troduced, but with partial success, the Norman Language, laws, manners, and customs, and of all these traces are to be found in our times; yet, although we may conclude, that armorial bearings were introduced by the Normans, it is extremely difficult to trace any existing arms amongst us at the present day to the age of William, the First. References have been made to the (4) Tabula Eliensis, and to the (5) Bayeux Tapestry, yet here we meet with nothing conclusive. We may, I think, draw better inferences from the ancient painted tiles at Caen. At that place was the palace of William, when Duke of Normandy, and in its (supposed) great guard chamber several painted, and glazed, tiles were set in the floor, ornamented with the arms of Norman Families, many of the heads of which accompanied William to England, and some of which families still exist here in their descendants. Varying opinions have been held respecting the date of the building, and of the armorial tiles. Dr. Ducarel, in his "Norman Antiquities," perhaps leads the way. In the Gent. Mags. for 1789 and 1790 are letters relative to them with plates. Mr. Henniker Major in the year 1794 published two letters with plates on the same subject, and they are also spoken of in the "Tour in Normandy" by Mr. Dawson Turner. It is unnecessary to state these varying opinions; but it will suffice to say, that the building and the tiles may both have been long posterior to the time of William, or the tiles themselves may have been coeval with him. They bear the arms as before stated, and we

may fairly infer, that they were in existence in his time. Amongst them are the arms of Gray, Bromley, Chamberlayn, Malet, and Fiennes.

In an essay "Of the Antiquity of Arms in England," written by Mr. Agard in the year 1598, and published by Thomas Hearne in his "Collection of Curious Discourses written by eminent Antiquaries," occurs the following interesting passage: "I reade in an olde chronycle of the lyves of the dukes of Normandye in Frenche wrytten hande, that William the Conqueror beseiging Dunfront; Geoffry Martell, duke of Anjowe came to its relief. Whereof William understandinge, sent William le Fitz-Osborn, Regnault de Montgomerye, and Guillame le Fitz-Cherry (all which cam into England afterwards with him) to view Geoffreyes forces, and to tell him, that on the morrow the said Geoffrey should finde him keapinge the gates of Dunfront. Which message, when Mountgomerye had delyvered, Geoffreye answered, Tell duke William, that to-morrowe I will be at the gate and will enter if I can; and because I would have duke William know me, I will be mounted upon a whyte courser, and will beare my shielde all goulde without a difference.

To whom Mountgomerye answered, Sir, take no thought for that, for to-morrowe morninge you shall finde duke William upon a baye courser, and bearinge his shielde all vermelle; and because you shall better knowe him, he will carye on the ende of his launce a ladyes handcarchef to wipe your face withal.”

A more bitter taunt than this was never

E

uttered by the lips of mortal man! Nay, start not, fair reader, if mayhap you do me the honour of perusing my desultory page. Surely I speak the truth. Never were sarcasm, and insult, and defiance more closely united. The gallant soldier is here told, that with the brag of the coward he has the timidity of the female, and that he perspires with fear! but trow you well, that, at another time, the gallánt Son of Mars would differently receive the handkerchief of ladye faire."

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Agard then adds, "Now after the Conqueror was entered England in everye place where himselfe and his nobles buylt eyther theyre castles or theyre abbayes, theye sett forth theyre armes ingraven. Whereas there is not to be seene in anye old buildinges before the Conquest that anye armes werre set up. As for example the neyther parte of Saint Paules, which was Templum Dianæ, and built longe before the Conquest, hathe not anye." I have the following observations to make on the preceding extract. It is proved by the "Olde Chronycle" in the French Language referred to by Agard, that arms were in use amongst the Normans, and, in fact, that William, the First, did possess them before his arrival in this country, when he introduced upon his shield the two lions of Normandy: these were probably the national arms of that state, which he was desirous of establishing as those of his new possessions. The arms, which are stated by the "Chronycle" to be used by him, were possibly a more personal appropriation. The arms of

William are here said to be all vermelle, those of Geoffry to be all gould, and thus we have in these instances the self colours alone of red, and of yellow, which confirms my conjecture in a future page, that Heraldry, beginning with the adoption of self colours, progressed through that of the ordinaries, or simple divisions of the shield into different tinctures, and ended by the introduction into the honorary escutcheon of all things animate, and inanimate, real, and imaginary, "quæ nunc perscribere longum est."

We must, I think, now assent, that arms were in use in this country in the time of William, the First; but it may be strongly doubted, whether they were then hereditary, that is, whether the same arms passed from the father to the son; and from the review of the subject it does appear to me, that, though the son may oft have assumed the arms of his sire, it was not, as now, the invariable custom; indeed, many instances may be cited, in which the father and the son bore different arms. "The hereditary use of Armes" (says Camden) "was not fully established untill the time of King Henry the third. For the last Earles of Chester, the two Quincyes Earles of Winchester, the two Lacyes Earles of Lincolne, varied still the father from the sonne, as might be particularly proved." * This opinion of Camden is supported by Waterhouse, who saith thus: They kept no constant Coat, but gave now this, anon that, sometimes their paternal, otherwhile

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* Camden's" Remaines," p. 208.

their maternal, or adopted Coats: which variation causing much obfuscation in History, 'tis not easie to fix (upon true warrantable grounds) the constant lineal bearing of Coats in a line of unchanged descent above Henry the thirds time."*

Personal arms at length became gradually fixed by the influence of the (6) Crusades. The Barons, and Knights, heated by holy zeal, led forth their vassals to the wars beneath the guidance of the heraldic pennon, and thus in memory of their piety, and glorious deeds, those arms, which would probably have been subject to change, were with pride retained by their descendants, and thus became hereditary.

These Chieftains, holding large grants of land in capite under their Sovereign, were accustomed to grant to the gentry around them lesser portions of their domains on sub-feudatory conditions, amongst which a principal one was, that they should accompany, and aid, them in the wars. This class of gentry was very numerous, and to these feudal dependents did they often grant the use of their own arms, which they, and their families, subsequently held with some differential marks. Thus from the arms of the ancient Earls of Chester, who bore the garbe, or wheat-sheaf, that charge became prevalent in the heraldic atchievements of the gentry of Cheshire. In like manner, in the northern counties the lion rampant was generally derived from the Percies, and Grays; the

* Discourse and Defence of Arms and Armory, p. 77.