The History of the Holy War, Book 5 · Chapter 24
Chap. 24. Of the honourable Arms in scutcheons of Nobilitie occasioned by their service in the Holy warre.
NOw for a corollarie to this storie, if we survey the scutcheons of the Christian Princes and Nobilitie at this day, we shall find the Arms of many of them pointing at the atchievements of their predecessours in the Holy warre.
Thus the *Pantal. De illust. Germ. part. 2. pag. 201.Dukes of Austria bear Gules a Fesse Argent, in memory of the valour of Leopoldus at the siege of Ptolemais; whereof before.
The Duke of Savoy *Hospin. De orig. Mon. cap. 17. fol. 190.beareth Gules a Crosse Argent, being the crosse of S. John of Jerusalem; because his predecessours were speciall benefactours to that Order, and assisted them in defending of Rhodes.
Queens Colledge in Cambridge (to which I ow my education for my first seven yeares in that Universitie) giveth for parcel of her Arms, amongst many other rich Coats, the Crosse of Jerusalem; as being founded by Queen Margaret, wife to King Henry the sixth, and daughter of Renate Earl of Angiers and titular King of Sicilie and Jerusalem.
The noble and numerous familie of the Douglasses in Scotland (whereof at this day are one Marquesse, two Earls, and a Vice-count) give in their Arms a mans Heart, ever since *Camden, in his descript. of Cludisdale.Robert Bruse King of Scotland bequeathed his heart to James Douglasse, to carry it to Jerusalem; which he accordingly performed.
To instance in particulars were endlesse: we will onelyonly summe them up in generals. Emblemes of honour born in Coats occasioned by the Holy warre, are reducible to these heads:
1. Scallop-shells; which may fitly for the workmanship thereof be called artificium naturae. It seemeth Pilgrimes carried them constantly with them, as Diogenes did his dish, to drink in. *Zueri…s Boxborn his Apologie for the Holland shipping.I find an Order of Knights called Equites Cochleares, wearing belike Cockle or Scallop-shells, belonging to them who had done good sea-service, especially in the Holy warre: and many Hollanders (saith my Authour) for their good service at the siege of Damiata were admitted into that Order.
2. Saracens Heads: It being a maxime in Heraldrie, That it is more honourable to bear the head then any other part of the bodie. They are commonly born either black or bloudie. But if Saracens in their Arms should use Christians heads, I doubt not but they would shew ten to one.
3. Pilgrimes or Palmers Scrips or Bags; the Arms of the worshipfull family of the *Gwill. in his Heraldrie.Palmers in Kent.
4. Pilgrimes Staves, and such like other implements and accout…ements belonging unto them.
5. But the chiefest of all is the Crosse: which though born in Arms before, yet was most commonly and generally used since the Holy warre. The plain Crosse, or S. Georges Crosse, I take to be the mother of all the rest; as plain-song is much senior to any running of division. Now as by transposition of a few letters, a world of words are made; so by the varying of this Crosse in form, colour, and metall (ringing as it were the changes) are made infinite severall Coats: The Crosse of Ierusalem, or five Crosses, most frequently used in this warre; Crosse P…ée, because the ends thereof are broad; Fichée, whose bottom is sharp, to be fixed in the ground; Wavée, which those may justly wear who sailed thither through the miseries of the sea, or sea of miseries: Molinée, because like to the rind of a mill: Saltyrée, or S. Andrews Crosse: Florid, or garlanded with flowers: the Crosse crossed: Besides the divers tricking or dressing; as piercing, voiding, fimbriating, ingrailing, couping: And in fansie and devices there is still a plus ultra; insomuch that Crosses alone as they are variously disguised, are enough to distinguish all the severall families of Gentlemen in England.
Exemplary is the Coat of George Villiers Duke of Buckingham; five Scallop-shells on a plain Crosse, speaking his predecessours valour in the Holy warre. For Sir Nicolas de Villiers Knight, followed Edward the first in his warres in the Holy land; and then and there assumed this his new Coat: For formerly he bore Sable three Cinquefoils Argent. This *Burton in Leicestershire.Nicolas was the ancestour of the Duke of Buckingham, lineally descended from the ancient familie of Villiers in Normandie; then which name none more redoubted in this service: For we *Hospin. De orig. Mon. in Ioan.find John de Villiers the one and twentieth Master of the Hospitallers; and another Philip de Villiers Master of Rhodes, under whom it was surrendred to the Turks; a yeelding equall to a conquest.
Yet should one labour to find a mysterie in all Arms, relating to the qualitie or deserts of the owners of them (like Chrysippus, who troubled himself with great contention to find out a Stoicall assertion of Philosophie in every fiction of the Poets) he would light on a labour in vain. For I beleeve (be it spoken with loyaltie to all Kings of Arms, and Heralds their Lieutenants in that facultie) that at the first, the *Dr Ridley, View of the Civil law, §. 6. pag. 100.will of the bearer was the reason of the bearing; or if at their originall of assuming them there were some speciall cause, yet time since hath cancelled it: And as in Mythologie, the morall hath often been made since the fable; so a sympathie betwixt the Arms and the bearer hath sometimes been of later invention. I denie not but in some Coats some probable reason may be assigned of bearing them: But it is in vain to digge for mines in every ground, because there is lead in Mendip hills.
To conclude; As great is the use of Arms, so this especially, To preserve the memories of the dead. Many a dumbe monument, which through time or sacriledge hath lost his tongue, the epitaph, yet hath made such signes by the scutcheons about it, that Antiquaries have understood who lay there entombed.