112 THE BOOK OF HERBS 



and appeared as heraldic emblems, and besides them, 

 Guillim mentions " Rosemary, Sweet Marjoram, Betony, 

 Purslane and Saffron," being borne in Coat Armour. 

 But, " because such daintiness and affected adornings 

 better befit ladies and gentlemen than knights and men of 

 valour, whose worth must be tried in the field, not under 

 a rose-bed, or in a garden-plot, therefore the ancient 

 Generous made choice rather of such herbs as grew 

 in the fields, as the Cinque-foil, Trefoil," etc.^ It 

 is an interesting explanation of the reason that dictated 

 the choice of these two last herbs, often seen in heraldic 

 bearings. One of Guillim's corrections must specially 

 delight all west country people. The Coat of the 

 Baskerviles of Hereford was : Argent, a cheveron, 

 Gules, between three Hurts. " These (saith Leigh) 

 appear light blue and come of some violent stroke. But, 

 if I mistake not, he is farr wide from the matter . . . 

 whereas they are indeed a kind of fruit or small round 

 Berry, of colour betwixt black and blue . . . and in some 

 places called Windberries, and in others Hurts or 

 Hurtleberries." Guillim knew the popular name of 

 Whortleberries better than did his fellow-author. The 

 idea of choosing three bruises as a "charge" does not 

 seem to have struck Mr Leigh as being at 2l odd. 



In Saxony Rue has given its name to an Order. A 

 chaplet of Rue borne bend wise on "barrs of the Coat 

 Armour of the Dukedom of Saxony " (till then " Barry 

 of ten, sable and or,") was granted by the Emperor 

 Frederick Barbarossa to Duke Bernard of Anhalt (the 

 first of his house to be Duke of Saxony), at his request, 

 "to difference his arms from his Brothers'," Otho, Mar- 

 quis of Brandenberg, and Siegfrid, Archbishop of Breme. 

 This took place in the year ii8i, but the Order was 

 not founded till more than six centuries had passed, 

 and was then due to Frederick Augustus, first King of 



• Guillim. "Heraldry." 



