,,fictitious ,,and ,,symbolic ,,creatures ,,in ,,art ,,fictitious ,,symbolic ,,creatures ,,in ,,art ,,with ,,special ,,reference ,,to ,,their ,,use ,,in ,,british ,,heraldry ,,by ,,john ,,vinycomb ,,member ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,irish ,,academy1 ,,fellow ,,of ,,the ,,royal ,,society ,,of ,,antiquaries ,,of ,,ireland1 ,a ,,vice-,,president ,,of ,,the ,,ex-,,libris ,,society ,illustration3 ,,st4 ,,george ,,and ,,the ,,dragon ,,illustrated ,,chapman ,,and ,,hall1 ,,limited #aa ,,henrietta ,,street1 ,,london1 ,w4 ,c4 ,,mcmvi ,printed by ,,ballantyne ,,co4 ,,limited ,tavistock ,street1 ,london ,,preface ,under the title of this book it is proposed to describe and illustrate only those fictitious and symbolic creatures which appear in ,british ,heraldry4 ,the list will include all those beings of whose existence we have not the direct evidence of our senses1 and those exaggerations and combinations of natural forms which have been adopted in the system of symbolic heraldry handed down to us from the ,middle ,ages4 ,many of the ideas of the writers of that period were undoubtedly derived from still earlier sources1 namely1 classic story1 sacred and legendary art1 and the marvellous tales of early travellers2 others were the coinage of their own fancies and their fears4 ,as these unreal beings are constantly met with in symbolic art1 of which heraldry is the chief exponent1 it may be assumed that they have been adopted in each case with some obvious or latent meaning1 as in the case of real animals2 they may1 therefore1 equally lay claim to our consideration as emblems or types1 more especially as less attention has been devoted to them and the delineation of their forms by competent artists4 ,the writer has been led into considering and investigating the subject with some degree of attention1 from finding the frequent need of some reliable authority1 both descriptive and artistic1 such as would enable any one to depict with accuracy and true heraldic spirit the forms and features of these chimerical beings4 ,books of reference on heraldry unfortunately give but a meagre description of their shapes1 with scarcely a hint as to their history or meaning1 while the illustrations are usually stiff and awkward1 representing a soulless state of art4 ,it cannot be said that artists at any period have succeeded1 even in a remote degree1 in embodying the highly wrought conceptions of the poets concerning these terrible creatures of the imagination4 ,milton seems to have carried poetic personification to its utmost limits4 ,who1 for instance1 could depict a being like this3 ,black it stood as night1 ,fierce as ten furies1 terrible as hell6 ,out of the ambiguous and often conflicting accounts of different authors and the vagaries of artists it became no easy task to arrive at a clear conception of many of the forms of these ideal monsters4 ,the poet's pen may turn them to shapes1 shadowy at the best2 but the artist who follows the poet in endeavouring to realise and give tangible shape to these ideas finds it beyond his art to give material form and expression to his personifications with anything like photographic fidelity4 ,such shadowy beings prefer the dim light of allegory to the clear sunlight of reason1 and shrink from closer inspection4 ,like all spectres they are ever most effective in the dark4 ,in the childhood of the world1 from the dawn of history1 and all through the dim and credulous ages past1 many such illusions have performed an important part in influencing the thought and lives of mankind4 ,over many lands these inherited ideas still exercise a paramount influence1 but in the enlightenment of the coming time it is probable their power1 like that of an evil dream1 will fade entirely away with the dawn of a brighter day1 and the memories of their name and influence alone remain4 ,at present we are chiefly concerned with them as symbols1 and with their mode of representation1 breathing for a brief moment the breath of life into their old dead skins4 ,these mythical creatures may be gazed upon1 shorn of all their terrors1 in the illustrations ,i have been enabled to make1 and if it is found that from each creature ,i have not plucked out the heart of its mystery it is probably because there is no mystery whatever about it1 only what to us now appears as an ingenious fiction engendered by a credulous1 imaginative and superstitious past4 ,and so we find the old horrors and pleasing fictions1 after figuring for ages as terrible or bright realities in the minds of entire peoples1 reduced at length to the dead level of a figure of speech and a symbol merely4 ,j4 ,,vinycomb4 ,,holywood1 ,,county ,,down1 ,april #aijf4 ,,contents ,,page ,,introduction #a ,,notes ,,on ,,animated ,,beings ,,in ,,heraldic ,,art #ac ,,the ,,symbolism ,,of ,,attitude ,,or ,,position #ah ,,the ,,heraldic ,,spirit--,,effective ,,decorative ,,quality ,,essential ,,in ,,heraldry #bb ,,celestial ,,beings #be ,,angels #bg ,,mistaken ,,modern ,,conception ,,of ,,angels #cb ,,medi,,val ,,art ,,treatment ,,of ,,angels #cd ,,cherubim ,,and ,,seraphim ,,in ,,heraldry #dd ,,the ,,cherubim ,,and ,,seraphim ,,of ,,scripture #dg ,,emblems ,,of ,,the ,,four ,,evangelists #ec ,,chimerical ,,creatures ,,of ,,the ,,dragon ,,and ,,serpent ,,kind #eg ,,the ,,dragon #ei ,,the ,,dragon ,,in ,,christian ,,art #fi ,,the ,,dragon ,,in ,,the ,,royal ,,heraldry ,,of ,,britain #hc ,,the ,,crocodile ,,as ,,the ,,prototype ,,of ,,the ,,dragon #ia ,,the ,,heraldic ,,dragon #ib ,,the ,,hydra #if ,,the ,,wyvern #ih ,,the ,,chimera #ajb ,,the ,,lion-,,dragon #ajc ,,the ,,gorgon #ajc ,,the ,,cockatrice #ajd ,,basilisk1 ,,or ,,amphysian ,,cockatrice #ajf ,,the ,,mythical ,,serpent #ajh ,,the ,,scorpion #abb ,,other ,,chimerical ,,creatures ,,and ,,heraldic ,,beasts #abe ,,the ,,unicorn #abg ,,medi,,val ,,conception ,,of ,,the ,,unicorn #acj ,,the ,,horn ,,of ,,the ,,unicorn #acc ,,the ,,pegasus #acg ,,sagittary1 ,,centaur1 ,,sagittarius1 ,,centaurus1 ,,hippocentaur #ada ,,griffin ,,or ,,gryphon #adg ,,the ,,male ,,griffin #afj ,,other ,,varieties ,,of ,,the ,,griffin #afa ,,the ,,opinicus1 ,,or ,,epimacus #afb ,,the ,,sphynx #afc ,,the ,,ph,,nix ,,bird ,,of ,,the ,,sun #aga ,,the ,,harpy #agi ,,the ,,heraldic ,,pelican #ahb ,,the ,,martlet #ahf ,,the ,,alerion #ahh ,,the ,,liver 7,,cormorant7 #ahi ,,the ,,heraldic ,,tigre ,,or ,,tyger #aij ,,the ,,royal ,,tiger #aic ,,leopard1 ,,or ,,panther1 ,,felis ,,pardus1 ,,lybbarde #aid ,,the ,,panther ,,incensed #aii ,,the ,,lynx #bjc ,,cat-,a-,,mountain--,,tiger ,,cat ,,or ,,wild ,,cat #bje ,,the ,,salamander #bji ,,heraldic ,,antelope #bac ,,the ,,heraldic ,,ibex #bae ,,bagwyn #baf ,,the ,,camelopard1 ,,camel-,,leopard #baf ,,musimon1 ,,tityrus #bag ,,the ,,enfield #bag ,,mantiger1 ,,montegre ,,or ,,manticora ,,satyral #bah ,,lamia ,,or ,,emipusa #bbj ,,baphomet #bba ,,apres #bba ,,stelliones #bba ,,fictitious ,,creatures ,,of ,,the ,,sea #bbc ,,introductory ,,notes #bbe ,,poseidon1 ,,or ,,neptune #bcg ,,merman ,,or ,,triton #bci ,,the ,,mermaid ,,or ,,siren #bdc ,,the ,,sirens ,,of ,,classic ,,mythology #bdi ,,the ,,dolphin ,,of ,,legend ,,and ,,of ,,heraldry #bed ,,the ,,dauphin ,,of ,,france #bfe ,,the ,,heraldic ,,dolphin #bfg ,,the ,,sea-,,horse #bgj ,,sea-,,lion #bgd ,,sea-,,dog #bge ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,,page ,,celestial ,,beings3 ,angel holding ,shield #bg ,egyptian ,winged ,deity #bh ,hawk-headed and winged figure1 emblem of ,osiris #bi ,angel with ,cloud ,symbol #ch ,angel ,supporter #dj ,kneeling ,angel ,supporter #da ,arms of the ,abbey of ,st4 ,albans #db ,gloria in ,excelsis ,deo #dc ,cherubs' ,heads #dd ,a ,seraph's ,head #dd ,arms--,azure a chevron argent between three cherubs' heads of the last #de ,cherubim and ,seraphim of ,scripture #dg ,angel crest of ,tuite1 ,bart41 co4 ,tipperary #dh ,tetramorph #eb ,symbols of the ,four ,evangelists #ed ,the ,lion of ,st4 ,mark1 ,venice #ef ,,chimerical ,,creatures ,,of ,,the ,,dragon ,,and ,,serpent ,,kind3 ,the ,dragon #ei ,japanese ,dragon #fe ,japanese ,imperial ,device #fg ,the ,dragon of the ,apocalypse #ga ,st4 ,michael and the ,old ,dragon #gb ,st4 ,margaret4 ,from ancient carving #gc ,st4 ,george and the ,dragon #gd ,dragon ,standard4 ,from the ,bayeux ,tapestry #hf ,a ,dragon passant #ij ,crest1 a ,dragon's ,head erased collared and chained #ic ,arms of the ,city of ,london #id ,sinister supporter of the arms of ,viscount ,gough #ie ,hercules and the ,lernean ,hydra4 ,from ,greek vase #if ,the ,hydra #ig ,a ,wyvern holding a fleur-de-lis #ih ,a ,wyvern1 wings endorsed1 tail nowed #ii ,wyvern from the ,garter plate of ,sir ,john ,gray1 #adcf ,a4,d4 #ii ,wyvern1 or ,lindworm 7,german version7 #ajj ,wyvern1 wings displayed 7early example7 #aja ,wyvern1 wings depressed #aja ,chimera1 from a ,greek coin #ajb ,cockatrice #aje ,basilisk or ,aphasian ,cockatrice1 tail nowed #ajg ,greek ,shield1 from painted vase in the ,british ,museum #aad ,brazen ,serpent #aad ,arms of ,whitby ,abbey #aah ,a ,serpent1 nowed1 proper4 ,crest of ,cavendish #aba ,amphiptre1 or flying ,serpent #abb ,scorpion #abc ,,other ,,chimerical ,,creatures ,,and ,,heraldic ,,beasts3 ,unicorn salient #abg ,crest1 a ,unicorn's ,head1 couped #abh ,the ,legend of the ,unicorn #aca ,pegasus or ,pegasos #acg ,coins of ,corinth and ,syracuse #ach ,pegasus salient #aci ,the ,sagittary--,centaur #adb ,ipotane1 from ,mandeville's travels #add ,compound figures1 gold necklace #ade ,centaur1 ,greek ,sculpture #adf ,a ,griffin statant1 wings endorsed #adh ,a ,griffin passant1 wings raised4 7,early ,english7 #adi ,a ,griffin segreant1 wings displayed4 7,german7 #adi ,sleeping ,griffin #aej ,griffin segreant 7,german version7 #aeb ,gold ,flying ,griffin #aed ,colossal ,griffins1 ,burmah #aee ,carved panel1 a ,griffin segreant #afj ,male ,griffin #afa ,opinicus statant #afb ,egyptian ,sphynx #afc ,theban1 or ,greek ,sphynx #afd ,a ,sphynx passant guardant1 wings endorsed #agj ,the ,phnix #aga ,a ,harpy1 wings disclosed #agi ,the ,harpy1 ,greek sculpture #ahj ,a ,harpy displayed and crowned 7,german version7 #aha ,shield of ,nremberg #aha ,a ,pelican in her piety1 wings displayed #ahb ,heraldic ,pelican in her piety #ahc ,crest1 a ,pelican vulning herself proper1 wings endorsed #ahd ,the natural ,pelican #ahf ,the ,martlet #ahf ,alerion displayed #ahh ,heraldic ,eagle #ahh ,an ,heraldic ,tigre passant #aij ,supporter1 an ,heraldic ,tigre1 collared and lined #aia ,tigre and ,mirror #aic ,a ,leopard passant #aie ,a ,leopard's ,face1 jessant-de-lis #aif ,panther ,incensed #bjj ,the ,lynx #bjc ,cat-a-,mountain saliant1 collared and lined #bje ,crest1 a ,cat-a-,mountain1 sejant1 collared and lined #bjf ,the crowned ,salamander of ,francis ,i4 #bji ,salamander crest of ,james1 ,earl of ,douglas #bab ,heraldic ,antelope #bad ,the ,heraldic ,ibex #bae ,musimon1 ,tityrus #bag ,mantygre1 ,satyral #bah ,manticora4 ,from ancient ,bestiaria #bai ,lamia4 ,from old ,bestiary #bbj ,,fictitious ,,creatures ,,of ,,the ,,sea3 ,poseidon4 ,dexter ,supporter of ,baron ,hawke #bcg ,merman or ,triton #bdj ,triton1 with two tails 7,german7 #bdj ,mermaid and ,triton supporters #bda ,mermaid #bdb1 #bdc ,crest of ,ellis #bdd ,die ,ritter1 of ,nuremberg #bde ,ulysses and the ,sirens #bdi1 #bej ,the ,dolphin #bed1 #bee ,dolphin of classic art #bei ,coin of gina #bfb ,sign of the ,dolphin #bfc ,banner of the ,dolphin #bfe ,example--,dolphin embowed #bfg ,dolphin hauriant1 urinant1 naiant1 torqued #bfh ,sea-horse naiant #bgj ,sea-horse erect #bga ,arms of the city of ,belfast #bgc ,sea-lion erect #bge ,sea-dog rampant #bgf ,,introduction ,angels and ministers of grace defend us4--,hamlet4 ,the human mind has a passionate longing for knowledge even of things past comprehension4 ,where it cannot know1 it will imagine2 what the mind conceives it will attempt to define4 ,are facts wanting1 poetry steps in1 and myth and song supply the void2 cave and forest1 mountain and valley1 lake and river1 are theatres peopled by fancy1 and as imagination bodies forth ,the forms of things unknown1 the poet's pen ,turns them to shapes1 and gives to airy nothing ,a local habitation and a name4 ,traditions of unreal beings inhabit the air1 and will not vanish be they ever so sternly commanded2 from the misty records of antiquity and the relics of past greatness as seen sculptured in stupendous ruins on the banks of the ,nile and the plains of ,assyria1 strange shapes look with their mute stony eyes upon a world that knows them but imperfectly1 and vainly attempts to unriddle the unfathomable mystery of their being4 ,western nations1 with their growing civilisations1 conjured up monsters of benign or baneful influence1 or engrafted and expanded the older ideas in a manner suited to their genius and national characteristics4 ,the creatures of the imagination1 ,gorgons and ,hydras and ,chimeras dire1 shapes lovely and shapes terrible begot of unreason in the credulous minds of the imaginative1 the timid and the superstitious1--or dreamy poetic fancies of fairies and elves of whom poets sing so sweetly3 ,shapes from the invisible world unearthly singing ,from out the middle air1 from flowery nests ,and from the pillowy silkiness that rests ,full in the speculation of the stars1-- ,,keats4 or fairy elves1 ,whose midnight revels1 by the forest side ,or fountain1 some belated peasant sees1 ,or dreams he sees1-- ,,milton1 ,paradise ,lost1 ,book i4 the nameless dreads and horrors of the unknown powers of darkness1 the pestiferous inhabitants of wastes and desert places where loneliness reigns supreme1 and imaginary terrors assault the traveller on every hand1 assuming forms more various and more to be dreaded than aught of mortal birth1--such vague and indefinable ideas1 legends fed by time and chance1 like rumours in the air1 in the course of time assume tangible shape1 receiving definite expression by the poet and artist until they become fixed in the popular mind as stern realities influencing the thoughts and habits of millions of people through successive generations4 ,we see them in the rude fetish of the ,south ,sea ,islander1 the myriad gods and monsters of heathen mythology1 as well as in the superstitions of medival ,europe1 of which last the devil with horned brow1 cloven hoofs and forked tail is the most unreal mockery of them all4 ,the days of ,diabolism and the old witch creed are1 however1 passed away2 but under the dominance of these ideas during centuries1 in ,protestant and ,catholic lands alike1 hundreds of thousands of innocent victims of all ages and both sexes were accused of the most absurd and impossible crimes1 and subjected to almost inconceivable torture and death4 ,the dying ,christian about to pass through the valley of the shadow of death1 in the words of the poet1 expresses his faith in the nearness of the spirit world3 ,i see a form ye cannot see ,i hear a voice ye cannot hear4 ,to the spiritually minded other forms1 with more of the beautiful and less of the hideous and frightful1 revealed themselves2 the solitary recluse1 his body and mind reduced to an unnatural condition by fasting and penance1 in mental hallucination beheld his celestial visitants with awe and adoration1 and saw in visions angels and archangels1 cherubim and seraphim towering in a blaze of glory to illimitable height and extremest space4 ,the rapt seraph and the whole angelic host of heaven to his ecstatic gaze was a revelation and a reality as tangible as were the powers of darkness seen and felt by more sordid natures1 incapable of the higher conceptions1 and whose minds were accessible chiefly through their terrors4 ,to classic fable we are indebted for very many of the fictitious animals which heralds have introduced into coats armorial4 ,in all ages man has sought to explain by myths certain phenomena of nature which he has been unable to account for in a more rational manner4 ,earthquakes were the awakening of the earth tortoise which carried the earth on its back2 the tides were the pulses of the ocean2 lightning was the breath of demons1 the thunderbolt of ,jupiter1 the hammer of ,thor2 volcanoes were the forges of the infernal deities4 ,in the old ,norse legends we read of waterspouts being looked upon as sea serpents1 and wonderful stories are related of their power and influence4 ,the ,chinese imagine eclipses to be caused by great dragons which seek to devour the sun4 ,innumerable beliefs cluster round the sun1 moon1 and stars4 ,we may trace from our own language the extent of power which these peculiar beliefs have had over the human mind4 ,we still speak of mad people as lunatics1 gloomy people as saturnine1 sprightly people we term mercurial2 we say1 ,ill-starr'd event1 c4 c4 ,the ships of the early navigators1 with masts and sails and other requisites for directing their motion or influencing their speed1 would be objects of astonishment to the inhabitants of the countries they visited1 causing them to be received with the utmost respect and veneration4 ,the ship was taken for a living animal1 and hence originated1 some say1 the fables of winged dragons1 griffons1 flying citadels1 and men transformed into birds and fishes4 ,the winged ,pegasus was nothing but a ship with sails and hence was said to be the offspring of ,neptune4 ,in reality1 says ,southey1 in his preface to the ,morte d',arthur1 vol4 ii4 #ahag1 mythological and romantic tales are current among all savages of whom we have any full account2 for man has his intellectual as well as his bodily appetite1 and these things are the food of his imagination and faith4 ,they are found wherever there is language and discourse of reason2 in other words1 wherever there is man4 ,and in similar states of society the fictions of different people will bear a corresponding resemblance1 notwithstanding the differences of time and scene4 ,and ,sir ,walter ,scott1 in his ,essay on ,romance and ,chivalry1 following up the same idea1 adds1 that the usual appearances and productions of nature offer to the fancy1 in every part of the world1 the same means of diversifying fictitious narrative by the introduction of prodigies4 ,if in any romance we encounter the description of an elephant1 we may reasonably conclude that a phenomenon unknown in ,europe must have been borrowed from the ,east2 but whoever has seen a serpent and a bird may easily aggravate the terrors of the former by conferring on a fictitious monster the wings of the latter2 and whoever has seen or heard of a wolf1 or lion and an eagle1 may1 by a similar exercise of invention1 imagine a griffon or a hippogriff4 ,beyond the common experiences of every-day life the popular mind everywhere cares very little about simple commonplace practical truths4 ,human nature seems to crave mystery1 to be fond of riddles and the marvellous1 and doubtless it was ever so and provided for in all the old faiths of the world4 ,the multitude of dragons1 diverse as they are1 reflecting the fears and fancies of the most different races1 it is more than probable is a relic of the early serpent-worship which1 according to ,mr4 ,fergusson1 is of such remote antiquity that the religion of the ,jews was modern in comparison1 the curse laid on the serpent being1 in fact1 levelled at the ancient superstition which it was intended to supersede4 ,notwithstanding the various forms under which we find the old dragon he ever retains something of the serpent about him1 if no more than the scales4 ,in the medival devil1 too1 the tail reveals his descent4 7,louis ,f4 ,day47 ,the fictitious beings used as symbols in heraldry may be divided into two classes3 7#a7 ,celestial beings mentioned in ,holy ,writ1 and those creatures of the imagination which1 from the earliest ages1 have held possession of men's minds1 profound symbols unlike anything in the heavens or in the earth beneath or in the waters under the earth4 ,they may be abstract ideas embodied in tangible shape1 such as the terrible creature1 the type of some divine quality1 that stands calm1 immovable1 and imperishable within the walls of our ,national ,museum2 such forms as the dragon1 of the purely imaginative class1 and those creatures compounded of parts of different real animals1 yet unlike any one of them1 each possessing special symbolic attributes1 according to the traditional ideas held concerning them4 7#b7 ,animals purely heraldic1 such as the heraldic tiger1 panther incensed1 heraldic antelope1 c41 owe their origin and significance to other ideas1 and must be accounted for on other grounds1 namely1 the mistaken ideas resulting from imperfect knowledge of these objects in natural history by early writers and herald painters1 to whom they were no doubt real animals with natural qualities1 and1 as such1 according to their knowledge1 they depicted them2 and although more light has been thrown upon the study of natural history since their time1 and many of their conceptions have been proved to be erroneous1 the well-known heraldic shapes of many of these lusus natur are still retained in modern armory4 ,these animals were such as they could have little chance of seeing1 and they probably accepted their descriptions from travellers' tales1 always full of the marvellous--and the misleading histories of still earlier writers4 ,pliny and many of the writers of his day describe certain animals in a way that appears the absurdest fable2 even the lion described by him is in some points most unnatural4 ,xenophon1 for instance1 describing a boar hunt1 gravely tells us3 ,so hot are the boar's tusks when he is just dead that if a person lays hairs upon them the hairs will shrivel up2 and when the boar is alive they--that is1 the tusks--are actually red hot when he is irritated1 for otherwise he would not singe the tips of the dogs' hair when he misses a blow at their bodies4 ,the salamander in flames1 of frequent occurrence in heraldry1 is of this class4 ,like the toad1 ugly and venomous1 the salamander was regarded by the ancients with the utmost horror and aversion4 ,it was accredited with wondrous qualities1 and the very sight of it abominable and fearful to behold4 ,elian1 ,nicander1 ,dioscorides and ,pliny all agree in that it possessed the power of immediately extinguishing any fire into which it was put1 and that it would even rush at or charge the flame1 which it well knew how to extinguish4 ,it was believed that its bite was certainly mortal1 that anything touched by its saliva became poisonous1 nay1 that if it crept over a tree all the fruit became deleterious4 ,even ,bacon believed in it4 ,quoth he3 ,the salamander liveth in the fire and hath the power to extinguish it4 ,there is1 too1 a lingering popular belief that if a fire has been burning for seven years there will be a salamander produced from it4 ,such is the monstrous character given to one of the most harmless of little creatures3 the only basis of truth for all this superstructure of fable is the fact that it exudes an acrid watery humour from its skin when alarmed or in pain4 ,spenser1 in the ,fairy ,queen1 ,book #a1 cant4 v4 #ah1 according to the mistaken notions of his time1 compares the dangerous dissimulation and treacherous tears of ,duessa 7or ,falsehood7 to the crocodile3 ,as when a weary traveller that strays ,by muddy shore of broad seven-mouthed ,nile1 ,unweeting of the perilous wand'ring ways1 ,doth meet a cruel1 crafty crocodile1 ,which in false guise hiding his harmful guile1 ,doth weep full sore1 and shedding tender tears2 ,the foolish man1 that pities all the while ,his mournful plight1 is swallowed unawares ,forgetful of his own that minds another's cares4 ,and ,shakespeare1 #b ,henry ,,vi4 iii4 #a3 as the mournful crocodile ,with sorrow snares relenting passengers4 ,quarles1 too1 in his ,emblems3 ,o what a crocodilian world is this1 ,compos'd of treach'ries and insnaring wiles6 ,bossewell1 an heraldic writer of the sixteenth century1 after the model of his forerunner1 ,gerard ,leigh1 edified his readers with comments on natural history in such a delightful manner 7according to his friend ,roscarrocke7 as to provoke the envy of ,pliny in ,elysium1 though now these descriptions in many instances only serve to call up a smile from their very absurdity4 ,with veracious histories of this description1 is it to be wondered at that such beings as those referred to were made use of in heraldry and accepted as types or emblems of some particular quality in man8 ,as an instance of how an error in the form of an animal may be perpetuated unperceived1 it may be mentioned that even in the best books on heraldry1 natural history1 and in other illustrated publications1 the elephant is rarely to be seen correctly delineated4 ,a peculiarity in his formation is that the hind legs bend in the same manner as the fore legs1 so that1 unlike other quadrupeds1 it can kneel and rest on its four knees1 whereas it is usually depicted with the hind legs to bend in the same way as those of the horse or the cow4 ,when artists and herald-painters continue to commit this blunder unobserved1 some palliation may be afforded to the old heralds for their offences against zoology in the errors and delusions arising from lack of information4 ,they could have little opportunity of acquiring a correct knowledge of the rarer kinds of animals2 they had not the advantage of seeing menageries of wild beasts1 or of consulting books on natural history with excellent illustrations1 as the modern herald may do4 ,only when their scanty information fell short did they venture to draw on their imaginations for their beasts1 after the manner of an ancient worthy1 who where the lion's skin fell short1 eked it out with the fox's4 ,some writers1 however1 maintain that these monstrosities are not so much the result of ignorance of the real forms of the beasts as that they were intended to typify certain extraordinary qualities1 and therefore exaggeration of the natural shapes and functions was needful to express such qualities4 ,this may be true in some instances4 ,under this idea the noble form of the lion may have been distorted to resemble the wild cat in the fury of its contortions4 ,the ,panther incensed1 breathing fire and smoke out of its mouth1 nose and ears1 seems as if taken from some misleading history--like that of the boar1 by ,xenophon1 already referred to--or the result of the erroneous description of some terrified traveller4 ,this is a natural and probable mode of accounting for its unnatural appearance4 ,it may1 however1 fairly be said that the natural ferocity of the brute1 and also its destructive qualities1 are most fitly typified by the devouring flame issuing from the head of this bloodthirsty and treacherous beast of prey4 ,the ,heraldic ,pelican1 again1 is evidently a mistake of the early artists1 similar to the heraldic tiger1 heraldic antelope1 c41 and the persistent following of the traditional pattern by the heralds when once established4 ,early ,christian painters always represented this emblem of devoted self-sacrifice1 ,a ,pelican in her piety--that is1 feeding her young with her own blood--as having the head and beak of an eagle or bird of prey such as they must have believed it to possess1 and with which it would be possible that it could lacerate its own breast2 and not with the clumsy and ungainly bill peculiar to this species of bird1 which we know is more suited to gobble up small reptiles than to vulning itself4 ,some symbols1 again1 are neither real nor do they pretend to be fabulous1 such as the two-headed eagle1 but are pure heraldic inventions that have each their special signification4 ,the tricorporate lion lays no claim to be other than the symbol of a powerful triune body under one guiding head2 the three legs conjoined--the arms of the ,isle of ,man--is an old ,greek sign for expedition4 ,many other instances will1 no doubt1 occur to the reader of similar emblems of this class4 ,notes on ,animated ,beings in ,heraldic ,art ,illustration ,notes on ,animated ,beings in ,heraldic ,art ,one chief source of illustration is to be found in the most brilliant1 and in its power on character1 hitherto the most effective of the ,arts--,,heraldry4 ,,ruskin1 ,relation of ,wise ,art and ,wise ,science4 ,heraldry is par excellence the science of symbols4 ,a pictorial device is subject to no exact or regular law1 provided it carries its meaning with it4 ,heraldry1 on the contrary1 insists on the observance of certain definite and easily understood rules constituting it a science1 by the observance of which any one acquainted with heraldic language may1 from a concise written description 7or blazon as it is termed71 reconstruct at any time the symbol or series of symbols intended1 and with perfect accuracy2 for a heraldic emblem once adopted remains unchangeable1 no matter with what amount of naturalness or conventionality it may be done1 or with what quaintness or even grotesqueness it may be treated2 the symbol remains intact4 ,a lion rampant1 a dragon1 or any other heraldic figure is1 therefore1 a fixed and immutable idea1 and not to be confounded with any other1 no matter what the style of artistic or decorative treatment it may receive4 ,notwithstanding the evident intention everywhere in heraldry to be symbolic1 in attitude as well as in tinctures1 we find the greatest errors and absurdities constantly perpetrated4 ,to many it seems as if it was not considered essential to acquire a knowledge of the rudiments of the science4 ,heraldry is a living language1 and when the attempt is made to express it without proper knowledge the result can only be unmitigated nonsense4 ,by inattention to those principles which regulate the attitude1 the tinctures1 and the disposition of every part of an armorial achievement1 discredit is brought upon the subject1 which should fall upon the head of the ignorant designer alone4 ,no matter what heraldic position of an animal may be blazoned 7though it admits of only one interpretation71 we find the most unwarrantable latitude frequently taken by otherwise skilful artists in depicting it4 ,the designer becomes a law unto himself1 and it is posed and treated in a way to suit the fancy of the moment4 ,a lion is only a lion to him1 and it is nothing more4 ,to the true herald it is very much more4 ,as a mild instance1 see the unkind treatment meted out to the supporters of the ,royal ,arms4 ,the lion and unicorn are both rampant1 and the head of the lion is turned towards the spectator 7termed guardant74 ,not content to be represented in the regulation positions1 they will be found depicted in most strange and fantastic attitudes not recognised in heraldry--not supporting or guarding the shield1 which is their special function4 ,at the head of the ,times newspaper they are represented playing at hide and seek round the shield2 elsewhere we see them capering and prancing1 or we find them sitting1 like begging dogs1 as if ashamed of themselves and their vocation4 ,i may here quote from a most admirable work3 ,that the decorative beauty of heraldry1 far from being that of form and colour alone1 was also an imaginative one depending much on the symbolic meaning of its designs1 there can be no doubt4444 ,early ,christian ,art was full of symbols1 whose use and meaning were discussed in treatises from the second century onwards4 ,by the eleventh it had become systemised and ranged under various heads1--,bestiaria for beasts1 ,volucaria for birds1 and ,lapidaria for stones4 ,it permeated the whole life of the people in its religious uses1 and entered romantically into the half-religious1 half-mystical observances of chivalry1 the very armour of the valiant knight being full of meanings which it was his duty to know4#a ,the ,symbolism of ,attitude or ,position ,it must be evident to every one who has given any thought to the subject that a definite idea is meant to be conveyed to the mind by the attitude in which an animal is depicted2 and such figures are not mere arbitrary signs1 like the letters of the alphabet1 which of themselves convey no meaning whatever4 ,a lion rampant is1 as the term suggests1 a lion in the act of fighting1 rearing on his hind legs to meet his antagonist4 ,he is therefore depicted with wildly tossed mane1 staring eyes1 and guly mouth2 his muscular limbs and distended claws braced up for the combat betoken the energy and power of the noble brute4 ,how different is the idea conveyed by the lion statant in the firm majesty of his pose1 calmly looking before him2 or couchant1 fit emblem of restful vigilance and conscious power1 prepared on the instant alike to attack or defend4 ,should any reasons be needed to enforce the necessity of adhering strictly to the heraldic law in which attitude plays such an important part1 it may be needful only to refer to one or two examples1 and cite as an instance in point the noblest of all created beings1 and ask whether1 of the many acts in which imperious man himself may be heraldically portrayed1 the action or position in which he is to be depicted should not indicate distinctly the idea that is to be associated with the representation8 whether vauntingly1 like the old kings1-- with high exacting look ,sceptred and globed --attributes of his power1--or as a bishop or saint in the act of benediction1--kneeling in prayer as on medival seals1--the three savage men ambulant on the shield of ,viscount ,halifax1--or the dead men strewn over the field on the seal of the city of ,lichfield--in each the primary idea is man1 but how different the signification6 ,it will therefore be understood that the particular action or posture1 or any of the various forms in which real or imaginary creatures may be blazoned in heraldry1 gives the keynote to its interpretation1 which1 in this respect1 is nothing if not symbolic4 ,it will be seen that to interpret the meaning implied in any particular charge1 the tinctures1 as well as the attitude1 must be considered4 ,these1 taken in combination with the qualities or attributes we associate with the creature represented1 indicate in a threefold manner the complete idea or phase of meaning intended to be conveyed by the composition1 and may be thus formulated3 7#a7 ,,the ,,creature4--,the primary idea in the symbol is in the particular being represented1 whether real or fictitious1 as a man1 a lion1 an eagle1 a dragon1 c41 of the form and accepted character for some particular quality or attribute of mind or body1 as fierceness1 valour1 fleetness1 c4 7#b7 ,,attitude4--,the various attitudes or positions in which it may be depicted in heraldry1 each denoting some special meaning1 as rampant1 sejant1 dormant1 c4 7#c7 ,,tincture4--,whether blazoned proper 7that is1 according to nature7 or of some of the heraldic tinctures1 as or 7gold71 gules 7red71 azure1 vert1 c41 each tincture1 according to the old heralds1 bearing a particular and special signification4 ,tinctures in armorial devices were1 however1 not always introduced on these scientific principles or adopted from any symbolic meaning1 but as arbitrary variations of colour for distinction merely1 and as being in themselves equally honourable2 colour alone in many instances serving to distinguish the arms of many families that would otherwise be the same4 ,hence the necessity for accuracy in blazoning4 ,guillam lays down some general rules regarding the symbolic meaning by which all sorts of creatures borne in arms or ensigns are to be interpreted1 and by which alone a consistent system can be regulated4 ,they must1 he says1 be interpreted in the best sense1 that is1 according to their most generous and noble qualities1 and so to the greatest honour of their bearers4444 ,the fox is full of wit1 and withal given wholly to filching for his prey4 ,if1 then1 this be the charge of an escutcheon1 we must conceive the quality represented to be his wit and cunning1 but not his pilfering and stealing2 and so of other beasts4 ,even in wild and ruthless animals and fictitious creatures1 symbolic heraldry delights in setting forth their most commendable qualities1 as fierceness and courage in overcoming enemies1 though they may also possess most detestable qualities4 ,in like manner all sorts of peaceable or gentle-natured creatures must be set forth in their most noble and kindly action1 each in its disposition and that which is most agreeable to nature1 rather than of an opposite character4 ,heraldic art thus stamps a peculiar note of dignity for some particular respect in the emblematic figures it accepts1 as for some special use1 quality or action in the thing depicted2 and this dignity or nobility may have a twofold relation1 one betwixt creatures of divers kinds1 as a lion or a stag1 a wolf and a lamb2 the other between beings of one and the same kind1 according to their various attitudes or positions in which they may be represented1 as a stag courant or at speed1 and a stag lodged or at bay2 a lion rampant and a lion coward--one will keep the field1 the other seek safety in flight1 just as one attitude conveys a different signification from another4 ,the ,heraldic ,spirit--,effective decorative ,quality essential in ,heraldry ,it will be observable that in the hands of a capable designer imbued with the true heraldic spirit1 all objects1 animate and inanimate1 conform after their kind to decorative necessities1 and assume shapes more or less conventional1 and1 as far as is consistent with effective display of the charge1 are made to accommodate themselves to the space they must occupy4 ,fierce and savage beasts are made to look full of energy and angry power1 while gentle-natured creatures are made to retain their harmless traits4 ,in a monster of the dragon tribe1 strong leathern wings add to his terrors2 his jaws are wide1 his claws are strong and sharp2 he is clothed in impenetrable armour of plates and scales1 his breath is fire and flame1 lightning darts from his eyes1 he lashes his tail in fury2 and all the while the artist is most careful so to spread the creature out on shield or banner that all his powers shall be displayed at once4 ,whatever liberty the artist may take in his interpretation of the form of bird1 beast1 or monster1 there is1 however1 a limit to his licence beyond which he may not go4 ,he may not alter the recognised symbolic attitude1 nor change the tincture2 he is scarcely at liberty to add a feature4 ,he may curl the mane of his lion1 fancifully develop its tongue and tail1 and display its claws in a manner for which there is little or no authority in nature2 but if he add wings1 or endow it with a plurality of heads or tails1 it instantly becomes another creature and a totally different symbol4#b ,a wise reticence in treatment is more to be commended than such fanciful extravagance4 ,the early artists and heralds1 in their strivings to exaggerate in a conventional manner the characteristics of animals for their most effective display1 appear to have reached the limits of which their art was capable1 and important lessons may be gained from their works4 ,with the extended knowledge of natural history1 and the advanced state of art at the present day1 decorative and symbolic heraldry should take a leading place in the twentieth century1 as in the words of ,ruskin1 it has been hitherto the most brilliant and most effective of the ,arts4 ,celestial ,beings ,illustration3 ,angels ,they boast ethereal vigour and are form'd ,from seeds of heavenly birth4--,,virgil4 ,down hither prone in flight ,he speeds1 and through the vast ethereal sky ,sails between world and world with steady wings3 ,now on the polar wind1 then with quick fan ,winnows the buxom air4--,,milton4 ,angels and ,archangels the mind loves to contemplate as the ministers of ,god's omnipotence and beneficence1 and delights in believing these celestial beings to be endowed with a higher and purer intelligence1 and as being nearer to the divine nature4 ,in all ages civilised man has thought of them and represented them in art as of form like to his own1 and with attributes of volition and power suggested by wings4 ,scripture itself justifies the similitude2 the ,almighty is sublimely represented as walking upon the wings of the wind4 ,wings have always been the symbol or attribute of volition1 of mind1 or of the spirit or air4 ,no apter emblem could be found for a rapid and resistless element than birds or the wings of birds2 and however incongruous such appendages may be1 and anatomically impossible1 it is figuratively as the messengers of ,god's will to man that we have come to view these celestial habitants4 ,illustration3 ,egyptian ,winged ,deity4 ,the idea of adding wings to the human form has existed from remote antiquity1 and for the earliest suggestion of celestial beings of the winged human type we must look to the art works of ,egypt and ,assyria4 ,in ,egyptian art1 ,neith1 the goddess of the heavens1 was sometimes represented with wings1 and in the marbles of ,nineveh we find human figures displaying four wings4#c ,in classic art wings are given to certain divinities and genii4 ,the ,jews probably borrowed the idea from the ,egyptians1 and the early ,christians adopted--in this as in many other instances--existing ideas in their symbolical art to express the attribute of swiftness and power1 and the sanction of the practice doubtless fixed it for acceptance through all future epochs of ,christian ,art4 ,illustration3 ,hawk-headed and winged figure1 emblem of ,osiris1 which1 having of all birds the most piercing eye and the most rapid flight1 serves to express the divine intelligence and activity4 7,palace of ,nimrod in the ,louvre47 ,in holy writ and ,jewish tradition angels are usually spoken of as men1 and their wings appear to be implied rather than expressed1 as when ,abraham in the plains of ,mamr addresses his celestial visitors as my lord1 when ,jacob wrestles with the angel1 and more particularly when the ,angel at the ,sepulchre is described by ,st4 ,matthew1 ,his countenance was like the lightning and his raiment white as snow1 and by ,st4 ,mark as ,a young man clothed in a long white garment4 ,the ,seraphim and ,cherubim as winged beings are more perfectly described in the ,scriptures4 ,the ,wings ,variously ,coloured4--,not content with a simple departure in form from all natural wings1 the early and ,middle ,age artists resorted to many expedients to invest their angels' wings with unearthly characteristics4 ,colour was a fertile field for their ingenuity1 and they lavished all their brilliant hues in accentuating or separating the several orders of feathers comprising the wings2 now rivalling the rainbow1 now applying the startling contrasts of the most gorgeous tropical butterfly2 at other times sprinkling or tipping the richly painted feathers with burnished gold1 or making them appear alive with brilliant eyes4 ,vesture4--,in ,early ,christian ,art the white vesture spoken of by ,st4 ,matthew and ,st4 ,john1 almost invariably adopted1 consisted of garments resembling the classic tunica and pallium1 sometimes bound with the golden girdle of ,revelation4 ,during the medival period they were clad in every brilliant colour4 ,angels do not often appear in the works of art executed during the first six centuries of the ,church2 and previous to the fifth century they were invariably represented without the nimbus--that attribute of divinity with which they were almost always invested throughout the whole range of ,middle ,age art4 ,nimbus4--,the nimbi given to all the orders of the angelic hierarchy are circular in form1 with their fields either plain or covered with numerous radiating lines or rays1 sometimes with broad borders of ornament1 but never with the tri-radiate form1 which was specially reserved for the persons of the trinity4 ,lord ,bacon 7,advancement of ,learning1 ,book i47 says we find1 as far as credit is to be given to the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the supposed ,dionysius1 the ,senator of ,athens1 that the first place or degree is given to the angels of love1 which are termed ,seraphim2 the second to the angels of light1 which are termed ,cherubim2 and the third1 and so following places1 to thrones1 principalities1 and the rest1 which are all angels of power and ministry1 so that the angels of knowledge and illumination are placed before the angels of office and domination4 ,fallen ,angels4--,we learn from ,tradition that many angels1 originally holy like the rest1 fell from their pristine purity1 becoming so transformed in character that all their powers are now used for the purpose of doing evil instead of doing good4 ,these are to be identified with the devils so frequently mentioned in holy writ4 ,by the artists of the ,middle ,ages they are depicted in as hideous a manner as could be conceived1 more generally of the ,satyr form with horns and hoofs and tail1 which last connects them with the ,dragon of the ,apocalypse1 the impersonation of the ,supreme ,spirit of evil 7see ,dragon74 ,in ,milton's conception ,satan--the fallen ,angel--assumes noble and magnificent proportions4 ,mistaken ,modern ,conception of ,angels ,many poets and artists of modern times appear to have lost sight of the traditions of sacred art1 and in their endeavours to spiritualise the character of angelic beings have in this respect been led to portray them as altogether feminine in form and appearance4 ,this error should be carefully avoided1 because in a spiritual as well as in a human sense the vigorous active principle they represent1 besides having the warrant of ,scripture1 is more fitly represented by man than by woman4 ,mahomet1 who borrowed his ideas mostly from the ,christians1 in this instance1 possibly to guard his followers from some latent form of idolatry1 said of angels with some show of reason1 that they were too pure in nature to admit of sex1 but to meet the ideas of his followers he invented another race of celestial beings for the delight and solace of the faithful in the paradise to which he lured them4 ,ministering ,spirits or ,guardian ,angels4--,these form a frequent theme of poets and artists4 ,the idea was apparently evolved from the mention of ministering spirits before the throne of ,god in holy writ1 and from the ecclesiastical legends and traditions of the ,christian mythology of early date1 derived from still earlier sources4 ,thus ,milton speaks of-- one of the ,seven ,who in ,god's presence1 nearest to the throne ,stand ready at command1 and are his eyes ,that run thro' all the heavens1 and down to earth ,bear his swift errands4 ,paradise ,lost1 iii4 ,according to ancient ,jewish belief1 each person had his or her guardian angel1 and a spirit could assume the aspect of some visible being3 ,but she constantly affirmed that it was even so4 ,then said they1 ',it is his angel4' ,acts xii4 #ae4 ,brutus as you know was ,csar's ,angel3 ,judge1 ,o ye ,god1 how dearly ,csar loved him4 ,,shakespeare1 ,julius ,csar1 ,act iii4 sc4 #b4 ,spenser finely expresses the idea of the good and evil influences continually warring unseen about us1 and his gratitude for the effective protection of the guardian spirits3 ,how oft do they their silver bowers leave1 ,to come to succour us that succour want6 ,how oft do they with golden pinions cleave ,the flitting skies1 like flying pursuivant1 ,against fowle fiends to ayde us militant6 ,they for us fight1 they watch1 and dewly ward1 ,and their bright squadrons round about us plant2 ,and all for love1 and nothing for reward3 ,o why should heavenly ,god to men have such regard8 ,milton beautifully assumes the pure nature of saintly chastity attended by ministering spirits3 ,a thousand liveried angels lackey her1 ,driving far off each thing of sin and guilt1 ,and in clear dream and solemn vision1 ,tell her of things that no gross ear can hear2 ,till oft converse with heavenly habitants ,begins to cast a beam on the outward shape4 ,comus4 ,and ,scott1 in figurative language1 apostrophising woman in her higher and more spiritual sphere1 says in ,marmion3 ,when pain and anguish wring the brow1 ,a ministering angel thou6 ,shakespeare expresses a prevailing idea that the pure in heart will become ministering angels in heaven2 ,laertes1 at the grave of ,ophelia1 fiercely thunders forth3 ,i tell thee1 churlish priest1 ,a ministering angel shall my sister be ,when thou liest howling4 ,medival ,art ,treatment of ,angels ,according to ecclesiastical legend and tradition there are nine degrees of angelic beings4 ,st4 ,dionysius relates that there are three hierarchies of angels and three orders in each2 and by wise allegories each had his special mission1 and they were each depicted with certain insignia by which they were recognised in art representations1 which vary somewhat in examples of different periods4 ,the nine choirs of angels are classed as follow1 with the name of the chief of each1 according to ancient legend3 ,cherubim ,jophiel ,seraphim ,uriel ,thrones ,zaphkiel ,dominions ,zadchiel ,virtues ,haniel ,powers ,raphael ,principalities ,camiel ,archangels ,michael ,angels ,gabriel ,according to ,a4 ,welby ,pugin's ,glossary of ,architectural ,ornament and ,costume1 and other authorities1 we learn the medival conception of these beings4 ,the following emblems are borne by angels3 ,,flaming ,,swords1 denoting the wrath of ,god2 ,,trumpets1 the voice of ,god2 ,,sceptres1 the power of ,god2 ,,thuribles1 or censers1 the incense being the prayers of saints2 ,,instruments ,,of ,,music1 to denote their felicity4 ,the ,,apparels1 or borders of their robes1 are jewelled with ,,sapphire for celestial contemplation2 ,,ruby1 divine love2 ,,crystal1 purity2 ,,emerald1 unfading youth4 ,,archangels are the principal or chief angels1 and are extraordinary ambassadors4 ,among these the name of ,,gabriel--the angel of the annunciation1 the head of the entire celestial hierarchy--denotes the power of ,god2 ,,michael1 who is like ,god2 ,,raphael1 the healing of ,god2 ,,uriel1 the fire of ,god4 ,,angel is the name1 not of an order of beings1 but of an office1 and means messenger3 wherefore angels are represented ,,young to show their continued strength1 and ,,winged to show their unweariedness2 ,,without ,,sandals1 for they do not belong to the earth2 and ,,girt1 to show their readiness to go forth and execute the will of ,god4 ,their garments are either ,,white1 to denote their purity1 or ,,golden1 to show their sanctity and glory1 or they are of any of the symbolical colours used in ,christian ,art4 ,a writer in the ,ecclesiastical ,art ,review1 ,may #ahgh1 ,i4 ,lewis ,andr1 architect1 says that we seldom find angels clad in any other ecclesiastical vestments than the ,,alb 7or tunic of various colours71 and the amice4 ,the ,,amice is sometimes like a mere loose collar2 at other times it has richly embroidered ,,apparels 7or borders71 and is exactly like the priestly vestment as worn in the ,middle ,ages4 ,instead of the amice we sometimes find a scarf or cloth tied in a knot around the neck1 the ends falling down in front4 ,in ,anne of ,brittany's prayer-book is a beautiful figure of ,st4 ,michael4 ,he has a rayed nimbus1 a cross on a circlet round his head1 a richly embroidered dalmatic 7a long robe with sleeves partly open at the sides71 and holds a sword in his left hand4 ,the emblems of ,st4 ,michael are a crown1 a sword1 a shield charged with a cross of ,st4 ,george1 or a spear with the banner of the cross1 or else with scales in his hand4 ,sometimes1 as at ,south ,leigh1 ,oxon41 he is in complete armour4 ,the archangels are often figured with a trumpet in the right hand1 scarfs round neck and loins2 six wings1 sometimes four at the shoulders and two at the hips1 the legs bare from the thighs4 ,the four archangels are frequently represented in complete armour and with swords4 ,the angels in the ,benedictional of ,st4 ,ethelwold nearly resemble much later representations2 they have wings and the nimbus or aureole1 long hair and girded loins1 whilst the feet are bare1 as is generally the case at all periods of ,gothic ,art2 but the characteristic drapery is loose and flowing as in the ,saxon figures of saints2 the wings are short and broad1 the nimbus is generally rayed like the spokes of a wheel 7a form seen in the work of ,giotto1 with whom it seems to have been a favourite74 ,the alb or vesture has loose sleeves1 and at times a mantle or cope envelops the figure2 both sleeves and mantles have embroideries or apparels4 ,the modern taste1 says the same writer1 for giving angels pure white vesture does not appear to be derived from the ,middle ,ages1 and certainly not from the best period when angels were clad in every brilliant colour1 as a beautiful example at ,st4 ,michael's1 ,york1 shows4 ,here an angel swinging a golden censer has a green tunic covered with a white cloak or mantle4 ,the nimbus is bright blue1 and the wings have the upper parts yellow1 and are tipped with green4 ,at ,goodnestowe church1 ,st4 ,michael has a deep crimson tunic1 a white mantle edged with a rich gold border1 green wings1 and a light crimson nimbus1 and mention is here made of the white vesture of the angel at the ,sepulchre1 and that nowhere else does the ,gospel mention any angel clad in white but in the narratives of ,our ,lord's resurrection4 ,illustration3 ,angel with ,cloud ,symbol4 ,often the angels' wings are feathered red and blue alternately1 as on the pulpit at ,cheddar1 ,somerset4 ,sometimes the wings have feathers like those of a peacock1 on the ,chapter ,house1 ,westminster2 round the ,wall ,arcade1 angels have their wings inscribed with a text on every feather4 ,this corresponds with the ,french 'hours' of ,anne of ,brittany1 where an angel 7,st4 ,gabriel7 wears a mantle with a text running along the border4 ,it was not uncommon to represent angels in carving and stained glass in the latter part of the fifteenth century as feathered all over like birds4 ,cloud ,symbol of the ,sky or ,air4--,artists of the ,medival and ,renaissance periods1 following classical authority1 employed the cloud symbol of the sky or air in their allegories and sacred pictures of divine persons1 saints1 and martyrs1 to denote their divine or celestial condition1 as distinguished from beings of the earth--earthy4 ,the adoption of the little cloud underneath the feet1 when the figure is not represented flying1 naturally suggested itself as the most fitting emblem for a support1 and avoided the apparent incongruity of beings in material human shape standing upon nothing4 ,the suggestion of the aerial support here entirely obviates any thought of the outrage on the laws of gravity4 ,another distinguishing attribute is the ,nimbus--an emblem of divine power and glory--placed behind or over the head4 ,the crown is an insignia of civil power borne by the laity2 the nimbus is ecclesiastical and religious4 ,the pagans were familiar with the use of the nimbus1 which appears upon the coins of some of the ,roman ,emperors4 ,it was widely adopted by the ,early ,christian artists1 and up till the fifteenth century was represented as a circular disc or plate behind the head1 of gold or of various colours1 and1 according to the shape and ornamentation of the nimbus1 the elevation or the divine degree of the person was denoted4 ,it was displayed behind the heads of the ,persons of the ,trinity and of angels4 ,it is also worn as a mark of honour and distinction by saints and martyrs4 ,at a later period1 when the traditions of early art were to some extent laid aside1 i4e41 from the fifteenth century until towards the end of the seventeenth century1 as ,m4 ,dideron informs us1 a simple unadorned ring1 termed a circle of glory1 takes the place of the nimbus and is represented as hovering over the head4 ,it became thus idealised and transparent1 showing an outer circle only2 the field or disc is altogether omitted or suppressed1 being drawn in perspective and formed by a simple thread of light as in the ,disputer of ,raphael4 ,sometimes it is only an uncertain wavering line resembling a circle of light4 ,on the other hand1 the circular line often disappears as if it were unworthy to enclose the divine light emanating from the head4 ,it is a shadow of flame1 circular in form but not permitting itself to be circumscribed4 ,illustration3 ,angel ,supporter4 ,although the forms of angels are of such frequent occurrence in ,medival ,art they seem to abound more especially in the fifteenth century4 ,angels are seen in every possible combination1 with ecclesiastical and domestic architecture1 and form the subject of many allusions in heraldry4 ,they are frequently used as supporters4 ,charles ,boutell1 ,m4,a41 ,english ,heraldry1 p4 #bdg1 says1 regarding angels used as supporters to the armorial shield3 ,the introduction of angelic figures which might have the appearance of acting as 'guardian angels' in their care of shields of arms1 was in accordance with the feelings of the early days of ,english heraldry2 and1 while it took a part in leading the way to the systematic use of regular supporters1 it served to show the high esteem and honour in which armorial insignia were held by our ancestors in those ages4 ,and reference is made to examples sculptured in the noble timber roof of ,westminster ,hall and elsewhere4 ,as an example we give the shield of arms of the ,abbey of ,st4 ,albans4 ,illustration3 ,kneeling ,angel ,supporter4 ,figures of angels holding shields of arms1 each figure having a shield in front of its breast1 are frequently sculptured in ,gothic churches4 ,they appear on seals1 as on that of ,henry of ,lancaster about #acej1 which has the figure of an angel on each side of it4 ,the shield of ,richard ,,ii4 at ,westminster ,hall1 bearing the arms of ,france ancient and ,england quarterly1 is supported by angels1 which1 if not rather ornamental than heraldic1 were possibly intended to denote his claim to the crown of ,france1 being the supporters of the ,royal arms of that kingdom4 ,upon his ,great ,seal other supporters are used4 ,there are also instances of the shield of ,henry ,,vi4 being supported by angels1 but they are by some authorities considered as purely religious symbols rather than heraldic4 ,illustration3 ,arms of the ,abbey of ,st4 ,albans4 ,the supporters of the ,king of ,france were two angels standing on clouds1 all proper1 vested with taberts of the arms1 the dexter ,france1 the sinister ,navarre1 each holding a banner of the same arms affixed to a tilting-spear1 and the cri de guerre or motto1 ,mont-joye et ,st4 ,denis4 ,the shield bears the impaled arms of ,france and ,navarre with several orders of knighthood1 helmet1 mantling and other accessories1 all with a pavilion mantle4 ,although ,francis ,,ii41 ,charles ,,ix41 ,henry ,,iii4 and ,,iv4 and ,louis ,,xiii4 had special supporters of their arms1 yet they did not exclude the two angels of ,charles ,,vi41 which were considered as the ordinary supporters of the kingdom of ,france4 ,louis ,,xiv41 ,louis ,,xv4 and ,louis ,,xvi4 never used any others4 ,verstegan quaintly says that ,egbert was chiefly moved to call his kingdom ,england in respect of ,pope ,gregory changing the name of ,engelisce into ,angellyke1 and this may have moved our kings upon their best gold coins to set the image of an angel4#d ,illustration3 ,gloria ,excelsis ,deo 444 ,shake the bags ,of hoarding abbots2 their imprisoned angels ,set them at liberty4 ,,shakespeare1 ,king ,john1 iii4 #c4 ,the gold coin was named from the fact that on one side of it was a representation of the archangel in conflict with the dragon 7,rev4 xii4 #g74 ,the reverse had a ship4 ,it was introduced into ,england by ,edward ,,iv4 in #adef4 ,between his reign and that of ,charles ,i4 it varied in value from #fs4 #h;d4 to #ajs4 ,cherubim and ,seraphim in ,heraldry ,on cherubim and seraphim ,full royally he rode4 ,,steenhold4 ,what1 always dreaming over heavenly things1 ,like angel heads in stone wish pigeon wings4 ,,cowper1 ,conversation4 ,in heraldry ,a ,,cherub 7plural ,cherubim7 is always represented as the head of an infant between a pair of wings1 usually termed a cherub's head4 ,illustration3 ,cherubs' ,heads4 ,illustration3 ,a ,seraph's ,head4 ,a ,,seraph 7plural ,seraphim71 in like manner1 is always depicted as the head of a child1 but with three pairs of wings2 the two uppermost and the two lowermost are contrarily crossed1 or in saltire2 the two middlemost are displayed4 ,clavering1 of ,callaby ,castle1 ,northumberland1 bears for crest a cherub's head with wings erect4 ,motto3 ,c,,los ,,volens4 ,on funereal achievements1 setting forth the rank and circumstance of the deceased1 it is usual to place over the lozenge-shaped shield containing arms of a woman1 whether spinster1 wife1 or widow1 a cherub's head1 and knots or bows of ribbon in place of crests1 helmets1 or its mantlings1 which1 according to heraldic law1 cannot be borne by any woman1 sovereign princesses only excepted4 ,illustration3 ,arms--,azure a chevron argent between three cherubs' heads of the last4 ,in representing the cherubim by infants' winged heads1 the early painters meant them to be emblematic of a pure spirit glowing with love and intelligence1 the head the seat of the soul1 and the wings attribute of swiftness and spirit alone retained4 ,the body or limbs of the cherub and seraph are never shown in heraldry1 for what reason it is difficult to say1 unless it be from the ambiguity of the descriptions in the sacred writings and consequent difficulty of representing them4 ,the heralds adopted the figure of speech termed synecdoche1 which adopts a part to represent the whole4 ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds has embodied the modern conception in his exquisite painting of cherubs' heads1 ,portrait ,studies of ,frances ,isabella ,ker1 daughter of ,lord ,william ,gordon1 now in the ,national ,collection4 ,it represents five infants' heads with wings1 in different positions1 floating among clouds4 ,this idea of the cherub seems to have found ready acceptance with poets and painters4 ,shakespeare sings3 ,look how the floor of heaven ,is thick inlaid with patines of bright gold3 ,there's not the smallest orb which thou beholdest ,but in his motion like an angel sings1 ,still quiring to the young-eyed cherubim-- ,such harmony is in immortal souls3 ,but while this muddy vesture of decay ,doth grossly close it in1 we cannot hear it4 ,many of the painters of the period of the ,renaissance represented the cherub similarly to those in ,reynolds' picture4 ,they were also in the habit of introducing into their pictures of sacred subjects nude youthful winged figures1 celestial loves1 sporting in clouds around the principal figure or figures1 or assisting in some act that is being done4 ,thus ,spenser invests ,the ,queen of ,beauty and of ,love the ,mother with a troop of these little loves1 ,cupid1 their elder brother4 ,and all about her neck and shoulders flew ,a flock of little loves1 and sports and joys ,with nimble wings of gold and purple hue2 ,whose shapes seemed not like to terrestrial boys1 ,but like to angels playing heavenly toys4 ,faerie ,queen1 ,book x4 cant4 x4 p4 #aec4 ,these must not1 however1 be confounded with the cherub and seraph of ,scripture4 ,it was a thoroughly pagan idea1 borrowed from classic mythology1 and unworthy of ,christian ,art4 ,it soon degenerated into earthly loves and cupids1 or amorini as they were termed and as we now understand them4 ,illustration ,cherubim and ,seraphim of ,scripture ,in ,ecclesiastical ,art literal renderings of the descriptions contained in the ,old ,testament and the ,apocalypse are not of unfrequent use4 ,a more lengthened reference to these great ,hebrew symbolic beings will not be considered out of place1 as there is great doubt and uncertainty as to their forms4 ,these mystic symbolic beings were familiar to all the patriarchs--from ,adam1 who gazed upon them in ,paradise1 and against whom on his expulsion they stood with flaming sword1 turning every way to bar his return--to ,moses1 who trembled before it on ,mount ,sinai2 while to the ,priests and ,levites1 the custodians of the ,ark of the ,covenant in the ,tabernacle1 the cherubim remained the sacred guardians in the ,holy of ,holies of the palladium of the national faith and liberties during the brightest and1 as it has been termed1 the most heroic period of ,jewish history4 ,illustration3 ,angel crest of ,tuite1 ,bart4 co4 ,tip4 ,josephus1 the more effectually to excite respect for the great ,hebrew symbol in the minds of his readers1 purposely throws over it the veil of obscurity4 ,he says3 ,the cherubim are winged creatures1 but the form of them does not resemble that of any living creature seen by man4 ,in the works of ,philo ,judus there is an express dissertation upon the cherubim4 ,the learned ,brochart and many others have attempted to elucidate the subject to little purpose4 ,the ambiguity which always accompanies a written description of objects with which we are imperfectly acquainted applies with greater force to this mysterious being combining so many apparently conflicting attributes4 ,to the prophetic vision of ,ezekiel1 the description of which1 in the opinion of competent critics1 excels in grandeur of idea and energy of expression the most celebrated writers of ancient and modern times1 the reader is referred1 as it supplies at first hand almost all that can be known concerning the fearful form of the cherubim4 ,the four living creatures that support the throne of ,god exhibited to ,ezekiel a fourfold aspect2 they had each the face of a man1 the face of a lion1 and the face of an ox2 they also had the face of an eagle4 ,they had each four wings2 they had the hands of a man under their wings4 ,two wings of every one were joined one to the other1 and two covered their bodies4 ,they were accompanied by wheels which went upon their four sides1 and they turned not when they went2 and their whole body1 and their backs1 and their hands1 and their wings1 and their wheels were full of eyes2 and the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning4 ,such is a concise description of their appearance as set forth in ,ezekiel 7chap4 i474 ,this wonderful and mysterious hieroglyph must be considered as a striking and expressive emblem of the guardian vigilance of providence1 all-seeing and omniscient2 while the number of wings exhibit to us direct symbols of that powerful1 that all-pervading spirit which1 while it darts through nature at a glance1 is everywhere present to protect and defend us 7,dideron74 ,so attached were the ,jews to this celestial symbol that when ,solomon erected that stupendous temple which continued the glory and boast of the ,hebrew nation for so many ages1 we are told 7#a ,kings1 vi4 #bi1 viii4 #f1 #g71 he carved all the walls of the house round about with the sculptured figures of the cherubim1 and on each side of the ark was a cherub of gold plated upon olive wood fifteen feet high1 with their faces to the light1 their expanded wings embracing the whole space of the sacred enclosure1 serving as a visible sign or symbol of ,god's immediate presence1 whence the saying of ,david1 ,god sitteth between the cherubim 7,ps4 xcix4 #a74 ,in this place ,god perpetually resided in the form of a bright cloud or shining luminous body1 termed shechinah1 whence the divine oracles were audibly delivered4 ,milton gives the following description of the ,seraph ,raphael3 ,at once on the eastern cliff of ,paradise ,he lights1 and to his proper shape returns ,a seraph wing'd2 six wings he wore to shade ,his lineaments divine2 the pair that clad ,each shoulder broad came mantling o'er his breast ,with regal ornament3 the middle pair ,girt like a starry zone his waist1 and round ,skirted his loins and thighs with downy gold ,and colours dipped in heaven2 the third1 his feet ,shadows from either heel with feather'd mail ,sky tinctured grain4 ,like ,maia's son he stood ,and shook his plumes1 that heavenly fragrance fill'd ,the circuit wide4 ,paradise ,lost1 ,book v4 ,the cherub is traditionally regarded as a celestial spirit which in the hierarchy is placed next in order to the seraphim4 ,all the several descriptions which the ,scripture gives us of cherubim differ from one another1 as they are described in the shapes of men1 eagles1 oxen1 lions1 and in a composition of all these figures put together4 ,the hieroglyphical representations in the embroidery upon the curtains of the tabernacle were called by ,moses 7,ex4 xxvi4 #a7 cherubim of cunning work 7,calmet74 ,the seraphim are regarded as an order of angels distinguished for fervent zeal and religious ardour4 ,the word means burning1 i4e41 with ,divine ,love4 ,the seraphim are described by ,isaiah 7vi4 #a-c73 ,i saw also the ,lord sitting upon a throne1 high and lifted up1 and his train filled the temple4 ,above it stood the seraphim3 each one had six wings2 with twain he covered his face1 and with twain he covered his feet1 and with twain he did fly4 ,and one cried to another and said1 ,holy1 ,holy1 ,holy1 is the ,lord of ,hosts3 the whole earth is full of his glory4 ,and in ,revelation 7iv4 #f73 ,round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind1 and the first beast was like a lion1 and the second beast like a calf1 and the third beast had a face as a man1 and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle4 ,and the four beasts had each of them six wings about him1 and they were full of eyes within4 ,it will be noticed that these descriptions differ from that of ,ezekiel1 not only in the number of wings1 but also in the individuality of each beast being separate and independent1 not compounded of the four4 ,illustration3 ,tetramorph4 ,several forms of these mystical creatures1 says ,audsley1 have been devised by the early medival artists2 those which display the entire forms of the man1 the lion1 the ox1 and the eagle1 all winged and invested with the nimbus1 appear to have been most frequently made use of4 ,they are to be met with formed of the heads of the mystical creatures on bodies or half-bodies of winged human figures2 at other times we find them comprised in the heads and wings only of the four symbolic creatures4 ,sometimes they are found united and forming one mysterious being called the ,tetramorph with four heads and numerous wings covered with eyes1 the feet resting on wheels1 which are also winged4 ,the example is taken from a ,byzantine mosaic in the convent of ,vatopedi1 on ,mount ,athos4 ,pugin's ,glossary of ,ecclesiastical ,ornament and ,costume says the cherubim are frequently represented of a bright red colour to set forth the intensity of divine love1 and usually standing upon wheels1 in reference to the vision of the prophet ,ezekiel4 ,cherubim and seraphim seem always vested in the alb or tunic1 and a scarf tied in a knot round the neck4 ,emblems of the ,four ,evangelists ,the winged living figures1 symbols of the evangelists1 which are most frequently met with1 and which have ever been most in favour with ,early ,christian artists1 appear to have been used at a very early date4 ,they are taken from the vision of ,ezekiel and the ,revelation of ,st4 ,john4 ,the writings of ,st4 ,jerome1 says ,audsley1 in the beginning of the fifth century gave to artists authority for the appropriation of the four creatures to the evangelists1 and for reasons which are there given at length4 ,,st4 ,,matthew3 ,winged ,man1 ,incarnation4--,to ,st4 ,matthew was given the creature in human likeness1 because he commences his gospel with the human generation of ,christ1 and because in his writings the human nature of ,our ,lord is more dwelt upon than the divine4 ,,st4 ,,mark3 ,winged ,lion1 ,the ,resurrection4--,the ,lion was the symbol of ,st4 ,mark1 who opens his gospel with the mission of ,john the ,baptist1 the voice of one crying in the wilderness4 ,he also sets forth the royal dignity of ,christ and dwells upon ,his power manifested in the resurrection from the dead4 ,the lion was accepted in early times as a symbol of the resurrection because the young lion was believed always to be born dead1 but was awakened to vitality by the breath1 the tongue1 and roaring of its sire4 ,illustration ,illustration ,,st4 ,,luke3 ,winged ,ox1 ,passion4--,the form of the ox1 the beast of sacrifice1 fitly sets forth the sacred office1 and also the atonement for sin by blood1 on which1 in his gospel1 he particularly dwells4 ,,st4 ,,john3 ,the ,eagle1 ,ascension4--,the eagle was allotted to ,st4 ,john because1 as the eagle soars towards heaven1 he soared in spirit upwards to the heaven of heavens to bring back to earth revelation of sublime and awful mysteries4 ,independently of their reference to the four evangelists these figures sometimes refer to the ,incarnation1 the ,passion1 the ,resurrection1 and the ,ascension4 ,sedulius1 a priest and poet of the fifth century1 says much the same in the following verse3 ,hoc ,matthus agens1 ,hominem generaliter implet3 ,marcus ut alta fremit vox per deserta ,leonis3 ,jura sacerdotis ,lucas tenet ore ,juvenci3 ,more volens ,aquil verbo petit astra ,johannes4 ,,the ,,lion ,,of ,,st4 ,,mark4--,in the ninth century the rapidly rising ,state of ,venice was dignified by the reception of the relics of ,st4 ,mark1 transported thither from ,alexandria4 ,few patron saints1 says ,theodore ,a4 ,buckley1 enjoy a greater popularity1 whether socially or locally exemplified4 ,his lion was emblazoned on the standard of the ,republic1 and stamped on the current coins1 while his name was identified with the pride1 the power1 and glory of all ,venice4#e ,emblems of the evangelists do not often appear in heraldry4 ,walter ,reynolds1 ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 according to a manuscript at ,lambeth 7executed for ,archbishop ,laud71 bore azure on a cross or1 between the symbols of the evangelists of the last1 four lions rampant gules4 ,the ,freemasons appear to use a similar coat of arms upon their seal1 viz41 a cross between the emblems of the four evangelists1 and for supporters two cherubims1 all proper4 ,illustration3 ,the ,lion of ,st4 ,mark1 ,venice4 ,chimerical ,creatures of the ,dragon and ,serpent kind ,illustration ,the ,dragon ,the scaly monster of a dragon1 coiled ,full in the central field--unspeakable1 ,with eyes oblique retorted1 that askant ,shot gleaming fire4 ,,hesiod4--,the ,shield of ,hercules4 ,the dragon is the most interesting and most frequently seen of all chimerical figures1 and it is a remarkable fact that such a creature appears at an early period of the world's history to have been known in the ,east and in countries widely separated4 ,long anterior to the dawn of civilisation in the ,west of ,europe1 even in far-off ,china and ,japan in the extreme ,east of ,asia we find the dragon delineated in very much the same form in which it appears in our national heraldry4 ,the ancients conceived it as the embodiment of malignant and destructive power1 and with attributes of the most terrible kind4 ,classic story makes us acquainted with many dreadful monsters of the dragon kind1 to which reference will afterwards be more particularly made4 ,it is often argued that the monsters of tradition are but the personification of solar influences1 storms1 the desert wind1 the great deeps1 rivers inundating their banks1 or other violent phenomena of nature1 and so1 no doubt1 they are1 and have been2 but the strange fact remains that the same draconic form with slight modifications constantly appears as the type of the thing most dreaded1 and instead of melting into an abstraction and dying out of view1 it has remained from age to age1 in form1 distinctly a ferocious flying reptile1 until in the opinion of many the tradition has been justified by prosaic science4 ,it is surprising to find that the popular conception of the dragon--founded on tradition1 passed on through hundreds of generations--not only retains its identity1 but bears a startling resemblance to the original antediluvian saurians1 whose fossil remains now come to light through geological research1 almost proving the marvellous power of tradition and the veracity of those who passed it on4 ,mr4 ,moncure ,conway 7,demonology1 or ,devil ,lore7 says3 ,the opinion has steadily gained that the conventional dragon is the traditional form of some huge saurian4 ,it has been suggested that some of those extinct saurians may have been contemporaneous with the earliest men1 and that traditions of conflicts with them1 transmitted orally and pictorially1 have resulted in preserving their forms in fable proximately4 ,among the geological specimens in the ,british ,museum1 says ,hugh ,miller1 the visitor sees shapes that more than rival in strangeness the great dragons and griffins of medival legends2 enormous jaws1 bristling with pointed teeth1 gape horrid1 in stone1 under staring eye-sockets a foot in diameter2 and necks that half equal in length the entire body of a boa-constrictor4 ,and here we see a winged dragon that1 armed with sharp teeth and strong claws1 has careered through the air on leathern wings like those of a bat4 ,we are also told in the sacred ,scriptures by ,moses of fiery serpents1 and by ,isaiah of a fiery flying serpent4 ,other monsters--dragons1 cockatrices1 and some of whose form we have no conception--are also mentioned4 ,euripides describes a dragon or snake breathing forth fire and slaughter1 and rowing its way with its wings4 ,it is evident that such a creature may at one time have existed4 ,looking at the widespread belief in dragons1 there seems little doubt that the semi-myth of to-day is the traditional successor of a really once-existent animal1 whose huge size1 snake-like appearance1 and possibly dangerous powers of offence made him so terrible that the earlier races of mankind adopted him unanimously as the most fearful embodiment of animal ferocity to be found4 ,one of the latest acquisitions in the ,natural ,history ,museum1 ,south ,kensington1 is the skeleton of that enormous creature the long-limbed dinosaur 7,diplodicus ,carnegii71 recently discovered in ,america1 eighty-nine feet in length from the head to the tip of the tail1 the huge bulky framework of the monster measuring eleven feet in height at the shoulder4 ,the enormous length of its neck and tail1 with relatively small head1 would indicate it to be an amphibious inhabitant of the waters1 feeding on the vegetation growing in its depths4 ,mr4 ,moncure ,conway1 in his remarkable work1 ,demonology1 or ,devil ,lore1 describes all intermediate stages between demon and devil under the head of dragon4 ,this he believes to be the only fabulous form which accurately describes all the transitions4 ,throughout all the representations of the dragon one feature is common1 and that is the idealised serpent4 ,the dragon possesses all the properties of the demon along with that of harmfulness1 but differs from the devil in not having the desire of doing evil4 ,the dragon in mythology is the combination of every bad feature in nature1 all of which is combined into one horrible whole4 ,the modern conventional dragon1 says ,mr4 ,conway1 is a terrible monster4 ,his body is partially green1 with memories of the sea and of slime1 and partly brown or dark1 with lingering shadows of storm-clouds4 ,the lightning flames still in his red eyes1 and flashes from his fire-breathing mouth4 ,the thunderbolt of ,jove1 the spear of ,woden1 are in the barbed point of his tail4 ,his huge wings--bat-like and spiked--sum up all the mysteries of extinct harpies and vampires4 ,spine of crocodile is on his neck1 tail of the serpent and all the jagged ridges of rocks and sharp thorns of jungles bristle round him1 while the ice of glaciers and brassy glitter of sunstrokes are in his scales4 ,he is ideal of all that is hard1 destructive1 perilous1 loathsome1 horrible in nature2 every detail of him has been seen through and vanquished by man1 here or there2 but in selection and combination they rise again as principles1 and conspire to form one great generalisation of the forms of pain1 the sum of every creature's worst4 ,,the ,,external ,,forms ,,of ,,dragons are greatly dependent on the nature of the country in which they originate4 ,in the far north1 where exist the legends of the swan and pigeon1 maidens and vampires1 exists the swan-shaped dragon4 ,as demons of excessive heat principally existed in the south1 so in the north the great enemy of man was excessive cold4 ,in the northern countries is found also the serpent element1 but as serpents are there frequently harmless1 this feature does not enter much into their composition4 ,the ,,cuttlefish is supposed to have helped in the formation of the ,,hydra1 which in its turn assisted in forming the dragon of the ,apocalypse4 ,assyrian ideas also seem to have assisted in the pictorial impersonations of the hydra4 ,this many-headed monster is a representation of a torrent1 which being cut off in one direction breaks out in another4 ,the conflicts of ,hercules with the hydra are repeated in those of the ,assyrian ,bel with ,trinant 7the deep71 and also in the contentions of ,st4 ,michael with the dragon4 ,the old dragon myths left in ,europe were frequently utilised by the ,christians4 ,other saints besides ,st4 ,michael were invested with the feats of ,hercules2 ,st4 ,margaret1 ,st4 ,andrew1 and many others are pictured as trampling dragons under their feet4 ,the ,egyptian dragon is based on the crocodile1 and this form being received into ,christian symbolism did greatly away with other pagan monsters4 ,the hideousness of the crocodile and the alligator could easily be exaggerated so as to suit the most horrible contortions of the human imagination4 ,amongst the most terrible dragons is ,typhon1 the impersonation of all the terrors of nature4 ,son of ,tartarus1 father of the harpies and of the winds1 he lives in the ,african deserts2 from thence fled in fear1 to escape his terrible breath1 all the gods and goddesses4 ,he is coiled in the whirlwind1 and his many heads are symbolical of the tempest1 the scrive1 the hurricane1 and the tornado4 ,under the head of ,,the ,,colonial ,,dragon ,mr4 ,conway has embodied all the horrors and difficulties with which the early colonists would be beset4 ,amongst these he places the ,,gorgon and the ,,chimera4 ,the most widely spread of all is the last named1 and from it is supposed that all ,christian and ,british dragons are descended4 ,the ,christian myth of ,,st4 ,,george ,,and ,,the ,,dragon is but a variation of ,,bellerophon ,,and ,,the ,,chimera1 in which the last has given place to the dragon and the pagan hero to ,st4 ,george4 ,illustration3 ,japanese ,dragon4 ,in ancient families there are usually traditions of some far-distant ancestor having slain a desperate monster4 ,it is always the colonial dragon that has been borrowed by poets and romancers4 ,,the ,,dragon killed by ,guy of ,warwick is but another variation of the chimera4 ,there is again the ,,sockburn ,,worm1 slain by ,sir ,john ,conyers for the devouring of the people of the neighbourhood2 the well-known tradition of the ,,lambton ,,worm is in reality a modification of the ,,aryan ,,dragon ,,of ,,the ,,stormcloud2 smaller than a man's hand he swells out to prodigious dimensions4 ,a favourite subject for ,chinese and ,japanese painting and sculpture is a dragon very much of the same type1 and a monstrous representation of a dragon in the form of a huge ,saurian still forms the central object at ,japanese festivals4 ,among the ,chinese the dragon is the representation of sovereignty1 and is the imperial emblem borne upon banners1 and otherwise displayed as the national ensign4 ,to the people of that vast country it represents everything powerful and imposing2 and it plays an important part in many religious ceremonies and observances4 ,dr4 ,s4 ,wells ,williams1 the eminent sinalogue1 describes the fabulous monster of ,chinese imagination in the following passage3 ,there are three dragons--the lung in the sky1 the li in the sea1 and the kiau in the marshes4 ,the first is the only authentic species according to the ,chinese2 it has the head of a camel1 the horns of a deer1 eyes of a rabbit1 ears of a cow1 neck of a snake1 belly of a frog1 scales of a carp1 claws of a hawk1 and palm of a tiger4 ,on each side of the mouth are whiskers1 and its beard contains a bright pearl2 the breath is sometimes changed into water and sometimes into fire1 and its voice is like the jingling of copper pans4 ,the dragon of the sea occasionally ascends to heaven in waterspouts1 and is the ruler of all oceanic phenomena4 ,the fishermen and sailors before venturing away from land or returning to port1 burn joss-sticks and beat gongs to ward off the evil influences of the dragon1 and it is worshipped in a variety of ways4 ,according to a fable current in ,china1 the ,celestial ,emperor ,hoang-ti was carried up to heaven1 along with seventy other persons1 by a great dragon2 those who were only able to catch at his moustaches were shaken off and thrown on the ground4 ,it is still the custom when an emperor dies to say that the dragon has ascended to heaven4 ,an eclipse the simple ,celestials believe to be caused by a great dragon that seeks to devour the sun or moon4 ,a great noise is made by firing guns1 beating drums1 and the rattling and jangling of pairs of discordant instruments to frighten the monster away4 ,a frequent subject of their artists is the dreadful dragon sprawling through masses of curling clouds in the act of grasping at or swallowing the great luminary1 a subject which no doubt bears a deeper meaning than we see1 and one intimately connected with their mythology4 ,illustration3 ,,japanese ,,imperial ,,device4 ,the ,dragon1 the ,ho-,ho1 or ,phnix1 and the ,chrysanthemum4 ,in some of their splendid festivals the worship of the dragon is celebrated with great excitement and furore4 ,on the ,canton river a boat of immense length formed like a dragon in many wondrous folds1 rowed by fifty or more natives1 with wild music and dancing1 and accompanied by a crowd of junks2 the unfurling of sails and the streaming of flags from the masts1 the beating of drums1 the noise and smoke from the firing of guns1 all exhibit the fondness of a people for the pleasures of a national holiday4 ,dragon's ,teeth4--,cadmus slew the dragon that guarded the well of ,ares1 and sowed some of the teeth1 from which sprang up the armed men who all killed each other except five1 who were the ancestors of the ,thebans4 ,those teeth which ,cadmus did not sow1 came to the possession of tes1 ,king of ,colchis2 and one of the tasks he enjoined on ,jason was to sow these teeth and slay the armed warriors that rose therefrom4 ,the frequent allusion to the classic term dragon's teeth refers to subjects of civil strife2 whatever rouses citizens to rise in arms4 ,the mythical dragon has left the lasting impress of his name in various ways in our language and literature1 as in the art of nearly every country4 ,dragon's ,head and ,dragon's ,tail4--,in astronomy ,nodes are the opposite points in which the orbit of a planet1 or of a moon1 crosses the ecliptic4 ,the ascending node marked by the character 771 termed the ,dragon's head1 is where the planet or moon ascends from the south to the north side of the ecliptic1 and the descending node indicated by the character 77 the ,dragon's tail is where it passes from the north to the south side4 ,draco1 a constellation in the northern hemisphere1 representing the monster that watched the golden apples in the garden of the ,hesperides1 slain by ,hercules1 and set as a constellation in the heavens4 ,draco volens1 a meteor sometimes visible in marshy countries--,ignus fatuus1 or will-o'-the-wisp4 ,draco volens1 or flying dragon1 a curious class of saurian reptiles peculiar to the ,east ,indies1 having membranous attachments to their limbs1 which give them the appearance of flying as they leap from tree to tree4 ,dragon's blood1 a vegetable balsam of a dark red colour brought from ,india1 ,africa1 and ,south ,america4 ,so called from its resemblance to dried and hardened masses of blood4 ,the ,dragon in ,christian ,art 7,the symbol of the ,supreme ,spirit of ,evil1 or the ,evil ,one7 ,it was believed that in the gloomy land of the ,cimmerians and the confines of ,hades strange monsters were to be met2 and not only there1 but in any part of the universe which was conceived to be beyond the pale of human habitation these weird creatures might be encountered4 ,the same idea is recognised in the ,semitic belief1 that uncanny beings lurked in the outer deserts1 where men did not penetrate at all1 or did so only at great danger4 ,the place of dragons is associated with the shadow of death 7,ps4 xliv4 #ai74 ,dragons are also associated with the waters of the deep 7,ps4 lxxiv4 #ac7 and are called upon to praise ,jehovah 7,ps4 cxlviii4 #g72 and ,isaiah 7xxxiv471 describing in vivid and picturesque language the destruction and utter desolation which shall come on ,zion's enemies1 prophesies that her palaces and fortresses shall be a habitation for dragons4 ,the term dragon is applied by the translators of the ,scriptures to some monsters of which we have no knowledge4 ,the word is used by ecclesiastics of the ,middle ,ages as the symbol of sin in general and paganism in particular1 though ofttimes heresy is denoted4 ,the metaphor is derived from ,rev4 xii4 #i1 where ,satan is termed the ,great ,dragon2 in ,psalm xci4 #ac1 it is said the saints shall trample the dragon under their feet4 ,in the book of ,job we recognise in ,leviathan a creature more like the extinct saurians of the old world than any crocodile recorded in historic times2 and this leviathan is treated as still existing in the days of ,david4 ,in ,psalm lxxiv4 #ac1 #ad1 ,jehovah is spoken of as having broken the heads of the dragons in the waters2 in ,isaiah li4 #i1 as having wounded the dragon2 and pans are sung on the punishment of ,leviathan1 that crooked serpent1 and the slaying of the dragon that is in the sea 7,is4 xxvii4 #a74 ,finally1 in the ,apocalyptic vision1 there appeared another wonder in heaven2 and behold a great red dragon1 having seven heads1 and ten horns1 and seven crowns upon his heads1 and his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven1 and did cast them to earth 7,rev4 xii4 #c1 #d72 ,i saw an angel come down from heaven1 having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand1 and he laid hold on the dragon1 that old serpent1 which is the ,devil and ,satan1 and bound him 7,rev4 xx4 #a1 #b74 ,illustration3 ,the ,dragon of the ,apocalypse4 ,by ,albert ,drer4 ,as a ,christian emblem the dragon may be taken to symbolise the supreme spirit of evil1 a veritable devil whom it was the special mission of militant saints to slay1 as it had been the glory of the heroes of the pagan mythology to conquer4 ,in pictures of sacred and legendary subjects1 says a late writer1 the dragon usually formed an important feature4 ,the evil thing was invariably depicted writhing under the foot of the saint1 or transfixed with his triumphant spear4 ,in like manner the virtues trampled tranquilly each on her complementary vice1 embodied in the form of some impossible creature2 and if the rigid virtues were sometimes insipid1 it must be allowed that the demons were usually grotesquely characteristic1 and often delightful in colour4 ,illustration3 ,st4 ,michael and the ,old ,dragon4 ,arms of the ,royal ,burgh of ,dumfries4 ,the prostrate attitude usually signifies the triumph of ,christianity over ,paganism1 as in pictures of ,st4 ,george and ,st4 ,sylvester2 or over heresy and schism1 as when it was adopted as the emblem of the ,knights of the ,order of the ,dragon1 in ,hungary1 which was instituted for the purpose of contending against the adherents of ,john ,huss and ,jerome of ,prague4 ,the dragon in ,christian ,art is often very variously represented1 sometimes as a serpent1 at other times as a dragon or wyvern1 or again in the symbolic figure partly human1 under which form we find the old serpent 7the ,devil7 often represented1 as in the conflict of ,st4 ,michael the ,archangel4 ,the numerous legends of saints who have fought and overcome dragons prove the symbolic light in which the impersonation of evil was generally viewed4 ,illustration3 ,from ancient carving4 ,st4 ,margaret is the patron saint of the borough of ,,lynn ,,regis1 and on the old corporation seal she is represented standing on a dragon and wounding it with a cross4 ,the ,latin inscription on the seal is ,sub ,margaret teritur draco stat cruce lta4 ,the modern shield of the town is now blazoned3 azure three conger's 7or dragon's7 heads erased and erect1 the jaws of each pierced with a cross crosslet fitche or4 ,in paintings ,st4 ,margaret is represented as a young woman of great beauty bearing the martyr's palm and olive crown1 or with the dragon chained and helpless at her feet as an attribute4 ,sometimes she is depicted coming from the dragon's mouth1 for the legend says the monster swallowed her1 but on her making the sign of the cross he was compelled to free her again4 ,a legend states that ,olybus1 ,governor of ,antioch1 captivated by the beauty of ,margaret1 wished to marry her2 as she rejected him with scorn he threw her into a dungeon1 where the devil appeared to her in the form of a horrible dragon and endeavoured to frighten her from her path4 ,margaret held up the cross and the dragon fled4 ,other legends say he burst asunder4 ,illustration3 ,st4 ,george and the ,dragon4 ,in many a church his form is seen1 ,with sword1 and shield1 and helmet sheen3 ,ye know him by his steed of pride1 ,and by the dragon at his side4 ,,chr4 ,,schmid4 ,,st4 ,,george1 the patron saint of ,england1 in his legendary combat with the monster1 is a subject which occurs frequently in ,english sculpture and painting1 and enters largely into the language and literature of the nation4 ,st4 ,george appears to have been selected as the patron saint of ,england not long after the ,norman conquest4 ,we find the anniversary of his martyrdom 7,april #bc7 was ordered to be observed as a festival by the ,national ,synod of ,oxford in #abbb ,a4,d4 ,the ,golden ,legend1 printed by ,pynson in #aejg 7fol4 cxix471 thus refers to ,saynt ,george3 ,this blyssed and holy martyr ,saynt ,george is patrone of this realme of ,engld3 and ye crye of m of warre2 and in ye worsyp of whome is founded ye noble order of a garter3 and also ye noble college in ye castell of ,wyndsore1 by ,kynges of ,englond4 ,in whyche college is ye herte of ,saynt ,george3 whyche ,sygysmond ye ,emperour of ,alamayn brought3 and gaf it for a grete and precyous relyque to kynge ,harry the fifte4 ,and also the said ,sygysmond was broder of the sayd garter4 ,and also there is a piece of his head2 which college is nobly endowed to thonour and worshippe almighty ,god and his blyssed ,martyr ,saynt ,george4 ,then late us praye vnto hym that he be specyel protectour and defendour of this royaume4 ,the emblems commonly given to ,st4 ,george1 martyr1 and patron saint of ,england are3 a dragon1 a shield bearing a red cross on a white field1 and a spear4 ,he is usually represented on horseback in the act of spearing the monster which is vomiting fire2 or as standing with the slain dragon at his feet4 ,that ,st4 ,george is a veritable character is beyond all reasonable doubt1 and there seems no reason to deny that he was born in ,armorica1 and was beheaded in ,diocletian's persecution by order of ,datianus1 ,april #bc1 #cjc4 ,st4 ,jerome 7#cca-dbj7 mentions him in one of his martyrologies2 in the next century there were many churches erected to his honour4 ,st4 ,gregory 7#edj-fjd7 has in his sacramentary a ,preface for ,st4 ,george's ,day2 and the ,venerable ,bede 7#fgb-gce7 in his martyrology1 says3 ,at last ,st4 ,george truly finished his martyrdom by decapitation1 although the gests of his passion are numbered among the apocryphal writings4 ,according to the old ballad given in ,bishop ,percy's ,reliques of ,ancient ,poetry1 ,st4 ,george was the son of ,lord ,albert of ,coventry4 ,his mother died in giving him birth1 and the new-born babe was stolen away by the weird lady of the woods1 who brought him up to deeds of arms4 ,his body had three marks3 a dragon on the breast1 a garter round one of the legs1 and a blood-red cross on the arm4 ,when he grew to manhood he first fought against the ,saracens1 and then went to ,sylene1 a city of ,libya1 where was a stagnant lake infested by a huge dragon1 whose poisonous breath had many a city slain1 and whose hide no spear nor sword could pierce4 ,every day a virgin was sacrificed to it1 and at length it came to the lot of ,sabra1 the king's daughter1 to become its victim4 ,decked out in bridal array she went out to meet the dragon2 she was tied to the stake1 and left to be devoured1 when ,st4 ,george appeared in full panoply and mounted on his charger4 ,he vowed to take her cause in hand1 and when the dragon came on the scene it was encountered by the hero1 who wounded it1 and binding it to the lady's girdle it was led like a meek beast into the city4 ,st4 ,george there attacked it1 thrusting his lance into its mouth1 killed it on the spot1 and a church dedicated to ,our ,lady and ,st4 ,george was built to commemorate the event4 ,after many adventures he carried off ,sabra to ,england1 where they were wedded1 and at ,coventry lived happily till their death4 ,in his history of the ,order of the ,garter ,mr4 ,antis warmly censures those who would doubt the traditionary history of that saint1 and says he who would credit ,st4 ,ambrose will not detract from the honour of our ,george1 the soldier and martyr of ,christ1 concerning the dragon and the deliverance of the beautiful royal virgin1 which is related in so many pictures1 adding that he shall not contradict those who make an allegory of it1 so that they do not deny the certainty of this history4444 ,suppose every one ,george1 who being clothed with the virtue of baptism and armour of faith1 keeps his earthly body in subjection by the due exercise of religion and piety1 and by the armour of the ,spirit overcomes1 and by the true spiritual art crushes and confounds the serpent's poison1 the snares of the old ,dragon1 and his diabolical arts and stratagems4 ,the dragon slain by ,st4 ,george is simply a common allegory to express the triumph of the ,christian hero over evil1 which ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist beheld under the figure of a dragon4 ,similarly ,st4 ,michael1 ,st4 ,margaret1 ,st4 ,sylvester and ,st4 ,martha are all depicted as slaying dragons2 the ,saviour and the ,virgin as treading them under foot2 and ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist as charming a winged dragon from a poisoned chalice given him to drink4 ,even ,john ,bunyan avails himself of the same figure1 when he makes ,christian encounter ,apollyon and prevail against him4 ,a learned ,frenchman1 ,m4 ,clermont ,ganneau1 in a treatise lately published1 traces the legend of ,st4 ,george and the dragon to a very remote antiquity4 ,in the ,louvre at ,paris he found an ,egyptian bas-relief1 which he identified as the combat of ,horus against ,set1 or ,typhon1 in the well-known ,egyptian legend4 ,it represents a man on horseback in ,roman armour slaying a crocodile with a spear2 but for the fact that the rider has a hawk's head1 the group might easily be mistaken for the traditional combat of ,st4 ,george and the dragon4 ,extending his investigations1 ,m4 ,ganneau has brought to light some most startling proofs of the connection between the eastern and western mythologies4 ,we have therefore1 he considers1 evidence as clear and convincing as evidence from deduction can be1 that the ,egyptian ,horus and ,typhon2 the ,greek ,perseus and ,andromeda2 the ,bel and ,dragon of the ,apocrypha2 the ,archangel ,michael of ,christian legend who also slays the old dragon1 are all one and the same story with that of our own ,st4 ,george4 ,we pass over the intermediate steps by which he reconciles the divergent names and qualities of the personages identified1 and also the ingenious arguments as to the real meaning of the symbolism in the worship of ,,dagon ,,the ,,fish-,,god4 ,in all the old romances dealing with feats of chivalry and knight-errantry the dragon plays an essential if not a leading part2 and a romance without some dragon or monster was as rare as one without a valiant knight or a beautiful lady4 ,but of all the malignant creatures dreaded of gods and men1 the most hateful and wicked is that prime dragon personified by ,spenser under the type of the blatant beast1 and which confronts his hero1 the ,red ,cross ,knight1 at every turn3 a dreadful fiend1 of gods and men ydrad1 who has a thousand tongues1 speaks things most shameful1 most unrighteous1 most untrue1 and with his sting steeps them in poison4 ,as an example of the inception and development of a dragon legend from slender materials1 the following is related in ,figuer's ,world before the ,deluge3 ,in the city of ,klagenfurth1 in ,carinthia1 is a fountain on which is sculptured a monstrous dragon with six feet1 and a head armed with a stout horn4 ,according to popular tradition this dragon lived in a cave1 whence it issued from time to time to ravage the country4 ,a bold and venturous knight at last kills the monster1 paying with his life the forfeit of his rashness4 ,the head of the pretended dragon is preserved in the ,hotel de ,ville1 and this head has furnished the sculptor for a model of the dragon on the fountain4 ,a learned professor of ,vienna on a visit to the city recognised it at a glance as the cranium of the fossil rhinoceros4 ,its discovery in some cave had probably originated the fable of the knight and the dragon--and all similar legends are capable of some such explanation when we trace them back to their sources and reason the circumstances on which they are founded4 ,the famous bird1 the roc1 which played so important a part in the myths of the people of ,asia1 is also believed to have originated in the discovery of some gigantic bones4 ,chief among ,,dragon-,,slayers of ,christian legend we find the following3 ,st4 ,philip the ,apostle is said to have destroyed a huge dragon at ,hierapolis1 in ,phrygia4 ,st4 ,michael1 ,st4 ,george1 ,st4 ,margaret1 ,pope ,sylvester1 ,st4 ,samson1 ,archbishop of ,dol2 ,donatus 7fourth century71 ,st4 ,clement of ,metz1 all killed dragons--if we may trust old legends4 ,st4 ,keyne of ,cornwall slew a dragon4 ,st4 ,florent killed a terrible dragon who haunted the ,loire4 ,st4 ,cado1 ,st4 ,maudet and ,st4 ,paull did similar feats in ,brittany4 ,the town of ,,worms 7famous as the place at which the ,diet of ,worms was held before which the reformer ,luther was summoned7 owes its name to the ,lind-wurm or dragon there conquered by the hero ,siegfried as related in the ,nibelungen ,lied4 7,see p4 #ajj47 ,drachenfels1 on the ,rhine 7,dragon ,rocks71 is so called from the same monster2 and at ,arles and ,rouen legends are preserved of victories gained by saints over the ,tarasque and ,gargouille1 both local names for the dragon4 ,st4 ,martha conquered the fabulous ,tarasque of the city of ,languedoc1 which bears the name of ,tarascon4 ,gargouille 7waterspout7 was the great dragon that lived in the ,seine1 ravaged ,rouen1 and was slain by ,st4 ,romanus1 ,bishop of ,rouen1 in the seventh century4 ,the latter name has come down to us in the term gargoyle1 applied to the monstrous heads which often decorate the waterspouts of old churches4 ,a strange relic of the ancient faith is perpetuated in the remains of early ,celtic art in the curiously wrought interlaced monsters which form the chief ornament of ancient ,irish crosses1 and particularly in the borders and initials of illuminated manuscripts1 whose spirals and interminable interlacements of the most complex character1 often allied with equally strange colouring1 form a style perfectly unique in itself1 and unlike any other2 the elaborate knots terminating in draconic heads1 and with wings and animal extremities in wonderfully ingenious patterns that seem almost beyond the limits of human ingenuity4 ,in the kindred art of ,scandinavia we find similar decoration founded on serpentine forms4 ,another survival of the dragon myth exists in the name given to some of our fighting men on the introduction of firearms4 ,a kind of blunderbus gave to the troops who used it the name of dragoniers1 whence is derived the well-known term dragoons4 ,they used to be armed with dragons--i4e41 short muskets--which spouted fire1 like the fabulous beast so named4 ,the head of a dragon was wrought on the muzzles of these muskets4 ,we have all heard of the ,dragonades1 a series of persecutions by ,louis ,,xiv41 which drove many thousands of ,protestants out of ,france--and out of the world4 ,their object was to root out heresy4 ,a bishop1 with certain ecclesiastics1 was sent to see if the heretics would recant2 if not they were left to the tender mercies of the ,dragonniers1 who followed these ministers of peace and good will to men4 ,the same game of conversion was practised by the ,reformed ,church upon the ,presbyterians of ,scotland1 with its accompaniment of dragons let loose--in which ,claverhouse took a leading part4 ,in medival alchemy the dragon seems to have been the emblem of ,mercury2 hence the dragon became one of the 'properties' of the chemist and apothecary1 was painted upon his drug pots1 hung up as his sign1 and some dusty stuffed crocodile hanging from the ceiling in the laboratory had to do service for the monster1 and inspire the vulgar with a profound awe of the mighty man who had conquered the vicious reptile4#f ,when apothecaries' signs were not derived from heraldry1 they were used to typify certain chemical actions4 ,in an old ,german work on alchemy one of the plates represents a dragon eating his own tail2 underneath are the words which1 translated1 signify3 ,this is a great wonder and very strange2 the dragon contains the greatest medicament1 and much more of similar import4 ,the ,dragon in the ,royal ,heraldry of ,britain ,advance our standards1 set upon our foes1 ,our ancient word of courage fair ,saint ,george ,inspire us with the spleen of fiery dragons4 ,richard ,,iii41 ,act v4 sc4 #c4 ,come not between the dragon and his wrath4 ,king ,lear1 ,act i4 sc4 #b4 ,the dragon does not seem to have been a native emblem with the ,romans1 and when they adopted it it was only as a sort of subordinate emblem--the eagle still holding the first place4 ,it seems to have been in consequence of their intercourse with other nations either of ,pelasgic or ,teutonic race4 ,amongst all the new races which overran ,europe at the termination of the classical period the dragon seems to have occupied nearly the same place that it held in the earlier stages of ,greek life4 ,among the ,teutonic tribes which settled in ,england the dragon was from the first a principal emblem1 and the custom of carrying the dragon in procession with great jollity on ,may eve to ,burford is referred to by old historians4 ,the custom is said by ,brand also to have prevailed in ,germany1 and was probably common in other parts of ,england4 ,nor was the dragon peculiar to the ,teutonic races4 ,amongst the ,celts it was the symbol of sovereignty1 and as such was borne on the sovereign's crest4 ,mr4 ,tennyson's ,idylls have made us familiar with the dragon of the great ,pendragonship blazing on ,arthur's helmet as he rode forth to his last battle1 and making all the night a stream of fire4 ,the fiery dragon or drake and the flying dragon of the air were national phenomena of which we have frequent accounts in old books4 ,the ,irish drag means fire1 and the ,welsh dreigiaw 7silent flashes of lightning7 fiery meteors2 hence ,shakespeare says3 ,swift1 swift1 ye dragons of the night6--that dawning ,may bare the raven's eye4 ,cymbeline1 ii4 #b4 ,a principal source of the ,dragon legends in these countries is the ,celtic use of the word dragon for a chief4 ,hence ,pen-dragon 7sumus rex71 a sort of dictator in times of danger4 ,those knights who slew a chief in battle slew a dragon1 and the military title soon got confounded with the fabulous monster4 ,the name or title ,pendragon 7dragon's head7 was among ,british kings and princes what ,bretwalda was among the ,saxons2 and his authority or supremacy over the confederation was greater or less according to his valour1 ability1 and good fortune4 ,arthur succeeded his father ,uther1 and was raised to the pendragonship in the first quarter of the sixth century4 ,the dragon was a symbol among the heathen4 ,one of the sons of ,odin was thus invoked3 ,child of the ,dragon1 ,son of ,conquest1 arise6 grasp thy silver spear2 thy snowy steed prepare and haste thee to the strife of the shield6 ,uprise thou ,dragon of ,onslaught6 ,and again3 ,wave high the dragon's flaming sign1 ,roll wide the shout of glee2 ,ho6 conquest ope thy crimson gates ,this day ,i give to thee4 ,the ,dragon of the ,shield struck his sounding war-board with his ponderous spada4 ,the fierce-browed children of ,hilda gathered round at the signal4 ,maglocue1 a ,british king who was a great warrior and of a remarkable stature1 whose exploits had rendered him terrible to his foes1 as a surname was called ,the ,dragon of the ,isle1 perhaps from his seat in ,anglesey4 ,cuthred1 ,king of ,wessex1 bore a dragon on his banner4 ,a dragon was also the device of the ,british ,king ,uther ,pendragon1 or ,dragon's-head1 father of that ,king ,arthur of chivalric memory1 who so bravely withstood the incursions of the ,saxons4 ,two dragons addorsed--that is1 back to back--are ascribed to ,arthur1 as well as several other devices4 ,illustration3 ,dragon ,standard4 ,from the ,bayeux ,tapestry4 ,dragon's ,hill1 ,berkshire1 is where the legend says ,st4 ,george killed the dragon4 ,a bare place is shown on the hill where nothing will grow1 and there the blood ran out4 ,in ,saxon annals we are told that ,cedric1 founder of the ,west ,saxon kingdom1 slew there ,naud1 the pendragon1 with #ejjj men4 ,this ,naud is called ,natan-leod1 a corruption of ,naud-an-ludh2 ,naud1 the people's refuge4#g ,it has sometimes been thought1 says ,miss ,millington1 that the royal ,saxon banner bore a dragon2 certain it is1 that on the ,bayeux tapestry a dragon raised upon a pole is constantly represented near a figure1 whilst the words ',hic ,harold' prove to be intended for ,harold2 yet ,matthew of ,westminster1 in describing a battle fought in the time of ,edward ,i41 says that the place of the king was 'between the dragon and the standard1' which seems to imply that the standard or banner had some other device4 ,the dragon was perhaps a kind of standard borne to indicate the presence of the king4 ,henry ,,iii4 carried one at the ,battle of ,lewes1 fought against ,simon de ,montfort in #abfd3 ',symoun com to the feld1 ,and put up his banere2 ,the king schewed forth his scheld1 ,his dragon full austere4' ,it was not1 however1 at that time restricted to the ,king1 for ,simon himself in the same battle ',displaied his banere1 lift up his dragoun4' ,the ,english at the ,battle of ,crecy carried a 'burning dragon1 made of red silk adorned and beaten with very broad and fair lilies of gold1 and broidered about with gold and vermilion4' ,this banner1 adds ,miss ,millington1 perhaps resembled that used by the ,parthians and ,dacians1 which is described by ,ammianus ,marcellinus as 'a dragon1 formed of purple stuff1 resplendent with gold and precious stones fixed on a long pike1 and so contrived that when held in a certain manner1 with its mouth to the wind1 the entire body became inflated1 and stretched its sinuous length upon the air4' ,the dragon1 says ,mr4 ,planch1 was the customary standard of the kings of ,england from the time of the ,conquest4 ,it was borne in the battle between ,canute and ,edmund ,ironside2 it is figured in the ,bayeux tapestry1 and there are directions for making one in the reign of ,henry ,,iii41 but it never formed a portion of their armorial bearings1 i4e41 as a charge upon the shield of arms4 ,henry ,,vii41 first of the ,tudor line1 assumed as one of his badges the red dragon of ,cadwallader--,red dragon dreadful4 ,henry claimed an uninterrupted descent from the aboriginal princes of ,britain1 ,arthur and ,uther1 ,caradoc1 ,halstan1 ,pendragon1 c4 ,his grandfather1 ,owen ,tudor1 bore a dragon as his device in proof of his descent from ,cadwallader1 the last ,british prince and first ,king of ,wales 7#fgh ,a4,d471 the dragon being the ensign of that monarch4 ,at the ,battle of ,bosworth ,field ,henry bore the dragon standard4 ,after the battle of ,bosworth ,field ,henry went in state to ,st4 ,paul's1 where he offered three standards4 ,on one was the image of ,st4 ,george1 on the other a red fierce dragon beaten upon green and white sarsenet 7the livery colours of the ,house of ,tudor72 on the third was painted a dun cow upon yellow tartan1--the dun cow1 in token of his descent from ,guy ,earl of ,warwick1 who had slain ,a monstrous wyld and cruelle beaste ,called ye dun cow of ,dunsmore ,heath4 ,the dun cow is still one of the badges of the ,guards4 ,this monarch founded the office of ,rouge dragon pursuivant on the day before his coronation 7,october #bi1 #adhe74 ,henry ,,vii41 ,henry ,,viii41 ,edward ,v41 ,mary and ,elizabeth all carried the dragon as a supporter to the royal arms1 but varied in position1 and at times superseded by a greyhound4 7,a greyhound argent1 collared or1 the collar charged with a rose gules1 was a ,lancastrian badge47 ,henry ,,viii4 used for supporters the red dragon and white greyhound of his family2 a red dragon and a lion gardant gold1 sometimes crowned2 at other times a silver greyhound and a golden lion1 an antelope1 a white bull1 a cock1 c4 ,on the union of ,scotland and ,england under ,king ,james1 the ,scottish unicorn was substituted for the sinister supporter1 while the lion gardant1 first adopted by ,henry ,,viii41 appears to have permanently superseded the red dragon of ,wales1 the white greyhound1 c41 as the other supporter of the royal arms1 the dragon being relegated to be the special badge of the principality of ,wales1 which position it still retains4 ,the present royal badges1 as settled at the union1 #ahja1 are3 ,a white rose within a red ,,england4 ,a thistle ,,scotland4 ,a harp or1 stringed argent1 and a trefoil or shamrock vert ,,ireland4 ,upon a mount vert1 a dragon passant1 wings expanded and endorsed1 gules ,,wales4 ,richard ,,iii4 as a badge had a black dragon4 ,the bages that he beryth by the ,earldom of ,wolstr 7,ulster7 ys a blacke dragon1 derived through his mother from the ,de ,burghs1 ,earls of ,ulster4 ,mallet1 in his ,northern ,antiquities1 states that the thick misshapen walls winding round a rude fortress at the summit of a rock were called by a name signifying dragon1 and as women of distinction were1 during the ages of chivalry1 commonly placed in such castles for security1 thence arose the romances of princesses of great beauty being guarded by dragons1 and afterwards delivered by young heroes who could not achieve their rescue until they had overcome their terrible guardians4 ,the common heraldic signification of a dragon is one who has successfully overcome such a fortress1 or it denotes the protection afforded to the helpless by him to whom it was granted1 and the terror inspired in his foes by his doughty or warlike bearing4 ,it was a title of supreme power among the early ,british4 ,illustration3 ,a ,dragon passant4 ,the dragon has always been an honourable bearing in ,british armoury1 in some instances to commemorate a triumph over a mighty foe1 or merely for the purpose of inspiring the enemy with terror4 ,this seems to have been especially the case with the dragon standard--the red dragon dreadful of ,wales 7y ,ddraig ,coch7 described as3 ,a dragon grete and grimme ,full of fyre and eke venymme4 ,the ,crocodile as the ,prototype of the ,dragon ,in the existing representatives of the antediluvian saurians1 the crocodile and alligator1 we see the prototypes of the dragons and hydras of poetic fancy4 ,the crocodile is a well-known huge amphibious reptile1 in general contour resembling a great lizard covered with large horny scales that cannot be easily pierced1 except underneath1 and reaching twenty-five to thirty feet in length4 ,the crocodile was held sacred by the ancient ,egyptians1 the ,nile was and is its best-known habitat2 it is also found in the rivers of the ,indian seas4 ,though an awkward creature upon land1 it darts with rapidity through the water after fish1 which is its appropriate food1 but it is dangerous also to dogs and other creatures1 as well as to human beings entering the water or lingering incautiously on the bank4 ,it is the ,lacerta crocodilus of ,linnus1 from ,greek 7krokodeilos7 a word of uncertain origin4 ,the ,alligator1 the ,american crocodile1 takes its name from the ,spanish ,el ,legarto1 the lizard4 ,the ,latin form is ,lacertus or ,lacerta4 ,miss ,millington1 in her ,heraldry in ,history1 ,poetry and ,romance1 says that both dragon and crocodile seem anciently to have been confounded under one name1 and that ,philip de ,thaun1 in his ,bestiarus1 says that crocodille signifie diable en ceste vie4 ,guillim1 an old heraldic writer1 says3 ,the dragons are naturally so hot that they cannot be cooled by drinking of waters1 but still gape for the air to refresh them1 as appeareth in ,jeremiah xiv4 #f4 ,young1 author of ,night ,thoughts1 in a footnote appended to the magnificent description of the leviathan 7crocodile71 in his paraphrase of part of the book of ,job says3 ,the crocodile1 say the naturalists1 lying under water1 and being there forced to hold its breath1 when it emerges1 the breath long repressed is hot1 and bursts out so violently that it resembles fire and smoke4 ,the horse suppresses not his breath by any means so long1 neither is he so fierce and animated1 yet the most correct of poets ventures to use the same metaphor regarding him3 ,collectumque premens volvit sub naribus ignem4 ,the ,heraldic ,dragon ,the mythical dragon is represented in heraldic art with the huge body of the reptile saurian type covered with impenetrable mail of plates and scales1 a row of formidable spines extending from his head to his tail1 which ends in a great and deadly sting2 his enormous jaws1 gaping and bristling with hideous fangs1 belch forth sparks and flame2 his round luminous eyes seem to shoot gleaming fire2 from his nose issues a dreadful spike4 ,he is furnished with sharp-pointed ears and a forked tongue1 four sturdy legs terminating in eagle's feet strongly webbed1 clawing and clutching at his prey4 ,great leathern bat-like wings armed with sharp hook's points1 complete his equipment4 ,the wings are always endorsed1 that is1 elevated and back to back4 ,illustration3 ,crest1 a ,dragon's ,head erased collared and chained4 ,the dragon of our modern books of heraldry is a miserable impostor1 a degenerate representative of those dragons of the prime1 that tore each other in their slime4 ,it is curious to note in this the gradual degradation from the magnificent saurian type of the best period of heraldic art to a form not far removed from that given to an ordinary four-legged creature covered with plates and scales4 ,his legs are longer and weaker1 his mighty caudal appendage1 shrunk to insignificant and useless proportion1 and most unlike his ancient prototype the crocodile4 ,this error of our modern heraldic artists displays remarkable lack of proper knowledge of this mythical creature and his attributes4 ,such a splendid creation of the fancy should not be represented in such a weak and meaningless form by the hands of twentieth-century artists4 ,the ancient form is infinitely to be preferred as a work of symbolic art4 ,illustration3 ,domine dirige nos ,,arms ,,of ,,the ,,city ,,of ,,london4--,two dragons are the supporters of the arms of the ,city of ,london1 the crest a dragon's sinister wing4 ,they are thus blazoned3 ,argent a cross gules1 in the first quarter1 a sword in pale point upwards of the last4 ,supporters1 on either side a dragon with wings elevated and addorsed1 argent1 and charged on the wing with a cross gules4 ,the crest is a dragon's sinister wing charged with a similar cross4 ,,the ,,county ,,of ,,chester has for its supporters two dragons1 each holding an ostrich feather4 ,basingstoke1 ,linlithgow and ,dumfries on the town seals have ,st4 ,michael overthrowing the dragon 7see p4 #gb74 ,the dragon appears in various forms in the arms of many towns1 and also in those of some peers4 ,illustration3 ,sinister supporter of the arms of ,viscount ,gough4 ,one of the most extraordinary and elaborate coats of arms of modern times is that of ,viscount ,gough4 ,the sinister supporter of the shield is a dragon 7intended to represent the device upon a ,chinese flag74 ,a dragon or1 gorged with a mural crown sable1 inscribed with the word ,china1 and chained gold4 ,examples vary considerably in the form of the dragon1 some early examples represent it to have four legs1 others with only two1 when it is properly a wyvern4 ,the pendent ,george in the ,order of the ,garter represents it with a body similar to a crocodile1 winged and covered with plates and scales4 ,a similar device to that of the ,george noble of ,henry ,,viii4 was the ,st4 ,george slaying the dragon by ,pistrucci1 a foreigner employed at the mint4 ,this handsome reverse1 says ,mr4 ,noel ,humphrey1 ,coin ,collector's ,manual1 is nearly a copy from a figure in a battle-piece on an antique gem in the ,orleans collection1 but several ,greek coins might equally well have furnished the model4 ,old ,george ,,iii4 sovereigns and five-shilling pieces have this most finely conceived and executed device on the reverse of the coins4 ,it also appears upon some sovereigns of ,queen ,victoria4 ,prominence is naturally given to the figure of ,st4 ,george1 the dragon in consequence being diminished in its relative size4 ,the ,hydra ,seven great heads out of his body grew1 ,an iron breast1 and back of scaly brass2 ,and all imbrued in blood his eyes did shine as glass1 ,his tail was stretched out in wondrous length4 ,,spenser1 ,faerie ,queen1 ,book i4 c4 vii4 ,the hydra is represented in heraldry as a dragon with seven heads2 it is not of frequent occurrence as a bearing in armory4 ,illustration3 ,hercules and the ,lernean ,hydra4 ,from ,greek vase4 ,the terrible dragon1 with one hundred heads1 that guarded the golden apples of the ,hesperides1 slain by ,hercules1 was celebrated in classic mythology2 so was the ,lernean hydra1 a monster of the marshes that ravaged the country of ,lerna in ,argolis1 destroying both men and beasts4 ,the number of its heads varies with the poets1 though ancient gems usually represent it with seven or nine4 ,hercules was sent to kill it as one of his twelve labours4 ,after driving the monster from its lair with arrows he attacked it with his sword1 and in place of each head he struck off two sprang up4 ,setting fire to a neighbouring wood with the firebrands he seared the throat of the ,hydra until he at length succeeded in slaying it4 ,the fable is usually referred to in illustration of a difficulty which goes on increasing as it is combated4 7,see page #fc47 ,whereon this ,hydra son of war is born ,whose dangerous eyes may well be charmed asleep4 ,henry ,,iv4 part ii4 sc4 #b4 ,illustration3 ,the ,hydra4 ,the ,lernean hydra1 the watchful dragon of the garden of the ,hesperides1 the many-headed ,naga or snake of the ,hindu religion1 are1 say learned writers1 only some of the many forms under which the relics of the ancient serpent-worship exhibited itself4 ,a hydra1 wings endorsed vert1 scaled or1 is the crest of ,barret of ,avely1 ,essex4 ,it is also borne by the names ,crespine and ,downes4 ,illustration3 ,a ,wyvern holding a fleur-de-lis4 ,the ,wyvern 7,,saxon1 ,wivere1 a serpent7 said to represent a flying serpent1 an imaginary creature resembling the dragon1 but having only two legs1 which are like an eagle's1 and a serpent-like tail1 barbed1 sometimes represented nowed after the manner of serpents4 ,it is figured on one of the standards in the ,bayeux tapestry 7see ,dragon1 p4 #hf74 ,it is erroneously termed a dragon by some writers1 though perhaps they may both be classed together4 ,old heralds say of these imaginary monsters that they are emblems of pestilence1 and are represented as strong and fierce animals covered with invulnerable mail1 and fitly typify viciousness and envy4 ,in armory they are properly applied to tyranny or the overthrow of a vicious enemy4 ,illustration3 ,a ,wyrvern1 wings endorsed1 tail nowed4 ,illustration3 ,wyvern from the ,garter plate of ,sir ,john ,gray1 #adcf ,a4,d4 ,occasionally a wyvern is borne with the tail nowed and without wings4 ,lindworm4--,it is not usual to say a wyvern without wings or without legs1 but sans wings or sans legs1 as the case may be4 ,a dragon or wyvern sans wings is termed a lindworm4 7,see page #hj47 ,illustration3 ,wyvern1 or ,lindworm4 7,german version47 ,argent1 a wyvern1 wings endorsed gules1 are the arms of ,drake1 of ,ashe1 ,devon 7,bart471 #afjj4 ,the town of ,leicester has for crest a wyvern1 wings expanded1 sans legs1 strewed with wounds1 gules4 ,argent on a bend sable1 between two lions rampant of the last1 a wyvern volant in bend of the field1 langued gules1 ,ruddings4 ,two wyverns1 wings endorsed and emitting flames1 are the supporters of ,viscount ,arbuthnot4 ,the arms of the ,king of ,portugal are supported by two wyverns erect on their tails or1 each holding a banner1 the crest is a demi-wyvern out of a ducal coronet4 ,guivre4--,the wyvern or serpent in the arms of the ,visconti1 ,lords of ,milan1 argent a guivre d'azure couronne d'or1 issante de gules 7,,guivre is represented as a serpent or wingless dragon sans feet1 with a child's body issuing from its mouth71 is said to commemorate the victory of a lord of that house over a fiery dragon or guivre which inhabited a cavern under the church of ,st4 ,denis in that place4 ,it is hardly possible1 says ,miss ,millington1 not to think that the story of the dragon as well as its adoption in the coat-of-arms bears allusion rather to the dragon of paganism1 expelled from the city1 as it might seem1 by the church built upon the site of the cave1 in which too1 by the rite of ,holy ,baptism1 children especially were delivered from the power of ,satan4 ,indeed1 the innumerable legends of saints who have fought and overcome dragons sufficiently prove the symbolic light in which that creature was anciently viewed4 7,see also ,serpent ,biscia1 p4 #aag47 ,illustration3 ,wyvern1 wings displayed4 7,early example47 ,illustration3 ,wyvern1 wings depressed4 ,the ,chimera ,an imaginary fire-breathing monster of great swiftness and strength1 invented by the ancient ,greek poets4 ,though mentioned by heraldic authorities1 it is not met with in ,british coat armour2 it is described as having the head1 mane and legs of a lion1 the body of a goat1 and the tail of a dragon4 ,from this creature the term chimerical is applied to all such figures as have no other existence but in the imagination4 ,it is represented upon the coins of ,sycion during the ,achan ,league4 ,illustration3 ,chimera1 from a ,greek coin4 ,the origin of the story of the chimera is ascribed to a mountain in ,lycia which had a volcano on its top and nourished lions2 the middle part afforded pasture for goats1 and the bottom was infested with serpents2 according to ,hesiod it had three heads1 that of a lion1 a goat1 and a dragon4 ,bellerophon destroyed the monster by raising himself in the air on his winged steed ,pegasus1 and shooting it with his arrows4 ,amid the troops1 and like the leading god1 ,high o'er the rest in arms the graceful ,turnus rode2 ,a triple pile of plumes his crest adorned1 ,on which with belching flames chimera burned3 ,the more the kindled combat rises higher1 ,the more with fury burns the blazing fire4 ,,virgil1 neid1 ,book vii4 ,phillip ,,ii4 of ,spain1 after his marriage with ,queen ,mary of ,england1 assumed as a device1 ,bellerophon fighting with the chimera1 and the motto1 ,hinc vigilo1 the monster being intended by him for a type of ,england's heresies which he waited his time to destroy4 ,the family of ,fada of ,verona have for arms3 ,gules a winged chimera argent1 the head and breasts carnation 7or proper71 and the wings and feet of an eagle4 ,the illustration1 however1 has the head and breasts of a woman1 and eagle's wings and feet1 and makes it a different creature entirely1 and should more properly be blazoned harpy4 ,the ,lion-,dragon is compounded of the forepart of a lion conjoined to the hinder part of a dragon4 ,or1 a lion-dragon gules armed1 langued and crowned of the first1 is the ,bretigni family4 ,party per chevron gules and or1 three lion-dragons ducally crowned and countercharged4--,easton4 ,the ,gorgon ,reference has already been made to the gorgon in a quotation from ,milton4 ,the name now denotes anything unusually hideous4 ,in classic story there were three gorgons1 with serpents on their heads instead of hair4 ,medusa was the chief of the three1 and the only one that was mortal4 ,so hideous was her face that whoever set eyes on it was instantly turned to stone4 ,she was slain by ,perseus1 and her head placed upon the shield of ,minerva 7termed the gis of ,minerva74 ,homer1 in the ,odyssey1 ,book xi4 thus alludes to the dread creature3 ,lest ,gorgon rising from the infernal lakes ,with horrors armed1 and curls of hissing snakes1 ,should fix me stiffened at the monstrous sight1 ,a stony image in eternal night4 ,and ,shakespeare1 in ,macbeth1 ,act ii4 sc4 #c1 uses the name to picture1 in a word1 the horrible discovery of the murdered ,duncan3 ,approach the chamber1 and destroy your sight ,with a new gorgon4 ,the ,cockatrice ,this chimerical creature was said to be produced from a cock's egg hatched by a serpent2 hence its name4 ,it differs from the wyvern of heraldry only in having a head like that of a dunghill cock4 ,this monster is of that nature1 says an old writer1 that its look or breath is said to be deadly poison2 and this1 in addition to the ordinary weapons of offence1 would constitute it rather a difficult creature to be interfered with4 ,illustration3 ,cockatrice4 ,the cockatrice is frequently referred to in the ,scriptures as the type of something evil4 ,the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice's den 7,isaiah xi4 #h71 meaning that the most noxious animal shall not hurt the most feeble of ,god's creatures4 ,and ,jeremiah viii4 #ag3 ,for behold1 ,i will send serpents1 cockatrices1 among you which will not be charmed1 and they shall bite you1 saith the ,lord4 ,the cockatrice is a frequent emblem in heraldry1 borne as a charge upon the shield and also as a supporter4 ,to the mailed draconic form of the wyvern it had the hideous crested head with livid dangling wattles similar to the dunghill cock1 its round glittering eyes dealing death2 its barbed tongue and serpentine tail1 with deadly sting1 would no doubt render it a fearful object to behold1 and terrific to its enemies4 ,it is always borne in profile1 the wings endorsed1 or back to back1 unless directed otherwise4 ,the tail is frequently nowed1 i4e41 knotted4 ,sable1 a cockatrice or1 combed and wattled gules4--,bothe4 ,sable1 a cockatrice1 displayed argent1 crested1 membered and jelloped gules4--,baggine4 ,jelloped1 jowlopped1 terms used to describe the comb or crest1 and gills or wattles1 when of a different tincture from the body4 ,beaked and membered1 in similar manner1 have reference to the beak and legs4 ,basilisk1 or ,amphysian ,cockatrice ,the amphysian cockatrice or basilisk in heraldry exactly resembles the cockatrice1 but having an additional head 7like that of a dragon7 at the end of its tail instead of a barb or sting4 ,with complicated monsters' head and tail ,scorpion and ,asp and ,amphisbna dire4 ,,milton4 ,amphisbna1 or ,amphista1 is a creature sometimes referred to by old writers as having the dragon's body and wings1 the head of a serpent1 and the tail ending in a like head4 ,bossewelle1 in ,armorie of ,honour1 folio #fc1 enlarging upon this idea1 describes a prodigious serpente called ,amphybene1 for that he hath a double head1 as though one mouth were too little to custe his venyme4 ,earl ,howe has for supporters two cockatrices 7amphysian71 wings elevated1 the tails nowed1 and ending in a serpent's head or1 combed1 wattled and legged gules4 ,argent1 a basilisk1 wings endorsed1 tail nowed1 sable4--,langley1 ,rathorpe ,hall1 ,yorks4 ,illustration3 ,basilisk or ,amphysian ,cockatrice1 tail nowed4 ,basilisk1 the king of serpents 7,greek1 ,basileus1 a king71 so called from having on his head a mitre-shaped crest4 ,old writers give wonderful accounts of the death-dealing power of this strange creature4 ,pliny says1 all other serpents do flee from and are afraid of it1 and tells of the deadly effect of his breath and glittering eye4 ,the ,duke of ,alva1 the scourge of the ,netherlands 7#aeff-aege71 where he left the eternal memory of his cruelties1 had for a device a basilisk drawing out serpents1 with the motto3 ,tu nomine tantum 7,thou dost so much by thy name alone71 a fitting emblem for so great a monster6 ,in allusion to its power of looking any one dead on whom it fixed its eyes1 ,dryden makes ,clytus say to ,alexander1 ,nay1 frown not so2 you cannot look me dead1 like a boar ,plunging his tusk in mastiff's gore1 ,or basilisk1 when roused1 whose breath1 ,teeth1 sting and eyeballs all are death4 ,,king1 ,art of ,love4 ,king ,henry1 when he hears of the death of his uncle ,humphry1 the good ,duke of ,gloucester1 says to ,suffolk3 come basilisk ,and kill the innocent gazer with thy sight4 #b ,king ,henry ,,vi4 ,act iii4 #b4 ,beaumont and ,fletcher also speak of the basilisk's death-dealing eye in ,the ,woman ,hater4 ,its appearance was so dreadful1 it was said1 that if a mirror was placed so that it could see itself1 it would instantly burst asunder with horror and fear4 ,in ,christian ,art it is the emblem of deadly sin and the spirit of evil4 ,st4 ,basil the ,great uses it as the type of a depraved woman4 ,the ,mythical ,serpent ,the most remarkable remembrance1 says ,dean1 of the power of the paradisaical serpent is displayed in the position which he retains in ,tartarus4 ,a cuno-draconictic cerberus guards the gates2 serpents are coiled upon the chariot wheels of ,proserpine2 serpents pave the abyss of torment2 and even serpents constitute the caduceus of ,mercury1 the talisman which he holds in his hand when he conveys the soul to ,tartarus4 ,the image of the serpent is stamped upon every mythological fable connected with the realms of ,pluto4 ,is it not probable that in the universal symbol of heathen idolatry we recognise the universal object of primitive worship1 the serpent of paradise8 ,speaking of the names of the snake tribe in the great languages1 ,ruskin says1 in ,greek1 ,,ophis meant the seeing creature1 especially one that sees all round it2 and ,,drakon1 one that looks well into a thing or person4 ,in ,latin1 ,,anguis1 was the strangler2 ,,serpens1 the winding creature2 ,,coluber1 the coiling animal4 ,in our own ,saxon the ,,snake meant the crawling creature2 and ,,adder denoted the groveller4 ,the true serpents comprise the genera without a sternum or breastbone1 in which there is no vestige of shoulder1 but where the ribs surround a great part of the circumference of the trunk4 ,to the venomous kind belong the rattlesnake1 cobra de capello1 spectacled or hooded snake1 viper1 c4 ,so the non-venomous1 the boa constrictor1 anaconda1 python1 black snake1 common snake4 ,the minute viper1 ,v4 ,brashyura1 is celebrated for the intensity of its poison1 and is truly one of the most terrible of its genus4 ,the asp of ,egypt1 or ,cleopatra's asp 7,coluber naja1 ,lin471 was held in great veneration by the ,egyptians2 and it is this snake which the jugglers1 by pressing on the nape of the neck with the finger1 throw into a kind of catalepsy1 which renders it stiff1 or1 as they term it1 turns it into a rod4 ,all snakes1 says the celebrated naturalist ,waterton1 take a motion from left to right or vice versa--but never up and down--the whole extent of the body being in contact with the ground1 saving the head1 which is somewhat elevated4 ,this is equally observable both on land and in water4 ,thus1 when we see a snake represented in an up-and-down attitude1 we know at once that the artist is to blame4 ,another misconception exploded by ,waterton is the common and accepted notion that a snake can fascinate to their destruction and render powerless by a dead set of its eye the creatures it makes its prey4 ,snakes have no such power4 ,the eyes1 which are very beautiful1 do not move1 and they have no eyelids2 they have been placed by nature under a scale similar in composition to the scales of the body1 and when the snake casts it slough1 this scale comes away with it1 and is replaced by a new one on a new skin4 ,noli me tangere--do not touch me with intent to harm me--is1 continues ,waterton1 a most suitable motto for a snake1 which towards man never acts on the offensive 7except perhaps only the larger species which may be in waiting for a meal1 when any creature1 from a bull to a mouse1 may be acceptable74 ,but when roused into action by the fear of sudden danger1 'tis then that1 in self-defence a snake will punish the intruder by a prick 7not a laceration7 from the poison-fang1 fatal or not1 according to its size and virulence4 ,a writer in the ,daily ,telegraph of ,july #bc1 #ahhc1 giving an account of the new reptile house in the ,zoological ,gardens1 ,regent's ,park1 dwells upon the surpassing beauty of a python that had just cast its skin1 a very miracle of reptilian loveliness4 ,watch it breathing2 it is as gentle as a child1 and the beautiful lamia head rests like a crowning jewel upon the softly heaving coils4 ,let danger threaten1 however1 and lightning is hardly quicker than the dart of those vengeful convolutions4 ,the gleaming length rustles proudly into menace1 and instead of the voluptuous lazy thing of a moment ago1 the python1 with all its terrors complete1 erects itself defiantly1 thrilling1 so it seems1 with eager passion in every scale1 and measuring in the air1 with threatening head1 the circle within which is death4 ,once let those recurved fangs strike home1 and there is no poison in them1 all hope is gone to the victim4 ,coil after coil is rapidly thrown round the struggling object1 and then with slow but relentless pressure life is throttled out of every limb4 ,no wonder that the world has always held the serpent in awe1 and that nations should have worshipped1 and still worship1 this emblem of destruction and death4 ,it is fate itself1 swift as disaster1 deliberate as retribution1 incomprehensible as destiny4 ,it would be tedious to recapitulate the multitude of myths through which the dire worm has come to our times1 dignified and made awful by the honours and fears of the past4 ,a volume could hardly exhaust the snake-lore scattered up and down in the pages of history and fable4 ,the python in the ,zoological ,gardens1 however1 adds the same writer1 though it may stand as the modern reality of the old-world fable of a gigantic snake that challenged the strength of the gods to overcome it1 presents to us only one side of snake nature4 ,it possesses a surprising beauty and prodigious strength2 but it is not venomous4 ,probably the more subtle and fearful apprehensions of men originated really from the smaller and deadlier kinds1 and were then by superstition1 poetry and heraldry extended to the larger4 ,the little basilisk1 crowned king of the vipers2 the horned 'cerastes dire1' a few inches in length2 the tiny aspic1 fatal as lightning and as swift2 and the fabled cockatrice1 that a man might hold in his hand1 first made the serpent legend terrible2 their venom was afterwards transferred1 and not unnaturally1 to the larger species4 ,it was the small minute worms1 that carried in their fangs such rapid and ruthless death1 which first struck fear into the minds of the ancients1 and invested the snake with the mysterious and horrid attributes whereunto antiquity from ,china to ,egypt hastened to pay honours4 ,cadmus and his wife ,harmonia were by ,zeus converted into serpents and removed to ,elysium4 sculapius1 son of ,apollo1 god of medicine1 assumed the form of a serpent when he appeared at ,rome during a pestilence2 therefore he is always represented with his staff entwined with a serpent1 symbol of healing4 ,similarly represented was ,hippocrates1 a famous physician of ,cos2 who delivered ,athens from a dreadful pestilence1 in the beginning of the ,peloponnesian ,war1 and was publicly rewarded with a golden crown1 and the privileges of a citizen4 ,therefore it is that the goddess of health bears in her hand a serpent4 ,the caduceus of ,mercury was a rod adorned with wings1 having a male and female serpent twisted about it1 each kissing the other4 ,with this in his hands1 it was said1 the herald of the ,gods could give sleep to whomsoever he chose2 wherefore ,milton1 in ,paradise ,lost1 styles it his opiate rod4 ,with his caduceus ,hermes led ,from the dark regions of the imprisoned dead2 ,or drove in silent shoals the lingering train ,to night's dull shore and ,pluto's dreary reign4 ,,darwin1 ,loves of the ,plants1 ii4 #bia4 ,jupiter ,ammon appeared to ,olympias in the form of a serpent1 and became the father of ,alexander the ,great3 ,when glides a silver serpent1 treacherous guest6 ,and fair ,olympia folds him to her breast4 ,,darwin1 ,economy of ,vegetation1 i4 #b4 ,jupiter ,capitolinus in a similar form became the father of ,scipio ,africanus4 ,in the temple of ,athena at ,athens1 a serpent was kept in a cage and called ,the ,guardian ,spirit of the ,temple4 ,this serpent was supposed to be animated by the soul of ,ericthonius4 ,it was thus employed by the ,greeks and ,romans to symbolise a guardian spirit1 and not unfrequently the figure of a serpent was depicted on their altars4 ,upon the shields of ,greek warriors1 on ancient vases1 c41 the serpent is often to be seen blazoned4 ,illustration3 ,greek ,shield1 from painted vase in the ,british ,museum4 ,the serpent monster ,python1 produced from the mud left on the earth after the deluge of ,deucalion1 lived in the caves of ,mount ,parnassus1 but was slain by ,apollo1 who founded the ,pythian games in commemoration of his victory4 ,this and many similar solar myths are merely classic panegyrics on the conquering power exercised by the genial warmth of spring over the dark gloom of winter4 ,the serpent in ,christian ,art figures in ,paradise as the tempter of ,eve under that form1 and is generally placed under the feet of the ,virgin1 in allusion to the promise made to ,eve after the ,fall3 ,the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head4 ,the heart of the serpent being close to the head1 renders a severe bruise there fatal4 ,the serpent bruised the heel of man--i4e41 being a cause of stumbling1 it hurt the foot which tripped against it 7,gen4 iii4 #ae74 ,illustration ,the brazen serpent erected by ,moses in the wilderness1 which gave newness of life to those plague-stricken ,israelites who were bitten by the fiery dragons and raised their eyes to this symbol 7,numb4 xxi4 #h71 as an emblem of healing1 is represented in ,christian art as coiled up on a tau cross1 a symbol of which our ,saviour did not disdain in some degree to admit the propriety when he compared himself to the healing serpent in the wilderness4 ,the serpent is placed under the feet of ,st4 ,cecilia1 ,st4 ,euphemia1 and many other saints1 either because they trampled on ,satan1 or because they miraculously cleared some country of such reptiles4 ,st4 ,patrick1 the patron saint of ,ireland1 is always represented habited as a bishop1 his foot upon a viper1 the head transfixed with the lower extremity of his pastoral staff1 from his having banished snakes and all venomous reptiles from the soil of ,ireland4 ,as the symbol of the evil principle1 a diminutive specimen of the dragon1 guivre1 or winged snake was more frequently used1 wriggling under foot4 ,the serpent is emblematical of ,,the ,,fall2 ,satan is called the great serpent 7,rev4 xii4 #i72 of ,,wisdom3 ,be ye therefore wise as serpents1 and harmless as doves 7,matt4 x4 #af72 of ,,subtlety3 ,now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field 7,gen4 iii4 #a72 of ,,eternity3 a serpent in a circle with its tail in its mouth is the well understood symbol of unending time4 ,the serpent figures largely in ,byzantine ,art as the instrument of the ,fall1 and one type of the ,redemption4 ,the cross planted on the serpent is found sculptured on ,mount ,athos2 and the cross surrounded by the so-called runic knot is only a ,scandinavian version of the original ,byzantine image--the crushed snake curling round the stem of the avenging cross4 ,the cross1 with two scrolls at the foot of it typifying the snake1 is another of its modifications1 and a very common ,byzantine ornament4 ,the ordinary northern crosses1 so conspicuous for their interlaced ornaments and grotesque monsters1 appear to be purely modifications of this idea4#h ,boniface1 the ,anglo-,saxon missionary1 in his letter to the ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 inveighs against the luxuries of dress1 and declares against those garments that are adorned with very broad studs and images of worms1 announcing the coming of ,antichrist4 ,in the wonderfully intricate interlacing of snake-like and draconic forms of celtic art which appear in the marvellously illuminated manuscripts executed in ,ireland of the sixth and seventh centuries1 the great sculptured crosses1 as well as in gold and metal work1 are seen unmistakable traces of the traditional ideas relating to the early serpent-worship4 ,the serpent1 says ,mr4 ,planch1 the most terrible of all reptiles1 is of rare occurrence in ,english heraldry4 ,under its ,italian name of ,bisse it occurs in the ,roll of ,edward ,,iii4's time1 ',monsire ,william ,malbis d'argent1 a une chevron de gules1 a trois testes de bys rases gules' 7,anglic1 argent1 a chevron between three serpents' heads erased gules74 ,the well-known historic device1 the ,biscia or serpent devouring a child1 of the dukedom of ,milan is of much interest4 ,there are many stories as to the origin of this singular bearing4 ,some writers assign it to ,otho ,visconti1 who led a body of ,milanese in the train of ,peter the ,hermit1 and at the crusades fought and killed in single combat the ,saracen giant ,volux1 upon whose helmet was this device1 which ,otho afterwards assumed as his own4 ,such is the version adopted by ,tasso1 who enumerates ,otho among the ,christian warriors3 ,otho fierce1 whose valour won the shield ,that bears a child and serpent on the field4 ,gerusalemme ,liberata1 cant4 i4 st4 #ee4 7,hoole's translation47 ,from another legend we learn that when ,count ,boniface1 ,lord of ,milan1 went to the crusades1 his child1 born during his absence1 was devoured in its cradle by a huge serpent which ravaged the country4 ,on his return1 ,count ,boniface went in search of the monster1 and found it with a child in its mouth4 ,he attacked and slew the creature1 but at the cost of his own life4 ,hence it is said his posterity bore the serpent and child as their ensign4 ,a third legend is referred to under ,wyvern 7which see74 ,menestrier says that the first ,lords of ,milan were called after their castle in ,angleria1 in ,latin anguis1 and that these are only the armes parlantes of their name4#i ,be this as it may1 ,lo ,squamoso ,biscion 7the scaly snake7 was adopted by all the ,visconti lords1 and by their successors of the ,house of ,sforza4 ,sforza e ,viscontei colubri4 ,orlando ,furioso1 cant4 xiii4 #fc4 ,and again in the same poem 7cant4 iii4 #bf4 ,hoole's translation73 ,hugo appears with him1 his valiant son ,who plants his conquering snakes in ,milan's town4 ,dante also refers in ,purgatorio to this celebrated device4 ,illustration3 ,arms of ,whitby ,abbey4 ,the three coiled snakes1 which appear in the arms of ,whitby ,abbey1 ,yorkshire1 really represent fossil ammonites1 which are very plentiful in the rocky promontories of that part of the ,english coast1 and on that account were no doubt adopted in the arms of the ,abbey1 and afterwards of the town of ,whitby4 ,the arms are3 ,azure three snakes coiled or encircled two and one1 or4 ,popular legend1 however1 ascribes their origin to the transformation of a multitude of snakes into stone by ,st4 ,hilda1 an ancient ,saxon princess4 ,the legend is referred to by ,sir ,walter ,scott in ,marmion3 ,how of a thousand snakes each one ,was changed into a coil of stone ,while ,holy ,hilda prayed4 ,it is1 however1 more than likely that the arms suggested the legend of the miracle4 ,the ancient myth of the deaf adder seems to have been a favourite illustration of the futility of unwelcome counsel4 ,what1 art thou1 like the adder1 waxen deaf8 ,be poisonous too4 #b ,king ,henry ,,vi4 ,act ii4 sc4 #b4 ,pleasure and revenge have ears more deaf than adders ,to the voice of any true decision4 ,troilus and ,cressida1 ,act ii4 sc4 #b4 ,he flies me now--nor more attends my pain ,than the deaf adder heeds the charmer's strain4 ,orlando ,furioso1 cant4 xxxii4 #ai4 7,hoole's translation47 ,a serpent or adder stopping his ears1 by some writers termed an adder obturant his ear from the ,latin obturo1 to shut or stop1 is a very ancient idea4 ,it is said that the asp or adder1 to prevent his hearing unwelcome truths1 puts one ear to the ground and stops the other with his tail1 a device suggested by ,psalm lviii4 #d1e3 ,they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear2 which will not hearken to the voice of charmers1 charming never so wisely4 ,alessandro d',alessandri 7 #aebc71 a lawyer of ,naples1 of extensive learning1 and a member of the ,neapolitan ,academy1 took for device a serpent stopping its ears1 and the motto1 ,ut prudentia vivam 7,that ,i may live wisely71 implying that as the serpent by this means refuses to hear the voice of the charmer1 so the wise man imitates the prudence of the reptile and refuses to listen to the words of malice and slander4 ,it is said that the cerastes hides in sand that it may bite the horse's foot and get the rider thrown4 ,in allusion to this belief1 ,jacob says1 ,dan shall be 444 an adder in the path1 that his rider shall fall backward 7,gen4 xlix4 #ag74 ,asp4--,according to ,sir ,gardiner ,wilkinson1 the ancient ,egyptian kings wore the asp1 the emblem of royalty1 as an ornament on the forehead4 ,it appears on the front of the double crown of ,upper and ,lower ,egypt4 ,many terms have been invented by the heralds to express the positions serpents may assume in arms4 ,berry's ,encyclopdia of ,heraldry illustrates over thirty positions1 the terms of blazon of which it is impossible to comprehend1 and hardly worth the inquiry4 ,few of these terms are1 however1 met with in ,english heraldry4 ,two serpents erect in pale1 their tails nowed 7twisted or knotted7 together1 are figured in the arms of ,caius ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,in the words of the old grant1 they are blazoned gold1 semied with flowers gentil1 a sengreen 7or houseleek7 in chief1 over the heads of two whole serpents in pale1 their tails knit together 7all in proper colour71 resting upon a square marble stone vert1 between a book sable1 garnish't gul1 buckled1 or4 ,fruiterers' ,company of ,london4--,on a mount in base vert1 the tree of ,paradise environed with the serpent between ,adam and ,eve1 all proper4 ,motto3 ,arbor vit ,christus1 fructus perfidem gustamus4 ,nowed signifies tied or knotted1 and is said of a serpent1 wyvern1 or other creature whose body or tail is twisted like a knot4 ,annodated1 another term for nowed2 bent in the form of the letter ,s1 the serpents round the caduceus of ,mercury may be said to be annodated4 ,torqued1 torgant1 or targant 7from the ,latin torqueo1 to wreathe71 the bending and rebending1 either in serpents1 adders or fish1 like the letter ,s4 ,illustration3 ,a ,serpent1 nowed1 proper4 ,crest of ,cavendish4 ,voluted1 involved or encircled1 gliding1 and several terms used in blazon explain themselves1 as erect1 erect wavy1 c4 ,in blazoning1 the terms snake1 serpent1 adder1 appear to be used indiscriminately4 ,a serpent nowed1 proper1 is the crest of ,cavendish1 ,duke of ,devonshire4 ,gules1 three snakes nowed in triangle argent 7,ednowain ,ap ,bradwen1 ,merionethshire74 ,or1 three serpents erect wavy sable 7,codlen1 or ,cudlen74 ,remora is an old term in heraldry for a serpent entwining4 ,illustration3 ,amphiptre1 or flying serpent4 ,serpents are also borne entwined round pillars and rods1 c41 and around the necks of children1 as in the arms of ,vaughan or ,vahan ,wales3 ,azure1 three boys' heads affront1 couped at the shoulders proper1 crined or1 each enveloped or enwrapped about the neck with a snake vert4 ,entwisted and entwined are sometimes used in the same sense4 ,the amphiptre is a winged serpent4 ,azure1 an amphiptre or1 rising between two mountains argent1 are the arms of ,camoens1 the ,portuguese poet4 ,as a symbol in heraldry the serpent does not usually have reference to the mythical creature1 as in ,early ,christian ,art1 its natural qualities being more generally considered4 ,the ,scorpion ,the reptile of this name1 carrying a virulent and deadly sting in its tail1 is generally borne erect4 ,when it is borne with the head downwards1 it is described as reversed4 ,one branch of the family of ,cole bears3 argent1 a fesse between three scorpions erect sable2 and another branch of the same family1 argent a chevron gules between three scorpions reversed1 sable4 ,illustration3 ,scorpion4 ,scorpion4--,luigi di ,gonzaga1 styled ,rodomonte for his great intrepidity and strength1 was a favourite general of ,emperor ,charles ,v4 in his army with ,bourbon at the sack of ,rome4 ,when ,charles made his public entry into ,mantua1 ,rodomonte wore a blue surcoat made in squares4 ,upon one was embroidered a scorpion2 upon the other his motto1 ,qui vivens ldit morte meditur 7,who living wounds1 in death is healed74 ,it being the property of the scorpion when killed and laid over the wound to cure the poison1 so ,rodomonte1 if any one presumed to offend him1 would clear himself of the injury by the death of his enemy4 ,if a man be stung with a scorpion1 and drink the powder of them in wine1 it is thought to be present remedie4#aj ,other ,chimerical ,creatures and ,heraldic ,beasts ,illustration3 ,unicorn salient4#aa ,the ,unicorn ,yon lion placed two unicorns between ,that rampant with a silver sword is seen ,is for the king of ,scotland's banner known4 ,,ariosto 7,hoole's translation74 ,the lion and the unicorn fighting for the crown4 ,old ,nursery ,rhyme4 ,the unicorn is represented by heraldic usage as having the head and body of a horse1 with the tail of a lion1 and the limbs and hoofs of a stag2 a twisted horn grows out from the centre of its forehead4 ,it is rarely met with as a coat-of-arms4 ,as a crest or supporter it is of more frequent occurrence4 ,a unicorn's head is a favourite bearing1 either erased1 or couped1 at the shoulder1 and always represented in profile4 ,illustration3 ,crest3 ,a ,unicorn's head1 couped4 ,the unicorn was a famous device all over ,europe1 and symbolised the virtue of the mind and the strength of the body4 ,it is well known as a supporter of the ,royal ,arms of ,england1 a position it has occupied since the accession of ,james ,,vi4 of ,scotland to the ,english throne as ,james ,i4 ,two silver unicorns were the supporters to the arms of that kingdom4 ,on the legislative union with ,england1 the red dragon of ,wales1 introduced by ,henry ,,vii41 gave place to the unicorn as the sinister supporter4 ,james ,,iii4 of ,scotland had it figured on coins which were thence called unicorns4 ,james ,v4 first used it with the national arms as supporters4 ,although the silver unicorn came into ,england with ,james ,i41 ,queen ,jane ,seymour had already adopted it4 ,unicorn was the pursuivant of ,lord ,lyon ,king-at-,arms1 the ,royal ,scottish ,herald4 ,as a supporter to the ,royal arms it is thus blazoned3 ,a unicorn argent1 armed1 unguled1 crined and gorged or1 with a royal coronet 7i4e41 composed of crosses pate and fleurs-de-lis71 having a chain affixed thereto1 and reflexed over his back of the last4 ,the term armed has reference to his horn1 unguled to his hoofs1 and crined to his flowing mane4 ,gorged implies that the coronet encircles his gorge or throat4 ,the term or 7that is1 the metal gold or the tincture of it7 being only mentioned after the several parts implies that they are all alike to be gold4 ,of the last means of the last colour mentioned4 ,in ,the ,history of ,caricature and ,grotesque in ,literature and ,art1 by ,thomas ,wright1 ,m4,a41 ,f4,s4,a4 7p4 #h71 appears a curious illustration from an ,egyptian papyrus of the ,roman period1 in the ,british ,museum4 ,it represents a lion and a unicorn playing a game resembling draughts1 perhaps the earliest instance of the two animals depicted in conjunction4 ,as the author says3 ,the lion has evidently gained the victory and is fingering the money2 his bold air of swaggering superiority as well as the look of surprise and disappointment of his vanquished opponent are by no means ill-pictured4 ,the animosity which existed between the lion and unicorn is referred to by ,spenser1 and is allegorical of the animosity which once existed between ,england and ,scotland3 ,like as a lyon whose imperiall powre ,a proud rebellious unicorne defyes4 ,faerie ,queen1 ii4 #e4 ,medival ,conception of the ,unicorn ,the medival conception of the unicorn as the water-conner of the beasts was doubtless suggested by that belief of earlier ages which made the unicorn not merely symbolical of virtue and purity1 but the more immediate emblem of ,christ as the horn of our salvation 7,psalms xcii4 #aj and lxxxix4 #ag1 #bd71 expressly receiving its general fulfilment in him 7,st4 ,luke i4 #fi74 ,the horn1 as an antidote to all poison1 was also believed to be emblematical of the conquering or destruction of sin by the ,messiah1 and as such it appears in the catacombs at ,rome4 ,the unicorn is the companion of ,st4 ,justiana1 as an emblem betokening in the beautiful legend her pure mind1 resisting all the ,geraldine-like dreams sent by magic art to haunt her1 till she converted her tormentor himself4 ,he is remarkable1 say the old writers1 for his great strength1 but more for his great and haughty mind1 as he would rather die than be brought into subjection 7,job xxxix4 #aj-ab74 ,it was believed the only way to capture him was to leave a beautiful young virgin in the place where he resorted4 ,when the animal perceived her1 he would come and lie quietly down beside her1 resting his head upon her lap1 and fall asleep1 when he would be surprised by the hunters who lay in wait to destroy him4 ,illustration3 ,the ,legend of the ,unicorn4 ,the unicorn is one of the most famous of all the chimerical monsters of antiquity4 ,the ,scriptures make repeated mention of such a creature1 but of its shape we can form little conception4 ,in ,early ,christian ,art the unicorn symbolised the highest and purest virtue2 not only was it one of the noblest bearings in the heraldry of the ,middle ,ages1 but was viewed as the immediate emblem of our ,blessed ,lord4 ,philippe de ,thaun says in his ,bestiarius3 ,monocros est beste ,une corne a en la tte ,cette beste en verit nous signifie ,dieu4 ,whence comes the unicorn8 ,it is older than the days of ,job4 ,among the hieroglyphics of ,ancient ,egypt this wonderful creature is depicted4 ,sometimes the body is that of an ass1 sometimes that of a bull1 sometimes that of a horse with the long twisted frontal horn for which he is noted4 ,is the myth derived from some mysterious single-horned antelope1 as has been said1 or is the one-horned rhinoceros the prototype of the legendary unicorn8 ,as an emblem it figures on the obelisks of ,nimroud and the catacombs of ,rome4 ,we read of this strange creature in ,herodotus1 and in ,aristotle1 who calls it the wild ass2 ,pliny calls it the ,indian ass1 describing it as like a horse with a horn fixed in the front of his head4 ,csar counts it among the fauna of the ,hyrcinian ,forest4 ,the earliest author who describes it is ,ctesias 7,b4,c4 #djj71 who derives it from ,india4 ,according to an ,eastern legend the unicorn is found in ,abyssinia4 ,lobo also describes it in his history of that country3 there the animals are undisturbed by man1 and live after their own laws4 ,of the many ancient and famous men1 says a modern writer1 who have written about the unicorn1 no two seem to agree except when they copy from one another4 ,some writers 7says ,guillim1 p4 #age7 have made doubt whether there be any such beast as this or no4 ,but the great esteem of his horn 7in many places to be seen7 may take away that needless scruple4 ,the ,horn of the ,unicorn ,the unicorn whose horn is worth a city4 ,,decker1 ,gull's ,hornbook4 ,the horn of the unicorn was supposed to be the most powerful antidote against1 as it was a sure test of1 poisons4 ,he was therefore invested by the other beasts of the forest with the office of water-conner1 none daring to taste of fountain or pool until he had stirred the water with his horn1 to discover whether any dragon or serpent had deposited his venom therein1 and render it innocuous4 ,so complete was the faith in the efficacy of the wonder-working horn as a test of poisons1 that fabulous store was set upon the possession of even a portion4 ,in old inventories the ,essai of ,unicorn's horn is frequently mentioned4 #acia4 ,un manche d'or d'un essai de licourne pour attoucher aux viandes de monsigneur le ,dauphin4--,comptes ,royaux4 #adjh4 ,une pice de licorne pour faire essai1 ung bou4 d'argent4--,inv4 des ducs de ,bourgogne4 #aecf4 ,une touche de licorne1 garni d'or1 pour faire essai4--,inv4 de ,charles ,quint4 ,an ,italian author who visited ,england in the reign of ,henry ,,vii41 speaking of the wealth of the religious houses in this country1 says3 ,and ,i have been informed that1 amongst other things1 many of these monasteries possess unicorns' horns of an extraordinary size4 ,hence such a horn was worthy to be placed among the royal jewels4 ,at the head of an inventory taken in the first year of ,queen ,elizabeth and preserved in the ,harleian ,library 7,no4 #eiec7 we read ,imprimis1 a piece of unicorn's horn1 which1 as probably the most important object1 is named first4 ,this was no doubt the piece seen by the ,german traveller ,hentzner1 at ,windsor3 ,we were shown here1 among other things1 the horn of a unicorn of about eight spans and a half in length1 valued at about #aj1jjj4 ,peacham places that horne of ,windsor1 of an unicorn very likely1 amongst the sights worth seeing4 ,one little cup of unicorn's horn was also in possession of ,queen ,elizabeth1 and was subsequently given by ,james ,i4 to his ,queen4 ,alviano1 a celebrated general of the ,venetian ,republic1 when he took ,viterbo1 and dispersed the ,gatesca faction1 whom he called the poison of the city1 caused to be embroidered upon his standard a unicorn at a fountain surrounded by snakes and toads and other reptiles1 and stirring up the water with his horn before he drinks1 with the motto or legend ,venene pello 7,i expel poison74 ,although the unicorn has not been seen and described by any modern writer1 its horn has been occasionally found1 sometimes preserved in museums1 but alas6 the cherished horn1 whenever it is examined1 turns out to be a narwhal's tooth4 ,to this1 ,wood's ,natural ,history makes special reference3 ,in former days1 an entire tusk of a narwhal was considered to possess an inestimable value1 for it was looked upon as the weapon of the veritable unicorn reft from his forehead in despite of his supernatural strength and intellect4 ,setting aside the rarity of the thing1 it derived a practical value from its presumed capability of disarming all poisons of their terrors1 and of changing the deadliest draught into a wholesome beverage4 ,this antidotal potency was thought to be of vital service to the unicorn1 whose residence was in the desert among all kinds of loathsome beasts and poisonous reptiles1 whose touch was death and whose look was contamination4 ,the springs and pools at which such monsters quenched their thirst were saturated with poison by their contact1 and would pour a fiery death through the veins of any animal that partook of them4 ,but the unicorn1 by dropping the tip of his horn into the pool1 neutralised the venom and rendered the deadly waters harmless4 ,this admirable quality of the unicorn's horn was a great recommendation in days when the poisoned chalice crept too frequently upon the festive board1 and a king could receive no worthier present than a goblet formed from such valuable material4 ,even a few shavings of the unicorn's horn were purchased at high prices1 and the ready sale for such antidotes led to considerable adulteration--a fact which is piteously recorded by an old writer1 who tells us that some wicked persons do make a mingle-mangle thereof1 as ,i saw among the ,venetians1 being1 as ,i here say1 compounded with lime and sope1 or peradventure with earth or some stone 7which things are apt to make bubbles arise71 and afterwards sell it for the unicorn's horn4 ,the same writer1 however1 supplies an easy test1 whereby the genuine substance may be distinguished from the imposition4 ,for experience of the unicorn's horn to know whether it be right or not2 put silk upon a burning coal1 and upon the silk the aforesaid horn1 and if so be that it be true1 the silk will not be a whit consumed4 ,,examples4--,argent1 a unicorn rampant 7sometimes sejant sable armed and unguled or71 is borne by ,harling1 ,suffolk4 ,another of the name bears the unicorn courant in chief with additional charges upon the shield4 ,azure1 a unicorn couchant1 argent between twelve cross crosslets1 or4--,doon4 ,argent a chevron engrailed gules between three unicorns' heads1 erased azure4--,horne4 ,religious emblems were in great favour with the early printers2 some of them for this reason adopted the unicorn as their sign4 ,thus ,john ,harrison lived at the ,unicorn and ,bible in ,paternoster ,row1 #afjc4 ,again1 the reputed power of the horn caused the animal to be taken as a supporter for the ,apothecaries' arms1 and as a constant signboard by chemists4 ,the great value set upon unicorn's horn caused the ,goldsmiths of ,london to adopt this animal as their sign4 ,illustration3 ,pegasus or ,pegasos4 ,the ,pegasus ,the cheval volant--the pegasus-- ,he bounds from the earth2 he treads the air4 ,a poetic creation of the ancients1 a winged horse captured by ,bellerophon1 the great hero of ,corinthian legend4 ,in this he was assisted by the goddess ,minerva1 who also taught him how to tame and use it4 ,at ,corinth there was a temple erected to 7,minerva the ,bridler71 in allusion to that part of the myth which describes ,minerva as instructing ,bellerophon in the mode of placing the bridle on the winged steed4 ,the legend states that the hero caught this wonderful animal as it descended at the ,acro-,corinthus to drink of the spring of ,pirene4 ,mounted on his winged steed ,pegasus1 ,bellerophon engaged the dire ,chimera1 and succeeded in destroying the monster by rising in the air and shooting it with arrows4 ,illustration3 ,coins of ,corinth and ,syracuse4 ,pegasus is the steed of the ,muses1 and classic story ascribes to it the origin of the ,castalian fountain ,hippocrene1 situated on ,mount ,helicon1 part of ,parnassus1 a mountain range in ,greece4 ,when the ,muses contended with the daughters of ,pieros1 ,helicon rose heavenward with delight2 but ,pegasus gave it a kick1 stopped its rise1 and there gushed out of the mountain the soul-inspiring waters of ,hippocrene4 ,the ,standard of ,corinth was a winged horse1 in consequence of the tradition connecting the fountain called ,pirene1 near the city1 with ,pegasus1 the fiery winged steed of ,apollo and the ,muses4 ,the same device was the leading type upon the ancient coins of the city of ,corinth4 ,the ,corinthians founded the colony of ,syracuse1 in ,sicily1 which city likewise adopted the winged horse and the head of ,athena upon its coinage4 ,illustration3 ,pegasus salient4 ,pindar1 who grandly relates the feat of the hero ,bellerophon1 says that he incurred the enmity of the gods by attempting to fly to heaven on his winged horse4 ,zeus sent a gadfly to sting the horse1 who thereupon cast its rider and flew of his own accord to the stables of ,zeus1 whose thunder-chariot he has ever since drawn4 ,the pegasus is of frequent occurrence in heraldry4 ,in its classic allusions it denotes fame1 eloquence1 poetic study1 contemplation4 ,some modern heraldic writers1 however1 discarding its classic references1 regard it merely in the matter-of-fact light as an emblem of swiftness4 ,but it is impossible to disassociate the old and well-known ideas respecting the horse of ,apollo and the ,muses4 ,in fancy the poet mounts his winged steed to bear his soaring spirit in its wayward flight through the realms of fancy4 ,as a type of the perfect horseman1 ,shakespeare pictures ,prince ,henry as able to-- ,turn and wind a fiery pegasus ,and witch the world with noble horsemanship4 #a ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act #d1 sc4 #a4 ,elsewhere he takes up the later interpretation of the myth1 which connects it with ,perseus3 ,the strong-ribbed bark through liquid mountains cut ,like ,perseus' horse4 ,troilus and ,cressida1 ,act i4 sc4 #c4 ,cardinal ,bembo1 poet and historian1 secretary to ,pope ,leo ,x41 used as his impress a pegasus and a hand issuing from a cloud holding a wreath of laurel and palm1 with the motto1 ,si te fata vocant 7,if the fates call thee74 ,azure1 a pegasus salient1 the wings expanded argent1 is borne as the arms of the ,society of the ,inner ,temple1 ,london4 ,a very early seal of the ,knights ,templars exhibits two knights riding upon one horse4 ,a recent writer remarks upon this strange device that it is exceedingly probable that some rude and partially defaced representation of this device was mistaken by the lawyers of the reign of ,queen ,elizabeth for a pegasus4 ,the fact that the ,middle ,temple adopted the device which appears upon the other seal of the ancient ,knights strongly confirms this view4 ,one of the supporters of the arms of ,oliver ,cromwell is a horse having the wings and tail of a dragon4 ,sagittary1 ,centaur1 ,sagittarius1 ,centaurus1 ,hippocentaur 444 the dreadful sagittary ,appals our numbers4 ,troilus and ,cressida1 ,act v4 sc4 #e4 ,feasts that ,thessalian centaurs never knew4 ,,thomson1 ,autumn4 ,under these names is blazoned a fabled monster of classic origin1 half man1 half horse1 holding an arrow upon a bended bow4 ,it is one of the twelve signs of the ,zodiac1 commonly called ,sagittarius1 otherwise ,arcitenens1 and marked by the hieroglyph 4 ,in its signification in arms it may properly be applied to those who are eminent in the field4 ,the arms traditionally assigned to ,king ,stephen are thus described by ,nicholas ,upton3 ,scutum rubeum1 in quo habuit trium leonum peditantium corpora1 usque ad collum cum corporibus humanis superius1 ad modum signi ,sagittarii1 de auro4 ,in this1 as in some other early examples1 it is represented as half man1 half lion4 ,illustration3 ,the ,sagittary--,centaur4 ,the arms of ,stephen are sometimes represented with but one sagittary1 and is said to have been assumed by him in consequence of his having commenced his reign under the sign of ,sagittarius4 ,others say because he gained a battle by the aid of his archers on entering the kingdom4 ,others1 again1 say that the ,city of ,blois used the ensign of a sagittary as an emblem of the chase2 and ,stephen1 son of the ,compte de ,blois1 assumed that ensign in his contest with the ,empress ,maude or ,matilda4 ,there is no contemporary authority1 however1 it must be confessed1 for any of these derivations4 ,a sagittary is seen upon the seal of ,william de ,mandeville 7temp4 ,henry ,,iii471 but not as an heraldic bearing4 ,the crest of ,lambart1 ,earl of ,cavan1 is3 ,on a mount vert1 a centaur proper1 drawing his bow gules1 arrow or4 ,it also appears as the crest of ,askelom1 ,bendlowes1 ,cromie1 ,cruell1 ,lambert1 ,petty1 ,petty-,fitzmaurice4 ,the term ,centaur is most probably derived from the words 7to hunt1 or to pursue7 and 7a bull71 the ,thracians and ,thessalians having been celebrated from the earliest times for their skill and daring in hunting wild bulls1 which they pursued mounted on the noble horses of those districts1 which were a celebrated breed even in the later times of the ,roman ,empire4 ,a centaur carrying a female appears on a coin of ,lete1 which1 according to ,pliny and ,ptolemy1 was situated on the confines of ,macedonia1 and the fables of the centaurs1 c41 in that and neighbouring districts abounding in a noble breed of horses1 arose no doubt from the feats performed by those who first subjugated the horse to the will of man1 and who mounted on one of these beautiful animals and guiding it at will1 to approach or retreat with surprising rapidity1 gave rise in the minds of the vulgar to the idea that the man and the horse were one being4 ,illustration3 ,ipotane1 from ,mandeville's travels4 ,sir ,john de ,mandeville in his travels 7printed by ,wynken de ,worde1 #adii71 tells us that in ,bacharie ben many ,ipotanes that dwellen sometime in the water and sometime on the land2 and thei ben half men and half hors and thei eten men when thei may take him4 ,we have in modern history a singular and interesting example of a similar superstition4 ,when the natives of ,south ,america--where the horse was unknown--first saw their invaders1 the ,spaniards1 mounted on these animals and in complete armour1 they imagined that the cavalier and steed formed but one being of supernatural powers and endowments4 ,such groups as those exhibited on the rude money of ,lete and other places were doubtless the first steps toward the treatment of similar subjects by ,phidias1 the celebrated ,greek sculptor1 whose works illustrating the battle of the ,lapith and the ,centaurs adorned the metopes of the ,parthenon at ,athens1 to which they also bear a striking affinity in the simplicity of their conception4 ,a curious example of the compounded human and animal forms similar to the sagittary is represented upon a necklace found in the ,isle of ,rhodes1 and now in the ,muse ,cluny1 ,paris4 ,it is formed of a series of thin gold plates whereon is represented in relief the complete human figure conjoined to the hinder part of a stag 7or horse74 ,this is alternated with another compound figure1 human and bird1 holding up two animals by the tails1 both subjects1 each in their own way1 suggestive of the fleet and dexterous hunter4 ,illustration3 ,compound figures1 gold necklace1 ,muse ,cluny1 ,paris4 ,in ,homer's account the centaurs are obviously no monsters1 but an old ,thessalian mountain tribe1 of great strength and savage ferocity4 ,they are merely said to have inhabited the mountain districts of ,thessaly1 and to have been driven thence by the ,lapith into the higher mountains of ,pindus4 ,their contest with the ,lapith is generally conceived as a symbol of the struggle of ,greek civilisation with the still existing barbarism of the ,early ,pelasgian period4 ,this may be the reason why ,greek art in its prime directed itself so especially to this subject4 ,illustration3 ,centaur1 ,greek sculpture4 ,the origin of this contest is referred to the marriage feast of ,pirithous and ,hippodamia1 to which the principal centaurs were invited4 ,the centaur ,eurytion1 heated with wine1 attempted to carry off the bride4 ,this gave rise to a struggle for supremacy which1 after dreadful losses on both sides1 ended in the complete defeat of the centaurs1 who were driven out of the country4 ,the custom of depicting the centaurs as half man1 half horse arose in later times1 and became a favourite subject of the ,greek poets and artists4 ,amongst the centaurs1 ,chiron1 who was famous alike for his wisdom and his knowledge of medicine1 deserves mention as the preceptor of many of the heroes of antiquity4 ,homer1 who knew nothing of the equine shape of the centaurs1 represents him as the most upright of the centaurs1 makes him the friend of ,achilles1 whom he instructed in music1 medicine and hunting4 ,he was also the friend of ,heracles1 who1 by an unlucky accident1 wounded him with a poisoned arrow4 ,the wound being incurable1 he voluntarily chose to die in the place of ,prometheus4 ,jupiter placed him among the stars1 where he is called ,sagittarius4 ,bucentaur1 from ,greek 7bous7 an ox1 and 7kentauros7 a centaur1 was1 in classic mythology1 a monster of double shape1 half man1 half ox4 ,the state barge of the ,doge of ,venice was so termed4 ,the ,minotaur slain by ,theseus had the body of a man and the head of a bull4 ,griffin or ,gryphon ,the griffin1 gryfin1 or gryphon1 as it is variously termed by old writers1 is best known as one of the chimerical monsters of heraldry--the medival representative of the ancient symbolic creature of ,assyria and the ,east4 ,it may be classed with the dragon1 wyvern1 phnix1 sphynx1 gorgons and hydras and chimeras dire1 and other imaginary beings1 that world of unreality grown up in the mind of man from the earliest times1 the influence of whose terrors have exercised no little power in the progress of humanity4 ,illustration3 ,a ,griffin statant1 wings endorsed4 ,this favourite bearing was very early adopted in ,english armory4 ,so early indeed as #aafg ,a4,d4 we find it on a seal of ,richard de ,redvers1 ,earl of ,exeter1 attached to a charter at ,newport1 ,isle of ,wight4 ,it also appears on a seal of ,simon de ,montacute 7temp4 ,henry ,,iii4 and ,edward ,i474 ,it is one of the principal bearings in heraldry1 either charged upon the shield1 as the arms1 or as the crest placed upon the helm1 also as supporters to the shield of arms of many noble and eminent families in this country and the continent4 ,the griffin1 sacred to the sun1 combines the bodily attributes of the cloud-cleaving eagle and the king of beasts1 that is1 it has the head1 neck1 wings1 and talons of an eagle1 conjoined to the hinder parts of a lion4 ,it is usually represented with projecting ears1 indicating an acute sense of hearing1 in addition to its other supposed extraordinary qualities4 ,illustration3 ,a ,griffin passant1 wings raised4 7,early ,english47 ,illustration3 ,a ,griffin segreant1 wings displayed4 7,german47 ,the griffin is rarely borne in other than two positions1 viz41 passant and segreant4 ,the latter term is peculiar to the griffin1 and seems to refer to the expanded wings4 ,when called segreant only1 it means the same as rampant applied to a lion4 ,as a crest1 it is not unfrequently borne sejant1 i4e41 sitting4 ,parts of the creature1 as a demi-griffin1 a griffin's head1 c41 are also of common use4 ,the arms of ,trafford1 ,lancashire1 are3 ,argent a griffin segreant gules4 ,motto3 ,gripe griffin hold fast4 ,the supporters of the arms of ,viscount ,halifax are two griffins4 ,illustration3 ,sleeping ,griffin1 by ,john ,tenniel1 from ,alice in ,wonderland4 7,by permission of ,macmillan ,co41 ,limited1 proprietors of the copyright47 ,old heralds gravely relate of this creature that when he attains his full growth he will never be taken1 hence he is a fit emblem of a valiant hero1 who1 rather than yield himself to his enemy1 exposes himself to the worst of dangers4 ,as a general symbol in heraldry the griffin expresses strength and vigilance4 ,sir ,thomas ,browne says it is emblematical of watchfulness1 courage1 perseverance and rapidity of execution4 ,the description of the griffin by the old traveller1 ,sir ,john ,mandeville1 is a wonderful record of credulity and belief in the marvellous2 he states it to be a native of ,bacharie1 where ben many griffones1 more plentee than in any other countree4 ,sum men seyn that they have the body upwards of an egle and benethe as a lyonn1 and truly they seyne soethe that thei ben of that schapp4 ,but one griffoun hath the body more great and stronger than one hundred egles1 such as we have amonges us4 ,for one griffoun there will be flynge to his nest a great hors1 or two oxen yoked togidre1 as thei gon to the plowghe4 ,for he hath his talouns so longe and so grete and large upon his feet as though thei were hornes of grete oxen1 or of bugles 7bulls71 or of kygn1 so that men maken cuppes of hem to drynke of1 and of hire 7their7 ribbes and of the pennes of hire wenges men maken bowes fulle stronge to schote with arrews and quarell4 ,gerard ,leigh1 an old heraldic writer1 discoursing of the griffin1 gives his reason for belief1 he says1 ,i thinke they are of a great hugeness1 for ,i have a clawe of one of their pawes1 whiche should shewe them to be as bigge as two lyons4 ,illustration3 ,griffin segreant1 ,german version4 ,in the cathedral of ,brunswick there is still preserved the horn of some kind of antelope1 brought from the ,holy ,land as a griffin's claw1 by ,henry the ,lion4 ,three talons of the griffin were preserved at ,bayeux1 and fastened on high festival days to the altar1 and there seems to be some curious legend concerning a cup formed of a gryphon's claw dedicated to ,st4 ,cuthbert ,a gryphon's egg was also considered a valuable curiosity1 being used as a goblet in old times when natural history was greatly misunderstood and grossly exaggerated4 ,as an example of the absurd misstatements of the earlier writers and naturalists who so delighted our wonder-loving forefathers1 a writer in the ,museum of ,animated ,nature refers to a large species of vulture1 the ,condor 7,sarcoramphus ,gryphus71 which was painted as rivalling the ,rukh of ,oriental fable4 ,he adds that such descriptions have given place to the moderate details of sober-minded observers1 and we no longer look upon this creature as the winged guardian of mountain mines within whose depths were entombed 'gems and barbaric gold1' we no longer imagine it the giant of the winged race1 dimming the light of the sun by its widespread pinions1 and by the mighty rushing sound as it sweeps down from some lofty pinnacle or the upper regions of the sky deafening and stupefying the terror-stricken beholders4 ,as the stern avenger of human crimes1 the dreaded ,nemesis appears in ,roman ,art1 as a young woman with wings1 in a chariot drawn by griffins1 with a whip or sword in her hand4#ab ,smith's ,classical ,dictionary gives the following3 ,gryps or gryphus1 a fabulous monster dwelling in the ,rhiphan mountains between the ,hyperboreans and the one-eyed ,arimaspians1 and guarding the treasures of the north4 ,the ,arimaspians mounted on horseback attempted to steal the gold1 and hence arose the hostility between the horse and the griffin4 ,the body of the griffin was that of a lion1 while the head1 fore-feet and wings were those of an eagle4 ,it is probable that the origin of the belief in griffins must be looked for in the ,east1 where it seems they have been very ancient4 ,they are also mentioned among the fabulous beasts which guarded the gold of ,india4 ,the ,arimaspians were a one-eyed people of ,scythia who adorned their hair with gold4 ,they were constantly at war with the ,gryphons who guarded the gold mines4 ,as when a gryphon1 through the wilderness 444 ,pursues the ,arimaspian1 who by stealth ,had from his wakeful custody purloined ,the guarded gold4 ,paradise ,lost1 ii4 ,illustration3 ,gold ,flying ,griffin1 found by ,dr4 ,schliemann at ,mycen4 ,that the form of the griffin must have been a well understood symbol is evident from the frequency with which it is met in ancient art4 ,dr4 ,schliemann1 in his explorations of the ancient city of ,mycen1 among other treasures found a gold-winged griffin1 about two inches in length1 in one of the sepulchres of the kings 7,figure ,no4 #bgb in his book71 which in every particular as to shape is identical with the heraldic griffin of to-day2 the same may be said of a coin of ,abdera1 a city in ,thrace1 which bears the device of a griffin4 ,abdera was a place of importance when ,xerxes invaded ,greece ,b4,c4 #eed4 ,herodotus relates that the ,teians1 dreading the encroachments of the ,persians in ,ionia1 abandoned their city and founded ,abdera in ,thrace4 ,the coinage of the latter place bears the same type 7the griffin7 as the parent city1 but with a slight difference in treatment4 ,this consists in the form of the wings of the griffin1 which are pointed on the coins of ,abdera1 while in those of ,teos they are rounded4 ,the griffin was sacred to ,apollo1 to whom an especial worship was devoted in most of the ,ionian cities1 but more particularly in ,teos4#ac ,illustration3 ,colossal ,griffins1 ,burmah4 ,in the ,illustrated ,london ,news of ,october #ba1 #ahgf1 is an engraving of two gigantic wingless griffons1 and also a description by the traveller who visited that strange place4 ,at ,thyetmo1 #bej miles up the river ,irrawaddy from ,rangoon in ,british ,burmah1 are two colossal 'chin thay' or figures of sacred griffins1 standing at the entrance to one of the great pagodas dedicated to the worship of ,gautama ,buddha2 the outer terraces and steps of these temples are frequently adorned with such mythical monsters4 ,near the ancient ruined city of ,paghan1 which flourished a thousand years ago1 the bank of the river for a length of eight miles is lined with the remains of this quaint architecture and sculpture1 covering a space of two miles in breadth from the water's edge4 ,it is not known by what nation of old times they were constructed1 for ,burmese history is apocryphal or at least very obscure4 ,the symbolic use of images of living creatures was in the instance of the cherubim permitted under the ,mosaic dispensation1 and on this will be found to turn the distinction between the symbolic use and its forbidden and dangerous use as a supposed means of assisting devotion4 ,mr4 ,henry ,hayman in ,smith's ,dictionary1 s4v41 cherub1 as quoted by ,tyrwhit1 says3 ,on the whole it seems likely that the word 'cherub' meant not only the composite creature-form of which the man1 lion1 ox1 and eagle were the elements1 but further1 some peculiar and mystical form which ,ezekiel1 being a priest1 would know and recognise as 'the face of a cherub1' ' 1 but which was kept secret from all others4444 ,such were probably those on the ark1 which when moved was always covered1 though those on the hangings and panels might be of the popular device4 ,the griffin of northern fable1 watching the gold in the wilderness1 has been compared with the cherub both as regards his composite form and his functions as guardian of a treasure4 ,he goes on to point out the possible affinity between the ,greek root 71 gryps1 griffin71 and the ,hebrew and ,arabic derivation of the word 'cherub1' which gives it the original meaning of 'carved image1' and says that though the exact form is uncertain1 it must have borne a general resemblance to the composite religious figures found upon the monuments of ,egypt1 ,assyria1 ,babylonia and ,persia4 ,mr4 ,ruskin1#ad describing the emblematical griffins on the front of the ,duomo of ,verona1 points out that the ,lombard carver was enabled to form so intense a conception1 mainly by the fact that his griffin is a great and profoundly felt symbolism4 ,two wheels are under its eagle's wings1 which connect it with the living creatures of the vision of ,ezekiel1 where they went the wheels went by them1 and whithersoever the spirit was to go1 they went1 and the wheels were lifted up over against them1 for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels4 ,the winged shape thus became at once one of the acknowledged symbols of the divine nature4 ,elsewhere1 we think in the ,stones of ,venice1 the connection is pointed out between the ,assyrian and ,gothic personations4 ,gian-,paolo ,baglione 7 #aebj71 who usurped the sovereignty of ,perugia1 bore a silver griffin on a red field with the motto1 ,unguibus et rostro atque alis armatus in hostem 7,armed against the enemy with talons and beak and wings71 which means of defence proved of no avail when he was seized by ,pope ,leo ,x41 who1 pretending to consult ,baglione on affairs of importance1 sent him a safe conduct to ,rome1 but when he arrived1 he caused him to be tortured and beheaded1 and afterwards took possession of his states4 ,this gave occasion to his enemies to say1 ,this ugly bird has not used his wings as at other times1 to flee from the snare which has been laid for him4#ae ,in ,dante's description of the triumph of the ,church1 in the ,purgatorio1 we have the medival conception of this wondrous creature1 the gryphon4 ,the mystic shape that joins two natures in one form--as he is called by the noble ,italian poet--draws the car to which he is harnessed1 and ,he above ,stretched either wing uplifted 'tween the midst 99 99 99 99 99 ,and out of sight they rode4 ,the members1 far ,as he was bird1 were golden2 white the rest1 ,with vermeil interveined4 ,and when the eyes of ,beatrice stood ,still1 fix'd toward the gryphon1 motionless4 ,as the sun strikes a mirror1 even thus ,within those orbs the twyfold being shone2 ,for ever varying1 in one figure now ,reflected1 now in other4 ,reader6 muse ,how wondrous in my sight it seem'd1 to mark ,a thing1 albeit steadfast in itself1 ,yet in its imaged semblance mutable4 ,cary's ,dante1 ,purgatory1 c4 xxix4 ,some commentators of ,dante1 says ,m4 ,dideron1#af have supposed the griffin to be the emblem of ,christ1 who1 in fact1 is one single person with two natures2 of ,christ in whom ,god and man are combined4 ,but in this1 says ,m4 ,dideron1 they are mistaken4 ,there is1 in the first place1 a manifest impropriety in describing the car as drawn by ,god as a beast of burden4 ,commentators1 it is added1 have been misled by the two-fold nature of the gryphon1 but that difficulty is removed by recollecting that the ,pope resembles the eagle in his spiritual character1 and in his temporal authority the lion4 ,the ,pope is one person1 but of two natures and two distinct forms4 ,thus considered the allegory of ,dante becomes clear and intelligible4 ,the gryphon is very frequently seen sculptured in ,gothic churches1 more especially in those of the ,lombard and early ,norman style1 and is evidently intended to refer to the union of the divine and human natures4 ,a curious example of this compound form of bird and beast occurs on an ,italian bronze medal of the fifteenth century1 about #c-a_/b in4 in diameter 7,no4 #eg4ea in the fine collection in ,south ,kensington ,museum74 ,on one side it bears a portrait of ,niccolo ,picininus of ,perugia1 a celebrated mercenary soldier--and on the reverse a griffin1 the eagle's head1 wings1 and feet united to the ,roman she-wolf1 with ,romulus and ,remus suckling4 ,dante's emblem of the ,popedom is here apparently adapted to the peculiarly ,roman national symbol--the nursing mother of nations and the ,catholic religion4 ,illustration3 ,carved panel1 a ,griffin segreant4 ,the ,male ,griffin ,the griffin is sometimes borne sans wings and termed a male griffin1 as in the supporters to the arms of the ,marquis of ,ormond1 but spikes or rays proceed from various parts of its body2 sometimes it has two long straight horns4 ,other ,varieties of the ,griffin ,two other varieties of the griffin family1 the ,hippogriff and the ,simoorgh appear in the highly wrought imaginings of the poets1 and may here be very briefly alluded to4 ,they do not1 however1 appear in ,british ,heraldry4 ,illustration3 ,male ,griffin4 ,,hippogryph1 or ,,hippogrif1 the winged horse whose father was a griffin and mother a filly 7,greek1 hippos1 a horse1 and gryps1 a griffin7--a symbol of love4#ag ,,simoorgh1 a sort of griffin or hippogryph1 which took some of its breast feathers for ,tahmura's helmet4 ,this creature forms a very striking figure in the epic poems of ,saadi and ,ferdusi1 the ,persian poets4 ,milton also makes allusion to this mythical creature3 ,so saying he caught him up1 and without wing ,of hippogrif1 bore through the air sublime ,over the wilderness and o'er the plain4 ,paradise ,regained1 iv4 ,illustration3 ,opinicus statant4 ,the ,opinicus1 or ,epimacus ,this creature appears to be a variety of the griffin family4 ,authorities blazon it as having its body and four legs like those of a lion2 the head and neck and wings like an eagle1 and the short tail of a camel1 sometimes borne sans wings4 ,such a monster with wings endorsed or1 was the crest of the ,barber ,surgeons of ,london4 ,two opinici vert1 purfled or1 beaked sable1 wings gules1 support the insignia of the ,plasterers' ,company4 ,illustration3 ,egyptian ,sphynx4 ,the ,sphynx ,that monster whom the ,theban knight 99 99 99 99 99 ,made kill herself for very heart's despite ,that he had read her riddle1 which no wight ,could ever loose1 but suffered deadly doole4 ,,spenser',s ,faerie ,queen1 ,bk4 v4 cxi4 ,according to some heraldic writers1 the sphynx should possess the head and bust of a woman1 the paws of a lion1 the body of a dog1 and the tail of a dragon4 ,in ,lord ,chancellor ,bacon's book on ,the ,wisdom of the ,ancients1 there is an exposition of the meaning of the sphynx1 which1 says ,dr4 ,woodward1 is as curious as the creature itself4 ,it frequently figures in heraldry as a convenient hieroglyph to commemorate some service in ,egypt4 ,it is the crest of ,british families of ,asgill1 ,baronets ,lambert1 ,goatley1 c41 and appears in the arms of ,sir ,john ,moore1 the hero of ,corunna4 ,illustration3 ,theban1 or ,greek ,sphynx4 ,the strange combination of human and animal features in the figure known as the sphynx is of frequent occurrence in both ,greek and ,egyptian mythology and art4 ,the ,egyptian sphynx is supposed to represent the combination of physical power1 or the kings1 as incarnations of such attributes4 ,they are also associated with the special forms and attributes of the great ,egyptian deities ,osiris and ,ammon1 ,neph or ,jupiter1 and ,phreh or ,helios4 ,that is1 we have the man-sphynx1 the ram-sphynx1 and the hawk-sphynx1 or the lion's body with the head of the man1 the ram1 or the hawk1 according to the deity worshipped4 ,the sphynx itself was probably a religious symbol of the ,egyptians1 which was transferred to ,greece1 and subsequently underwent a change of meaning4 ,among the ,egyptians the sphynx seems to have been a symbol of ,royal dignity betokening a combination of wisdom and strength4 ,by the ,greeks1 however1 it appears to have been regarded as the symbol of the burning pestilence-breeding heat of the summer sun4 ,the form of the ,theban sphynx was that of a lion1 generally in a recumbent position1 with the breast and upper part of a beautiful woman1 and was in imitation of the original male sphynxes of ,egypt4 ,greek ,art was only acquainted with the sphynx in its female form1 and also departed from the ,egyptian type by adding wings to the lion's body4 ,there is a great difference1 says ,sir ,gardiner ,wilkinson in his account of the sphynx1#ah between the ,greek and ,egyptian sphynxes4 ,the latter is human-headed1 ram-headed1 or hawk-headed1 and is always male2 while the ,greek is female1 with the head of a woman1 and always has wings1 which the ,egyptian never has4 ,in the ,greek story the monster was sent by ,hera 7,juno7 to devastate the land of ,thebes4 ,seated on a rock close to the town1 she put to every one that passed by the riddle1 ,what walks on four legs in the morning1 on two legs at noon1 and on three legs in the evening8 ,whoever was unable to solve the riddle was cast by the sphynx from the rock into a deep abyss4 dipus succeeded in answering it1 and thus delivered the country from the monster1 who cast herself into the abyss4 ,the sphynx occurs upon a coin of ,chios 7,b4,c4 #dgh-dab74 ,it is represented seated before an amphore1 above which is a bunch of grapes4 ,chios was famed for its wine1 and the sphynx was a symbol of ,dionysius4#ai ,the ,emperor ,augustus1 on his seal1 used the device of the sphynx--maid's face1 bird's wings1 and lion's paws--implying1 says ,mrs4 ,bury ,palliser 7,historical ,devices1 c471 that the secret intentions of a prince should not be divulged4 ,when ,augustus was in ,asia1 he authorised ,agrippa and ,mecnas1 who administered affairs during his absence1 to open and read the letters he addressed to the ,senate before any one else2 and for this purpose he gave them a seal upon which was engraved a sphynx1 the emblem of secrecy4 ,the device gave occasion to ridicule1 and to the saying that it was not surprising if the sphynx proposed riddles2 upon which ,augustus discontinued it1 and adopted one with ,alexander the ,great1 to show that his ideas of dominion were not inferior to ,alexander's4 ,subsequently ,augustus used his own effigy1 which practice was continued by his successors4 ,maurice 7,oriental ,trinities1 p4 #cae7 says the sphynx was the ,egyptian symbol of profound theological mystery1 and was therefore placed on either side of the dromoi1 or paths leading to the temples of the gods4 ,they are black1 he says1 in allusion to the obscure nature of the deity and his attributes4 ,the white head-dress may allude to the linen tiaras wrapped round the heads of the priests4 ,the origin of the myth was not definitely known even to the ancients4 ,some early writers say it was symbolical of the overflowing of the ,nile1 which happened when the sun was in the signs of ,leo and ,virgo2 and that it had its name from this circumstance4 ,for1 they say1 the word sphynx in the ,chaldan language signifies overflowing4 ,the fact of the ,egyptian sphynx being always male does not1 however1 accord with this derivation4 ,a statue of the ,theban sphynx found in ,colchester1 and now in the museum of that town1 gives the ,greek conception of that creature4 ,it is carved in oolite1 twenty-five inches high1 evidently a relic of the ,roman occupation of ,britain4 ,it represents the monster seated over the mangled remains of one of its victims4 ,llewellin ,jewett1 in the ,art ,journal #ahga1 p4 #aac1 describes it as combining the five-fold attributes of a virgin1 a lion1 a bird1 a dog1 and a serpent4 ,the head1 breast and arms are those of a beautiful virgin2 the body and teats of a female dog2 hinder parts1 hind legs and fore paws are those of a lioness2 the tail doubled in short folds is serpent1 and the wings those of a bird4 ,the same writer says3 ,the sphynx appears on the reverses of some coins of ,cunobeline 7,cymbeline1 of ,shakespeare71 struck in the city of ,camalodunum 7,colchester74 ,the gigantic statue of the sphynx half buried in the sand near the ,great ,pyramids1 at ,gizeh1 is hewn and sculptured out of a spur of solid rock1 to which masonry was added in places to complete the form4 ,the actual age of the great sphynx is not known1 but it is supposed to have been commenced under ,cheops and finished by order of ,king ,chefren1 under whose reign also was probably built the second great pyramid4 ,the able author of ,eothen thus describes the appearance of the sphynx of ,egypt1 and the sentiments to which its contemplation gave rise in his mind3 ,and near the ,pyramids1 more numerous and more awful than all else in the land of ,egypt1 there rests the lonely sphynx4 ,comely the creature is1 but the comeliness is not of this world4 ,the once worshipped beast is a deformity and a monster to this generation1 and yet you can see that these lips1 so thick and heavy1 were fashioned according to some ancient mould of beauty--some mould of beauty now forgotten--forgotten because that ,greece drew forth ,cythera from the flashing bosom of the gean1 and in her image created new forms of beauty1 and made it a law among men that the short and proudly wreathed lips should stand for the sign and main condition of loveliness through all generations to come6 ,yet there still lives on the race of those who were beautiful in the fashion of the elder world2 and ,christian girls of ,coptic blood will look on you with sad1 curious gaze1 and kiss your charitable hand with the big pouting lips of the very sphynx4 ,laugh and mock if you will at the worship of stone idols2 but mark ye this1 ye breakers of images1 that in one regard the stone idol bears awful semblance of deity--unchangefulness in the midst of change--the same seeming will and intent for ever inexorable6 ,upon ancient dynasties of ,ethiopian and ,egyptian kings--upon ,greek and ,roman1 upon ,arab and ,ottoman conquerors--upon ,napoleon dreaming of an ,eastern empire--upon battle and pestilence--upon the ceaseless misery of the ,egyptian race--upon keen-eyed travellers--,herodotus yesterday and ,warburton to-day--upon all1 and more1 this unworldly sphynx has watched1 and watched like a ,providence1 with the same earnest eyes and the same sad1 tranquil mien4 ,and we shall die1 and ,islam shall wither away2 and the ,englishman1 straining far over to hold his loved ,india1 will plant a firm foot on the banks of the ,nile1 and sit on the seats of the faithful2 and still that sleepless rock will lie watching and earnest the work of the new busy race with those same sad eyes and the same tranquil mien everlasting4 ,you dare not mock at the sphynx4 ,the conclusion of this rhapsody at the present time sounds almost like a half-fulfilled prophecy4 ,the sphynx is the special device of several ,british regiments which landed in ,egypt1 in the ,bay of ,aboukir1 in the face of the ,french ,army2 and borne as a memento of the battle of ,alexandria1 when ,general ,sir ,ralph ,abercrombie fell in the moment of victory4 ,it also appears upon the war medals of the ,english occupation of ,egypt1 resulting in the battle of ,tel-el-,kebir1 #ahhb1 and subsequent victories4 ,in heraldry the sphynx is usually couchant2 it is1 however1 borne in other positions1 sometimes winged1 and when so borne the wings are always endorsed1 i4e41 back to back4 ,a sphynx passant1 wings endorsed argent crined or1 is the crest of ,asgill 7,bart4 #agja74 ,illustration3 ,a ,sphynx passant guardant1 wings endorsed4 ,illustration3 ,the ,phnix4 ,the ,phnix ,bird of the ,sun ,rara avis in terris4 ,an imaginary bird1 described by ancient writers as in form like an eagle1 but more beautiful in its plumage4 ,among the ancient classical writers it was an emblem of those existing in paradise1 enjoying eternal youth and never-ending pleasure4 ,tacitus describes the phnix as a singular bird1 consecrated to the sun1 and distinguished by its rich appearance and variegated colours4 ,herodotus navely says3 ,i never saw one1 indeed1 but in a picture1 but if he is like his picture his plumage is partly golden and partly red4 ,philippe de ,thaun says3 ,the phnix lives five hundred years and a little more1 when it will become young again and leave its old age4 ,it was said to be sometimes seen in ,egypt1 and only one was believed to exist at a time4 ,when it is advanced in age and its time of change is at hand1 it hides itself away somewhere in ,arabia1 and makes itself a nest of the rarest spices1 which1 by the heat of the sun or other secret agency1 and the fanning of the sacred bird's own wings1 soon rises into flames and consumes it4 ,out of its ashes rises another with new life and vigour to pursue the same never-ending life and re-birth4 ,fum or ,fung 7the phnix7 is one of the four symbolical animals supposed to preside over the destinies of the ,chinese ,empire2 the sacred ,ho-ho or phnix also figures with the dragon largely in ,japanese mythology1 and bears a striking analogy to the bird of classic fame4 ,it is fabled to have a miraculous existence1 and is sent on earth for the performance of extraordinary works in the manifestation of the ,divinity and in the development of humanity and nature4 ,it appears at different stages of the world's progress and in successive ages2 after the accomplishment of which it reascends to heaven to come down again at the commencement of a new era4 ,from the pagans the ,early ,christians adopted the symbol1 and with them its significance had reference to the resurrection and immortality4 ,like the pelican in her piety1 it was peculiarly an emblem of our ,saviour in ,his resurrection4 ,as the phnix when old and wearied seeks the rays of the sun to consume its body1 again to be revived in life and vigour1 so the ,christian1 worn and exhausted by worldly labour and suffering1 turns to the ,son of ,righteousness for regeneration and newness of life4 ,tertullian makes the phnix an image of the resurrection4 ,in corroboration of this it must be borne in mind that ,jesus ,christ1 who died ,a4,d4 #cd1 is termed the phnix by monastic writers4 ,the ,phnix period or cycle is said to consist of #cjj years4 ,the bird of wonder is said to have appeared in ,egypt five times3 #a4 ,in the reign of ,sesostris1 ,b4,c4 #hff4 #b4 ,in the reign of ,amasis1 ,b4,c4 #eff4 #c4 ,in the reign of ,ptolemy ,philadelphus1 ,b4,c4 #bff4 #d4 ,in the reign of ,tiberius1 #cd ,a4,d4 #e4 ,in the reign of ,constantine1 #ccd ,a4,d4 ,tacitus in the ,annales1 vi4 #bh1 mentions the first three of these appearances4 ,the ,phnix-tree is the palm4 ,in ,greek 7phoinix7 means both phnix and palm-tree4 ,it is thus alluded to in ,shakespeare3 ,now will ,i believe 444 that in ,arabia ,there is one tree1 the phnix throne--one phnix ,at this hour reigneth there4 ,the ,tempest1 ,act iii4 sc4 #c4 ,pliny#bj gives minute particulars concerning the natural history of this rara avis in terris4 ,but the ancient fable is most fully given by ,ovid and translated by ,dryden4 ,ariosto1 also1 and many early writers refer to the wonderful creature with fullest faith in its reality4 ,it is no wonder then1 that it became a favourite emblem in an age when it was the fashion among persons of distinction to have an impress or device with its accompanying legend or motto4 ,many persons of historical importance employed the phnix to express in metaphor the idea they wished to convey regarding themselves4 ,thus we find the phnix in flames painted for the device of ,jeanne d',arc1 in the ,gallery of the ,palais ,royal1 with the motto3 ,invito funere vivat 7,her death itself will make her live74 ,vittoria ,colonna 7 #aedg7 the beautiful and accomplished wife of the ,marquis of ,pescara1 used the device of a phnix on her medal4 ,mary ,queen of ,scots used the impress of her mother1 ,mary of ,lorraine1 a phnix in flames1 and the motto3 ,en ma fin est mon commencement4 ,a phnix in flames upon a castle was the badge of ,queen ,jane ,seymour1 the crest of the ,seymours being a phnix in flames issuing from a ducal coronet4 ,her son1 ,edward ,,vi41 added the motto1 ,nascatur ut alter 7,that another may be born71 alluding to the nature of her death4 ,she lies buried in ,st4 ,george's ,chapel1 ,windsor1 with a ,latin epitaph by ,bishop ,godwin1 which has been thus translated by his son ,morgan3 ,here a phnix lieth1 whose death ,to another phnix gave birth4 ,it is to be lamented much ,the world at once ne'er knew two such4 ,queen ,elizabeth placed a phnix upon her medals and tokens with her favourite motto3 ,semper eadem 7,always the same71 and sometimes with the motto ,sola phnix omnis mundi 7,the sole phnix of the whole world72 and on the other side1 ,et ,angli gloria 7,and the glory of ,england71 with her portrait full-faced4 ,by the poets of the time1 ,elizabeth was often compared to the phnix4 ,sylvester1 in his ,corona ,dedicatoria1 says3 ,as when the ,arabian 7only7 bird doth burne ,her aged bodie in sweet flames to death1 ,out of her cinders a new bird hath birth1 ,on whom the beauties of the first return2 ,from spicy ashes of the sacred urne ,of our dead phnix 7deare ,elizabeth7 ,a new true phnix lively flourisheth4 ,and ,shakespeare1 in the prophecy which he puts into the mouth of ,cranmer at the baptism of the ,princess ,elizabeth1 her great and glorious reign is foreshadowed1 and finally3 444 as when ,the bird of wonder dies1 the maiden phnix1 ,her ashes new create another heir1 ,as great in admiration as herself4 ,shakespeare elsewhere uses the simile to denote a phnix among women--a phnix1 a paragon1 unique1 because alone of its kind3 ,if she be furnished with a mind so rare1 ,she is alone the ,arabian bird4 ,cymbeline1 ,act i4 sc4 #g4 ,many other heraldic mottoes have been associated with this celebrated device4 ,the following are from ,historic ,devices1 ,badges1 c41 by ,mrs4 ,bury ,palliser3 ,eleanor1 ,queen of ,francis ,i4 of ,austria3 ,non est similis illi 7,there is none like her74 ,she afterwards changed her motto1 either showing how much she was neglected1 or to express her determination to remain single3 ,unica semper avis 7,always a solitary bird74 ,bona of ,savoy3 ,sola facta solum deum sequor4 ,cardinal ,trent3 ,ut vivat 7,that it may live74 ,linacre3 ,vivat post funera virtus 7,virtue survives death74 ,de mi muerte ma vida 7,from my death my life74 ,de mort vie 7,from death to life74 ,et morte vitam protulit 7,and by death has prolonged his life74 ,ex morte1 immortalitas 7,out of death1 immortality74 ,murio y nacio 7,i die and am born74 ,ne pereat 7,that it should not perish74 ,o mors1 ero mors tua 7,o death1 ,i shall be thy death74 ,se necat ut vivat 7,slays himself that he may live74 ,trouva sol nei tormenti il suo gioire 7,it finds alone its joy in its suffering74 ,vivre pour mourir1 mourir pour vivre 7,live to die1 die to live74 ,uror1 morior1 orior 7,i am burnt1 ,i die1 ,i arise74 ,the phnix in heraldry is never represented in other than in one position1 rising from flames1 that is1 with expanded wings and enveloped in flames of fire in which it is being consumed4 ,it is usually represented exactly as an eagle in shape1 but may be of any of the heraldic tinctures4 ,the phnix is of frequent use in heraldry1 and borne by many families in the ,united ,kingdom4 ,a phnix issuing from a ducal coronet is the crest of the ,duke of ,somerset4 ,linacre1 founder of the ,college of ,physicians1 and honorary physician to four sovereigns has on his tomb in ,westminster ,abbey the device of the phnix1 with the motto1 ,vivat post funera virtus 7,virtue survives death74 ,from the association of this fabulous bird with alchemy1 ,paracelsus wrote concerning it1 and several alchemists employed it to symbolise their vocation4 ,it was adopted by the ,apothecaries' ,company as crest1 and is a frequent sign over chemists' shops4 ,a phnix in flames proper1 gorged with a mural coronet1 is the allusive crest of the ,fenwicks2 the motto over the crest is the cri de guerre1 ,a ,fenwick6 a ,fenwick6 ,they were a family noted in border warfare4 ,the house of ,percy1 says ,mrs4 ,bury ,palliser1 ever ranked the ,fenwicks among the most valiant of its retainers1 and in border warfare the banner of the gorged phnix in the burning flame always appeared with that of the silver crescent of the ,percys4 ,the bird of paradise is interesting as having for a time been accepted as the veritable phnix1 a fact which has escaped ,gibbon4 ,that luxurious ,emperor1 ,heliogabalus1 having eaten1 as he thought1 of every known delicacy1 bethought him one day of the fabled phnix4 ,what mattered it that only one bird existed at a time2 that one1 the imperial gourmand must have1 and was inconsolable that he had not thought of it before4 ,the zeal of proconsuls was equal to the great occasion1 and from all parts of the earth came strange and wondrous birds1 each affirmed with confidence to be the sacred solitary bird1 that knows no second1 knows no third4 ,the cankerworm of doubt remains6 ,at last1 one day there was brought to ,rome from the far islands of the ,eastern seas a bird1 the like of which for the glory of its plumage had never been seen out of paradise1 the veritable phnix1 ,bird of the ,sun6 ,the sight of the magnificent creature carried conviction with it4 ,heliogabalus ate in faith1 and went to his fathers contented4 ,illustration3 ,a ,harpy1 wings disclosed4 ,the ,harpy ,of monsters all1 most monstrous this2 no greater wrath ,god sends 'mongst men2 it comes from depth of pitchy hell3 ,and virgin's face1 but womb like gulf unsatiate hath1 ,her hands are griping claws1 her colour pale and fell4 ,,virgil4 ,thou art like the harpy1 ,which to betray1 doth wear an angel's face1 ,seize with an eagle's talons4 ,pericles ,prince of ,tyre1 ,act iv4 sc4 #d4 ,a poetical monstrosity of classical origin1 described as winged creatures having the head and breasts of a woman1 and the body and limbs of a vulture2 very fierce and loathsome1 living in an atmosphere of filth and stench1 and contaminating anything which they come near4 ,pale and emaciated1 they were continually tormented with insatiable hunger4 ,they are best known from the story of the ,argonauts1 where they appear as the tormentors of the blind king ,phineus1 whose table they robbed of its viands1 which they either devoured or spoiled4 ,they were regarded by the ancients as ministers of sudden death4 ,illustration3 ,the ,harpy1 ,greek sculpture4 ,in ,miss ,millington's admirable book1 ,heraldry in ,history1 ,poetry and ,romance1 it is stated that unlike the generality of such mythical beings1 the harpies appear originally1 as in ,homer's ,odyssey1 as persons instead of personations2 while later authors for the most part reduced them to whirlwinds and whirlpools4 ,homer mentions but one harpy4 ,hesiod gives two1 later writers three4 ,the names indicate that these monsters were impersonations of whirlwinds and storms4 ,the names were3 ,ocypeta 7rapid71 ,celeno 7blackness71 ,aello 7storm74 ,i will 444 do any embassage 444 rather than ,hold three words' conference with this harpy4 ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing1 ,act ii4 sc4 #a4 ,bravely the figure of this harpy hast thou ,performed1 my ,ariel2 a grace it had devouring4 ,tempest1 ,act iii4 sc4 #c4 ,illustration3 ,a ,harpy displayed and crowned4 ,german version4 ,azure1 a harpy with her wings disclosed1 her hair flotant1 or1 armed of the same4 ,this coat existed in ,huntingdon ,church in ,guillam's time4 ,the arms of the ,city of ,nuremberg are3 azure1 a harpy displayed armed1 crined and crowned1 or4 ,it occurs as the city device as early as #abdc4 ,in ,german heraldry it is termed jungfraundler4 ,illustration3 ,shield of ,nremberg4 ,a creature very similar to the harpy 7a combination of several badges71 was one of the favourite devices of ,richard ,,iii41 viz41 a falcon with the head of a maiden holding the white rose of ,york4 ,the ,heraldic ,pelican ,then sayd the pellycane ,when my byrats be slayne ,with my bloude ,i them reuyue 7revive7 ,scrypture doth record1 ,the same dyd our ,lord1 ,and rose from deth to lyue4 ,,skelton1 ,armory of ,birds4 ,illustration3 ,a ,pelican in her piety1 wings displayed4 ,the character ascribed to the pelican is nearly as fabulous as that of the phnix4 ,from a clumsy1 gluttonous1 piscivorous water-bird1 it was by the growth of legends transformed into a mystic emblem of ,christ1 whom ,dante terms ,nostro ,pelicano4 ,st4 ,hieronymus gives the story of the pelican restoring its young ones destroyed by serpents as an illustration of the destruction of man by the old ,serpent1 and his salvation by the blood of ,christ4 ,the ,pelican in ,christian ,art is an emblem of ,jesus ,christ1 by whose blood we are healed4 ,it is also a symbol of charity4 ,the ,bestiarum says that ,physiologus tells us that the pelican is very fond of its brood1 but when the young ones begin to grow they rebel against the male bird and provoke his anger1 so that he kills them2 the mother returns to the nest in three days1 sits on the dead birds1 pours her blood over them1 and they feed on the blood4 ,illustration3 ,heraldic ,pelican in her piety4 ,heralds usually represent this bird with wings endorsed and neck embowed1 wounding her breast with her beak4 ,very many early painters mistakenly represented it similar to an eagle1 and not as a natural pelican1 which has an enormous bag attached to the lower mandible1 and extending almost from the point of the bill to the throat4 ,when in her nest feeding her young with her blood1 she is said to be ,,in ,,her ,,piety4 ,the ,romans called filial love piety1 hence ,virgil's hero is called the pious neas1 because he rescued his father from the flames of ,troy4 ,illustration3 ,crest1 a ,pelican vulning herself proper1 wings endorsed4 ,the myth that pelicans feed their young with their blood arose from the following habit1 on which the whole superstructure of fable has been erected3 ,they have a large bag attached to their under-bill4 ,when the parent bird is about to feed its brood1 it macerates small fish in this bag or pouch2 then1 pressing the bag against its breast1 transfers the macerated food to the mouths of the young ones4 ,the pelican in her piety is not an uncommon symbol upon monumental brasses4 ,that of ,william ,prestwick1 ,dean of ,hastings1 in ,warbleton ,church1 ,sussex1 has it with the explanatory motto3 ,sic ,xtus dilexit nos4 ,,examples4--,gules1 a pelican in her piety1 or4--,chauntrell4 ,azure1 three pelicans argent1 vulning themselves proper4--,pelham1 ,somerset1 c4 ,a pelican's head erased1 or otherwise detached from the body1 must always be drawn in the same position and vulning itself4 ,it should always be separated as low as the upper part of the breast4 ,it is said naturalists of old1 observing that the pelican had a crimson stain on the tip of its beak1 reported that it was accustomed to feed its young with the blood flowing from its breast1 which it tore for the purpose4 ,in this belief the ,early ,christians adopted the pelican to figure ,christ1 and set forth the redemption through ,his blood1 which was willingly shed for us ,his children4 ,,alphonso ,,the ,,wise1 ,king of ,castile 7 #abeb74 ,a pelican in its piety4 ,motto3 ,pro lege et grege4 ,,william ,,of ,,nassau1 founder of the ,republic of the ,united ,provinces1 one of the noblest characters of modern history4 ,he bore on some of his standards the pelican1 and on others the motto3 ,pro lege1 grege et rege4 ,,pope ,,clement ,,ix4 ,one of his devices was the pelican in its piety4 ,motto3 ,aliis non sibi clemens 7,tender-hearted to others1 not himself74 ,illustration3 ,the natural ,pelican4 ,other mottoes for the pelican3 ,ut vitam habeant 7,that they may have life74 ,immemor ipse sui 7,unmindful herself of herself74 ,mortuos vivificat 7,makes the dead live74 ,nec sibi parcit 7,nor spares herself74 ,the ,martlet ,the guest of summer1 ,the temple-haunting martlet4 ,macbeth4 ,illustration ,the ,martlet 7,merlette or ,merlot1 ,french2 ,merula1 ,latin74 ,the house-marten or swallow is a favourite device in heraldry all over ,europe1 and has assumed a somewhat unreal character from the circumstance that it catches its food on the wing and never appears to alight on the ground as other birds do4 ,it builds its nest frequently under the eaves of houses1 from whence it can take flight readily1 rarely alighting1 as it gains its food while on the wing2 the length of its wings and the shortness of its legs preventing it from rising should it rest on the ground4 ,no jutty friese1 ,buttress1 nor coign of vantage1 but this bird ,hath made his pendant bed1 and procreant cradle4 ,macbeth1 ,act i4 sc4 #f4 ,it is depicted in armory with wings close1 and in profile1 with thighs1 but with no visible legs or feet4 ,the martlet is the appropriate difference or mark of cadency for the fourth son4 ,sylvanus ,morgan says3 ,it modernly used to signify1 as that bird seldom lights on land1 so younger brothers have little land to rest on but the wings of their own endeavours1 who1 like the swallows1 become the travellers in their seasons4 ,the swallow 7hirondelle7 is the punning cognisance for ,arundell4 ,the seal of the town of ,arundel is a swallow1 ,baron ,arundell of ,wardour bears six swallows for his arms4 ,the great ,arundells have as motto1 ,de ,hirundine 7,concerning the swallow71 and ,nulli prda 7,a prey to none74 ,a ,latin poem of the twelfth century is thus rendered3 ,swift as the swallow1 whence his arms' device ,and his own arms are took1 enraged he flies ,thro' gazing troops1 the wonder of the field1 ,and strikes his lance in ,william's glittering shield4 ,we find it in ,glovers' roll1 says ,planch1 borne by ,roger de ,merley1 clearly as 'armes parlantes1' although in a border4 ,roger de ,merley3 bare d'argent et de goulz la bordure d'azur1 et merlots d'or en le bordure2 showing it was some difference of a family coat4 ,the ,alerion is a heraldic bird1 represented as an eaglet displayed1 but without beak or claws4 ,some writers confound it with the martlet1 stating that the alerion is the same bird with its wings displayed or extended4 ,they are first found in the arms of ,lorraine1 which are blazoned or1 on a bend gules1 three ,alerions argent1 and are said to be assumed in commemoration of an extraordinary shot made by ,godfrey de ,boulogne1 who at one draught of his bow1 shooting against ,david's ,tower in ,jerusalem1 broched three feetless birds called ,alerions1 which the ,house of ,lorraine1 decending from his race1 continued to this day4 ,it is impossible1 says ,planch1 who broached this wonderful story1 but it is perfectly evident that the narrator was the party who drew the longbow1 and not the noble ,godfrey4 ,illustration3 ,alerion displayed4 ,illustration3 ,heraldic ,eagle4 ,the letters of the word ,,alerion appear to be merely an anagram formed by the same letters ,,loraine1 and may account for the birds on the shield 7probably eaglets7 being called alerions4 ,the eagle displayed and the two-headed eagle are but extreme conventionalised representations of the natural bird4 ,the ,liver 7,cormorant7 ,liver1 a fabulous bird1 supposed to have given its name to ,liverpool and commemorated in the arms of that city4 ,it is traditionally described as a bird that frequented the pool1 near which the town was afterwards founded4 ,the arms granted in #agig are thus blazoned3 ,argent a cormorant1 in the beak a branch of seaweed all proper1 and for crest1 on a wreath of the colours1 a cormorant1 the wings elevated1 in the beak a branch of ,laver proper4 ,it is more than probable that the bird on the arms suggested the name ,liver being applied to it4 ,the fiction naturally arose from the desire to find a derivation for the name of the town4 ,it is1 however1 always depicted as a cormorant4 ,on the shield the bird is always depicted with the wings close1 and on the crest the wings are elevated4 ,illustration3 ,an ,heraldic ,tigre passant4 ,the ,heraldic ,tigre or ,tyger ,a savage tygress on her helmet lies2 ,the famous badge ,clorinda us'd to wear4 ,,fairfax',s ,tasso4 ,the tigre or tyger of the old heralds still holds its place in ,english armory1 retaining the ancient name to distinguish it from the natural tiger1 to which it bears but little resemblance except the name4 ,the early artists probably had no better authority for the strange creature they depicted than the wild tales of ,eastern travel and their own lively imaginations4 ,the habit of drawing in a conventional manner may also have assisted in producing such a monster4 ,this type of wild and ruthless ferocity1 approaching the draconic in its power and destructiveness1 was to their minds fitly suggested by exaggerations of those attributes of savageness and bloodthirstiness with which it was supposed to be endowed4 ,shakespeare makes ,king ,henry ,v41 when urging on his noblest ,english and good yeomen to the assault at ,harfleur1 declare that ,when the blast of war blows in our ears ,then imitate the action of the tiger2 ,stiffen the sinews1 summon up the blood1 ,disguise fair ,nature with hard-favoured rage4 ,illustration3 ,supporter1 an ,heraldic ,tigre1 collared and lined4 ,the tyger1 says ,bossewell1 is a beast wonderful in strength1 and most swift in flight as it were an arrow4 ,for the ,persians call an arrow tygris4 ,he is distinguished with diverse speckes2 and of him the floode ,tygris tooke the name4 ,it is said ,bacchus used these beastes in his chariot1 for their marveilous swiftness in conveying of the same4 ,the heraldic tigre1 the invention of the early heralds1 is depicted as having the body similar to a wolf1 but more strong and massive2 powerful jaws armed with prominent canine tusks1 and with a short curved horn or spike at the end of his nose4 ,a row of knotted tufts of hair adorn the back of his neck as a mane2 tufts also on his breast and thighs1 and with strong claws2 the tail of a lion completes his equipment4 ,he is a most effective creature in a heraldic emblazonment1 especially when armed and tufted of tinctures differing from his body4 ,the sinister supporter of the ,marquess of ,dufferin and ,ava is an heraldic tigre ermine1 gorged with a tressure flory counter flory or4 ,gules a chevron argent1 between three tigres1 c41 of the second4--,butler1 ,calais4 ,vert1 a tigre passant or1 maned and tufted argent4--,love1 ,norfolk 7granted #affc74 ,or1 a tigre passant gules4--,lutwych1 ,lutwich1 ,salop4 ,baron ,harlech has for dexter supporter1 and also for crest1 an heraldic tigre argent1 maned and tufted sable4 ,the tigre and mirror is an uncommon but very remarkable bearing4 ,amongst other remarkable ideas which our ancestors entertained respecting foreign animals1 some report that those who rob the tigre of her young use a policy to detaine their damme from following them by casting sundry looking-glasses in the way1 whereat she useth to long to gaze1 whether it be to beholde her owne beauty or because when she seeth her shape in the glasse she thinketh she seeth one of her young ones2 and so they escape the swiftness of her pursuit4#ba ,illustration3 ,tigre and ,mirror4 ,argent1 a tigre passant regardant looking into a mirror lying fessways1 the handle to the dexter all proper1 is said to have been the coat of ,hadrian de ,bardis 7probably an ,italian71 ,prebendary of ,oxfordshire4 ,these arms still remain1 or were lately remaining1 in a window of ,thame ,church4 ,only two other examples occur1 viz43 ,argent a tigre and mirror 7as before7 gules4--,sibell1 ,kent4 ,the ,royal ,tiger ,next to the lion in power is the tiger1 an animal not possessed of the noble qualities of the lion1 being fierce without provocation1 and cruel without cause4 ,the chief difference of the tiger from every other animal of the mottled kind is in the shape of the spots on the skin1 which run in streaks or bands in the direction of the ribs4 ,the leopard1 panther and the ounce are all1 in a certain degree1 marked like this animal1 except that the lines are broken by round spots1 which cover the whole surface of the skin4 ,the use of the royal tiger in modern coats of arms is frequent1 and has reference to services in the ,east4 ,outram1 ,bart41 has for supporters3 two royal ,bengal tigers guardant proper1 gorged with a wreath of laurel vert1 crowned with an ,eastern crown4 ,note4--,in a heraldic description 7or blazon as it is termed7 it is necessary for the sake of greater clearness1 and to prevent confusion1 to name the older mythical creature the ,,heraldic ,,tigre1 that it may not be confounded with its natural representative usually called the ,,royal ,,tiger4 ,leopard1 or ,panther1 ,felis ,pardus1 ,lybbarde ,upon his shoulders a scheld of stele ,with the lybbardes painted wele4 ,the ,metrical ,romance of ,richard ,cur de ,lyon4 ,make the libbard stern ,leave roaring1 when in rage he for revenge did yearn4 ,,spenser1 ,faerie ,queen1 ,book i4 canto vi4 ,a curious character1 partly real and partly fictitious has been ascribed to the lybbard or leopard of heraldry4 ,it was said to be the offspring of a lioness and a panther1 the ,northmen or ,normans1 according to some authorities1 having adopted that beast of prey1 noted for rashness1 as typical of themselves1 so characterised by boldness and impetuosity4 ,the standard of ,rollo1 first ,duke of ,normandy1 they say1 bore a leopard4 ,a second lion or leopard was added to the ,norman shield when the county of ,maine became annexed to the ,duchy of ,normandy2 and the two lions or leopards--for they are indiscriminately so termed--were thus borne1 it is said1 upon the standard of ,william the ,conqueror1 and by his descendants4 ,a third lion was added by ,henry ,,ii4 on his marriage with ,eleanor of ,aquitain1 a lion being also the arms of that province4 ,illustration3 ,a ,leopard passant4 ,it has been keenly contested whether the three animals in the royal shield of ,england were lions or leopards4 ,the subject has been ably treated by ,mr4 ,j4 ,r4 ,planch in the ,pursuivant of ,arms1 and also by ,charles ,boutell1 ,m4,a41 in several of his works4 ,the case seems to stand thus3 ,in ancient coats the name is believed to be given to the lion in certain attitudes4 ,the ,french heralds call a lion passant a leopard4 ,thus ,bertrand du ,guesclin1 the famous ,breton1 declared that men devoyent bien honorer la noble fleur-de-lis1 qu'ils ne faissaient le flon lipard1 and ,napoleon1 strongly to excite the valour of his soldiers1 exclaimed1 ,let us drive these leopards 7the ,english7 into the sea6 ,lion ,loparde is the term used in ,french heraldry for the lion when borne passant guardant as in the royal shield of ,england4 ,when rampant they call it loparde lionn1 as if in this attitude the leopard assumed the position and bold character of the lion4 ,the attitude passant guardant thus denoted the peculiar stealthy tread and cat-like watchfulness of the leopard and panther4 ,the ,emperor ,frederick ,,ii4 7#abce7 sent ,king ,henry of ,england three leopards as a present in token of his armorial bearings4 ,it is a great argument in favour of the substitution of the lion for the leopard1 ,mr4 ,boutell thinks1 that the latter should have almost disappeared from ,english heraldry1 the face and head only retaining their place in modern coats4 ,illustration3 ,a ,leopard's ,face1 jessant-de-lis4 ,a leopard's head should show part of the neck1 couped or erased1 as the case may be2 guardant1 affront or front face1 is always to be understood of the leopard1 and never in profile4 ,a leopard's face shows no part of the neck1 and in conjunction with the term jessant-de-lis is used with respect to a leopard's face having a fleur-de-lis passing through it4 ,the insignia of the ,see of ,hereford is3 gules three leopards' heads reversed jessant-de-lis1 or4 ,in heraldry the leopard represents those brave and generous warriors who have performed some bold enterprise with force1 courage1 promptitude1 and activity4 ,thus ,shakespeare alludes to the character of the bold soldier ,full of strange oaths1 and bearded like the pard1 ,jealous in honour1 sudden and quick in quarrel1 ,seeking the bubble reputation ,even in the cannon's mouth4 ,in ,christian ,art the leopard is employed to represent that beast spoken of in the ,apocalypse1 with seven heads and ten horns4 ,six of the heads are nimbed1 but the seventh1 being wounded to death1 has lost its power1 and consequently has no nimbus4 ,three leopards passant guardant or1 pellete1 appear on the arms of the ,marquis of ,downshire4 ,it is also the sinister supporter4 ,the supporters of the town of ,aberdeen are leopards4 ,sable three leopards rampant argent spotted sable are given as the arms of ,lynch4 ,it is1 however1 probable that the lynx was the animal originally blazoned as arms parlantes for the name4 ,ermine on a cross patonce sable1 a leopard's head1 issuing out of a ducal coronet or1 crest1 a demi-leopard erect1 proper4--,dickens4 ,a leopard's face1 breaking with his mouth a sword1 is the crest of ,disne4 ,the supporters of the ,earl of ,northesk are two leopards reguardant4 ,the leopard or panther1 says ,dr4 ,p4 ,m4 ,duncan1 ,f4,r4,s41#bb was the only one of the greater feline animals1 except the lion and tiger1 which seems to have been known to the ancients4 ,it is always represented as drawing the chariot of ,bacchus1 and the forlorn ,ariadne is sculptured as riding on one of the spotted steeds of her divine lover4 ,the panther was also constantly used in the barbarous sports of the amphitheatre1 and1 in common with the lion and tiger1 has been both executioner and grave to many a bold-hearted martyr4 ,the leopard's skin was a favourite mantle in the olden times in ,greece4 ,in the ,iliad1 ,homer1 speaking of ,menelaus1 says3 ,with a pard's spotted hide his shoulders broad ,he mantled o'er1 and the leopard1 or panther1 is given in the ,odyssey as one of the forms assumed by ,proteus1 the ,ancient of the ,deep4 ,a curious ancient superstition about the leopard is embodied in its name4 ,it was thought not to be actually the same animal as the panther or pard1 but to be a mongrel or hybrid between the male pard and the lioness1 hence it was called the lion-panther1 or leopardus4 ,this error1 as ,archbishop ,trench tells us1 has lasted into modern times2 thus ,fuller3 ,leopards and mules are properly no creatures4 ,some writers1 says ,boutell1 describe the leopard as the issue of the pard and lioness1 and they assign the unproductiveness of such hybrids as a reason for its frequent adoption in the arms of abbots and abbesses4 ,mulus et abbates sunt in honore pares4 ,the leopard and panther are now acknowledged to be but slight varieties of the same species4 ,in ,wood's ,natural ,history some slight difference is mentioned as to the number of spots4 ,the panther is fawn-coloured above1 white underneath1 with six or seven ranges of patches resembling rosettes--that is to say1 each composed of an assemblage of five or six simple black spots4 ,it very much resembles the leopard1 which inhabits the same region 7but has ten rows of spots which are of smaller size71 ,it is the wildest of the feline tribe1 always retaining its fierce aspect and perpetual growl4 ,the ,panther ,incensed ,the panther1 knowing that his spotted hide ,doth please all beasts1 but that his looks them fray1 ,within a bush his dreadful head doth hide ,to let them gaze1 while he on them doth prey4 ,,spenser1 ,sonnet4 ,this beast1 like the leopard1 has been the object of much mistaken or fictitious history4 ,pliny1 who is responsible for many of the errors in natural history since his time1 says of the panther3 ,it is said that all four-footed beasts are wonderfully delighted and enticed by the smell of panthers2 but their hideous looke and crabbed countenance which they bewray so soon as they show their heads skareth them as much again3 therefore their manner is to hide their heads1 and when they have trained other beasts within their reach by their sweet savour1 they fall upon them and worry them4#bc ,and again1 ,sir ,william ,segar1 ,garter ,king-of-,arms1 following the same credulous historian1 says3 ,the panther is admired of all other beasts for the beauty of his skyn1 being spotted with variable colours1 and beloved of them for the sweetness of his breath that streameth forth of his nostrils and ears like smoke which our paynters mistaking1 corruptly do make fire4#bd ,illustration3 ,panther incensed4 ,it is1 however1 more probable that the creature was represented emitting flame and smoke to denote and give characteristic expression to the native savagery of the brute when irritated4 ,if one can imagine the terror inspired by remorseless and unpitying fury1 sudden and impetuous1 we see its object fairly typified in the panther incensed4 ,the idea of fire and smoke darting from its mouth1 eyes and ears was doubtless suggested by that habit peculiar to the feline race1 observable even in the domestic cat1 to spit fire and swear when rudely attacked1 and as an emblem in this sense it is extremely well indicative of sudden fury4 ,guillam says3 ,some authors are of opinion that there are no panthers bred in ,europe2 but in ,africa1 ,lybia and ,mauritania they are plentiful4 ,the panther is a beast of a beautiful aspect1 by reason of the manifold variety of his divers coloured spots wherewith his body is overspread4 ,as a lion doth in most things resemble the nature of a man1 so1 after a sort1 doth the panther of a woman2 for it is a beautiful beast1 and fierce1 yet very loving to their young ones1 and will defend them with the hazard of their own lives2 and if they miss them1 they bewail their loss with loud and miserable howling4 ,the ,lancastrian badge the panther1 says ,planch1 which is attributed by ,sir ,william ,segar to ,henry ,,vi4 and blazoned passant guardant argent spotted of all colours with vapour issuant from her mouth and ears2 but there is no authority quoted for it1 and there is no example extant1 the only collateral evidence being the supporters of the ,somerset ,dukes of ,beaufort1 who are supposed to have used it as a token of their ,lancastrian descent4 ,the dexter supporter of the ,duke of ,beaufort thus is blazoned3 ,dexter1 a panther argent1 seme of torteaux1 hurts and pomies alternately1 flames issuant from the mouth and ears proper1 gorged with a plain collar1 chained1 or4 ,the heraldic panther1 or as it is more frequently termed1 a panther incensed1 is always borne guardant1 i4e41 full-faced2 and incensed1 that is to say1 it is depicted with flames and smoke issuing from its mouth and ears4 ,its coat is spotted of various tinctures as the blazon may state4 ,odet de ,foix1 ,sieur de ,lautrec1 ,marshal of ,france 7 #aebh7 being considered a person of fierce appearance1 took for device a panther1 with the motto ,allicit ulterius 7,he entices further71 alluding to the attractive power of that animal notwithstanding its fierce exterior1 an evidence1 remarks a modern writer1 that he had as much vanity as ambition4 ,the town of ,lucca for arms bears a panther3 ,la pantera1 che ,lucca abbraccia e onora4 ,gian ,giacomo ,trivulzio1 surnamed the ,great 7 #aeah71 a celebrated ,italian soldier1 bore a panther on his standard1 with the motto1 ,mens sibi conscia facti 7,the mind conscious to itself of the deed71 the panther signifying foresight 7providence7 from the number of eyes in his coat4 ,others said he wished to imply that he knew how to manage for himself in the various changes of his capricious fortune4#be ,illustration3 ,the ,lynx4 ,the ,lynx ,felis ,lynx1 or mountain cat1 is found in the northern parts of ,europe1 ,asia and ,america1 and climbs the highest trees4 ,he preys on squirrels1 deer1 hares1 c4 ,he is fond of blood and kills great numbers of animals to satisfy his unconquerable thirst4 ,he is smaller than the panther1 about three feet and a half in length1 his tail is much shorter and black at the extremity4 ,his ears are erect with a pencil of black hair at the tips4 ,the fur is long and thick1 the upper part of the body is a pale grey1 the under parts white4 ,the sight of the lynx is said to be so piercing that the ancients attributed to it the faculty of seeing through stone walls3 it may1 however1 be asserted with truth that it distinguishes its prey at a greater distance than any other carnivorous quadruped4 ,on this account it is frequently employed in heraldry1 symbolising watchfulness1 keenness of vision1 and also the ability to profit by it4 ,lynx-eyed1 oculis lynceis1 originally referred to ,lynceus1 the argonaut1 who was famed for the keenness of his vision2 then it was transferred to the lynx and gave rise to the fable that it could see through a wall 7notes to ,philobiblon1 by ,e4 ,c4 ,thomas74 ,the ,accademia de ,lincei1 founded in ,rome in #afjc1 with the object of encouraging a taste for natural history1 adopted the name and device of the lynx because the members should have the eyes of a lynx to penetrate the secrets of nature4 ,galileo1 ,fabio ,colonna1 and ,gianbattista ,porta were among the members of the academy1 the latter philosopher and mathematician1 who was the inventor of the camera obscura1 bore the device of the academy1 the lynx1 and the motto ,aspicit et inspicit 7,looks at and looks into74 ,charles ,,iv4 of ,luxemburg1 ,emperor of ,germany1 adopted the lynx for his impress1 with the motto1 ,nullius pavit occursum 7,he fears not meeting with any one74 ,,the ,,lizard ,,lynx is an animal of the lynx or wild cat kind of a dark brown colour1 spotted black2 the ears and tail are short4 ,they are frequent in the woods of ,sweden1 ,denmark and ,norway1 where they are usually termed lizards4 ,illustration3 ,cat-a-,mountain saliant1 collared and lined4 ,cat-a-,mountain--,tiger ,cat or ,wild ,cat ,the ,clan ,chattan1 who gave their name to the county of ,caithness1 bore as their cognisance the wild mountain cat1 and called their chieftain1 the ,earl of ,sutherland1 ,mohr an chat 7,the ,great ,wild ,cat74 ,the ,mackintoshes still bear as their crests and supporters these ferocious cats1 with the appropriate warning as a motto1 ,touch not the cat but a glove4 ,the whole is a pun upon the word ,catti1 the ,teutonic settlers of ,caithness1 i4e41 ,catti-ness1 and means ,touch not the ,clan ,cattan 7or mountain cat7 without a glove4 ,here but is used in the original meaning1 beout1 i4e41 without4 ,for another example of but meaning without1 see ,amos iii4 #g4 ,the same words are also used as the motto of several ,scottish families4 ,none will forget how the cat-a-mountain showed her claws to the ,clan ,kay1 in the ,wynds of ,perth in ,sir ,walter ,scott's ,fair ,maid of ,perth4 ,illustration3 ,crest1 a ,cat-a-,mountain1 sejant1 collared and lined4 ,the ,heraldic ,musion4--,bossewell1 in his work on heraldry published #aegb1 describes a musion as a beaste that is enimie to myse and rattes4 ,he adds also that he is slye and wittie1 and seeth so sharply1 that he overcommeth darkness of the nighte by the shyninge lighte of his eyne4 ,in the shape of body1 he is like unto a leoparde1 and hath a greate mouthe4 ,he doth delighte that he enjoyeth his libertie1 and in his youthe he is swifte1 plyante1 and merrie4 ,he maketh a rufull noyse1 and a gastefull when he proffereth to fighte with another4 ,he is a cruel beaste when he is wilde and falleth on his owne feet from moste high places1 and uneth 7scarce7 is hurte therewith4 ,when he hathe a fayre skinne1 he is1 as it were1 prowde thereof1 and then he goeth fast aboute to be seene4 ,childebert1 ,king of ,france1 in token of his having taken captive ,gondomar of ,bourgogne1 assumed the device of a tiger-cat or ounce behind a grating or troillis1 gules clou argent4 ,this recalls the famous scene between ,sanglier ,rouge and ,toison d',or in ,quentin ,durward1 when ,charles the ,bold's jester professes to help the unhappy envoy of ,de la ,marck by describing it as a cat looking out of a dairy window4 ,the cat1 though domesticated1 is considered as possessed of ingratitude2 in its friendship so uncertain and so vicious in its nature1 that1 say old writers1 it is only calculated for destroying the obnoxious race of rats and other small game4 ,from the medival superstition that ,satan's favourite form was a black cat1 it was superstitiously called a familiar4 ,hence witches were said to have a cat as their familiar4 ,,the ,,cat3 ,a symbol of liberty4--,the ,roman goddess of ,liberty was represented as holding a cup in one hand1 a broken sceptre in the other1 and a cat lying at her feet4 ,no animal is so great an enemy to all constraint as a cat4 ,the cat was held in veneration by the ,egyptians as sacred to the goddess ,bubastis4 ,this deity is represented with a human body and a cat's head4 ,diodorus tells us that whoever killed a cat1 even by accident1 was by the ,egyptians punished with death4 ,according to ,egyptian tradition1 ,diana assumed the form of a cat1 and thus excited the fury of the giants4 ,the ,london ,review says3 ,the ,egyptians worshipped the cat as a symbol of the moon1 not only because it is more active after sunset1 but from the dilation and contraction of its orb1 symbolical of the waxing and waning of the night goddess4 ,in heraldry it should always be represented full-faced like the leopard4 ,erminois three cats-a-mountain passant gardant1 in pale azure1 each charged on the body with an ermine spot or4 ,crest3 a demi cat-a-mountain gardant1 azure1 gorged with a collar gemel1 and charged with ermine spots1 two and one4--,tibbets4 ,the supporters of the ,earl of ,clanricarde are wild cats1 and also those of the ,earl of ,belmore4 ,it is the crest of ,de ,burgh4 ,,neas4--,his mantle was the lion's1 ,with all its tawny bars1 ,his falchion1 like ,orion's1 ,was gemmed with golden stars4 ,upon his lofty helmet ,a brazen terror rode2 ,no sword could overwhelm it ,when in the fight it glowed4 ,for like a wild cat brindled1 ,it spat with eyes on fire1 ,and in the battle kindled ,immortal rage and ire1 ,now in the sunshine sleeping1 ,how gently it reposed2 ,but still in wisdom keeping ,a single eye unclosed4 ,queen ,dido1 by ,t4 ,s4 ,illustration3 ,the ,crowned ,salamander of ,francis ,i4 ,the ,salamander ,the salamander has been immemorially credited with certain fabulous powers4 ,less than a century ago the creature was seriously described as a spotted lizard1 which will endure the flames of fire4 ,divested of its supernatural powers it is simply a harmless little amphibian of the newt family1 from six to eight inches in length1 with black skin and yellow spots4 ,the skin was long thought to be poisonous1 though it is in reality perfectly harmless2 but the moist surface is so extremely cold to the touch that1 from this peculiar quality in the creature1 the idea must have arisen1 not only that it could withstand any heat to which it was exposed1 but it would actually subdue and put out fire4 ,this was a widespread belief long before the time of ,pliny1 whose account of the creature is thus paraphrased by ,swift3 ,further1 we are by ,pliny told ,this serpent is extremely cold2 ,so cold that1 put it in the fire1 ',twill make the very flames expire4 ,marco ,polo1 the early ,venetian traveller1 who tells of many strange and wonderful things seen and heard of in his journeyings1 was not a believer in the fabulous stories of the salamander1 for he dismisses the subject with the curt remark1 ,everybody knows that it could be no animal's nature to live in fire4 ,an early heraldic writer of a somewhat later period1 with greater credulity1 stoutly maintains its reality1 and in describing the creature states that he actually possessed some of the hair or down of the salamander4 ,this1 he goes on to say1 ,i have several times put in the fire and made it red-hot1 and after taken out2 which1 being cold1 yet remaineth perfect wool1 or fine downy hair4 ,marco ,polo further on assures his readers that the true salamander is nothing but an incombustible substance found in the earth1 all the rest being fabulous nonsense4 ,he tells of a mountain in ,tartary1 there or thereabouts1 in which a vein of salamander was found2 and so we arrive at the fact that this salamander's wool was nothing but the asbestos of the ancients4 ,it is easy to see why asbestos became known as salamanders' wool4 ,the name resulted from the juxtaposition of ideas1 and shows how deeply impressed was the belief in the salamander's mysterious powers4 ,a late writer tells us that some of the lizard tribe are known to enjoy warmth1 and alligators are said to revel in hot water4 ,it needed only that an insignificant member of the genus should have been found among the dead embers of a fire to prove at once the invulnerability of the reptile and its ability to extinguish the flames4 ,the salamander of medival superstition was a creature in the shape of a man1 which lived in fire 7,greek1 salambeander1 chimney-man71 meaning a man that lives in a chimney4 ,it was described by the ancients as bred by fire and existing in flames1 an element which must inevitably prove destructive of life4 ,pliny describes it as a sort of lizard which seeks the hottest fire to breed in1 but quenches it with the extreme frigidity of its body4 ,he tells us he tried the experiment once1 but the creature was soon reduced to powder4#bf ,gregory of ,nazianzen says that the salamander not only lived in and delighted in flames1 but extinguished fire4 ,st4 ,epiphanius compares the virtues of the hyacinth and the salamander4 ,the hyacinth1 he states1 is unaffected by fire1 and will even extinguish it as the salamander does4 ,the salamander and the hyacinth were symbols of enduring faith1 which triumphs over the ardour of the passions4 ,submitted to fire the hyacinth is discoloured and becomes white4 ,we may here perceive1 says ,m4 ,portal1 a symbol of enduring and triumphant faith4 ,illustration3 ,salamander crest of ,james1 ,earl of ,douglas4 ,from garter-plate4 ,this imaginary creature is generally represented as a small wingless dragon or lizard1 surrounded by and breathing forth flames4 ,sometimes it is represented somewhat like a dog breathing flames4 ,a golden salamander is so represented on the garter-plate of ,james1 ,earl of ,douglas1 ,k4,g41 the first ,scottish noble elected into the ,order of the ,garter1 and who died #adhc ,a4,d4 ,tinctured vert2 and in flames proper it is the crest of ,douglas1 ,earl of ,angus4 ,franois ,i4 of ,france adopted as his badge the salamander in the midst of flames1 with the legend1 ,nutrisco et extinguo 7,i nourish and extinguish74 ,the ,italian motto from which this legend was borrowed was1 ,nudrisco il buono e spengo il reo 7,i nourish the good and extinguish the bad2 ,fire purifies good metal1 but consumes rubbish74 ,in his castle of ,chambord1 the galleries of the ,palace of ,fontainebleau1 and the ,htel ,st4 ,bourg ,thoroulde at ,rouen1 this favourite device of the crowned salamander1 with the motto1 may be everywhere seen4 ,azure1 a salamander or1 in flames proper1 is the charge on the shield of the ,italian family of ,cennio4 ,the lizards which form the crest of the ,ironmongers' ,company1 were probably intended for salamanders on the old seal of the company in #adhc1 but are now blazoned as lizards4 ,the heraldic signification of the salamander was that of a brave and generous courage that the fire of affliction cannot destroy or consume4 ,in the animal symbolism of the ancients the salamander may be said to represent the element of ,,fire2 the eagle1 ,,air2 the lion1 ,,earth2 the dolphin1 ,,water4 ,heraldic ,antelope ,this fictitious animal1 when depicted in heraldry1 has a body like that of a stag1 the tail of a unicorn1 a head like the heraldic tiger1 with two serrated horns1 and a tusk growing from the tip of his nose1 a row of tufts down the back of his neck1 and the like on his tail1 chest and thighs4 ,thus represented it is termed an heraldic antelope to distinguish it from the real or natural antelope1 which is also borne in modern coats of arms4 ,illustration3 ,heraldic ,antelope4 ,the old heralds1 with their scant knowledge of the rarer kinds of foreign animals1 represented the antelope as a fierce beast of prey1 and totally unlike in appearance and in disposition to the beautiful small-limbed gentle creature with which we are acquainted4 ,that such was the prevailing opinion in the time of ,spenser is evident4 ,in the ,faerie ,queen he makes the stout ,sir ,satyrane-- ,in life and manners wild1 ,amongst wild beasts and woods from laws of man exiled4 --more than a match for the most ferocious brutes1 all of whom he subdues3 ,wild beasts in iron yokes he would compel2 ,the spotted panther1 and the tuskd boar2 ,the pardale swift1 and the tiger cruel1 ,the antelope and wolf1 both fierce and fell2 ,and them constrain in equal team to draw4 ,some authorities give the heraldic antelope with two straight horns1 but as the ancient badge of the ,house of ,lancaster it was represented with two serrated horns curving backward4 ,in blazon1 the term heraldic antelope should always be used unless the natural antelope is intended4 ,the ,heraldic ,ibex is an imaginary beast resembling the heraldic antelope in appearance1 with the exception of the horns projecting from his forehead1 which are serrated like a saw4 ,perhaps it would not be erroneous to consider it identical with the heraldic antelope4 ,illustration3 ,the ,heraldic ,ibex4 ,the real or natural ibex is a native of the ,alps1 the ,pyrenees and the ,grecian mountains1 where they abound in defiance of the hunters4 ,it resembles a goat1 but the horns are much larger1 bent backwards1 and full of knots1 one of which is added every year4 ,bagwyn ,a fabulous beast like the heraldic antelope1 but having the tail of a horse1 and long horns of a goat curved backwards4 ,the dexter supporter of the arms of ,carey1 ,lord ,hundson1 in ,westminster ,abbey1 is a ,bagwyn4 ,the ,camelopard1 ,camel-leopard ,the ,giraffe figures a few times in blazon under these names4 ,it is described by old heralds as half camel and half leopard4 ,a curious word-combination was made by the ,romans when wishing to find a name for the giraffe4 ,it is1 says ,archbishop ,trench1 a creature combining1 though with infinitely more grace1 yet some of the height and even the proportions of a camel1 with the spotted skin of the pard4 ,they called it camelopardus1 the camel-panther4 ,there are two heraldic creatures based upon the above which are referred to in heraldic works1 viz41 the ,,allocamelus or ass-camel1 having the body of the camel conjoined to the head of an ass2 and the ,,camelopardel1 which is like the camelopard1 but with two long horns curved backwards4 ,musimon1 ,tityrus ,a fictitious animal mentioned by ,guillim and others4 ,it nearly resembles a goat1 with the head and horns of a ram1 but has besides the horns of that beast1 a pair of goat's horns4 ,it is also mentioned in ,guillim's ,display1 where it is said to be a bigenerous beast1 of unkindly procreation1 engendered between a goat and a ram1 like the ,tityrus1 the offspring of a sheep and goat1 as noted by ,upton4 ,illustration3 ,musimon1 ,tityrus4 ,the ,enfield ,an imaginary hybrid animal with the head of a fox1 chest of a greyhound1 talons of an eagle1 and body of a lion2 the hind legs and tail of a wolf4 ,it occurs as the crest of some ,irish families of the name of ,kelly4 ,illustration3 ,mantygre--,satyral4 ,mantiger1 ,montegre or ,manticora ,satyral ,a chimerical creature of medival invention1 having the body of an heraldic tiger with mane1 and the head of an old man with long spiral horns4 ,some heraldic authorities make the horns more like those of an ox1 and the feet like a dragon's4 ,the ,satyral is apparently identical with the man-tiger4 ,the belief that certain persons have the power of assuming the shape of the tiger is common in ,india1 and the ,khonds say that a man-killing tiger is either an incarnation of the ,earth's goddess or a transfigured man4 ,it is thus with the ,lavas of ,birma1 supposed to be the broken-down remains of a cultured race and dreaded as man-tigers4#bg ,two satyrals supported the arms of the ,lords ,stawell4 ,the supporters of the arms of the ,earl of ,huntingdon are mantigers1 but are represented without horns4 ,illustration3 ,manticora4 ,from ancient ,bestiaria4 ,from a medival ,bestiaria we have a description and illustration of a gruesome creature of this name 7manticora71 evolved no doubt from some traveller's marvellous tale4 ,we are told that it is bred among the ,indians1 has a triple row of teeth1 in bigness and roughness like a lion's1 face and ears like a man's1 a tail like a scorpion's with a sting and sharp-pointed quills1 and that his voice is like a small trumpet1 and that he is very wild1 and that after having his tail bruised1 he can be tamed without danger4 ,there are several other fictitious creatures1 which1 if we may believe certain old writers1 excited the minds of our credulous wonder-loving forefathers4 ,of these little need be said1 as they rarely1 if ever1 appear in modern works on heraldry1 and may therefore be classed as extinct monsters4 ,lamia or ,emipusa ,illustration3 ,lamia4 ,from old ,bestiary4 ,a curious creature of the imagination is the lamia1 of which we are told many fictitious stories4 ,it is said to be the swiftest of all four-footed creatures1 that it is very treacherous and cruel to men4 ,it is stated to be bred in ,lybia1 and sometimes devours its own young4 ,it is represented in an ancient ,bestiaria as having the head and breasts of a woman1 and the body of a four-footed animal with flowing tail1 the hind feet having divided hoofs4 ,it is thought to be the creature mentioned in ,isaiah xxxiv41 called in ,hebrew ,lilith1 as also the same which is mentioned in ,lamentations iv4 ,in ,dr4 ,brewer's ,dictionary of ,phrase and ,fable1 ,,lamia is a female phantom whose name was used by the ,greeks and ,romans as a bugbear to children1 from the classic fable of a ,lybian ,queen beloved by ,jupiter1 but robbed of her children by ,juno2 and in consequence she vowed vengeance against all children1 whom she delighted to entice and murder4 ,they are again described as spectres of ,africa1 who attracted strangers and then devoured them4 ,in the story of ,machats and ,philemon1 a young man is represented as marrying an ,empusa1 who sucks his blood at night4 ,goethe borrowed his ballad of the ,bride of ,corinth from this tale4 ,beyond casual mention this mythical creature does not appear in heraldry4 ,baphomet ,a fictitious creature having two heads1 male and female1 the rest of the body female2 said to be used as an idol or symbol by the ,templars in their mysterious rites4 ,the word is a corruption of ,mahomet4 ,though mentioned in old works it does not now appear in ,british heraldry4 ,apres ,a fictitious animal resembling a bull1 with a short tail like that of a bear4 ,it is the sinister supporter of the arms of the ,company of ,muscovy ,merchants4 ,stelliones ,the supporters of the ,ironmongers' ,company of ,london are two lizards4 ,bossewell describes beasts of similar shape--,stelliones as he terms them1 evidently in allusion to steel4 ,he says1 ,stellio is a beaste like a lysard1 having on his back spotts like starres4#bh ,stellione-serpent1 a serpent with the head of a weasel1 borne by the name of ,baume4 ,fictitious ,creatures of the ,sea ,,introductory ,,notes ,the sea1 that is ,a world of waters heapd up on high1 ,rolling like mountains in wild wilderness1 ,horrible1 hideous1 roaring with hoarse cry6 ,,spenser4 ,i can call spirits from the vasty deep4 ,,shakespeare4 ,mariners in all ages1 prone to superstitious fears1 have peopled the great deep with beings of the most dreadful kind1 all the more wonderful and indescribable because of the mysterious and unknown regions in the sea depths which they were supposed to inhabit4 ,classic mythology in its wealth of imagery allotted a whole hierarchy of greater and lesser divinities to the government of the watery element1 whose capricious ruling of the waves man altogether failed to comprehend4 ,their fancied terrors1 begot in calms and storms1 in darkness and in fogs1 midst dangers of the most appalling kind1 assumed those monstrous and fantastic shapes which their own fears created4 ,the active forces of nature in unusual forms impressed them as the result of supernatural agency1 or the meddling of the gods1 whose favours and protection the mariner1 by prayers and supplications1 endeavoured to propitiate2 and whilst tremblingly he skirts the horizon's edge in timid ventures1 new dangers impel him to promises of greater gifts to assuage the wrathful mood of his angry god or some other equally powerful or more spiteful4 ,the national god of the ,philistines was represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish4 ,it was but natural that a seafaring people should adopt a god of that form4 ,dagon his name2 sea-monster1 upward man ,and downward fish3 yet had his temple high ,reared in ,azotus1 dreaded through the coast ,of ,palestine1 in ,gath and ,ascalon1 ,and ,accaron and ,gaza's frontier bounds4 ,paradise ,lost1 ,book i4 #dfb4 ,in the leviathan and behemoth of ,scripture are darkly indicated monsters of the great deep4 ,scandinavian mythology1 like that of all bold maritime peoples in old times1 is rife with legends of certain great monsters of the sea4 ,the kraken or sea-serpent of popular legend is a myth not yet laid to rest2 there is still a lingering belief in the existence of the mermaid4 ,with a comb and a glass in her hand1 her hand1 her hand1 ,with a comb and a glass in her hand4 ,popular sea-song4 ,chief amongst the ,grecian sea-divinities stands ,poseidon1 or ,neptune as he was called by the ,romans1 the potent ruler of the seas4 ,he usually dwelt1 not in ,olympus1 but at the bottom of the sea1 in a magnificent golden palace in the neighbourhood of g4 ,he is always represented with a trident1 sometimes with a rudder--special symbols of his power over the sea4 ,accompanied by his wife1 fair ,amphitrite1 he was frequently pictured in royal state in his chariot1 drawn through the billows by wild sea-horses1 attended by ,triton blowing loud his wreathed horn1 ,proteus1 the godlike shepherd of the sea1 and other followers--dolphins leaping the waves and showing their high arched backs in wild gambolings4 ,nereus and his fifty daughters1 the ,nereides1 who dwelt in caves and grottos of the ocean--beneficent sea-nymphs1--win the hearts of the sailors1 now by their merry sports and dances1 now by their timely assistance in the hour of danger4 ,whilst ,nereus and his lovely daughters represent the sea under its calm and pleasant aspect1 ,thaumas1 ,phorcys1 ,ceto present it as the world of wonders1 under its more terrible conditions4 ,the storm winds and all the terrors and dangers of the deep were typified under various strange and peculiar forms4 ,not the least dreaded were the ,sirens1 fatal sisters1 who spread o'er the silver waves their golden hair1 basked near sunlit rocks1 and lured all men to their ruin by their enchanting voices1 save only the crafty ,ulysses4 ,these and many others of lesser note1 ,proteus1 ,glaucus and the rest1 make up the discordant influences that govern the watery element4 ,many wonderful stories are told by classic writers concerning these old myths1 and innumerable relics of antique art which embody the conceptions of the times are extant in our museums1 by which we may judge to what a large extent such ideas influenced the common life and formed the beliefs of ancient peoples4 ,it is also worthy of observation to note in what manner the ancients sought to identify the various sea-deities and other mythical creatures with the element they lived in4 ,each was known by his form or the attributes by which he was accompanied4 ,modern heraldry repeats many of these old-world myths as new-coined fables1 so that for their proper understanding and signification it will be necessary briefly to refer to ancient ideas respecting them4 ,lakes1 rivers and fountains had each their impersonation peculiar to them1 which will be found referred to in classic story4 ,medival legend is equally rife with accounts of wonderful creatures of the sea4 ,the change of one form of superstition for another alters but little the constitution of the mind to harbour fears1 and the imagination will deceive even the wisest and best so long as ,nature's laws are misunderstood4 ,particular whirlpools1 rocks and other dangerous places to navigation1 are personated under the forms of monsters of various and awful shapes feared by the mariner1 who dreads ,the loud yell of watery wolves to hear4 ,scylla and ,charybdis are two rocks which lie between ,italy and ,sicily4 ,ships which tried to avoid one were often wrecked on the other4 ,the ancients feigned an interesting legend to account for their existence4 ,it was ,circe who changed ,scylla into a frightful sea monster1 and ,jupiter who changed ,charybdis into a whirlpool1 the noise of which was likened to the loud barking of dogs2 and the monster was therefore represented with savage dogs amidst her scaly folds1 and loudly baying4 ,far on the right her dogs foul ,scylla hides2 ,charybdis roaring on the left presides1 ,and in her greedy whirlpool sucks the tides1 ,then spouts them from below2 with fury driven ,the waves mount up1 and wash the face of heaven4 ,but ,scylla from her den with open jaws ,the sinking vessel in her eddy draws ,then dashes on the rocks4 ,a human face ,and virgin bosom hides her tail's disgrace2 ,her parts obscene below the waves descend1 ,with dogs enclosed1 and in a dolphin end4 neid1 ,book iii4 ,homer gives a vivid description of ,ulysses passing the rocks and whirlpools3 ,now through the rocks1 appall'd with deep dismay1 ,we bend our course1 and stem the desperate way2 ,dire ,scylla there a scene of horror forms2 ,and here ,charybdis fills the deep with storms4 ,when the tide rushes from her rumbling caves1 ,the rough rock roars1 tumultuous boil the waves2 ,they toss1 they foam1 a wild confusion raise1 ,like water bubbling o'er the fiery blaze2 ,eternal mists obscure the arial plain1 ,and high across the rocks she spouts the main3 ,when in her gulfs the rushing sea subsides1 ,she drains the ocean with the refluent tides3 ,the rock rebellows with a thundering sound2 ,deep1 wondrous deep1 below appears the ground4 ,odyssey1 ,book xii4 ,the giants and ogres of romance were never so fearfully armed or clothed by the wildest fiction with so terrible an aspect as the cephalopods1 the race to which the cuttlefish or octopus belongs4 ,eminently carnivorous1 voracious and fierce2 beneath staring eyes are spread eight strong fleshy arms furnished with tenacious suckers1 which adhere with unrelenting pertinacity1 and the arms are swiftly twined round the struggling prey1 which vainly strives to disengage itself from so fearful and so fatal embrace4 ,cephalopods of enormous size are sometimes found with arms as thick as a man's thigh4 ,homer refers to its tenacity of grip in a simile4 ,the cuttlefish appears upon ancient ,greek coins of ,coressus1 in allusion to the worship of ,neptune1 a deity much venerated as the protector of this island4 ,amongst the veritable inhabitants of the ocean there are few more extraordinary mammals than the sea-unicorn1 ,monodon monoceros1 the beaked whale of the ,arctic seas1 twenty to thirty feet from stern to snout4 ,his length is increased about eight feet by his magnificent spirally twisted tusk of the purest ivory1 which in reality is simply the canine tooth growing straight out of the upper jaw4 ,one of the royal treasures of ,denmark is the narwhal throne of the ,castle of ,rosenberg4 ,it is the horn of this strange fish which has kept up the belief in the existence of the mythical unicorn4 ,xiphias gladius1 swordfish1 is the largest of the thorny fishes1 and belongs to the scombers or mackerel group4 ,the sawfish1 ,pristis antiquorum1 ranks by himself between the rays and sharks4 ,he has the long body of a shark and the underside gill openings of a ray4 ,his saw1 like the sword of the ,xiphias1 is a long flattened bony snout1 but is double-edged and serrated4 ,it is well known as a weapon among the ,polynesian islanders1 and1 like the sword of the ,xiphias1 is frequently found buried in the hulls of ocean-going ships4 ,there are two denizens of the deep which bear the name of sea-horse--one the tiny ,hippocampus1 the other the mighty walrus4 ,the hippocampus of our public aquariums1 a bony pipefish some six or eight inches in length1 swimming upright1 his favourite position in the water1 with the general resemblance of his head to that of a horse1 is very striking2 anchored to the seaweed stems by their tails they dart on their prey with great quickness4 ,hippocampus 71 hippos1 a horse2 1 campe1 a bending71 the steed of ,neptune1 had only the two forelegs of a horse1 the hinder quarter being that of a dolphin4 ,the word means coiling horse4 ,the ,sea-horse of the ,north1 or walrus--the ,rossmareus or ,morse of the ,scandinavians1 the ,trichecus rosmarus of science1 is fifteen or twenty feet long1 or even longer1 and armed with huge canine teeth1 sometimes measuring thirty inches in length--tusks which furnish no small amount of our commercial ivory4 ,many are the thrilling stories of the chase of these great sea-horses1 for the walrus fights for his life as determinedly as any animal hunted by man4 ,the walrus has had the honour assigned to it also of being the original of the mermaid1 and ,scoresby says the front part of the head of a young one without tusks might easily be taken at a little distance for a human face1 especially as it has a habit of raising its head straight out of the water to look at passing ships4 ,the manatee1 or sea-cow1 found on the tropical coasts and streams of ,africa and ,america1 is called by the ,portuguese and ,spaniards the woman-fish1 from its supposed close resemblance4 ,its ,english name comes from the flipper resembling a human hand--manus--with which it holds its young to its breast4 ,one of this species1 which died at the ,royal ,aquarium in #ahgh1 was as unlike the typical mermaid as one could possibly imagine1 giving one a very startling idea of the difference between romance and reality2 but if it was observed in its native haunts1 and seen at some little distance1 and then only by glimpses1 it might possibly1 as some have asserted1 present a very striking resemblance to the human form4 ,sir ,james ,emerson ,tennent1 speaking of the ,dugong1 an herbivorous cetacean1 says its head has a rude approach to the human outline1 and the mother while suckling her young holds it to her breast with one flipper1 as a woman holds an infant in her arm2 if disturbed she suddenly dives under water and throws up her fish-like tail4 ,it is this creature1 he says1 which has probably given rise to the tales about mermaids4 ,seals differ from all other animals in having the toes of the feet included almost to the end in a common integument1 converting them into broad fins armed with strong non-retractile claws4 ,of the many varieties of the seal family1 from ,kamchatka comes the noisy ,,sea-,,lion 7,otaria jubata71 so called from his curious mane4 ,in the same neighbourhood we get the ,,sea-,,leopard 7,leptonyx weddellii71 and the ,,sea-,,bear 7the ,etocephalus ursinus71 whose larger and better-developed limbs enable him to stand and walk on shore4 ,but the most important of the seals1 in a commercial sense1 are the ,,harp ,,seal 7,phoca ,grnlandica7 and the ,,common ,,seal1 or ,,sea-,,dog 7,phoca vitulina71 which yield the skins so valuable to the furrier4 ,there are several other species1 of which the most known are the ,,crested ,,seal1 or ,neistsersoak 7,stemmatopus cristatus71 and the ,,bearded ,,seal 7,phoca barbata74 ,apart from the seal having possibly given rise to legends of the mermaid1 it has a distinguished position in superstition and mythology on its own account4 ,in ,shetland it is the haff-fish1 or selkie1 a fallen spirit4 ,evil is sure to follow the unfortunate destroyer of one of these creatures4 ,in the ,faroe ,islands there is a superstition that the seals cast off their skins every ninth night and appear as mortals1 dancing until daybreak on the sands4 ,sometimes they are induced to marry1 but if ever they recover their skins they betake themselves again to the water4 ,stephen of ,byzantium relates that the ships of certain ,greek colonists were on their expeditions followed by an immense number of seals1 and it was probably on this account that the city they founded in ,asia received the name of ,phocea1 from 7,phok71 the ,greek name of a seal1 and they also adopted that animal as the type or badge of the city upon their coinage4 ,the gold pieces of the ,phoceans were well known among the ,greek ,states1 and are frequently referred to by ancient writers4 ,thus from a single coin1 says ,noel ,humphreys1#bi we obtain the corroboration of the legend of the swarm of seals1 of the remote epoch of the emigration in question1 the coin being evidently of the earliest period1 most probably of the middle of the seventh century before the ,christian era4 ,luigi 7 #aeih71 brother to the ,duke of ,mantua1 had for device a seal asleep upon a rock in a troubled sea1 with the motto3 ,sic quiesco 7,so rest ,i74 ,the seal1 say the ancient writers1 is never struck by lightning4 ,the ,emperor ,augustus always wore a belt of seal-skin4 ,there is no living creature sleepeth more soundly1 says ,pliny1#cj therefore when storms arise and the sea is rough the seal goes upon the rocks where it sleeps in safety unconscious of the storm4 ,the poet ,spenser embodies many of the conceptions of his time in the description of the crowning adventures of the ,knight ,guyon4 ,he here refers to great sea monsters of all ugly shapes and horrible aspects such as ,dame ,nature's self might fear to see4 ,spring-headed hydras1 and sea-shouldering whales2 ,great whirlpools1 which all fishes make to flee2 ,bright scolopendras arm'd with silver scales2 ,mighty monoceroses with unmeasured tails2 ,the dreadful fish that hath deserved the name ,of death1 and like him looks in dreadful hue2 ,the grisly wasserman1 that makes his game ,the flying ships with swiftness to pursue2 ,the horrible sea-satyr that doth shew ,his fearful face in time of greatest storm2 ,huge ,ziffius1 whom mariners eschew ,no less than rocks1 as travellers inform2 ,and greedy rose-marines with visages deform2 ,all these1 and thousand thousand many more ,and more deformed monsters1 thousandfold4 ,faerie ,queen1 ,book ii4 cant4 xii4 ,the early heralds took little account of these dreadful creatures--more easily imagined by fearful mariners or by poets than depicted by artists from their vague descriptions4 ,the most imaginative of the tribe rarely ventured beyond such representations of marine monsters as appealed strongly and clearly to the universal sense of mankind--compounds of marine and land animals--either from a belief in the existence of such creatures1 or because they used them as emblems or types of qualities1 combining for this purpose the attributes of certain inhabitants of the sea with those of the land or of the air to form the appropriate symbol4 ,in modern heraldry such bearings are usually adopted with special allusion to actions performed at sea1 or they have reference in some way to the name or designation of the bearer1 and hence termed allusive or canting heraldry4 ,some maritime towns bear nautical devices of the fictitious kind referred to4 ,for instance1 the ,city of ,liverpool has for supporters ,neptune with his trident1 and a ,triton with his horn4 ,cambridge and ,newcastle-on-,tyne have sea-horses for supporters to their city's arms4 ,belfast has the sea-horse for sinister supporter and also for crest4 ,many of the nobility also bear1 either as arms or supporters1 these mythical sea creatures1 pointing in many instances to memorable events in their family history2 indeed1 as islanders and ,britons1 marine emblems--real and mythical--enter largely into our national heraldry4 ,poseidon or ,neptune ,illustration3 ,dexter supporter of ,baron ,hawke4 ,poseidon or ,neptune1 the younger brother of ,zeus 7,jupiter71 sometimes appears in heraldry1 usually as a supporter4 ,in the ancient mythology he was originally a mere symbol of the watery element1 he afterwards became a distinct personality2 the mighty ruler of the sea who with his powerful arms upholds and circumscribes the earth1 violent and impetuous like the element he represents4 ,when he strikes the sea with his trident1 the symbol of his sovereignty1 the waves rise with violence1 as a word or look from him suffices to allay the fiercest tempest4 ,poseidon 7,neptune7 was naturally regarded as the chief patron and tutelary deity of the seafaring ,greeks4 ,to him they addressed their prayers before entering on a voyage1 and to him they brought their offerings in gratitude for their safe return from the perils of the deep4 ,in a famous episode of the ,faerie ,queen 7,book iv4 c4 xi47 ,spenser glowingly pictures the procession of all the water deities and their attendants3 ,first came great ,neptune with his three-forked mace1 ,that rules the seas and makes them rise and fall2 ,his dewy locks did drop with brine apace ,under his diadem imperial3 ,and by his side his ,queen with coronal1 ,fair ,amphitrite1 most divinely fair1 ,whose ivory shoulders weren covered all1 ,as with a robe1 with her own silver hair1 ,and decked with pearls which the ,indian seas for her prepare4 ,amphitrite1 his wife1 one of the ,nereids in ancient art1 is represented as a slim and beautiful young woman1 her hair falling loosely about her shoulders1 and distinguished from all the other deities by the royal insignia4 ,on ancient coins and gems she appears enthroned on the back of a mighty triton1 or riding on a sea-horse1 or dolphin4 ,,examples4--,baron ,hawke bears for supporters to his shield an aggroupment of classic personations of a remarkable symbolic character1 granted for the achievements of the renowned ,admiral and ,commander-in-,chief of the ,fleet1 ,vice-,admiral of ,great ,britain1 c4 c41 created ,baron ,hawke of ,tarton1 ,yorks1 #aggf4 ,the dexter supporter is a figure of ,neptune1 his mantle vert1 edged argent1 crowned with an eastern crown1 or1 his dexter arm erect and holding a trident pointing downwards in the act of striking1 sable1 headed silver1 and resting his left foot on a dolphin proper4 ,sir ,isaac ,heard1 ,somersetshire2 ,lancaster ,herald1 afterwards ,garter4 ,his arms1 granted #agfb1 are thus blazoned in ,burke's ,general ,armory3 ,argent a ,neptune crowned with an eastern crown of gold1 his trident sable headed or1 issuing from a stormy ocean1 the sinister hand grasping the head of a ship's mast appearing above the waves1 as part of a wreck1 all proper2 on a chief azure1 the ,arctic pole-star of the first between two water-bougets of the second4 ,merman or ,triton ,triton1 who boasts his high ,neptunian race ,sprung from the ,god by ,salace's embrace4 ,,camo,,ns1 ,lusiad4 ,triton his trumpet shrill before them blew ,for goodly triumph and great jolliment ,that made the rocks to roar as they were rent4 ,,spenser1 ,faerie ,queen4 7,procession of the ,sea ,deities47 ,illustration3 ,merman or ,triton4 ,illustration3 ,triton1 with two tails4 ,german4 ,triton was the only son of ,neptune and ,amphitrite4 ,the poet ,apollonius ,rhodius describes him as having the upper parts of the body of a man1 while the lower parts were those of a dolphin4 ,later poets and artists revelled in the conception of a whole race of similar tritons1 who were regarded as a wanton1 mischievous tribe1 like the satyrs on land4 ,glaucus1 another of the inferior deities1 is represented as a triton1 rough and shaggy in appearance1 his body covered with mussels and seaweed2 his hair and beard show that luxuriance which characterises sea-gods4 ,proteus1 as shepherd of the seas1 is usually distinguished with a crook4 ,triton1 as herald of ,neptune1 is represented always holding1 or blowing1 his wreathed horn or conch shell4 ,his mythical duties as attendant on the supreme sea-divinity would1 as an emblem in heraldry1 imply a similar duty or office in the bearer to a great naval hero4 ,illustration3 ,mermaid and ,triton supporters4 ,,examples4--,the ,city of ,liverpool has for sinister supporter a ,triton blowing a conch shell and holding a flag in his right hand4 ,lord ,lyttelton bears for supporters two ,mermen proper1 in their exterior hands a trident or4 ,ottway1 ,bart4--,supporters on either side1 a ,triton blowing his shell proper1 navally crowned or1 across the shoulder a wreath of red coral1 and holding in the exterior hand a trident1 point downward4 ,note4--,in classic story1 ,triton and the ,siren are distinct poetic creations1 their vocation and attributes being altogether at variance--no relationship whatever existing between them4 ,according to modern popular notions1 however1 the siren or mermaid1 and triton1 or merman as they sometimes term him1 appear to be viewed as male and female of the same creature 7in heraldic parlance baron and femme74 ,they thus appear in companionship as supporters to the arms of ,viscount ,hood1 and similarly in other achievements4 ,illustration ,the ,mermaid or ,siren ,mermaid shapes that still the waves with ecstasies of song4 ,t4 ,,swan1 ,the ,world within the ,ocean4 ,and fair ,ligea's golden comb1 ,wherewith she sits on diamond rocks1 ,sleeking her soft alluring hair4 ,,milton1 ,comus4 ,illustration ,this fabulous creature of the sea1 well known in ancient and modern times as the frequent theme of poets and the subject of numberless legends1 has from a very early date been a favourite device4 ,she is usually represented in heraldry as having the upper part the head and body of a beautiful young woman1 holding a comb and glass in her hands1 the lower part ending in a fish4 ,ellis 7,glasfryn1 ,merioneth74--,argent1 a mermaid gules1 crined or1 holding a mirror in her right hand and a comb in her left1 gold4 ,crest1 a mermaid as in the arms4 ,motto1 ,worth ein ffrwythau yn hadna byddir4 ,another family of the same name1 settled in ,lancashire1 bears the colours reversed1 viz41 gules1 a mermaid argent4 ,illustration3 ,crest of ,ellis4 ,,sir ,,josiah ,,mason4--,,crest1 a mermaid1 per fess wavy argent and azure1 the upper part gutte de larmes1 in the dexter hand a comb1 and in the sinister a mirror1 frame and hair sable4 ,balfour of ,burleigh4--,on a rock1 a mermaid proper1 holding in her dexter hand an otter's head erased sable1 and in the sinister a swan's head1 erased proper4 ,the supporters of ,baron ,balfour are an otter and a swan1 which will account for the heads appearing in the hands of the mermaid1 instead of the traditionary comb and mirror4 ,in some other instances the like occurs1 as in the mermaid crest of ,cussack1 the mermaid sable crined or1 holds in dexter hand a sword1 and in the sinister a sceptre4 ,sir ,george ,francis ,bonham1 ,bart4--,crest1 a mermaid holding in dexter hand a wreath of coral1 and in the sinister a mirror4 ,wallop1 ,earl of ,portsmouth1 bears for crest a mermaid proper1 with her usual accompaniments1 the comb and mirror4 ,another family of the same name and bearing the same arms has for crest a mermaid with two tails extended proper1 hair gold1 holding her tails in her hands extended wide4 ,in foreign heraldry the mermaid is generally termed ,mlusine1 and represented with two fishy extremities4 ,illustration3 ,die ,ritter1 of ,nuremberg ,die ,ritter of ,nuremberg bears per fess sable and or1 a mermaid holding her two tails1 vested gules1 crowned or4 ,the ,austrian family of ,estenberger bears for crest a mermaid without arms1 and having wings4 ,a mermaid was the device of ,sir ,william de ,brivere1 who died in #abbf4 ,it is the badge of the ,berkeleys2 in the monumental brass of ,lord ,berkeley1 at ,wolton-under-,edge1 #acib ,a4,d41 he bears a collar of mermaids over his camail4 ,the ,black ,prince1 in his will1 mentions certain devices that he appears to have used as badges2 among the rest we find ,mermaids of the ,sea4 ,it was the dexter supporter in the coat-of-arms of ,sir ,walter ,scott1 and the crest of ,lord ,byron4 ,the supporters of ,viscount ,boyne are mermaids4 ,skiffington1 ,viscount ,marsereene1 the ,earl of ,caledon1 the ,earl of ,howth1 ,viscount ,hood1 and many other titled families bear it as crest or supporters4 ,it is also borne by many untitled families4 ,the arms of the princely house of ,lusignan1 kings of ,cyprus and ,jerusalem1 ,une sirne dans une cuv1 were founded on a curious medival legend of a mermaid or siren1 termed ,mlusine1 a fairy1 condemned by some spell to become on one day of the week only1 half woman1 half serpent4 ,the ,knight ,roimoudin de ,forez1 meeting her in the forest by chance1 became enamoured and married her1 and she became the mother of several children1 but she carefully avoided seeing her husband on the day of her change2 one day1 however1 his curiosity led him to watch her1 which led to the spell being broken1 and the soul with which by her union with a ,christian she hoped to have been endowed1 was lost to her for ever4 ,this interesting myth is fully examined in ,baring ,gould's ,curious ,myths of the ,middle ,ages4 ,the mermaid is represented as the upper half of a beautiful maiden joined to the lower half of a fish1 and usually holding a comb in the right hand and a mirror in the left2 these articles of the toilet have reference to the old fable that always when observed by man mermaids are found to be resting upon the waves1 combing out their long yellow hair1 while admiring themselves in the glass3 they are also accredited with wondrous vocal powers1 to hear which was death to the listener4 ,it was long believed such creatures really did exist1 and had from time to time been seen and spoken with2 many1 we are told1 have fatally listened to the mermaid's charmd speech1 and have blindly followed the beguiling1 deluding creature to her haunts beneath the wave1 as did ,sidratta1 who1 falling in the ,ganges1 became enamoured of one of these beautiful beings1 the ,upsaras1 the swan-maidens of the ,vedas4 ,all countries seem to have invented some fairy-like story of the waters4 ,the ,finnish ,nakki play their silver harps o' nights2 the water imp or ,nixey of ,germany sings and dances on land with mortals1 and the ,davy 7,deva71 whose locker is at the bottom of the deep blue sea1 are all poetical conceptions of the same description4 ,the same may be said of the ,merminne of the ,netherlands1 the ,white ,lady of ,scotland and the ,silver ,swan of the ,german legend1 that drew the ship in which the ,knight ,lohengrin departed never to return4 ,in the ,bestiary of ,philip de ,thaun he tells us that ,siren lives in the sea1 it sings at the approach of a storm and weeps in fine weather2 such is its nature3 and it has the make of a woman down to the waist1 and the feet of a falcon1 and the tail of a fish4 ,when it will divert itself1 then it sings loud and clear2 if then the steersman who navigates the sea hears it1 he forgets his ship and immediately falls asleep4 ,the legendary mermaid still retains her place in popular legends of our sea coasts1 especially in the remoter parts of our islands4 ,the stories of the ,mirrow1 or ,irish fairy1 hold a prominent place among ,crofton ,croker's ,fairy ,legends of the ,south of ,ireland4 ,round the shores of ,lough ,neagh old people still tell how1 in the days of their youth1 mermaids were supposed to reside in the water1 and with what fear and trepidation they would1 on their homeward way in the twilight1 approach some lonely and sequestered spot on the shore1 expecting every moment to be captured and carried off by the witching mere-maidens4 ,on the ,continent the same idea prevails4 ,among the numerous legends of the ,rhine many have reference to the same fabled creature4 ,as we know1 mariners in all ages have delighted in tales of the marvellous1 and in less enlightened times than the present1 they were not unlikely to have found many willing listeners and sound believers4 ,early voyagers tell wonderful stories of these fish-women1 or women-fish1 as they termed them4 ,the ancient chronicles indeed teem with tales of the capture of mermaids1 mermen1 and similar strange creatures2 stories which now only excite a smile from their utter absurdity4 ,so late as #aheg there appeared an article in the ,shipping ,gazette1 under intelligence of ,june #d1 signed by some ,scotch sailors1 and describing an object seen off the ,north ,british coast in the shape of a woman1 with full breast1 dark complexion1 comely face and the rest4 ,it is probable that some variety of the seal family may be the prototype of this interesting myth4 ,the myth of the mermaid is1 however1 of far older date2 ,homer and later ,greek and ,roman poets have said and sung a great deal about it4 ,the ,sirens of ,classic ,mythology ,the ,sirens 7,greek1 entanglers7 enticed seamen by the sweetness of their song to such a degree that the listeners forgot everything and died of hunger4 ,their names were1 ,parthenope1 ,ligea1 and ,leucosia4 ,illustration3 ,ulysses and the ,sirens4 ,flaxman's ,odyssey4 ,parthenope1 the ancient name of ,neapolis 7,naples7 was derived from one of the sirens1 whose tomb was shown in ,strabo's time4 ,poetic legend states that she threw herself into the sea out of love for ,ulysses1 and was cast up on the ,bay of ,naples4 ,the celebrated ,parthenon at ,athens1 the beautiful temple of ,pallas ,athen1 so richly adorned with sculptures1 likewise derives its name from this source4 ,dante interviews the siren in ,purgatorio1 xix4 #g-cc4 ,flaxman1 in his designs illustrating the ,odyssey1 represents the sirens as beautiful young women seated on the strand and singing4 ,illustration3 ,ulysses and the ,sirens4 ,from a painting on a ,greek vase4 ,in the illustration from an ancient ,greek vase gives a ,grecian rendering of the story1 and represents the ,sirens as birds with heads of maidens4 ,the ,sirens are best known from the story that ,odysseus succeeded in passing them with his companions without being seduced by their song4 ,he had the prudence to stop the ears of his companions with wax and to have himself bound to the mast4 ,only two are mentioned in ,homer1 but three or four are mentioned in later times and introduced into various legends4 ,demeter 7,ceres7 is said to have changed their bodies into those of birds1 because they refused to go to the help of their companion1 ,persephone1 when she was carried off by ,pluto4 ,they are represented in ,greek art like the harpies1 as young women with the wings and feet of birds4 ,sometimes they appear altogether like birds1 only with human faces2 at other times with the bodies of women1 in which case they generally hold instruments of music in their hands4 ,as their songs are death to those subdued by them they are often depicted on tombs as spirits of death4 ,by the fables of the ,sirens is represented the ensnaring nature of vain and deceitful pleasures1 which sing and soothe to sleep1 and never fail to destroy those who succumb to their beguiling influence4 ,spenser1 in the ,faerie ,queen1 describes a place where many mermaids haunt1 making false melodies1 by which the knight ,guyon makes a somewhat perilous passage4 ,there were five sisters that had been fair ladies1 till too confident in their skill in music they had ventured to contend with the ,muses1 when they were transformed in their lower extremities to fish3 ,but the upper half their hue retained still1 ,and their sweet skill in wonted melody2 ,which ever after they abused to ill ,to allure weak travellers1 whom gotten they did kill4 ,book ii4 cant4 cxii4 ,shakespeare charmingly pictures ,oberon in the moonlight1 fascinated by the graceful form and the melodious strains of the mermaid half reclining on the back of the dolphin3 ,,oberon3 444 ,thou rememberest ,since once ,i sat upon a promontory1 ,and heard a mermaid on a dolphin's back ,uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath ,that the rude sea grew civil at her song ,and certain stars shot madly from their spheres ,to hear the sea-maid's music4 ,commentators of ,shakespeare find in this passage 7and subsequent parts7 certain references to ,mary ,queen of ,scots1 which they consider beyond dispute4 ,she was frequently referred to in the poetry of the time under this title4 ,she was married to the ,dauphin 7or ,dolphin7 of ,france4 ,the rude sea means the ,scotch rebels1 and the shooting stars referred to were the ,earls of ,northumberland and ,westmoreland1 who1 with others of lesser note1 forgot their allegiance to ,elizabeth out of love to ,mary4 ,few eyes1 says ,sir ,thomas ,browne1 have escaped the picture of a mermaid with a woman's head above and a fish's extremity below4 ,in those old days when reading and writing were rare accomplishments1 pictured signboards served to give a local habitation and a name to hostelries and other places of business and resort4 ,among the most celebrated of the old ,london taverns bearing this sign1#ca that in ,bread ,street stands foremost4 ,we find this ,mermayde mentioned as early as #adfd4 ,in #afjc ,sir ,walter ,raleigh established a literary club in this house1 and here ,shakespeare1 ,ben ,jonson1 and the choice intellectual spirits of the time used to meet1 and there took place those wit combats which ,beaumont has commemorated and ,fuller described4 ,it is frequently alluded to by ,beaumont and ,fletcher in their comedies1 but best known is that quotation from a letter of ,beaumont to ,ben ,jonson3 ,what things have we seen ,done at the ,mermaid8 heard words that have been ,so nimble and so full of subtle flame1 ,as if that any one from whence they came ,had meant to put his whole wit in a jest1 ,and had resolved to live a fool the rest ,of his dull life2 then when there had been thrown ,wit able enough to justify the town ,for three days past2 wit that might warrant be ,for the whole city to talk foolishly1 ,till that were cancell'd2 and when that was gone1 ,we left an air behind us1 which alone ,was able to make the next two companies 7,right witty1 though but downright fools7 more wise4 ,illustration ,the ,dolphin of ,legend and of ,heraldry 444 his delights ,were dolphin-like2 they showed his back above ,the element they lived in4 ,anthony and ,cleopatra1 ,act v4 sc4 #b4 ,as the ,lion is the king of beasts1 the ,eagle the king of birds1 so in similar heraldic sense the ,dolphin is king of fishes4 ,his position in legend is probably due to his being one of the biggest and boldest creatures of the sea that passed the ,pillars of ,hercules into the ,mediterranean ,sea4 ,pliny 7,book ix4 ch4 #h7 calls it ,the swiftest of all other living creatures whatsoever1 and not of sea fish only1 is the dolphin2 quicker than any fowle1 swifter than the arrow shot from a bow4 ,the dolphin1 of which there are several varieties1 enjoys a pretty wide geographical distribution1 being found in the ,arctic seas1 the ,atlantic ,ocean1 and indeed of all seas4 ,it was well known to the ancients and furnished the theme of many a fabulous story4 ,illustration3 ,the ,dolphin4 ,the common dolphin 7,delphinus ,delphis7 the true hieros ichthus1 is only rarely met with on the ,british coast4 ,its length is usually seven or eight feet1 though some specimens have been found to measure ten feet4 ,its back is almost straight1 or only slightly elevated2 its colour is dusky black above and whitish beneath4 ,its pectorals or flappers1 which are placed low in the sides1 are well developed1 and a dorsal fin1 which is somewhat short1 is much elevated4 ,its tail is broad and notched in the centre and expanded horizontally--not vertically as in most other fishes--by the help of which it makes its peculiar leaps over the surface of the water and at the same time takes its breath4 ,unlike its near relatives the porpoises1 who haunt the coast1 dolphins live far out at sea1 and are generally mistaken for porpoises4 ,the long-snouted dolphin feeds on pelagic fishes4 ,the short-nosed porpoise likes salmon and mackerel1 robs the fishermen's nets1 and even burrows in the sand in search of odds and ends4 ,the dolphin is the sea-goose4 ,the porpoise is the sea-pig2 he is the porc-poisson1 the porc-pois1 or sea-hog4 ,the convex snout of the dolphin is separated from the forehead by a deep furrow2 the muzzle is greatly extended1 compressed1 and much attenuated especially towards the apex1 where it terminates in a rather sharp-pointed beak4 ,the ,french name bec d'oie1 from the great projection of its nose or beak1 has led to its adoption in the arms of ,english families of the name of ,beck4 ,the dolphin is an elegant and swift swimmer1 and capable of overtaking the swiftest of the finny tribe4 ,because the creature is noted for its swiftness it has been adopted in the arms of ,fleet4 ,the dolphin is able to hold his own against nearly all others of his size and weight1 and even some of the larger cetaceans only come off second best in an encounter with the dolphin4 ,he is voracious1 gluttonous1 and ever on the look out for something to turn up1 hunting his prey with great persistency and devouring it with avidity4 ,he has been not inaptly styled the plunderer of the deep4 ,the destructive character of the dolphin amongst the various tribes of fish is not lessened when we examine its formidable jaws studded with an immense number of interlocking teeth4 ,notwithstanding its rapacious habits and the variety of its diet it was in ,england formerly regarded as a royal fish1 and its flesh held in high estimation4 ,old chroniclers have frequent entries of dolphins being caught in the ,thames1 thus3 #c ,henry ,v4--,seven dolphins came up the ,thames1 whereof four were taken4 #adth ,richard ,,ii4--,on ,christmas ,day one was taken at ,london ,bridge1 being ten feet long1 and a monstrous grown fish4 7,delalune's ,present ,state of ,london1 #afha47 ,the early fathers of the ,church deemed all fish that swam in the sea2 the dolphin was therefore eaten in ,lent4 ,he is1 however1 a mammal1 not a fish1 and though an air-breathing creature he lives and dies in the ocean4 ,but one is brought forth at a birth1 and between the old and young of their kind1 as in the case of all marine animals1 a strong affection exists4 ,travellers' tales are notoriously hard of belief1 and must be taken cum grano salis4 ,we learn from ,sir ,thomas ,herbert1 an early voyager1 that when he was on the coast of ,sanquehar1 a large kingdom on the east side of the ,cape of ,good ,hope1 he saw there great numbers of dolphins1 of which he says3 ,they much affect the company of men1 and are nourished like men2 they are always constant to their mates1 tenderly affected to their parents1 feeding and defending them against hungry fishes when they are old1 and much more information equally astonishing4 ,a story is related of a man who once went to a mufti and asked him whether the flesh of the sea-pig 7the dolphin7 was lawful food4 ,without any hesitation the mufti declared that pig's flesh was unlawful at all times and under all circumstances4 ,some time after another person submitted the question to the same authority1 whether the fish of the sea1 called the sea-pig1 was lawful food4 ,the mufti replied3 ,fish is lawful food by whatever name it may be called4 ,,classic ,,fable ,,and ,,medi,,val ,,legend have shed a halo of romantic interest around the dolphin which cleaves to it even to the present hour2 the rare event of a dolphin being caught in ,british waters revives with a thrill all the old-world stories and historic associations of this famous fish as if it were a veritable relic of the golden age4 ,the dolphin of fact we have found to be quite a different creature from what he is pictured by the ancients4 ,the mariner may be engulfed by the yawning1 dashing1 furious sea1 but no generous dolphin now watches with tender eye1 solicitous for his safety1 nor offers his ready back to speed him to the shore4 ,the dolphin of our modern poets and sailors--the swift swimmer that leaps after the flying-fish and frolics in front of the vessel's prow until he is caught by the glittering tin--is the ,coryphna hippurus1 the species famed for its changing tints when taken from the water4 ,during a calm1 these fishes1 when swimming about a ship1 appear of a brilliant blue or purple1 shining with a metallic lustre in every change of reflected light4 ,on being captured and brought on deck1 the variety of these tints is very beautiful4 ,the bright purple and golden yellow hues change to brilliant silver1 varying back again into the original colours1 purple and gold4 ,this alteration of tints continues for some time1 diminishing in intensity1 and at last settles down into a dull leaden hue4 ,the iridescent lines which play along its elegant curves as he lies on deck has awakened the enthusiasm of many a writer4 ,byron tells us in a beautiful simile3 ,parting day ,dies like the dolphin1 whom each pang imbues ,with a new lustre1 as it gasps away1 ,the last still loveliest1 till 'tis gone--and all is grey4 ,illustration3 ,dolphin of classic art4 ,it is needless to say that the legendary dolphin is not to be confounded with the gay and graceful coryphna to whom alone belong those rainbow flashes of colour in dying4 ,the common dolphin 7,delphinus delphis7 is dark on the back and satiny white beneath but not even in the agonies of death does he change colour1 though like all dead things the body becomes slightly phosphorescent during decomposition4 ,there are two curious fresh water dolphins1 the ,sooloo of the ,ganges and the ,inia of the ,amazon1 which form the connecting-link between the herbaceous and carnivorous cetacea4 ,the dolphin 77 may be considered an accessory symbol of ,apollo1 who1 as we read in the ,homeric hymns1 once took the form of a dolphin when he guided the ,cretan ship to ,crissa1 whence1 after commanding the crew to burn the ship and erect an altar to him as ,apollo ,delphinios1 he led them to ,delphi1 and appointed them to be the first priests of his temple4 ,the dolphin is the most classic of fishes1 the favourite of ,apollo1 and sacred to that bright divinity1 deriving his name from the oracular ,delphi1 that mysterious spot1 the earth's umbilicus1 the very centre of the world1 ,delphi or ,delphos1 a town in ,phocis1 famous for its oracle in the ,temple of ,apollo1 upon the walls of which were sculptured the ,helios ichthus1 ,apollo's fish4 ,in the legend of ,tarento1 ,phalantus1 heading the ,patheni1 was driven from ,sparta and shipwrecked off the coast of ,italy1 and escaped on a friendly dolphin's back to ,tarentum4 ,we learn from ,aristotle that the youthful figure seated on the dolphin1 which is the most common type on the coins of this city1 was intended for ,taras1 a son of ,poseidon1 from whom the city is said to have derived its name4 ,the dolphins1 the arrows of the sea1 were the great carriers of ancient times4 ,not only did they bear the ,nereides safely on their backs1 but ,arion1 the sweet singer1 when forced to leap into the sea to escape the mariners who would have murdered him1 had previously so charmed the dolphins by his playing that they gathered round the ship and one of them bore ,arion safely to ,tnarus1 whilst the musician with harmonious strains ,requites his bearer for his friendly pains4 ,the classic myth of ,arion and the dolphin1 like many other pagan fictions1 was invested by the early ,christians with an entirely different signification1 and in the sculptures and frescoes of the catacombs and other symbolic representations of the ,christian converts1 the frequent introduction of the dolphin points not to the deliverer of ,arion1 but to ,him who through the waters of baptism opens to mankind the paths of deliverance1 causing them to so pass the waves of this troublesome world that finally they may come to the land of everlasting life4 ,the poet ,licophron says ,ulysses bore a dolphin on his shield1 on the pommel of his sword1 as well as on his ring1 in commemoration of the extraordinary escape of his son ,telemachus1 who when young fell into the sea and was taken up by a dolphin and safely brought on shore4 ,pliny and others relate a story of one of these fishes which frequented the ,lake ,lucrin3 ,a boy who went every day to school from ,baia to ,puzzoli used to feed this dolphin with bread1 and it became at last so familiar with the boy that it carried him often on its back over the bay4 ,the dolphins were early symbols on the coins of gina1 and though abandoned for a time were afterwards resumed2 and they appear upon later and well-known coins of that ,state accompanied by the wolf and other national devices4 ,argos had anciently two dolphins2 ,syracuse1 a winged sea-dog1 a dolphin1 c42 ,teneos 7,cyclades7 two dolphins and a trident4 ,the dolphin and trident figures also upon coins of the ancient city of ,byzantium1 signifying probably the sovereignty of the seas4 ,it is even figured by the ancients as a constellation in the heraldry of the heavens4 ,in botany it lives in larkspurs called delphiniums1 from their curious petals and the slender segments of their leaves4 ,illustration3 ,coin of gina4 ,the dolphin and anchor is a famous historic symbol4 ,titus1 ,emperor of ,rome1 took the device of a dolphin twisted round an anchor1 to imply1 like the emblem of ,augustus1 the medium between haste and slowness1 the anchor being the symbol of delay1 as it is also of firmness and security1 while the dolphin is the swiftest of fish4 ,this device appears also upon the coins of ,vespasian1 the father of ,titus4 ,the anchor was also used as a signet ring by ,seleneus1 ,king of ,syria4 ,the dolphin and anchor was also used1 with the motto ,festina lente 7,hasten slowly71 by the ,emperor ,adolphus of ,nassau1 and by ,admiral ,chabot4 ,the family of ,onslow bear the same for crest and motto4 ,aldus ,manutius1 the celebrated ,venetian printer1 adopted this well-known device from a silver medal presented to him by ,cardinal ,bembo1 with the motto in ,greek hasten slowly4 ,camerarius describes this sign in his book of symbols to represent that maturity in business which is the medium between too great haste and slowness4 ,when violent winds disturb the sea the anchor is cast by seamen1 the dolphin winds herself round it out of a particular love for mankind1 and directs it as with a human intellect so that it may more safely take hold of the ground2 for dolphins have this peculiar property that they can1 as it were1 foretell storms4 ,the anchor then signifies a stay and security whilst the dolphin is a hieroglyphic for philanthropy and safety4 ,illustration ,this sign was afterwards adopted by ,william ,pickering1 a worthy ,discipulus ,aldi as he styles himself4 ,sir ,egerton ,bridges has some verses upon it1 amongst which occur the following3 ,would thou still be safely landed1 ,on the ,aldine anchor ride2 ,never yet was vessel stranded1 ,with the dolphin by its side4 99 99 99 99 99 ,nor time nor envy shall ever canker1 ,the sign which is my lasting pride2 ,joy then to the ,aldus anchor ,and the dolphin at its side4 ,to the dolphin as we're drinking1 ,life and health and joy we send2 ,a poet once he saved from sinking1 ,and still he lives the poet's friend4 ,the dolphin was the insignia of the ,eastern ,empire--the ,empire of ,constantinople4 ,the ,courteneys1 a noble ,devonshire family1 still bear the dolphin as crest and badge1 and the melancholy motto1 ,ubi lapsus8 ,quid feci8 7,whither have ,i fallen8 ,what have ,i done871 a touching allusion1 says ,miss ,millington 7,heraldry in ,history and ,romance71 to the misfortunes of their race1 three of whom filled the imperial throne of ,constantinople during the time that city was in possession of the ,latins after the siege of #abjd4 ,expelled at length by the ,greeks1 ,baldwin1 the last of the three1 wandered from ,court to ,court throughout ,europe vainly seeking aid to replace him upon the throne4 ,a branch of the imperial ,courteneys settled in ,england during the reign of ,henry ,,ii41 and their descendants were among the principal ,barons of the realm4 ,three ,earls of ,courteney perished on the scaffold during the ,wars of the ,roses2 the family was restored to favour by ,henry ,,vii4 ,another ,courteney1 the ,marquis of ,exeter1 became first the favourite1 and subsequently the victim of the brutal tyrant ,henry ,,viii4 ,his son ,edward1 after being long a prisoner in the tower1 ended his days in exile1 and the family estates passed into other hands4 ,sir ,william ,courteney1 of ,powderham ,castle1 ,devon 7temp4 ,edw4 ,,iv471 bore emblazoned on his standard three dolphins in reference to the purple of three ,emperors4 ,the ,arms of ,peter ,courteney1 ,bishop of ,exeter1 #adgh1 is still to be seen in the episcopal palace environed with the dolphins of ,constantinople4 ,the ,dauphin of ,france ,illustration3 ,banner of the ,dauphin4 ,in ,france the bearing of the dolphin was exclusively restricted to the ,dauphin or heir to the throne of the kingdom4 ,brydson mentions that one of the first of the troubadours was called the ,dauphin1 or ,knight of the ,dolphin1 from bearing that figure on his shield1 adding that the name in his successors became a title of sovereign dignity4 ,the title ,dauphin1 borne by the eldest son and heir-apparent of the kings of ,france under the ,valois and ,bourbon dynasties1 originated in the ,dauphins of ,viennois1 sovereigns of the province of ,dauphin4 ,guy ,,viii41 ,count of ,vienne1 was the first so styled4 ,the title descended in the family till #acdi1 when ,humbert ,,ii41 de la ,tour de ,pisa1 sold his seigneurie1 called the ,dauphin1 to ,philippe ,,vi4 7de ,valois71 on condition that the heir of ,france assumed the title of ,le ,dauphin4 ,the first ,french prince so called was ,jean1 who succeeded ,philippe2 and the last was the ,duc d',angoulme1 son of ,charles ,x41 who renounced the title in #ahcj4 ,in #afja1 when ,louis ,,xiii4 was born1 there had not been a ,dauphin since ,francis ,,ii4 7the husband of ,mary1 ,queen of ,scots7--eighty-four years4 ,the province of ,dauphin sent a deputation to ,fontainebleau1 headed by the ,archbishop of ,vienne1 to recognise the infant as their sovereign1 and make him a present of an entire service of richly chased plate with various figures of dolphins1 estimated at #ab1jjj crowns4 ,,grand ,,dauphin4--,louis1 duc de ,bourgogne1 eldest son of ,louis ,,xiv41 for whom was published the edition of the ,latin classics entitled ,ad usum ,delphini 7#affa-agaa74 ,,second1 ,,or ,,little ,,dauphin4--,louis1 son of the ,grand ,dauphin 7#afhb-agab74 ,shakespeare1 by an anachronism of a hundred years1 introduced into ,king ,john ,lewis1 the ,dauphin and the heir of ,france4 ,mary ,queen of ,scots bore the title on her marriage in #aeeh to the ,dauphin1 afterwards ,francis ,,ii41 and styled by her adherents3 ,mary1 ,queen1 and ,dolphiness of ,fraunce1 ,the nobillest lady in earth4 ,the ,heraldic ,dolphin ,illustration3 ,example--,dolphin embowed4 ,the heraldic dolphin1 as usually represented by modern heralds1 is an ornamental monstrosity bearing but slight resemblance to the natural form of this celebrated historic marine symbol2 a nearer resemblance to the natural shape is decidedly preferable4 ,some of the early heraldic representations1 though a little crude1 are very characteristic and thoroughly heraldic in treatment1 though at the same time very unlike the real dolphin4 ,in its series of leaps out of the water the dolphin appears with high arched back1 just as we see it represented in antique works2 its natural shape1 however1 is straight1 the back being but slightly curved4 ,the broad tail paddle being placed in a horizontal position necessitates an up and down stroke1 which makes their swimming to appear a series of leaps and divings4 ,like its near relative the porpoise1 it is an air-breathing animal2 its apparent gambollings on the water may1 therefore1 be more truly attributed to its breathing and blowing whilst in pursuit of its prey4 ,the ,dolphin is generally1 if not always1 depicted in heraldry embowed1 that is1 having its back greatly incurvated4 ,in blazon the word ,dolphin1 alone1 implies that its natural position1 naiant 7swimming7 and embowed1 is understood1 but for the sake of accuracy it is better always to give the description in full1 as a doubt may arise as to the omission of a word indicating its position4 ,torqued1 torquend1 torgant1 or targant1 from the ,latin torquere1 to twist1 are old terms for embowed1 or bowed embowed1 bent in the form of the letter ,s1 turning contrary ways at each bending2 applicable also to serpents4 ,hauriant1 from the ,latin ab hauriendo1 is a term applied to fishes generally when placed in an upright position or in pale1 as if putting the head above water to get air4 ,illustration3 ,hauriant ,illustration3 ,urinant ,illustration3 ,naiant ,illustration3 ,torqued ,shell-fish are blazoned erect or upright1 the term hauriant being only applicable to fishes with scales and fins4 ,urinant 7from the ,latin urino1 to duck or dive under water7 signifies borne with the head downwards and the tail erect1 the reverse position of hauriant4 ,two dolphins are occasionally borne together1 sometimes endorsed1 or back to back2 sometimes respecting each other4 ,as signifying the conquest of the sea1 it appears in the shields of many seaport cities4 ,it figures on the well-known bearings of the towns of ,brighton1 ,dunkirk1 ,poole1 c4 ,the ,dolphin appears in ,english heraldry as early as the middle of the thirteenth century4 ,in a roll of arms of that date1 a dolphin is given as the coat of ,gile de ,fiseburn4 ,the ,godolphins of ,helston1 says ,miss ,millington1 who had estates in that part of the kingdom 7,cornwall7 at the time of the ,conquest1 bore argent three dolphins embowed1 sable4 ,similar arms are borne by many ,english families4 ,the ,godolphins1 ,franklins1 ,franklands1 ,frenches1 ,fishers and ,kennedys1 in many of their branches1 bear the dolphin fish as their crest4 ,a man playing the harp on a dolphin is the heraldic cognisance of the ,walterton family4 ,illustration3 ,sea-horse naiant4 ,the ,sea--,horse ,his sea-horses did seem to snort amain ,and from their nostrils blow the fiery stream ,that made the sparkling waves to smoke again ,and flame with gold2 but the white foam cream ,did shine with silver1 and shoot forth his beam4 ,,spenser',s ,faerie ,queen4 7,procession of the ,sea ,divinities47 ,the steeds of ,neptune are favourite subjects in ancient poetry and art in the triumphs and processions of the marine deities1 drawing the chariot of the sea-god in its progress through the waves4 ,the imaginative ,greeks pictured to themselves the horses of ,poseidon in the rolling and bounding waves as they pursue each other in haste towards the shore1 curling their monstrous heads4 ,this may seem to account for the constant and close connection between the god and the horse4 ,the origin of the horse is ascribed to the contest between ,poseidon and ,athen as to who should make to mankind the most useful present2 ,neptune created the horse1 ,minerva the olive-tree4 ,illustration3 ,sea-horse erect4 ,the city of ,lampsacus1 in ,mysia1 founded by the ,phoceans1 adopted the winged sea-horse as their monetary type1 in allusion to the fleetness of their vessels4 ,others of the maritime ,states of ,greece also adopted the sea-horse upon their coins4 ,a coin of the celebrated ,pyrrhus1 ,king of ,epirus 7slain ,b4,c4 #bgb71 the knight-errant of ancient heroes1 represents the head of ,achilles1 the reputed ancestor of ,pyrrhus1 on one side1 and the ,nereid1 ,thetis1 the mother of ,achilles1 on the sea-horse on the reverse4 ,thetis carries the arms forged by ,vulcan for ,achilles1 in allusion to the succour brought by ,pyrrhus to the ,italian ,greeks against the barbarians1 as the rising ,romans were termed by them4 ,in ,gibbon's ,decline and ,fall of the ,roman ,empire1 we find a reference to a veritable sea-horse1 if we may believe our authority4 ,john ,sobieski1 the victorious ,king of ,poland1 in his letters to his wife1 when he raised the memorable siege of ,vienna and delivered ,europe for ever from the incursions of the ,turks1 describes to her how1 in the tent of ,mustapha1 he found the great standard of the ,turks1 made of the hair of the sea-horse 787 wrought with a needle and embroidered with ,arabic figures4 ,it was afterwards hung up by the order of the ,emperor in the ,cathedral of ,st4 ,stephens1 where1 adds the historian1 ,i have seen it4 ,the coast of ,naples is celebrated for the production of a small fish in great repute with mothers who nurse their offspring2 among its other virtues it is said to cure the bite of a mad dog4 ,it is about four to six inches in length1 and has a head resembling that of a horse1 terminating in a dragon's tail4 ,this is the tiny hippocampus of our public aquariums4 ,the ,neapolitans call them cavalli-marini1 which was once ingeniously translated by a learned ,english traveller as horse marines4 ,this fabulous marine creature in heraldry is compounded of the fore quarters of a horse with webbed paws1 and the hinder part of a fish or dolphin4 ,a scalloped fin is continued down the neck and back in place of a mane4 ,it is frequently1 though erroneously1 to be seen depicted with the flowing mane of a horse2 wings are also sometimes added to it1 both of which1 it is needless to say1 are wrong1 unless specially mentioned in the blazon4 ,the ,westenras 7,baron ,rossmore71 descended from the family of ,van ,wassenhaer of ,wassenburg1 were of great antiquity in ,holland1 and they bore the augmentation of the sea-horse in reference to the valour and intrepidity of an ancestor1 who1 during the ,duke of ,alva's campaign1 was actively employed against the enemies of his country and undertook at great risk to swim across an arm of the sea with important despatches to his besieged countrymen4 ,illustration3 ,arms of the city of ,belfast4 ,the sinister supporter and crest are ,sea-horses4 ,the ,sea-horse is of very frequent use in armory1 and usually has reference to meritorious actions performed at sea4 ,it is also borne by many seaport towns in allusion to the trade and commerce of the port1 as in the arms of the city of ,belfast4 ,cromwell1 ,protector1 bore as supporters a lion of ,england and a sea-horse1 probably to denote his protectorship of the sea1 as of the land4 ,bossewell 7,works of ,armorie1 #aehi71 in his peculiar mixture of ,english and ,latin1 gives a quaint description of the animal3 ,this water-horse of the sea is called a hippotame1 for that he is like an horse in back1 mayne1 and neying3 rostro resupinato a primis dentibus3 cauda tortuosa1 ungulis binis4 ,he abideth in the waters on the day1 and eateth corn by night et hunc ,nilus gignit4 ,the latter may be classed with those fantastic ornamental forms frequently employed in fountains and waterworks1 such as the ,ichthyocentaur1 i4e41 a combination of man and horse1 or the centaur with a fish's extremity4 ,sea-lion or ,lion poisson1 a mythical sea-creature1 frequently used in heraldry as an emblem of bold actions achieved on the ocean in the country's service4 ,it is depicted as the fore part of a lion with webbed feet1 the hinder part ending in a fish's tail4 ,two such animals support the arms of ,viscount ,falmouth4 ,the ,earl of ,howth has for supporters a sea-lion argent1 and a mermaid1 proper4 ,the crest also is a sea-lion4 ,illustration3 ,sea-lion erect4 ,the crest of ,duckworth is a tower1 the battlements partly demolished1 from the top flames issuant proper2 on the sinister side a sea-lion erect azure1 pressing against the tower4 ,silvestre4--,argent1 a sea-lion couchant azure1 crowned armed and langued gules4 ,when the sea-lion or other compounded creature of this kind is erect1 it should be clearly blazoned as a sea-lion erect on his tail1 to distinguish it from naiant1 the swimming position natural to it4 ,sea-dog is depicted like a talbot in shape1 but with the tail like that of a beaver1 the feet webbed and the whole body scaled like a fish1 a scalloped fin continued along the back from the head to the tail4 ,baron ,stourton has two such beasts1 sable1 scaled or1 for his supporters4 ,the crest of ,sir ,h4 ,delves ,broughton4--,a sea-dog's head gules1 eared and finned argent4 ,illustration3 ,sea-dog rampant4 ,the ,,sea-,,bull1 ,,sea-,,wolf1 ,,sea-,,bear1 ,,sea-,,cat1 ,,sea-,,dragon1 etc41 when they occur in heraldry1 are all depicted as having the anterior portions of their bodies in the forms which their several names denote2 but1 like the sea-lion and sea-horse1 they have fishes tails and webbed paws4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in conclusion1 having1 as far as possible1 given the raison d'tre of each1 and traced the life-history and characteristics of the many strange and fantastic creatures in our symbolic menagerie1 it only remains to express the hope that the information contained in this volume may be found both interesting and useful1 as without some such knowledge there can be little or no intelligent understanding of the proper treatment of the forms of these mythical and symbolic beings4 ,the suggestive illustrations1 while giving the recognised forms of each1 leaves to the artist free scope to adopt his own style of art treatment1 whether purely heraldic or merely decorative4 ,printed by ,,ballantyne ,,co4 ,,limited ,tavistock ,street1 ,london ,,footnotes3 #a ,decorative ,heraldry1 by ,g4 ,w4 ,eve4 #b ,the above notes on heraldic treatment are largely adapted from the admirable works on ,decorative ,art1 by ,louis ,f4 ,day4 #c ,see ,audsley's ,glossary of ,architecture1 ,angel1 p4 #aja4 #d ,restit4 of ,decayed ,intell4 in ,antiq4 p4 #adg4 #e ,great ,cities of the ,middle ,ages4 #f ,history of ,signboards4 #g ,brewer's ,dictionary of ,phrase and ,fable4 #h ,analysis of ,ornament1 by ,ralph ,n4 ,wornum4 #i ,that is1 ,visconti is only a variation of ,biscia equivalent to ,anguis1 ,italianised to ,angleria4 #aj ,pliny1 ,book xi4 ch4 #be1 from an old translation4 #aa ,but for an oversight in the drawing1 the unicorn should have been represented with the divided hoofs of a stag4 #ab ,mythology of ,greece and ,rome1 with special reference to its ,use in ,art1 from the ,german of ,o4 ,seemann4 #ac ,w4 ,n4 ,humphry's ,coin ,collector's ,manual4 #ad ,modern ,painters1 vol4 iii4 ch4 #h4 #ae ,historical ,devices1 ,badges1 and ,war ,cries1 p4 #aj4 #af ,iconography of ,christian ,art4 #ag ,orlando ,furioso1 iv4 #ah1 #ai4 #ah ,manners and ,customs of the ,ancient ,egyptians4 #ai ,w4 ,noel ,humphry's ,coin ,collector's ,manual4 #bj ,book x4 ch4 #b4 #ba ,guillam's ,display of ,heraldry4 ,the same is also related in the ,latin ,bestiarium1 ,harl4 ,,mss4 #dgea2 and by ,albertus ,magnus1 ,camerarius1 c4 #bb ,cassell's ,natural ,history4 #bc ,bk4 viii4 ch4 #ag4 #bd ,harl4 ,,mss4 #fjhe4 #be ,hist4 ,dev4 #bfj4 #bf ,natural ,history1 x4 #fg1 xxix4 #d4 #bg ,tylor's ,primitive ,culture4 #bh ,armorie of ,honour1 #fb4 #bi ,coin ,collector's ,manual1 ,bohn4 #cj ,book ix4 ch4 #ac4 #ca ,the sign was also used by printers3 ,john ,rastall1 brother-in-law to ,sir ,thomas ,more1 emprynted in the ,cheapesyde at the ,sygne of the ,mermayde2 next to ,powlsgate in #aegb4 ,henry ,binnemann1 the ,queen's printer1 dedicated a work to ,sir ,thomas ,gresham1 in #aegf1 at the sign of the ,mermaid1 ,knightrider ,street4 ,a representation of the creature was generally prefixed to his books4--,history of ,sign-boards1 p4 #bbg4 ,transcriber's ,notes3 ,passages in italics are indicated by italics4 ,superscripted characters are indicated by superscript4