THE EARL OF SCARBOROUGH.
Arms.—Arg: a fesse gu: between 3 parrots vert collared of the second.
Crest.—A pelican in her piety.
Supporters.—Two parrots, wings inverted vert.
Motto.—Murus aēnēus conscientia sana.
After describing this charge, Guillim rather comically gives us this story:
"An elephant of huge greatness was once carried in a show at Rome, and as it passed by a little boy pried into its proboscis. Thereupon, very much enraged, the beast cast the child up to a great height, but received him again on his snout and laid him gently down, as though he did consider that for a childish fault a childish fright was revenge enough."
Fig. 40.
Horses, of course, figure largely in armorial bearings. One, William Colt, bears three horses "at full speed" (Fig. 40). So also does Sir Francis Rush—probably in allusion to his name—whilst horses' heads couped—that is, cut off smoothly—occur very frequently. A demi-horse was granted as a crest to the Lane family in recognition of Mistress Jane Lane's heroism in riding from Staffordshire to the South Coast on a roan horse, with King Charles II. behind her, after the disastrous Battle of Worcester.
Donkeys were evidently at a discount with heralds. The families of Askewe and Ayscough bear three asses passant charged on their shield, and there is an ass's head in the arms of the Hokenhalls of Cheshire.