DOI Heft:
July to December, 1851
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16608#0068
56
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI
HERALDIC FRAGMENTS.
N treating of animals borne
on the shield as "charges"
(and the charges for which,
by-the-by, come to some-
thing, in case you want a
grant of one, now), we notice
a peculiarity in our friend
the Stag. He is represented
as tripping, when an ordinary
animal would only he passant.
He is at gaze—that is to say,
looking about him with con-
siderable intelligence and
curiosity—when an ordinary
creature is gardant. And he
is 'often found in a position
emphatically marked as
lodged. Who shall say that
Heraldry is meaningless, or
gone by, in modern times ?
How often has the Stag been
only too securely lodged
within our memory !
Animals are often blazoned
or pictured in characteristic
and honourable attitudes, in
preference to others. A
pelican feeding her young,
for instance, is in her piety.
This symbol is borne by lofty
aristocrats—and of course
symbolises the care with
which they provide for their young ones out of the public money. A
peacock, again, with his tail displayed, is described by Heralds as being^
in his pride—which exactly applies to the case of a Premier. And
" small birds " are generally drawn by Heralds with a dignified indiffer-
ence to particulars, " like blackbirds;" for of course your smaller sort
of birds need not have much attention paid them anyhow: and thus
every gathering of the mass of English is conventionally named " the
populace!"
There are a lot of imaginary animals borne in Heraldry; and perhaps
the most imaginary of all are the warriors named as the founders of
families in " The Peerage." Too often, the griffin or the unicorn
are as really historical as these persons. It has been supposed that
griffins, unicorns, &c, were once believed to have been met by
Crusaders during their journeys in the East; and perhaps some
centuries hence, a policeman azure, passant, and gardant, with a baton
in his dexter paw, will be borne by the descendants of some London
families on the same pretext. At all events {apropos of this idea), " a
duck sans beak and feet," is still known under the name of a cannet in
Heraldry. Perhaps the said descendants will bear a duck still further
demolished, in memory of the exploits of the same animal in our day.
The heraldic word " proper " is applied to birds when borne of their
natural colour. Thus, those young birds whose eggs recently annoyed
the Kennington people on the Oaks Day, would be described simply
as goslings proper—meaning green.
It is a well-known rule in Heraldry, that metal must not be put on
metal, nor colour on colour. You cannot with propriety blazon thus—
Argent, a chevron, or; that would be false ; or sable, three anythings,
azure. Doubtless, it is precisely because the wisdom of ages has made
this regulation, that none but the vulgar ever say, "I'll put twopence
to your twopence ;" a well-known plebeian form of expression. And
doubtless, also, Shakespeare meant to illustrate the second of these
rules when he forbade us to " paint the lily."
A good deal might be written (if anybody would read it) on the
immense influence produced in the science of Armorie by the Crusades.
To them we owe the introduction of escallops, or shells, so frequently
borne on "ordinaries" and "sub-ordinaries" in shields, Panmure
bears eight escallops in a " border; " and Graham three, on a " chief."
Now what are these escallops ? _ We, ourselves, have a theory of no
ordinary ingenuity on the subject. In the first place, is not the
Erench word for " scolloped "—escallope? Is it not common to scollop
oysters? The deduction is obvious. These shells are oyster-shells.
The Crusaders liked scolloped oysters; and the reason escallops are
found usually on what _ heralds call " ordinaries," is plain to any
frequenter of London dining-places! To the Crusades, also, we owe
the introduction of water-bogets—such as those borne by the name of
Bourchier. These, of course, came on the tapis, very naturally, when
the oysters did.
A PALINODE.
From Punch to Henry Brougham.
" During the last five or six weeks, he had with the utmost difficulty, and against
the opinion of his medical advisers, attended the service of their Lordships' House.
During the last ten days the difficulty had increased, and become more severe. In the
hope of assisting in this great measure, in a cause to which his life had been devoted, he
had struggled to the last, until he found he could struggle no more "—Lord Bi'ougkam'a
last Speech on Law Reform in the Home of Lords.
And is the busy brain o'erwrought at last ?
Has the sharp sword fretted the sheath so far ?
Then, Henry Brougham, in spite of all that's past,
Our ten long years of all but weekly war,
Let Punch hold out to you a friendly hand,
And speak what haply he had left unspoken
Had that sharp tongue lost nought of its command,
That nervous frame still kept its spring unbroken.
Eorgot the changes of thy later years,
No more he knows the Ishmael once he knew,
Drinking delight of battle 'mongst the Peers,—
Your hand 'gainst all men, all men's hands 'gainst you.
He knows the Orator whose fearless tongue
Lashed into infamy and endless scorn
The wretches who their blackening scandal flung
Upon a Queen—of women most forlorn.
He knows the lover of his kind, who stood
Chief of the banded few that dared to brave
The accursed traffickers in negro blood,
And struck his heaviest fetter from the slave ;
The Statesman who, in a less happy hour
Than this, maintained man's right to read and know,
And gave the keys of knowledge and of power
With equal hand abke to high and low;
The Lawyer who, unwarped by private aims,
Denounced the Law's abuse, chicane, delay:
The Chancellor who settled century's claims,
And swept an age's dense arrears away ;
The man whose name men read even as they run
On every landmark the world's course along,
That speaks to us of a great battle won
Over untruth or prejudice or wrong.
Remembering this, full sad I am to hear
That voice which loudest in the combat rung
Now weak and low and sorrowful of cheer,
To see that arm of battle all unstrung.
And so, even as a warrior after fight
Thinks of a noble foe, now wounded sore,
I think of thee, and of thine ancient might,
And hold a hand out, armed for strife no more.
The Way they Sarves the Navy.
We find, in the list of naval appointments in the Hampshire Inde-
pendent :—
" Commander.—W. K. Hall (1848) to command the Styx."
Vice Charon, superseded, of course. This service must be worse than
a cruise off the Gold Coast. If the Admiralty will send a British
Captain to command the Styx, it is evident that the Navy is going to
the deuce.
the man and the hour.
Mr. Brotherton's great objection to the House sitting "after 12,"
is, that it scarcely becomes so great a Legislature as that of England
to get through its business "like one o'clock."
Reflection for the Peace Congress.—The true way to enjoy
the wine of life is to accompany it with olives.
Spain in the Exposition.
With pain we remark that Spain makes rather a mean appearance
in the Exhibition. She has not contributed those links that were
expected from her to the bonds of universal brotherhood; which shs
might easily have done by paying her bondholders their dividends.
Ip the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Peter's is ever built 's>
London, on what ground will it be erected ?
On the Ground of Indulgence.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI
HERALDIC FRAGMENTS.
N treating of animals borne
on the shield as "charges"
(and the charges for which,
by-the-by, come to some-
thing, in case you want a
grant of one, now), we notice
a peculiarity in our friend
the Stag. He is represented
as tripping, when an ordinary
animal would only he passant.
He is at gaze—that is to say,
looking about him with con-
siderable intelligence and
curiosity—when an ordinary
creature is gardant. And he
is 'often found in a position
emphatically marked as
lodged. Who shall say that
Heraldry is meaningless, or
gone by, in modern times ?
How often has the Stag been
only too securely lodged
within our memory !
Animals are often blazoned
or pictured in characteristic
and honourable attitudes, in
preference to others. A
pelican feeding her young,
for instance, is in her piety.
This symbol is borne by lofty
aristocrats—and of course
symbolises the care with
which they provide for their young ones out of the public money. A
peacock, again, with his tail displayed, is described by Heralds as being^
in his pride—which exactly applies to the case of a Premier. And
" small birds " are generally drawn by Heralds with a dignified indiffer-
ence to particulars, " like blackbirds;" for of course your smaller sort
of birds need not have much attention paid them anyhow: and thus
every gathering of the mass of English is conventionally named " the
populace!"
There are a lot of imaginary animals borne in Heraldry; and perhaps
the most imaginary of all are the warriors named as the founders of
families in " The Peerage." Too often, the griffin or the unicorn
are as really historical as these persons. It has been supposed that
griffins, unicorns, &c, were once believed to have been met by
Crusaders during their journeys in the East; and perhaps some
centuries hence, a policeman azure, passant, and gardant, with a baton
in his dexter paw, will be borne by the descendants of some London
families on the same pretext. At all events {apropos of this idea), " a
duck sans beak and feet," is still known under the name of a cannet in
Heraldry. Perhaps the said descendants will bear a duck still further
demolished, in memory of the exploits of the same animal in our day.
The heraldic word " proper " is applied to birds when borne of their
natural colour. Thus, those young birds whose eggs recently annoyed
the Kennington people on the Oaks Day, would be described simply
as goslings proper—meaning green.
It is a well-known rule in Heraldry, that metal must not be put on
metal, nor colour on colour. You cannot with propriety blazon thus—
Argent, a chevron, or; that would be false ; or sable, three anythings,
azure. Doubtless, it is precisely because the wisdom of ages has made
this regulation, that none but the vulgar ever say, "I'll put twopence
to your twopence ;" a well-known plebeian form of expression. And
doubtless, also, Shakespeare meant to illustrate the second of these
rules when he forbade us to " paint the lily."
A good deal might be written (if anybody would read it) on the
immense influence produced in the science of Armorie by the Crusades.
To them we owe the introduction of escallops, or shells, so frequently
borne on "ordinaries" and "sub-ordinaries" in shields, Panmure
bears eight escallops in a " border; " and Graham three, on a " chief."
Now what are these escallops ? _ We, ourselves, have a theory of no
ordinary ingenuity on the subject. In the first place, is not the
Erench word for " scolloped "—escallope? Is it not common to scollop
oysters? The deduction is obvious. These shells are oyster-shells.
The Crusaders liked scolloped oysters; and the reason escallops are
found usually on what _ heralds call " ordinaries," is plain to any
frequenter of London dining-places! To the Crusades, also, we owe
the introduction of water-bogets—such as those borne by the name of
Bourchier. These, of course, came on the tapis, very naturally, when
the oysters did.
A PALINODE.
From Punch to Henry Brougham.
" During the last five or six weeks, he had with the utmost difficulty, and against
the opinion of his medical advisers, attended the service of their Lordships' House.
During the last ten days the difficulty had increased, and become more severe. In the
hope of assisting in this great measure, in a cause to which his life had been devoted, he
had struggled to the last, until he found he could struggle no more "—Lord Bi'ougkam'a
last Speech on Law Reform in the Home of Lords.
And is the busy brain o'erwrought at last ?
Has the sharp sword fretted the sheath so far ?
Then, Henry Brougham, in spite of all that's past,
Our ten long years of all but weekly war,
Let Punch hold out to you a friendly hand,
And speak what haply he had left unspoken
Had that sharp tongue lost nought of its command,
That nervous frame still kept its spring unbroken.
Eorgot the changes of thy later years,
No more he knows the Ishmael once he knew,
Drinking delight of battle 'mongst the Peers,—
Your hand 'gainst all men, all men's hands 'gainst you.
He knows the Orator whose fearless tongue
Lashed into infamy and endless scorn
The wretches who their blackening scandal flung
Upon a Queen—of women most forlorn.
He knows the lover of his kind, who stood
Chief of the banded few that dared to brave
The accursed traffickers in negro blood,
And struck his heaviest fetter from the slave ;
The Statesman who, in a less happy hour
Than this, maintained man's right to read and know,
And gave the keys of knowledge and of power
With equal hand abke to high and low;
The Lawyer who, unwarped by private aims,
Denounced the Law's abuse, chicane, delay:
The Chancellor who settled century's claims,
And swept an age's dense arrears away ;
The man whose name men read even as they run
On every landmark the world's course along,
That speaks to us of a great battle won
Over untruth or prejudice or wrong.
Remembering this, full sad I am to hear
That voice which loudest in the combat rung
Now weak and low and sorrowful of cheer,
To see that arm of battle all unstrung.
And so, even as a warrior after fight
Thinks of a noble foe, now wounded sore,
I think of thee, and of thine ancient might,
And hold a hand out, armed for strife no more.
The Way they Sarves the Navy.
We find, in the list of naval appointments in the Hampshire Inde-
pendent :—
" Commander.—W. K. Hall (1848) to command the Styx."
Vice Charon, superseded, of course. This service must be worse than
a cruise off the Gold Coast. If the Admiralty will send a British
Captain to command the Styx, it is evident that the Navy is going to
the deuce.
the man and the hour.
Mr. Brotherton's great objection to the House sitting "after 12,"
is, that it scarcely becomes so great a Legislature as that of England
to get through its business "like one o'clock."
Reflection for the Peace Congress.—The true way to enjoy
the wine of life is to accompany it with olives.
Spain in the Exposition.
With pain we remark that Spain makes rather a mean appearance
in the Exhibition. She has not contributed those links that were
expected from her to the bonds of universal brotherhood; which shs
might easily have done by paying her bondholders their dividends.
Ip the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Peter's is ever built 's>
London, on what ground will it be erected ?
On the Ground of Indulgence.