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A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

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OF FOWLS AND BIRDS. 33 7<br />

In page 61, I omitted a standing family <strong>of</strong> the name <strong>of</strong> GIFFORD, which I here<br />

mention, vix. GIFFORD <strong>of</strong> Wethersta in the Island <strong>of</strong> 7/Jtland, now represented by<br />

Thomas Giilord <strong>of</strong> Busta there, as heir-male lineally descended <strong>of</strong> the family <strong>of</strong><br />

Wethersta, 200 years standing in that island.. The abovementioned Thomas Gifford<br />

<strong>of</strong> Busta carries the arms <strong>of</strong> the family <strong>of</strong> Wethersta, as representer there<strong>of</strong>,<br />

being guL's, three bars ermine, within a bordure or; crest, a hart's head, proper ;<br />

with the motto, Spare when you have nought.<br />

Recorded in the Lyon Register.<br />

CHAP. V.<br />

OF FOWLS AND BIRDS.<br />

I BEGIN with the eavlc, which is said by our ancient heralds and others to be the<br />

V^ucen <strong>of</strong> Birds, as the Lion is said to be the King <strong>of</strong> Beasts ; they are both frequent<br />

in arms all Europe over. Josepbus de Belh Jud. cap. 5. speaking <strong>of</strong> the Roman<br />

Eagle, says, " Aquila legioni apud Romanes prieest, regina omnium avium, &<br />

" eadem valentissima, unde etiam imperil signum ipsis est, & velut omen victoriae<br />

"<br />

in quoscunque eat." The black eagle is said to be the bravest bird, the emblem<br />

<strong>of</strong> magnanimity and fortitude <strong>of</strong> mind; and <strong>of</strong> such a colour was the eagle <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Roman Emperors, now used by the Germans, because the colour black is the<br />

strongest colour, and appears at greatest distance. Sylvester Petra Sancta says,<br />

" Cur Imperil Aquila sit furva? quia hie est aquilas genuinus color, & quia idem<br />

"<br />

color censeri potest colorum omnium potentissimus :" Yet, to speak as a herald,<br />

whatever colour the eagle be <strong>of</strong>, it does not lessen the honour <strong>of</strong> the bearer, for the<br />

Roman Emperors carried the eagle in different colours. Caius. Marius carried the<br />

eagle white, to show his victory. Pompey had it white also, in a blue field ; ana<br />

Julius Ccesar had it <strong>of</strong> gold, in a red field, to represent his eminency ; and Octavius,<br />

after he had overcome his enemies, and given peace to the world, reassumed the<br />

black. eagle in a gold field, and it is continued in these tinctures with the German<br />

Emperors : And, which is most to be taken notice <strong>of</strong>, the eagle appears with two<br />

heads, which seems to be contrary to nature, for the rule in armories is, that every<br />

creature ought to be placed in its natural form, if there be no special reason for<br />

doing otherwise.<br />

There are various opinions, both <strong>of</strong> antiquaries and heralds, about the time and<br />

reason, when and why the Imperial Eagle came to be represented with two heads.<br />

Some assert that it was so used by the Roman Emperors,, and bring in, for pro<strong>of</strong>,<br />

the pillar <strong>of</strong> Trajanus, on which was engraven .a soldier with a shield, charged<br />

with an eagle with two heads, which Justus Lipsius testifies. To this others an-<br />

T, that it could not be the Imperial Eagle, which no soldier durst presume to<br />

carry ; and tell us, that it was only a sign or token <strong>of</strong> the union <strong>of</strong> two legions in<br />

one, or <strong>of</strong> one legion under the command <strong>of</strong> two generals.<br />

Some again say, the Germans were the first that carried an eagle with" two heads,<br />

from the defeat they gave to Varus, when tliey took the two standards <strong>of</strong> two le-<br />

gions commanded by him ; but this is not supported by any pro<strong>of</strong>.<br />

Others more probably tell us, that it is not one eagle with two heads, but two<br />

eagles, the one laid above the other, and their heads separate looking different<br />

ways, which represent the two heads <strong>of</strong> the empire after it was divided into East<br />

and West, as Cuspidion, " Non enim biceps est aquilu, ut ifnperitum vulgus credit,<br />

"<br />

sed du.u sirr.ul, quarum alteni alteram expansis alls : obtegit And Beckmanib,<br />

in his Notitia Di^nitatum Imperil, page 179, is <strong>of</strong> the same opinion,<br />

as was. also the<br />

great Bellarmin, in his Book <strong>of</strong> the Translation, <strong>of</strong> the Empire.<br />

Our latest vnit.iN urc <strong>of</strong> opinion, that the Emperors <strong>of</strong> the East, long after the<br />

division <strong>of</strong> the empire, were the first that carried the eagle with two heads, upon<br />

the account that there were <strong>of</strong>ten two emperors together on the throne, who<br />

had their effigies together on one side <strong>of</strong> their seals and coins, but on the other<br />

side they thought not fit to have two shields \\ith one and the same figure, bat one<br />

shield, in which they placed the two eagles, one above the other, with their heads<br />

separate ;<br />

and v Inch practice was afterwards imitated by the Emperors <strong>of</strong> the Wes-<br />

tern Empire, upon the decay <strong>of</strong> the Eastern, especially by Sigismund, who joined<br />

40.

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