BLAZONRY. 



ill. By the word arms is therefore meant cer- 

 tain marks of honour exprefied by various figures 

 and colours, by which the families of thole that 

 bear them are diftinguimed, or fuch as apper- 

 tain to a whole nation, city or province. Thus 

 the fcveral refpectable families among the Ple- 

 beians and Patricians, cities and provinces, have 

 their peculiar arms ; and thus mips hoift their 

 flags with the arms of Hamburg, Bremen, 

 Danrzick, &c. Coats of arms are the fame marks 

 of honour^accompanied with devices or cyphers, 

 and are peculiar to noble and illuftrious families ; 

 they are drawn in fcutcheons or on banners, and 

 were anciently borne on the fhield, cuirafs, &c. 

 as they are now on ftandards, colours, &c. 

 They generally reckon eight different kinds of 

 arms, which are, i. thole of houles or families ; 

 2. thofe of dignities or employments ; 3. thofe 

 of concefllon, adoption, or aggregation ; 4. thofe 

 of patronage, as the cardinals take the arms of 

 the popes who have railed them to the purple ; 



5. thole of pretenfion, or of fuch countries over 

 which the bearer pretends to have authority ; 



6. thofe of fiefs, of domains and fubftitutions \ 



7. thofe of communities, republics, cities, aca- 



:es, &c. 8. thofe of fucceflion, which are borne 

 by heirs or legatees. Arms are likewife dii- 



:ifhcd into exprefTive or arbitary. Blazonry 

 is, as we have already laid, the method of dc- 

 cyphcring and defcribing thdc coats of arms. 



IV. This 



