COLOUR. 
planets ; the armorial colours are blazoned dignity of the person whose arms are des- 
in different terms, according to the rank and cribed, as follows : 
Colours. 
For commoners by 
tinctures. 
For peers by 
precious stones. 
For emperors, kings, 
and princes, by 
planets. 
Or 
Topaz 
Sol. 
Wliifp 
Pearl 
Luna. 
Sapphire 
Jupiter. 
■pAfI 
Gules 
Ruby 
Mars. 
■RIqpV 
Sable 
Diamond 
Saturn. 
Vert 
Emerald 
Venus. 
Aniethest 
Mercury. 
Jacinth 
Dragon’s head. 
Dark red 
Sanguine 
Sardonix 
Dragon’s tail. 
Or and argent are metals ; and it is an in- 
variable rule in heraldry not to put colour 
upon colour, or metal on metal ; that is, if 
the field be of a colour, the charge or 
bearing must be of a metal. 
Colour, in law, is a probable or plausible 
plea, though in reality false at bottom, and 
only calculated to draw the trial of the 
cause from the jury to the judge ; and there- 
fore colour ought to be matter of law, or 
doubtful to the jury. 
In pleading it is a rule that no man be al- 
lowed to plead specially such a plea as 
amounts only to the general issue ; but in 
such case he shall be driven to plead the 
general issue in terms by which the whole 
question is referred to a jury. But if a 
defendant ,in an assize, or action of tres- 
pass, be desirous to refer the validity of 
his title to the court rather than to the jury, 
he may state his title specially, and at 
the same time give colour to the plain- 
tiff; or suppose him to have an appear- 
ance or colour of title, bad indeed in point 
of law, but of which the jury are not compe- 
tent judges. 
Colour, in calico-printing. The term 
colour in calico-printing is applied not only 
to those vegetable, animal, and mineral so- 
lutions, which impart their own colour to 
the cloth on which they are applied ; but 
also improperly to those eartliy or metallic 
solutions, which, possessing little or no tin- 
gent properties themselves, yet retain or 
ifix the qualities (colours) of other substances 
when afterwards applied to the cloth. Thus 
the acetite of alumina, or printers’ red liquor, 
when pure, is ahnost colourless, and only 
becomes red by the process of dyeing, as 
will be explained hereafter. The acetite 
of iron, or iron-liquor, in like manner, when 
used of a determinate strength, is called 
black colour, and when W'caker purple co- 
lour, though the cloth impregnated with 
these solutions becomes black or purple 
only as being I'aised hke the other in the 
dye- copper. 1. Tlie colours produced by 
means of these earthy or metallic solutions 
(which, in the language of science, are cal- 
led mordants) form the most valuable and 
important series, whether considered with 
regard to the almost infinite variety of 
shades, or to their solidity and durability. 
These colours, from the mode in which they 
are produced, (^tlie mordant being first ap- 
plied to the clotli, and the colour afterwards 
raised by dyeing) are called dyed colours. 
2. Sometimes the mordant is previously 
mixed with a solution of colouring matter, 
'and in that state applied to the cloth, so as 
to paint or stain it at one operation, and 
without the process of dyeing, Thus ano- 
ther class of colours is produced, many of 
them possessing great brilliancy indeed, but 
much inferior to the former in durability. 
The colours called chemical by calico-prin- 
ters belong chiefly to this class. 3. In the 
third and last class we may place all those 
where the colouring matter is simply held 
in solution by an acid or alkali, and in this 
state applied to the cloth without the inter- 
vention of any inordMt. To one or other 
of the foregoing classes may be referred all 
the colours used in calico-printing, with the 
exception, however, of those systems of co- 
lours which have been produced by calico- 
printers in this country ,within a short period, 
by processes and upon principles which have 
hitherto not been made known. See Ca- 
lico Printing. 
Colour of the clouds is thus accounted 
for by Sir Isaac New'ton. Concluding from 
a series of experiments, that the transpa- 
rent parts af bodies, according to tlieir se- 
