Did John Lydgate Write the Original for the “Scotch Copy of a Poem on Heraldry”?
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. The Poem
First as the erth incresith populus, So convalit variance and vicis, Amang men materis maliciouse, So that few mycht laubour for discrepancies [discrepance], quhill nobilnes in armes, lordly pusancis, and of heraldis þe werschipful ordour, Of quham I think to tret [treit], set weyis sure. | Line 1 Stanza I | First as the earth increases populous, So grow discord and vices, And malicious matters among men, So that few work for distinctions, which nobleness in arms, lordly powers, which heralds, the worshipful order, Of whom I intend to treat, arrange. |
In werris of thebes, athenis, and troyis tounis, with otheris mo of gret antiquiteis, Banneris, standeris, gittovnis, pensalis, penonis, borne by princis, nobillis, and commyniteis [commoniteis], In ferre [feir] of were [weir], pes [peace], or ony degreis, I find thai war most merkis, as merchandis Beris toknis [toykinnys] or signetis on ther [þair] handis. | 8 II | In wars of Thebes, Athens, and Troy [towns], with others of greater antiquity, Banners, standards, getouns,5 pencels, pennons,6 borne by princes, nobles, and communities, In warfare, peace, or any degrees, I find they mostly wore marks, as merchants Bear tokens or signets on their hands. |
Quhill efter euer the langest leving men heris, speris, and lernis more [onore] felle and wit, Diuerse folkis ingenyouse fyndene thene In well degest myndis considerit, Be celestial inspiring part tuk it, To set armes in metalis and colouris [metellis and cullouris], ffor seir causis bering sertyn [certane] figouris, | 15 III | While ever after the longest living man hears, asks, and learns more [honour] intelligence and wisdom, Various ingenious people then being Of well organised minds, Inspired by God, decided To set arms in metals and colours, For several reasons bearing certain figures, |
Sum sonne, sum monne, sum sternis, sum elementis, Sum best [beist], sum bird, sum fische, sum frut, sum flouris, and mony mo siclik; Sum with defferentis, Sum alterit, als sum in ther awin nature; Sum, not the hole, bot part in raschit figouris, As my simplest consate [consait]sal suin mak clere [cleir], With correctioun, and now quha likis heir. | 22 IV | Some suns, moons, stars, elements, Some beasts, birds, fish, fruit, flowers, and many more such; Some with differences,7 Some altered, as well as some natural;8 Some, not whole, but erased figures,9 As my simplest conceit shall soon make clear, With correction, and now who likes, hear. |
The eldest, gret, most populus, mortal were, wes at thebes, quhiche at linth [lenth] I did write, Quhare palamonne and arsite, woundit there, Be ther cotis of armes knawin parfite, Be heralds war, sum sais, bot that I nyte, ffor in thai dais [dayis] heraldis war not create, Nor that armes set in propir estate [estait]. | 29 V | The eldest, great, most populous, mortal war, was at Thebes, which at length I did write, Where Palamon and Arcite, wounded there, By their coats of arms were identified,10 By heralds, some say, but that I deny, For in those days there were no heralds, Nor were arms properly established. |
Bot eftir that troy, quhar [quhair] so mony kingis war Seging without, and other within the toune, So mony princis, knychtis, and peple there, as this my buk the most sentence did soune, all thocht spedful [speidfull] in o conclusioune, That nobillis bere merkis, to mak be knawin, ther douchtynes in dedis [deidis] of armes schawin: | 36 VI | But after that Troy, where were so many kings Sieging without and others within the town, So many princes, knights, and people there, as this my book11 the most sentence did sound, all immediately concluded, That nobles bear marks, to make known, their doughtiness in deeds of arms shown: |
The fader the hole, the eldast son deffer[e]nt quhiche a labelle; a cressent the secound; third a molet; the fourt a merl to tent;12 fift anne aglot; the vj a flour had fond, Clepit delice. Than fader or we the suld grond Armes to mo, gif thai be with difference As plesit him: thus armes begon from thens. | 43 VII | The father the whole, the eldest son different13 Which are a label; a crescent the second; third a mullet; the fourth a martlet; fifth an aglot;14 the sixth a flower had found, Called de Lys. Then the father or we they should grant Armes to more, if they be with difference As pleases him: thus arms began from then. |
Than troy distroyit, the werris endit, the lordis I seir landis removit; and so brutus (his lif and dait my buk efter recordis,) Come in brutane with folkis populus, And brocht [brot] with him this werly merkis thus, quhiche succedis in armes to this date [dait]; Bot lang efter troy, heraldis war nocht [not] creat. | 50 VIII | Then Troy destroyed, the wars ended, the lords To several lands removed; and so Brutus (his life and times my book after records,) Came in Britain with many folks, And brought with him these warlike marks thus, which succeed in arms to this date; But long after Troy, there were no Heraldis. |
Mony haldis that gret lulius cesar ffand, and did mast [maist] be wit and discrecioun, how in metallis and colouris [metellis and cullouris] armes ar Now propir set with hie perfectioun In braid feldis [feilids] to bere [beir] and to blasoun. On principal I traist wes his prudens, With otheris mo preceding him and sence. | 57 IX | Many hold that great Julius Caesar Proved,15 and did most16 by knowledge and civility, how in metalls and colours arms are Now properly set with high perfection In broad fields to bear and to blazon. On principal I trust was his prudence, With others more preceding him and since. |
Gold and siluer, ij preciouse metallis pure, ffour colouris bene propir, and the[r]-with mixt. Sable, goulis, asur, vert: perpure ther-with wnproper, as proportis the text; In it apperis diuerse colouris befixt, therfor it is not o propir colour, Bot sufferit so in armes of honour. | 64 X | Gold and silver, two precious metals pure, Four colours well proper, and therewith mixed. Sable, Gules,17 Azure, Vert: Purpure is there but unproper, this text suggests; In it appear diverse colours fixed, therefore it is not a proper colour, But is as such in arms of honour. |
To blasoune therin [þairin] vertuys stanis, gold Is more precius than oucht [ocht] that ma be set. In it bot stonne goldy, as thopasis; Siluer is perl; sable, diamont of det; Goulis, ruby; asur, the saphir set; Vert, emeraut [emerant]; pu[r]pour, the amathis. Tovny colour, sum haldis cassidone [cassidoun] Is. | 71 XI | To blazon therein virtuous stones, gold is more precious than any that may be set. In it but golden stone, as topaz; Silver is pearl; sable, diamond is obligatory; Gules, ruby; azure, sapphire; Vert, emerald; purpure, amethyst. Tawny colour, some hold, is cassidony.18 |
Sum seis siluer and sable ar the richest, ffor in tho [þai] two most [maist] cristin and hethin kingis makis and brekis ther lawis As thai lust best; and quhen thai tak honour othir [outhir] or sic thingis, thai sit in sable and siluer that euery bringis; and of brutane the duk, bering the sammyn, Richast armes is, as I lernit [leirnit] am. | 78 XII | Some say silver and sable are the richest, For in those two most Christian and heathen kings make and break their laws as they choose; and when they take other honours or such things, they sit in sable and silver that everyone brings; and the Duke of Brittany, bearing these together, Are the richest arms, as I have learned.19 |
All writ in warld most be as siluer and sable; quhite leiff, blak Ink, that al kingis, for most part Cristin and hethin, beris gold and siluer able thing of riches roilest to aduert, and most noble, for no colouris astert So preciouse as gold to set in it, ffor siluer [than] peril more riche to wit; | 85 XIII | All written in the world is mostly silver and sable; white paper, black ink, and most kings, Christian and heathen, bear gold and silver, able to attend to a thing of royalist riches, and most noble, for no colours start As precious as gold to set in it, For silver than pearl more rich to know; |
Goullis, ruby; asur, saphire excedis Vert, emerautis; and amatist, purpur; therof gold is moche rich in werely [weirly] wedis. ffowr thingis in armes brekis thaim in ther nattur: Bendis, sic, cheveroune, and barris sure; Thaim blazon [blasoun] first, gif therin [þairin] the feld [field] be; quhat euer he bere [beir], and be it quarterlie. | 92 XIV | They exceed (in worth) Gules, ruby; Azure, sapphire Vert, emerald; and amethyst, Purpure; thereof gold is rich in warlike clothes. Four things in arms divide them in their nature: Bends, sic, chevron, and bars;20 Blazon these first, if they are in the field; whatever he bears, even if quarterly. |
Than to begin at colour in the rycht sid: and it is said, non armes may be cald propirly set, bot therin be to-gid Gold or siluer in the sammyn to behold [behald]. And for repreve [repreif] to blase, men wise be schuld [schold]. ffowr thingis in armes bot onys suld namyt [nemmit] be, Onis of, onis in, onys withe, and onys to see; | 99 XV | Then begin at the colour in the right side:21 and it is said, no arms may be called properly set, unless there are together Gold or silver in the same to see. And to blazon, men should be wise. Four things in arms but once should be named, There are: of, in, with, and. |
Quhiche [Quhilk], gif he may forbere [forbear], it is the bet. and als in armis ar sertene rondis [roundis], as ball, Metalis, colouris [metellis, cullouris] forsaid figourit [figurit] and set, Gold, besentis; siluer, plateis [platis] to call; Sable, poletis; goulis, tortes at al; Asur, hurtis; verte, pomme [pomen]; wyndows, purpur. ʒhit four thingis longis to armis in colour [cullour], | 106 XVI | Which, if he may forbear, it is better. and also in arms are certain roundels, like balls, Metals, colours aforesaid figured and set, Gold, besants; Silver, plates; Sable, pellets; Gules, tortes; Azure, hurts; Vert, pommes; wounds, Purpure.22 Which four things belong to arms in colour,23 |
That is, pales, bendis, feces, cheveronis. perpale, evin doun extendis throuch the myd feild; perfess, ourthwert [orthwert] from sid to sid it gonne Is; perbend, from rycht corner to left it held; per cheveroune, part devid wnto iij the feild; Oune bastone is contrary to a bend: The tonne frome left, the tother frome rycht sid tend. | 113 XVII | That is, pales, bends, fesses, chevrons. Per pale, extends down through the mid field; Per fess, across from side to side it goes; Per bend, from right corner to left; per chevron, divides the field into three; A baton is contrary to a bend: One from the left, the other from the right side. |
Non bot gentillis suld cotis of armes were [beir], Cummyn of stok noble, or maid be king[is]; ʒit fold wil say of men hernest in gere, “llo men of armis!” thai is wntrew seyng, bot al be gentil; therfor see suthfast thing, “llo armit men!” ʒit to knaw neidful is xv maneris of lionys in armys,24 | 120 XVIII | None but gentlemen should wear coats of arms, Coming of noble stock, or made by kings;25 So fools will say of men harnessed in armour, “Lo, men of arms!” which is untrue, as all [armigers] are gentlemen; therefor say more correctly, “Lo, armed men!”. It is needful to know fifteen attitudes of lions in arms, |
ffirst, a lionne [statant]; on-vthir, lyone [lioun] rampand; Third, saliant; the fourt, passand I-wis; the v seand; vj mordand; vij cuchand; the viij dormand; the ix regardand is; The x endorsit; xj copray schawis; The xij copy conter changit aduert; xiij in nomer [morné]; xiiij, lioun cowert; | 127 XIX | [the author lists] a lion statant; rampant; saliant; passant; sejant; mordant; couchant; dormant; regardant; addorsed; copray;26 counter-changed; mornay;27 lion coward; |
And the xv cambatand, als to see. xv maner of crocis armis bere [beir]: The first, hole croce; the tother, engrelit be The third, awndi; the iiij, paty in feir;. the v. a crois; vj, crois flarait cleir; vij botand; viij crosolat; ix batone; x fovrmie [sovraunt]; xj crois fichye; | 134 XX | And the fifteenth combatant, also to see. Fifteen manner of crosses arms bear: [The author lists]:whole cross; engrailed Undy; pateé;. à crois;28 cross flory; bottony; crosslet; batoné; formy; fichy; |
xij sarsile fere; demolyn xiij; xiiij regle; xv sucylye, sey. quhat maner of best [beist] or bird goith rond to sene, About the feld blase it heroune verray. Twa thingis in armis sal end in schewis a[l]wey; Gif ther [þair] be mo off thaim than ij that schewis; As lionne-sewys, to sey, and heronwe-sewis; | 141 XXI | sarsile; moline; raguly; sucylye.29 If beasts or birds go around the field Blazon it heron verray.30 Two things in arms always show; [But] if there are more than two of them; Say lioncels, and heroncels;31 |
Bot onne or ij call lion or heroun. Armis vindois [windois], ij strakiss myd feld devid, ffet [ffeir] ar in armis, and ij thingis compone lik to vther, barr and fete [fece] brode to-gid. Als certane [certaine] thingis plurar in armis go, As flouris to blase, and pellettis with thoo | 148 XXII | But one or two call lion or heron. windows,32 two streaks mid field, divide Arms, fret[s] are in arms, and two things are compony33 like to each other, bar and fess brought together. Also certain things are plural in arms, Such as flowers, and pellets although |
Not be to namyt, gif he beire mo than ij, Bot thus flowris florate to blase rycht. thre thingis in armes ʒit be ilk vtheris evin, Tortes, tortell pellettis, pellett hecht, Fussewis, masklewis, and losingis thus plicht. Be ther [þir] mony fussewis, masklewis thaim call, And losengis ʒit in armys with-all. | 154 XXIII | They are not be to numbered, if he bears more than two, But thus: flowers florate, to blazon correctly. there are three things in arms that are equal, Tortes, tortell pellets, pellet by name, Fusils, mascles and lozenges thus plaited. Be there many, call them fusilly, masculy, And lozengy, in arms.34 |
Ale maner of best [beist] to blase, sey ‘be armit’, and al birdis, sey ‘membrit’ saufly: Girphinwe, baith bird and best [beist], we suld call it To blase, “membrit and armyt” both Iustly. ʒit in armes, pictes and delphes espy. Billettis, hewmatis, and ij indenturis be, Perpale cheveroue, perpale glondes to se. | 161 XXIV | To blazon beasts, say ‘armed’, and all birds, safely say ‘membered’: A gryphon, both bird and beast, we should call it To blazon, ‘membered and armed’ both justly.35 Pikes [fish] and dolphins 36 are seen in arms. There are billetty, humetty, and two indentures,37 Perpale chevron, perpale glondes38 to see. |
Thire [thair] be also raschit, as lege or heid, wiche gerondy verry and belly told [cold]: [?] In quhat metallis or colouris that thai sted [steid], quhat thingis thai be, ful attently [autently] behold: ffigour, forme, flour, or quhat mater on mold, In armes set, and so blase discretly; And quho siche beris, study well, and espy. | 168 XXV | There is also erased,39 as a leg or head, which gyronny vairy and byally told:40 In what metals or colours that they stood, what things they be, full attently behold: figure, form, flower, or anything on the field,41 Set in arms, and so blazon carefully; And study well who bears such. |
ʒhit sum haldis in armis ij certane thingis, Nothir metallis nor colouris to blasoune, Ermyne and werr, callit panis, bestly furring, And haldin so without other discripcioune. All attentik armys of hie renoune Of al estates, and general of al manis [maneris], Bene set in this metallis, colouris, and panys. | 175 XXVI | Some hold that in arms two certain things, Blazoned neither as metals nor colours, Ermine and vair, called panns, bestly furring, And are without other description.42 All authentic arms of high renown Of all ranks, and generally of all men, Are properly given in these metals, colours, and furs. |
Quhiche honorable in al armis forsaid, war first fundyn eftir the preciouse stanys, In nombyr few, and so costly araid, That al noblay may not gudly at anys Actene [atteyne] therto: than law of armys disponys ffor theme be sett and portrait with pictouris, In feildis, the seid metallis and ther colouris; | 182 XXVII | Which honorable in all arms aforesaid, were first found after the precious stones, In number few, and so expensively arrayed, That all nobility may not properly Attain them other than the law of arms allows For they arranged and portrayed with pictures, In fields, the said metals and their colours; |
The quhiche [quhilk] stanis come first frome paradice, thairfor thai ar so precyus singlare. quha will study his wittis, and conterpace The hie planetis, and signis of the aire, Symylitudis of thaim he may fynd there ffor to blasoun, and alse in bestiall, In erbis, foullis, and fischis therwithall; | 189 XXVIII | The which stones came first from heaven, therefore they are so preciously singular. He who will study his mind, and contemplate The high planets, and signs of the air, Similitudes of them he may find there For to blazon, and also in bestiaries, In herbals, fowl, and fish as well; |
How thai be born, in quhat kindis, and quhare, also be quhom, and eftir in excellence, That I refer to my lordis to declair, kingis of armes, and heraldis of prudens, and persewantis, and grant my negligens thai I suld not attempe [attempine] thus to commoune, Bot of ther [þair] grace, correctioune, and pardoune, | 196 XXIX | How they are borne, in what kinds, and where, also by whom, and according to rank, That I refer to my lords to declare,43 Kings of Arms, Heralds of prudence, and pursuivants, and pardon my negligence that I should not attempt thus to discourse, Except by their grace, correction, and pardon, |
ffor, as I red, princis of nobillest [Q adds in] mynd, And specialy this seid Iulius cesar, ther attentik [autentik] worthi ordour did fynd, fful honorable in erth, and necesser [necessair], To bere [beir] armes, blasoune, and to prefer Vthir officiaris in honour, as I schall [sall] Schaw causis quhy of this ordour regall, | 203 XXX | For, as I read (or advise?), princes of noblest mind, And specially the said Julius Caesar, their authentic worthy order did find, Full honorable on Earth,44 and necessary, To bear arms, blazoun, and to prefer Other officers in honour, as I shall Show causes why of this regal order, |
Quhiche [quhilk] ascendis, create be greis thre: first, persewant; syn, herald; and than king; Ichone of this being gre abone gre, Be land and age preuilegit [preuiliegit] in al thing, In werre [weir] and piece [pece], batell, province and ring, Ceté, castellis, parliamentis prerogative, Amang princis trew reuerendanis to schrive. | 210 XXXI | Which ascends, created be three degrees: first, pursuivant; then, herald; and then king; Each one45 of these being degree above degree, By land and age privileged in all things, In war and peace, battle, province and realm,46 Cities, castles, parliaments prerogative, Among princes true reverence to confess. |
Oure al the warld, and erast Amang the best, thir preambulis and discripcionis procedis, all thingis be takin [taiken] treuly as thai attest, ay liscenciat and lovit with al ledis, Noblis, vergynis, and wedois in ther nedis, Of holy [haly] chirche the sure feith thai support, At ther poweris causing to al consort. | 217 XXXII | Over all the world, and earliest among the best, these preambles and descriptions proceed, all things be taken truly as they attest, always permitted and loved by all men, Nobles, virgins, and widows in their needs, Of holy church the sure faith they support, At their powers causing all to consort. |
Withoutin quham, honerable actis in armis wirschipfully is seldim donne, we se, ffor ded [deid] of lif, fauour, hatrent [haterent], or harmis, Euer thai attest the verray verite, quhar na man may laubowr for Inymyte, ther thai proced [proceed], euer schawing the best; withouttin quham, quha mycht materis degest. | 224 XXXIII | Without whom, honorable acts in arms Are seldom done worshipfully, we see, For deed of life, favour, hatred, or harm, Ever they attest the very truth, Where no man may solicit for (reasons of) enmity,47 there they proceed, ever showing the best; without whom, who might consider such matters. |
This hie ourdour noble and necessary, prince of peté, and Iuge amang gentrice, most behuffull tretaris of trowith no vary, Mewaris of goud, and mesaris of malice, wellis of cuanyng, and trowit in kingly wise, Mansuete [Mansueit] maneryt so ther meritis requiris, Ther dewiteis al digniteis desiris. | 231 XXXIV | This high order noble and necessary, prince of pity, and judge among the well-bred, most needed treaters of truth48 unwavering, Movers of good, and measurers of malice, wells of learning, and trusted by kings, Gentle mannered so their merits require, Their duties all dignity desires. |
Sen it is so, our souerane Lord most hie, The thre personis resting in o godheid, and one in thre, the hali trinite, the blissit vergin of quhom god tuk manheid, Saif this ordour, prudently to proceed Amang Kingis, princes, lieges and lordis Of cristindome to cause luf and concordis! | 238 XXXV | Since it is so, our Sovereign Lord most high, The three persons resting in a godhead, and one in three, the Holy Trinity, the blessed Virgin of whom God took manhood, Save this order, prudently to proceed Among kings, princes, lieges and lords Of Christendom to cause love49 and concord! |
And I confess my simple [semple] insufficiens: Llitil haf I sene and reportit weil less, Of this materis to haf experience. Tharfore [Thairfore], quhar I al needful not [note] express, In my waiknes, and not of wilfulnes, My seid lordis correk [correct] me diligent To made menis, or sey the remanent! | 245 XXXVI | And I confess my simple insufficiency: Little have I seen and less reported well, To have experience of these matters. Therefore, whereof I cannot express, In my weakness, but not of willfulness, My said lords correct me diligently To made amends, or complete it! |
4. The Stanzas
- Stanza I
- Few men work for the distinction of arms from heralds, who will be described.
- II
- In the wars of Thebes, Athens and Troy, princes and others bore banners, etc., as merchants use seals.
- III
- Thereafter, ingenious people, inspired by God, arranged arms with metals, colours and charges
- IV
- There were heavenly bodies and figures from nature, depicted in different ways, some like nature and some not.
- V and VI
- The myth (here denied) is that arms were borne at Thebes, but there were no heralds then.
- VII
- Sons’ arms are differenced from their father’s.
- VIII
- Brutus imported the idea of battle-marks into Britain.
- IX
- Many say Julius Caesar was the first to blazon arms correctly, and I consider he had wisdom enough to do so, based on precedents and later developed.
- X
- There are two metals and four colours in heraldry, plus purple which, although not a primary colour, becomes honourable when used heraldically.
- XI
- Precious stones represent the heraldic tinctures.
- XII
- Silver and sable are said to be the richest. The Duke of Brittany bears them.
- XIII and XIV (to l. 93)
- Writing is in silver (paper) and sable (ink) and most kings have gold and silver in their arms, which are costlier than precious stones or pearls.
- XIV (from l. 94)
- The four divisions of the field are bend, sic[?], chevron and bars. Blazon these first, even if the shield is quartered.
- XV
- [Even if the shield is quartered] begin with the colour or metal at the dexter side.
- No arms are correct unless they have gold and silver are in them.
- The words “of”, “in”, “with”, “and” should only be used once in a blazon.
- XVI (to. l. 111)
- Arms may bear roundel or balls with the following colours and names.
- XVII (incl. l. 112)
- Arms have pales, bends, fesses, chevrons (Ordinaries) and divisions named similarly.
- XVIII (to l. 125)
- No-one but nobles should wear arms. Do not call armed men “men of arms”, which indicates armigers, who are all noble.
- XIX (incl. ll. 126 and 134)
- There are fifteen “attitudes” for lions (named).
- XX (to l. 143)
- There are fifteen types of cross (named)
- XXI
- If animals surround the field (in a bordure) blazon them “verray”.
- XXIII (incl. ll. 152, 153)
- When there are more than two of a charge, do not number them, but say, for example, florate for multiple flowers. Torteax, tortell pellets and pellets are equal. Multiple fusils, mascles and lozenges together are blazoned fusilly, masculy and lozengy
- XXII (ll. 149 to 151)
- There are windows (?), frets and when two colours alternate, this is compony.
- XXIV
- Beasts are blazoned “armed”, birds “membered” and a gryphon is both. There are pikes and dolphins. Charges may be billetty, humetty or indentured.
- XXV
- A leg or head may be erased. Gyronny, vairy and byally partition the field. Blazon carefully, and study who bears which arms.
- XXVI
- Apart from metals and colours there are furs, ermine and vair, which need no other description. Only these (above) metals, colours and furs appear in arms.
- XXVII and XXVIII
- These metals colours and furs arose after the precious stones, which came from heaven. Arms also have representations of planets, plants and beasts.
- XIX–XXXVI
- The decrees of Heralds are obeyed by all, Heralds are beloved by all, protectors of all needy, the support of the Church,…, etc.
5. Computational Linguistics
6. John Lydgate (ca. 1371–1449)
7. Conclusions
- Lancastrian sympathy, especially if written after 1421 when there was a Richmond herald and also a Lancaster King of Arms to be pleasant to, at the instructions of Henry V or VI;
- Imperfect understanding of heraldry (unlike, we presume, Loutfut);
- Chaucerian inspiration, as witness the Royal Rhyme and metre;
- Authorship of works on Troy, Thebes and the Brutus myth;
- Ability to translate from French, either from an original work, or using French sources for a new poem.
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
1 | Nowadays, the adjective “Scotch” is deprecated as a synonym for Scots (language) or as the adjectival Scottish, except as a prefix to “whisky”, but it was a common form, even in Scotland, until the early 20th Century. |
2 | Cummyng is thoroughly given his character by Sir James Balfour-Paul (1900) who reminds us that the office derives from Marchmont or Roxburgh Castle and dates from 1436. The office of Lord Lyon is held in high regard today, but in Cummyng’s time it was a treasonable offence to lay hands on Lyon. In 1515, Cummyng made an unwise slight against the Red Earl of Angus in the hearing of his grandfather, the first Lord Drummond, 5th Chief of Cargill and Stobhall and one of the most powerful men of the time. Belying the clan motto, “Gang Warily”, Drummond struck Cummyng a blow, for which he was arrested for treason, confined in Blackness Castle for a year and saw his lands forfeit. Drummond had been trying to promote a marriage between the Earl of Angus and Queen Margaret, widow of James IV. Lord Strathallan (also a Drummond) tells us in his 1681 history of the family: ‘This marriage begot such jealousy in the rulers of the State, that the Earl of Angus was cited to appear before the Council, and Sir William Cummin of Inneralochy, Knight, Lyon King-at-Armes, appeared to deliver the charge; in doing whereof he seemed to the Lord Drummond to have approached the Earl with more boldness than discretion, for which he gave the Lyon a box on the ear; whereof he complained to John, Duke of Albany, then newly made Governor to King James V.; and the Governor, to give ane example of his justice at his first entry to his new office, caused imprison the Lord Drummond’s person in the Castle of Blackness, and forfault his estate to the Crown for his rashness. But the Duke, considering, after information, what a fyne man the lord was, and how strongly allyed with most of the great families of the nation, was well pleased that the Queen-mother and Three Estates of Parliament should interceed for him, as he was soone restored to his libertie and fortune.’ (Taylor 1887). |
3 | Personal communications, Mrs. Elizabeth Roads, then Lyon Clerk and Carrick Pursuivant (from 1992) then Snawdoun Herald (2010 to 2021), and other colleagues in the Heraldry Society of Scotland. |
4 | Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh (1636–1691) was a lawyer and politician from Dundee, educated at St. Andrews, King’s College, Aberdeen and Bourges. He became an advocate in 1659, a Member of Parliament ten years later and Lord Advocate in 1677. As Dean of the Faculty of Advocates, he established the Advocate’s Library in Edinburgh, which became the National Library of Scotland in 1925. “Bluidy Mackenzie” was ruthless in his prosecution of the Covenanters, using the law where John Graham of Claverhouse used armed men in support of Charles II and the Bishops. However, in the present context, Mackenzie of Rosehaugh is remembered as one of the “institutional writers” of Scots law and as the author of Scotland’s Herauldry (the only text on heraldry which has legal authority in Scotland). |
5 | Guidon (from guide homme)—a small flag attached to the head of a spear or lance, carried by a leader. It was “the first colours that any commander of horse can let flie in the field”… three feet deep at the staff, and six feet long, tapering to a point which is split “into two peaks a foot deepe”. See Gervase Markham’s (1974 [1645]) Souldier’s Accidence. |
6 | Pencel or pennocel—a narrow ribbon-like pennant at the tip of a lance. It is distinct from a pennon, a small triangular flag on a knight’s lance, and bearing his arms; as a mark of honour or distinction the point was cut off, thus making the pennon a banner and the bearer a Knight Banneret. Chaucer’s Knight’s Tale describes how: “…by his baner was borne his pynoun Of gold ful riche, in which ther was i-bete The Minatour which that he slough in Crete.” |
7 | This refers to cadency, the differencing of arms of younger sons and their descendants. See l. 43 and notes, below. |
8 | Heraldry makes a distinction between heraldic beasts and their “natural” forms. An example is the dolphin (Figure 8). |
9 | Erased –a head or limb torn from the body (as opposed to couped, or cut). |
10 | Not exactly. See notes to Stanza V. |
11 | This is a clue as to authorship. |
12 | “Tent” is in the sense of “Tak tent” (pay attention, take heed) which is the motto of the Heraldry Society of Scotland. |
13 | “Differencing” distinguishes the “undifferenced” arms of a father during his life from those of his sons. |
14 | The word “aglot” caused Furnivall and Adams some pain. Properly, it is a metal barb on a lance, but here is more likely an annulet (a voided roundel), one of the marks of “cadency”, or differencing of sons’ arms. See Stanza VII |
15 | Or “tried”, “tested”. |
16 | Or “almost”. |
17 | The heraldic tinctures are: the metals—Or (gold) and Argent (silver, but usually depicted as white, or the colour of the underlying medium)—and the four colours: Sable (black), Gules (red), Azure (blue) and Vert (green); plus Purpure (purple, see below). Tenné (Tawny) and Murrey (Sanguine) are rare. |
18 | “Thopasis” is topaz, a gold-coloured stone. The silicate used as a gemstone today was possibly unknown to the ancients, but the stone then called topazos and the “topaz” of the Old Testament was chrysolite or peridot. |
19 | The arms of Brittany are based on Ermine, which is white (Argent) with black (Sable) ermine spots. |
20 | The divisions of the “field” (the main body of the shield). The word ‘sic’ in this context is a mystery but could be a mistranscription for “fec” (fesse). If so, pale has been omitted. |
21 | “Right” should be dexter, i.e., from the point of view of the armiger holding the shield. |
22 | What the author calls “windows” are wounds or golpes and are Purpure. |
23 | These following are the “ordinaries”, the commonest charges found on the field, and their related partitions. |
24 | This word is cancelled out in Q. |
25 | By convention, therefore, everyone who bears arms is “noble” (in the sense of “virtuous”). |
26 | Presumably, corporate, where two or three lions’ bodies share one head (bi-corporate, etc.). |
27 | Morné, without teeth, claws or tongue. |
28 | Possibly a patriarchal cross, with an extra, smaller horizontal bar. |
29 | Possibly cerclée (recerclée). |
30 | This is “enurny”, where a bordure is charged with animals, in which case it “goes round”. |
31 | |
32 | This may refer to “undy”, wavy lines across the field. |
33 | Compony is two tinctures alternating. |
34 | This is utterly confused. Simply put, when a number of mascles (voided lozenges) are put together the blazon is “masculy”. The fusil (from the word for “flint”, hence the shape) is narrower than the lozenge. |
35 | When a predator (lion, eagle) has coloured claws and teeth, the term is “armed”. |
36 | Heraldic dolphins, as with many heraldic beasts, are unlike their “natural” counterparts (see Figure 8). |
37 | The modern terms are billetty (small oblongs set in a pattern), humetty (couped, or cut off at both ends), and indented (two indentures, e.g., at the end of the arms of a cross). |
38 | “Glondes” are a complete mystery. The nearest Scots word is “glondure”, meaning bad temper or a sulk, as: “The Quene, with whome the said Erle was then in the glondouris, promised favouris in all his lauchfull suyttis to wemen”; Works of John Knox vol. I (1546), p. 143. In this context, “glondes” may mean per pale and per bend sinister. |
39 | Erased is as if torn off, as opposed to “couped”, cut off. |
40 | A partition line may be erased or couped (does not touch the sides of the shield), as with a leg or head. Byally is gyronny of six. For vair and vairy (here, verré) see the notes to the Stranza. |
41 | “Mold” has the sense (in verse) of the earth we stand on, but in heraldry is the field of the escutcheon; cf. “All men on mold ar markit for to de” (Sempill 1573) and “Syne in asure the mold A lyoun crovnit with gold” Holland n.d., ca. 1450). Holland was a careful heraldist, and in Howlat wrote what is possibly earliest poem of any length in the Scottish alliterative revival. See Riddy (1986). |
42 | There are called “furs” rather than “pans”, which denotes cloth. They require no tincture, as this is implicit (as roundels). |
43 | Here he lists the three ranks of “lords of arms”: Kings of Arms, Heralds and Pursuivants. These are still in use. |
44 | We might here have expected the Scots word “erd(e)”, more common before 1550 when the Middle English word replaced it. However, according to DSL it is found earlier, in Records of the Earldom of Orkney (1480): “With all fredomis, profeits, and richtwis pertinans, under erth and abov”. |
45 | |
46 | This usage of “ring” (related to “reign”) indicates sovereignty, or the territory so ruled. There are numerous examples in DOST, not least in a line from Wallace (1327): “Eftir the dayt off Alexandris ryng”. |
47 | A reference to the unmolestable status of heralds in their ambassadorial function. See n. 2 for a description of the consequences of assaulting Cumyng himself, when Lord Lyon. |
48 | The normal Scots word would, at this time, be “trowth”, even with the irregular extra vowel, rather than the English “troth” and “truth”. |
49 | “Luf” could also indicate praise, honour. |
50 | Lyon King of Arms Act 1672; Acts of the Scottish Parliament 1672 c. 47. |
51 | Upton, a canon of Salisbury Cathedral, wrote De studio militari, about 1440. The only earlier significant heraldic writer in England was the first, John of Guildford (Johannes de Bado Aureo) whose Tractatus de armis appeared about 1394. There was a Welsh armorial treatise by John Trevor, the Llyfr arfau (Book of Arms, 15th Century). |
References
- Addis, John. 1872. Notes & Queries. s4-X (254). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 375. [Google Scholar]
- Balfour-Paul, James. 1893. An Ordinary of Scottish Arms, 1st ed. Edinburgh: Lyon Office. [Google Scholar]
- Balfour-Paul, James. 1900. Heraldry in Relation to Scottish History and Art: Being the Rhind Lectures on Archaeology for 1898. Edinburgh: David Douglas, p. 82. [Google Scholar]
- Berners, Dame Juliana. 1486. Boke of St. Albans. Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. Printed in 1486 but written earlier, according to Wynkyn de Worde. Boston: Da Capo Press. [Google Scholar]
- Blades, William, ed. 1901. Boke of St Albans. London: Ellot Stock. [Google Scholar]
- Bowers, Robert Hood. 1936. The Middle Scotch Poem on Heraldry in Queen’s College MS. 161. Modern Language Notes 51: 429–31. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Byles, Alfred Thomas Plested, ed. 1926. The Book of the Ordre of Chyvalry. Translated and printed by William Caxton from a French version of Ramon Lull’s ‘Le libre del ordre de cavayleria’ together with Adam Loutfut’s Scottish Transcript (Harley 6149). London: Early English Text Society, pp. xxvi–xxx. [Google Scholar]
- Cotgrave, Randle. 1611. A Dictionarie of the French and English Tongues. London: Adam Islip. Available online: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/cotgrave/ (accessed on 8 December 2023).
- Elvin, Charles Norton. 1889. A Dictionary of Heraldry. East Dereham: Brown. [Google Scholar]
- Furnivall, Frederick James. 1869. Queene Elizabethes Achademy. A Booke of Precedence, &c., with Essays on Italian and German Books of Courtesy. Early English Text Society Extra Series. No. VIII. Part I; London: Early English Text Society, pp. 93–104. [Google Scholar]
- Guillim, John. 1610. A Display of Heraldrie. London: William Hall for Raphe Mab. [Google Scholar]
- Houwen, Luuk A. J. R. 1994. The Deidis of Armorie: A Heraldic Treatise and Bestiary. 2 vols. Edinburgh: The Scottish Text Society, vol. II, pp. xxxv–lv. [Google Scholar]
- Humphery-Smith, Cecil. 1973. Anglo-Norman Armory. Canterbury: Family History. [Google Scholar]
- Jamieson, John. 1808. An Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language, Illustrating the Words in Their Different Significations by Examples from Ancient and Modern Writers. 2 vols. Revised 1879–97. Available online: http://www.scotsdictionary.com (accessed on 8 December 2023).
- Leigh, Gerard. 1562. The Accedens of Armory. London: R. Tottil. [Google Scholar]
- London, Hugh Stanford. 1950. The Heraldic Roundel or Rotund. Notes and Queries CXCV: 288–90, 310–11, 331–33, 354–56, 377–80. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lower, Mark Antony. 1845. The Curiosities of Heraldry. London: John Russell Smith. [Google Scholar]
- Markham, Gervase. 1974. The Souldier’s Accidence. Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. First published 1645. [Google Scholar]
- McAndrew, Bruce A. 2002. The Balliol Roll. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society. [Google Scholar]
- Nisbet, Alexander. 1722. A System of Heraldry, Speculative and Practical. 2 vols. Edinburgh: Blackwood. [Google Scholar]
- Page, William, ed. 1902. Houses of Benedictine nuns: Sopwell Priory. In A History of the County of Hertford. London: University of London, Institute of Historical Research by Dawsons, vol. 4, pp. 422–26. [Google Scholar]
- Riddy, Felicity J. 1986. Dating the Buke of the Howlat. Review of English Studies, New Series. No. 145 (Feb); Oxford: Oxford University Press, vol. 37, pp. 1–10. [Google Scholar]
- Sempill, Robert. 1573. The Regintis Tragedie ending with ane Exhortatioune. In The Sempill Ballates. Edinburgh: Stevenson (pr. 1872), p. 73. [Google Scholar]
- Strathern, Sheriff. 1859. On the origin, coronation, and jurisdiction of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms. Transactions of the Glasgow Archaeological Society 1: 206–26. [Google Scholar]
- Taylor, James. 1887. The Great Historic Families of Scotland. 2 vols. London: Virtue. [Google Scholar]
- Upton, Nicholas. 1440. De Studio Militari. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Google Scholar]
Tincture | Planet | Gemstone | |
---|---|---|---|
(English) | (French) | ||
Or | Or | Sun | Topaz |
Argent | Argent | Moon | Pearl |
Azure | Azure | Jupiter | Sapphire |
Gules | Gueules | Mars | Ruby |
Purpure | Pourpre | Mercury | Amethyst |
Vert | Sinople | Venus | Emerald |
Sable | Sable | Saturn | Diamond |
Tenné | Tanné | Dragon’s Head | Jacinth |
Sanguine/Murrey | Sanguine | Dragon’s Tail | Sardonyx |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2024 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Durie, B. Did John Lydgate Write the Original for the “Scotch Copy of a Poem on Heraldry”? Genealogy 2024, 8, 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy8010017
Durie B. Did John Lydgate Write the Original for the “Scotch Copy of a Poem on Heraldry”? Genealogy. 2024; 8(1):17. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy8010017
Chicago/Turabian StyleDurie, Bruce. 2024. "Did John Lydgate Write the Original for the “Scotch Copy of a Poem on Heraldry”?" Genealogy 8, no. 1: 17. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy8010017