraldry, who, not content with assigning to that science its proper place as a handmaid to History (which, by enabling the ownership and dates of various buildings, charters, monuments, &c., to be identified, the matrimonial alliances of noble families to be proved, &c. &c., it certainly is) by claiming for it a fabulous origin, and one so manifestly capable of disproof, brought the whole subject into such contempt and ridicule, that the study of it in later generations was almost entirely neglected. Such, in 1661 A.D., was Sylvanus Morgan, who ascribes arms to Adam, Eve, Joseph, &c.; and various others both in England and Scotland. — G. E. ADAMS. (The heraldic footnotes are Mr Adams's too.)

FIrst as¹ the erth incresith populus,
So convalit variance and vicis,²
Amang men materis maliciouse,

As people and
vices increase,

    So that few mycht laubour for discrepancis,
    quhill nobilnes in armes, lordly pusancis,
        and of heraldis the werschipful ordour,
        Of quham I think to tret, set weyis sure.

few men work for
the distinctions
which heralds
deal with.

In werris of thebes, athenis, and troyis tounis,
with otheris mo of gret antiquiteis,
Banneris, standeris, gittovnis,³ pensalis, penonis,
borne by princis, nobillis, and commyniteis,

In the wars of
Thebes, Athens, and Troy,
banners, &c.,
were borne by
nobles and others.

    In ferre of werre, pes, or ony degreis,
        I find thai war most merkis, as merchandis
        Beris toknis or signetis on ther handis.

1 th = y of MS.
2 MS vicis & variance[.]
3 Getoun, a banner, properly 2 yards in length. — Archæol. xxii. 397. See note, p. 29, above.

Afterwards,

Quhill efter euer the langest leving men
heris, speris, and lernis more felle and wit,

ingenious folk

Diuerse folkis ingenyouse fyndene thene
In well degest myndis considerit,

inspired by God,

Be celestial inspiring part tuk it,

set Arms in
figures of

To set armes in metallis and colouris,
ffor seir causis bering sertyn figouris,

Sum sonne, sum monne, sum sternis, sum elementis,

beasts, birds, &c.,

Sum best, sum bird, sum fische, sum frut, sum flouris,
and mony mo siclik; Sum with defferentis,

some like Nature
and some not.

    Sum alterit, als sum in ther awin nature;
    Sum, not the hole, bot part in raschit¹ figouris,
        As my simplest consate sal suin mak clere,
        With correctiouñ^*, and now quha likis heir.

In the Theban war (which I
wrote of at length) Palamon
and Arcite were
known by their arms.

The eldest, gret, most populus, mortal were,
    wes at thebes, quhiche at linth I did write,
Quhare palamonne and arsite, woundit there,
    Be ther cotis of armes knawin parfite,
    Be heraldis war, sum sais, bot that I nyte,²
        ffor in thai dais heraldis war not create,
        Nor that armes set in propir estate.

After the siege
of Troy (about
the knights at
which my Book tells),

Bot eftir that troy, quhar so mony kingis war
    Seging without, and other within the toune,
So mony princis, knychtis, and peple there,
    as this my buk the most sentence did soune,
    all thocht spedful in o conclusioune,

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nobles wore
marks to record
their doughtiness,

That nobillis bere merkis, to mak be knawin,
ther douchtynes in dedis of armes schawin:

1 Erased. See l. 168. ‘In Heraldry, the Member of any Beast which seems torn from the Body, is called Erased.’— Gloss. Angl. Nov[a].
2 Deny. Chaucer is one of the ‘sum’ contradicted; see his Knightes Tale, A. 1016-17, Ellesmere MS,
But by here Cote Armures / and by hir gere
The heraudes / knewe hem best in special

The fader the hole, the eldast son deffer[e]nt,¹
    quhiche a labelle; a cressent the secound;
third a molet; the fourt a merl to tent;
    fift anne aglot;² the vj a flour had fond,
    Clepit delice.³ than fader or we the suld grond
        Armes to mo, gif thai be with difference
        As plesit him: thus armes begoñ fro{m~}^* thens.

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and the sons bore distinctions
on their fathers' arms.

Than troy distroyit, the werris endit, the lordis
    I seir landis removit; and so brutus
(his lif and dait my buk efter recordis,)
    Come in brutane with folkis populus,
    And brocht with him this werly merkis thus,
        quhiche succedis in armes to this date;
        Bot lang efter troy, heraldis war nocht creat.

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After the destruction of
Troy, Brutus (whose life my
Book tells) brought these
marks into Britain.

Mony haldis that gret Iulius cesar
    ffand, and did mast be wit and discreciouñ,
how in metallis and colouris armes ar
    Now propir set with hie perfectiouñ
    In braid feldis to bere and to blasouñ.
        On principal I traist wes his pradens,
        With otheris mo preceding him and sence.

Many think Julius Cæsar was
the first to blaze arms properly
(see l. 204); and I think he was
wise enough for it.

Gold and siluer, ij preciouse metallis pure,
ffour colouris bene propir, and the[r]-with mixt,

With gold and silver are mixed

* small letter m with macron. S.U.

1 These differences or distinctions of houses (which are only used in British [i.e., both English and Scottish? S.U.] heraldry) were invented about the time of Richard II. The eldest son (in the lifetime of his father) bears a label over the arms of his father; the second son, a crescent; the third, a mullet, i. e. spur-rowel; the fourth, a martlet, the heraldic name of the house-marten; the fifth an annulet (here called “aglot”); the sixth, a fleur-de-lis; the seventh, a rose; the eighth, a cross moline; the ninth, a double quarter-foil.
2 Aglot = annulet. Richardson says aglet or aiglet, diminutives of acus, a point; and quotes Spenser's Faerie Queene, b. 11, c. 3 — who mentions a garment besprinkled “with golden aygulets.” Query, If these were not annulets? Aglot in our text is certainly used for annulet. (But annulets were very rarely used as marks of cadency in Scottish heraldry, says a Scotch friend. See note, p. 103.)
3 de lys.

black, red, blue,
green; but not purple.

Sable, goulis, asur, vert: perpure
    the[r]-with¹ wnproper, as proportis the text;
    In it apperis diuerse colouris befixt,
        therfor it is not o propir colour,
        Bot sufferit so in armes of honour.

What precious
stones represent
the heraldic metals and
colours.

To blasoune therin vertuys stanis, gold Is
    more precius than oucht that ma be set.
In it bot stonne goldy, as thopasis;
    Siluer is perl; sable, diamont² of det;
    Goulis, ruby; asur, the saphir set;
        Vert, emeraut; pu[r]pour, the amathis.
        Tovny colour, sum haldis cassidone Is.

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Silver and sable
are said to be the
richest arms.

Sum seis siluer and sable ar the richest,
    ffor in tho two most cristin and hethin kingis
makis and brekis ther lawis As thai lust best;
    and quhen thai tak honour othir or sic thingis,
    thai sit in sable and siluer that euery bringis;

The Duke of Brittany bears
them,

and of brutane³ the duk, bering the sammyñ,
Richast armes is, as I lernit am.

1 I read it, “Gold and silver are two pure precious metals. There are four colours proper, and therewith mixed, viz. sable, gules, azure, and vert. —Purpure (to mix) therewith is improper, as says the text, &c.”
Purple is very seldom used in English heraldry. It is nonsense, however, to say it is improper to use it, as it is quite good heraldry. A purple lion was borne by the De Lacy family, Earls of Lincoln, and is (accordingly) the arms of Lincoln's Inn.
‘Proper’ above means ‘properly so called.’ In blazoning the arms of nobles, the ancient heralds called “or,” topaz; “argent,” pearl; “sable,” diamond; “gules,” ruby; “azure,” sapphire; “vert,” emerald; and “purpure.” amethyst. In all the books of English heraldry two other colours are allowed, viz. ‘Tenne’ or tawny, i. e. orange colour, and ‘Sanguiné’ i. e. blood colour. There is, however, no instance of their occurrence.
2 Sable, the Heralds Word for a black Colour in the Arms of Gentlemen; but in those of the Nobility they call it Diamond, and in the Coats of Sovereign Princes Saturn. 'Tis expressed in Engraving by strokes drawn perpendicularly across. Gloss. Angl. Nova. 1719.
3 The arms of Brittany were “Ermine,” i. e. white, with black ermine spots.

All writ in warld most be as siluer and sable;

    quhite leiff, blak Ink, that al kingis, for most part,
Cristin and hethin, beris gold and siluer able
    thing of riches riolest to aduert,
    and most noble, for no colouris astert

and so do most kings.

        So preciouse as gold to set in it,
        ffor siluer [than] peril more riche to wit;

Goullis, ruby; asur, saphire excedis;
    Vert, emerautis; and amatist, purpur;
therof gold is moche rich in werely wedis.

Metals and colours exceed
in worth the precious stones
that represent them.

    ffowr thingis in armes brekis thaim in ther natur:
    Bendis, sic,¹ cheveroune, and barris² sure;
        Thaim blason first, gif therin the feld be;
        quhat euer he bere, and be it quarterlie.³

Than to begin at colour in the rycht sid:

Arms are broken by Bends, Fesses,
chevrons, and Bars.

    and it is said, non armes may be cald
propirly set, bot therin be to-gid
    Gold or siluer in the sammyn to behold.⁴
    And for repreve to blase, men wise be schuld.
        ffour thingis in armes bot onys suld namyt be,
        Onis of, onis in, onys withe, and onys to see;

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It said that no arms are proper,
unless gold and silver are in
them.

Quhiche, gif he may forbere, it is the bet.
and als in armis ar sertene rondis,⁵ as ball,

Roundles have diverse names,

1 ? fess, the fece of l. 113, which is another ordinary.
2 Bends, chevrons, and bars are three of the somewhat numerous “ordinaries” so called from their frequent use. In “blazoning” (i. e. describing the coat in words) the ordinary is always mentioned before any other charge (such as bird, beast, &c.), that there may be in the arms. Query, What are the four things in the line above? only three are mentioned. Can “sic” be a mistake for “fess,” which is another ordinary?
3 If the coat is quarterly, the colour (or metal) on the dexter side of the coat (i. e. that opposite one's left hand) is to be “blazoned” as the first.
4 Some say no arms are correct unless therein is either gold or silver.
5 In arms are certain Roundles, which, when gold, are called “bezants,” when silver, “plates,” when sable, “pellets,” when gules, “torteaux,” when azure, “hurts,” when vert, “pommes,” when purpure, “golpes,”— Query, in text called “windows.” (Perhaps from the slanting parallel lines that represent purple in heraldry: compare the fourth meaning of “window” in Mahn's Webster, ‘A figure formed of lines crossing each other [Rare] “Till he has windows on his bread and butter." King,’—F.)

according to their colours.

Metalis, colouris forsaid figourit and set,
    Gold, besentis; siluer, plateis to call;
    Sable, poletis; goulis, tortes at al;
        Asur, hurtis; verte, pomme; wyndows,¹ purpur.
        ȝhit four thingis longis to armis in colour,

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Of the Pale,

That is, pales, bendis, feces, cheveronis.
perpale, evin douñ extendis throuch the myd feild;

Fess,

perfess, ourthwert from sid to sid it gonne Is;

Bend,

perbend, from rycht corner to left it held;

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Chevron, and

per cheveroune, part devid wnto iij the feild;

Baton.

Onne bastone is contrary to a bend:
The tonne frome left, the tother frome rycht sid tend.

None but gentles
should wear arms.

Not bot gentillis suld cotis of armes were,
Cummyn of stok noble, or maid be kingis;
ȝit fold² wil say of men hernest in gere,

120

Don't call armed
men ‘men of
arms’ unless they
are all ‘gentle.’

    “llo men of armis!” that is wntrew seyng,
    bot al be gentil; therfor see suthfast thing,
        “llo armit men!” ȝit to knaw neidful is
        xv maneris of lionys in armys,

124

Of the 15 kinds of Lions
in Heraldry.

ffirst, a lionne [statant]; on-vthir, lyone rampand;
    Third, saliant; the fourt, passand I-wis;
the v. seand; vj mordand; vij cuchand;
    the viij dormand ; the ix regardand is;
    The x endorsit; xj copray schawis;
        The xij copy conter changit aduert;
        xiij in nomer [morné]; xiiij, liouñ cowert;

And the xv cambatand,³ als to see.
    xv maner of crocis armis bere:

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1 ? for ‘wounds.’
2 fool, or folk.
3 combatand.

The first, hole croce; the tother, engrelit be;
    The third, awndi; the iiij, paty in feir;¹
    the v. a crois; vj, crois flarait cleir;
        vij botand; viij crosolat; ix batone;
        x fovrmie; xj crois fichye;

xij sarsile fere; demolyn xiij;
    xiiij regle; xv sucylye, sey.
quhat maner of best or bird goith rond to sene,
    About the feld blase it heroune verray.²

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Of the 15 kinds
of Crosses in Heraldry.

    Twa thingis in armis sal end in schewis a[l]wey;
        Gif ther be mo off thaim than ij that schewis,
        As lionne-sewys,³ to sey, and heronne-sewis;

Three or more
Lions and Herons
are called Lioncels
and Herousews;

Bot onne or⁴ ij call lioñ or herouñ.
Armis vmdois, ij strakis myd feld devid,

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but 1 or 2, Lion or Heron.

ffet⁵ ar in armis, and ij thingis compone
    lik to vther, barr and fete⁵ brode to-gid.
        Als certane thingis plurar in armis go,
        As flouris to blase, and pellettis with thoo

Not be to namyt, gif he beire mo than ij,
    Bot thus flowris florate to blase rycht.

152

Of Bars and Frets.

thre thingis in armes ȝit be lik vtheris evin,
Tortes, tortell pellettis, pellett hecht,

156

Of Torteaux, Tortell-pellets,
and Pellets.

    Fussewis,⁶ masklewis, and losingis thus plicht.
        Be ther mony fussewis,⁷ masklewis⁸ thaim call,
        And losengis ȝit in armys with-all.

160

Of Fusils, Mascles, and
Lozenges.

Ale maner of best to blase, sey ‘be armit,’
and al birdis, sey ‘membrit’ saufly:

Call beasts armed;
birds, membred;

Girphinne,⁹ baith bird and best, we suld call it

griffins, membred and armed.

1 ? for ‘enteir.’
2 ? for ‘inurne.’
3 lioncel. ‘Lioncels, the Heralds Term for Lions, when there is more than Two of them born in any Coat of Arms, and no Ordinary between them; and 'tis all one with a small or young Lion.’ — Gloss. Angl. Nova.
4 MS on.
5 ? fret or fess.
6 ? MS ‘Suffewis.’ The same things elsewhere in the MS are called ‘fusees’ and ‘fussel.’
7 ? MS ‘fuffewis.’
8 mascle.
9 Griffons.

    To blase, ‘membrit and armyt’ boith Iustly.
    ȝit in armes, pictes¹ and delphes espy.
        Billettis, hewmatis,² and ij indenturis be,
        Perpale cheveroune, perpale glondes to se.

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Legs and heads may be erased.
[See note to l. 26.]

Thire be also raschit, as lege or heid,
    wiche gerondy³ verry and belly told: [?]
In quhat metallis or colouris that thai sted,
    quhat thingis thai be, ful attently behold:
    ffigour, forme, flour, or quhat mater on mold,
        In armes set, and so blase discretly;
        And quho siche beris, study well, and espy.

Ȝhit sum haldis in armis ij certane thingis,

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You may blazon Ermine and
Vair, furs of beasts,

    Nothir metallis nor colouris to blasoune,
Ermyne and werr, callit panis, bestly furring,⁴
    And haldin so without other discripcioune.
    All attentik armys of hie renoune
        Of al estatis, and general of al manis,
        Bene set in this metallis, colouris, and panys.

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which were found after the
precious stones,

Quhiche honorable in al armis forsaid,
    war first fundyn eftir the preciouse stanys,
In nombyr few, and so costly araid,
    That al noblay may not gudly at anys
    Actene therto: than law of armys disponys
        ffor theme be sett and portrait with pictouris,
        In feildis, the seid metallis and ther colouris;

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that came first from Paradise.

The quhiche stanis come first frome paradice,
thairfor thai ar so precyus singlare.
quha will study his wittis, and conterpace

How planets,

The hie planetis, and signis of the aire,
Symylitudis of thaim he may fynd there

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beasts, herbs, &c.,
may be blazoned,

ffor to blasoun, and alse in bestiall,
In erbis, foullis, and fischis therwithall;

1 ? for ‘pikes.’
2 humet.
3 gyronny.
4 furs, called less properly pann (or cloth).

How thai be born, in quhat kindis, and quhare,
also be quhom, and eftir in excellence,

196

That I refer to my lordis to declair,
    kingis of armes, and heraldis of prudens,
    and persewantis, and grant my negligens
        that I suld not attempe thus to commoune,
        Bot of ther grace, correctioune, and pardoune,

200

I refer to my lords, the King
of Arms, and Heralds,

ffor, as I red, princis of nobillest mynd,
    And specialy this seid Iulius cesar,
ther attentik worthi ordour did fynd,
    fful honorable in erth, and necesser,
    To bere armes, blasoune, and to prefer
        Vthir officiaris in honour, as I schall
        Schaw causis quhy of this ordour regall,

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who were honoured by
Julius Caesar and
other princes of
the noblest mind.

Quhiche ascendis, create be greis thre:
    first, persewant; syn, herald; and than king;
Ichone of this being gre aboue gre,
    Be land and see preuilegit in al thing,
    In werre and peice, batell, province and ring,
        Ceté, castellis, parliamentis prerogative,
        Amang princis trew reuerendaris to schrive.

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Of Heralds are 3 orders:
1. Poursuivant.
2. Herald.
3. King, the highest.

Oure al the warld, and erast Amang the best,
    thir preambulis and discripcionis procedis,
all thingis be takin treuly as thai attest,
    ay liscenciat and lovit with al ledis,
    Noblis, vergynis, and wedois in ther nedis,
        Of holy chirche the sure feith thai support,
        At ther poweris causing to al consort.

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Heralds' decrees
are obeyed by all,
as Heralds are
loved by all, are
the protectors of
all needy, and the
support of Holy Church.

Withoutin quham, honerable actis in armis
    wirschipfully is seldim donne, we se,
ffor ded of lif, fauour, hatrent, or harmis,
    Euer thai attest the verray verite,
    quhar na man may laubour for Inymyte,
        ther thai proced, euer schawing the best ;
        withouttin quham, quha mycht materis degest.

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Without Heralds
great deeds of
arms are seldom done.

This noble Order,

This hie ourdour noble and necessary,
prince of peté, and Iuge amang gentrice,
most behuffull tretaris of trowith no vary,

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movers of good,

Mewaris of goud, and mesaris of malice,

wells of knowledge,

    wellis of cunnyng, and trowit in kingly wise,
        Mansuete maneryt so ther meritis requiris,
        Ther dewiteis al digniteis desiris.

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may God the
Trinity, and the
Blessed Virgin, save,

Señ it is so, our souerane Lord most hie,
    The thre personis resting in o godheid,
and one in thre, the hali trinite,
    the blissit vergin of quhom god tuk manheid,
    Saif this ordour, prudently to proceid

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to promote love
among Christian kings!

Amang kingis, princis, liegis and lordis;
Of cristindome to cause luf and concordis!

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And my
insufficiency, do
you, Heralds,

And I confess my simple insufficiens:
    llitil haf I sene, and reportit weil less,
of this materis to haf experience.
    Tharfor, quhar I al neidful not express,
    In my waiknes, and not of wilfulnes,

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my lords, correct and
complete!

my seid lordis correk me diligent,
To maid menis, or sey the remanent!

back to home; proceed to notes; back to the introduction.