reader, as firmly as recorded historic facts can prove any thing, that the halle of John Halle was built between the years 1467 and 1484.

In the year 1483, the college of heralds was founded by Richard, the Third, and in the year 1485, Henry, the Seventh, began his reign. We are sanctioned then in concluding, that, as the arms of John Halle appear in his splendid Halle built in the reign of Edward, the Fourth, prior to the foundation of the heralds’ college, the arms (before used without authority) must have been confirmed in the reign of Henry, the Seventh, on the application of William Halle.

Having thus fully discussed this part of the subject, I will now proceed to the heraldic investigation of the arms of John Halle; but I must premise, that, on a reference to the plate, (p. 41,) it will be seen, that he has impaled them with his merchant's mark. This is no part of his arms. We find, that merchants' marks are occasionally, and incidentally, spoken of by heraldic authors, but merely to explain, that they are not heraldic. I shall say nothing further on this subject at present; but, as John Halle was a merchant of the staple, I shall, in the next Essay, discuss the origin of the staple, its laws, and merchants' marks. I shall then more fully speak of the merchant's mark of John Halle.

His arms are very handsome, and, had the chevron been azure, instead of sable, a modern herald could not have devised a coat more pleasing to the eye; but from a review of the

arms, taken in connexion with other circumstances, (which will be detailed hereafter,) I have strong reason to believe, that the family of Halle of Salisbury were generally attached to the interests of the House of Lancaster. In saying this I shall probably be impugned of inconsistency, since the halle of John Halle, in its ornamental cognizances of Edward, the Fourth, appears to have been studiously complimental to him, and John Halle himself is there depicted, as supporting with the one hand the banner of Edward, the Fifth, the heir apparent to the Throne, and with the other on his dagger in the act, as it were, of swearing fealty to the Royal Dynasty. I admit this, and most candidly recognize it as an apparently great incongruity with my now repeated assertion of my belief," that the family of Halle of Salisbury were generally attached to the interests of the House of Lancaster." The question then may well be asked, "how do "how do you reconcile this seeming incongruity?"-to which I can only return an hypothetical answer, a reply, based on imaginative grounds, possible, and indeed probable, but which truly have their origin in historic facts, the full developement of which, in the present Essay, would be premature. Let it suffice then, gentle reader, now to say, that John Halle did incur the heavy displeasure of Edward, the Fourth; that he did probably beard his Monarch on the Throne; and that he was by him justly cast into prison; and yet we find, that, subsequently, John Halle did erect a splendid banquetting-room, in the ornaments

of which he studiously complimented Edward, the Fourth! I can explain this alone on the assumption, as true, of the following hypothesis, that John Halle having offended, and, as is probable, personally insulted his Sovereign, his incarceration gave him leisure for reflectionreflection may have raised in his mind the feelings of genuine, and deep, repentance, and— repentance may have induced such an humble, and sincere, apology to his Monarch, as to have caused him to award that warm, and hearty forgiveness, which bore the aspect of highly generous feelings; and this condescension, perhaps personally shown, from his justly-offended, and potent, Sovereign, may have raised, and truly so, those feelings of gratitude in the mind. of John Halle, as to have induced him, although a Lancastrian by birth, in connexion, and in principle, to become the personal partizan of Edward, the Fourth. In the support of this hypothesis, we must call to mind, that, the more uncivilized the age, and people, the less equably do the human passions and affections bear on the mind of man; that under such circumstances, the spirit of revenge takes deeper root, and the feelings of gratitude are fostered with stronger fervency than in an æra of greater refinement. It was in this age, (that of the wars between the Houses of York and Lancaster,) that the spirit of the partizan peculiarly shone forth, and that its bias was often swayed

by the temporary, and passing, occurrence; thus

men were in their families often arrayed against each other-the father against the son-and the

one brother against the other-and the individual himself in a subsequent period would not unfrequently side with that party, of which he had before been the determined opponent. This hypothesis many may think visionary; but it is the only one I can devise to account for the curious fact, that a Lancastrian should erect a banquetting-room in itself complimentary to a Prince of the House of York. If then, gentle reader, you reject it, prithee suggest that of stronger argument, and I, as the partizan of the present one, will yield my opinions, and-pass over to the other side.

The favourite colours of the, Lancastrian Party were white, and blue; (the one of the faction of the House of York being murrey, and blue,) and it is an interesting circumstance, that the predominant colours of the arms of the family of Halle of Salisbury are white, and blue, to which this singular fact must be added, that the columbine was a cognizance of the Lancastrians,* and columbines are the charges on the coat of Halle of Salisbury. These arms, it is necessary here to repeat, are thus heraldically described, "Argent: on a chevron sable, between three columbines azure, an etoile (or star) or." The chevron is a very ancient ordinary, and in the French Language signifies the main beam, or rafter, of the house; in fact, we may suppose, that the chevron denotes those larger timbers, which at regular intervals principally support the roof, and are known, in the vernacular language of the artizan, by the ap

Archæologia, Vol. 21, p. 240.

pellations of the principals, or couples, whilst the chevronel (or diminutive of the chevron, of which charge there are often many in the same coat,) may be supposed to represent the smaller timbers, or rafters, of which there are many in the intervals between the several principals. The form, and relative sizes, of the chevron, and chevronel, well answer to these appropriations. These charges were probably borne in the early days of heraldry in the arms of men of affluence; and, on occasion of absence in the wars, they must have strongly reminded them, and their followers, of their splendid Halles, open to the roof, which they had left behind, and of those most dear to them. I must here beg, as, I think, not unaptly, to remark, that in the olden time the walls of many an ancient Halle have been made to re-echo with the symbolical toast to the Lord of the Mansion of "To the top beam of the Halle," or, " To the Roof Tree," a friendly, and hearty, greeting from his friends, and vassals, which, you may rest assured, gentle reader, was ever received with due acknowledg

ment.

On the chevron is borne an etoile (or star) or, and this I have reason to believe (which will be more properly explained hereafter) was added to the arms by John Halle himself, with the (probable) intention to denote his rising House through his prosperous commercial speculations.

The columbine is a flower so well known, that I shall refrain from its botanical description. In the Linnæan System of botany it takes its station in the class polyandria, order pentagynia,

G