BLAZONRY. 315 



compofe of them a confiderable vocabulary, or 

 fhort dictionary , and the more, as it is nccelVary 

 to add the fignification to each of thefe barba- 

 rous terms : for this matter, therefore, we mud 

 refer our readers to exprefs treadles on blazonry, 

 as thofe of Varennius, Meneftrier, Andrew Fa- 

 vin, Spelman, Colombiere, Bara, Segoin, Geliot, 

 Philip Moreau, Scohier, and efpecially to a work 

 intituled, The Art of Blazonry, or the Science of 

 Nobility, &c. publimed by Daniel de la Feuille, 

 at Amfterdam, 1695. They will there find the 

 greateft part of the terms of this fcience clearly 

 explained. 



VI. In the next place it is necefiary to remark 

 the divcrfity of colours in thefhield, which confiil 

 of two metals, four other colours, and two furs. 

 The two metals are Or, and argent, or yellow and 

 white : the four other colours are azure or blue, 

 gules or red, fable or black, and vert or green, 

 called finople, to which is fometimes added 

 purple or violet. The two furs are ermin and 

 vairy , to which are alfo added counter-ermin 

 and counter-vairy. They fay in the etymo- 

 logy of thefc denominations, that each of 

 the colours exprefs fome celeltial or mundane 

 virtue, as, for example, that red is called gules, 

 becaulc all bealis by devouring their prey have 

 the gulc or throat boody, or of a red colour ; 

 and for this realon gules in blazonry denotes 

 valour, intrepidity, &c. It is evident, however, 

 that the moil natural colours areexprefied by un- 

 common 



