The Slughorn of the Family is Set on[311], which, by amplification, I apprehend, means Set upon your Enemy, as an incitement to ardour; and is rather analogous to the Motto Think on, of the Lord Kirkcudbright, before-mentioned.
Bruce, Earl of Elgin. This, and other Branches of that ancient and once Kingly Family, has, for its Motto, "Fuimus," alluding strongly to their having been formerly in possession of the Crown of Scotland. The Crest is likewise denotative of Royal pretensions, viz. "A Hand holding a Sceptre." Something, however, is worth observing in several of the subordinate Branches, more distant from the original Stock, where one may discern the gradual dispirited declension of the Family, in point of Regal claims. One private House, indeed, bears the Lion Rampant in the Arms, and likewise the Crest, and the Motto of the Peer. Another descendant drops the Lion in the Arms, and only bears for Crest, "A Hand holding a Sword," with this modest Motto, "Venture forward." A third seems to give up all for lost, by the Crest, viz. "A Setting Sun," with this Motto, "Irrevocable;" while a fourth appears to relinquish a Temporal for the hope of an Eternal Crown, by this Motto, "Spes mea supernè."[312]
Gordon, Duke of Gordon. The primitive Bearing of this Family was, "Azure, a Boar's Head couped, Or;" though at present it carries "Azure, Three Boars Heads couped, Or." The first is the more honourable Charge, as the Unit is always accounted in Heraldry preferable to Numbers, not only on account of its simplicity[313], but in a religious sense (often couched in Armory), as it betokens God the Father, while the Charge of Three has the like reference to the Trinity. The traditional story, however, relating to the particular Coat Armour before us, is told by Douglas, in his Peerage of Scotland, to this effect; viz. that in the Reign of King Malcolm Canmore, in the eleventh century, a valiant Knight, of the name of Gordon, came into Scotland, but from whence is not said, and was kindly received by that Prince. The Knight, not long afterwards, killed a Wild Boar, which greatly infested the Borders[314], when Malcolm gave him a grant of lands in the Shire of Berwick. These lands, according to the custom of those times, the Knight called Gordon, after his own name, and settled upon them, taking a Boar's Head for his Armorial Ensign, in memory of his having killed "that monstrous animal[315]." This may seem a trivial reason in itself, but we have another similar tradition in the Arms of Forbes[316].
In process of time the Gordons, according to the practice in Heraldry, increased the number of Boars Heads to three, two and one; and thus they continue to be borne at this day, with proper differences; one of which, being particular, I shall mention, viz. Gordon, Earl of Aboyne. The reference contained in the Motto of this Branch seems merely to be confined to the Cheveron placed between the Boars Heads, in these words, "Stant cætera Tigno," which last word is the acknowledged Latin word for the Cheveron[317]. This is, perhaps, the greatest compliment ever paid to the Cheveron, which is accounted one of the humblest Charges known, in Heraldic language, by the name of Ordinaries.
Thus much for the Arms of the Duke of Gordon, and for what has been said both of the Arms and Motto of the Earl of Aboyne; but the Motto of the Ducal Branch of the Family is yet unaccounted for, which is "Bydand." This, I make no doubt, is a compound word, and of no little antiquity; and I take the resolution of it to be, by contraction, Byde th' End, with the letter D in the place of the TH; for the Glossarist to some ancient Scottish Poems, published from the MSS. of George Bannatyne, at Edinburgh, 1770, p. 247, renders the word Bidand, pendente Lite. See also the Glossary, ad calcem. As to its import, it may refer to Family transactions, in two points of view; viz. either to loyal or religious attachments. In support of the first, we find that Sir Adam Gordon was a strenuous asserter of the claims of the Bruces, and peculiarly active in the cause of King Robert I. (in that long contest), who accordingly rewarded him with a large grant of land, sufficient to secure his interest, and make him byde the end of the contest as a feudatory under that King. The Son and Grandson of Sir Adam were both faithful to the interest of the Bruces, and had the above grant confirmed by King David II.[318] If this is not satisfactory, we have instances of acts of piety done by the early Branches of this Family, sufficient to warrant the Motto on the interpretation here given; for in the Reign of Malcolm IV. the Family had large possessions, part of which they devoted to religious purposes, by considerable endowments and benefactions given to the Abbey of Kelso[319].
I incline, however, more strongly to the military sense of the Motto; and the more, as it is borne by other Families, manifestly with that reference, though I cannot account for the connexion of the two Houses. Thus, for instance, Leith, in one Branch, has for the Motto, "Semper Fidus;" in another, "Trusty to the End;" and in a third, "Trusty and Bydand;" in this last, I think the contraction of the last word, as above suggested, is more clearly established[320].
In these Mottoes of Leith, it must be confessed there is more appearance of a religious application than in that of the Duke of Gordon, as the Armorial Bearings are partly compounded of Cross-Croslets, and the Crest of the first is likewise a Turtle-dove.