Art. V. ANCIENT AND MODERN HERALDRY. NUMBER ONE. EARLY HISTORY-ARMORIALS-GREAT SEAL OF MAINE, NEW JERSEY, VIRGINIA, GEORGE'S CROSS-ORDER OF GOLDEN FLEECE. MANY of the Electric Telegraph lines of America have adopted peculiar heraldric seals, dies or stamps, representing their individuality, upon their official envelopes or message-heads. With a view to be in unison with the majority of the lines in this matter, we have gotten up a seal for the general Confederation, and we propose to give an account of the origin of its heraldric symbols, with their meanings. We had another object in view in having engraved the seal above mentioned, viz.: Many lines were unwilling to believe that arrangements of the Secretary could effect or procure envelopes as well embossed as the respective companies could themselves. The seals of the Confederation excel anything of the kind ever gotten up before, and the impressions, embossed, will doubtless convince the lines, that the Secretary can not only equal pre-existing arrangements of companies in this particular, but excel them. It will be perceived, that the most splendid dies can be made through the arrangements of the Secretary, and the most antique and scientific armorials, known in the science of Heraldry, properly grouped and delineated on the dies. We now proceed to discuss the subject of Heraldry generally. We learn from the science of law, that it has been a custom from the earliest ages of the world, for the people to have and enjoy various devices, signs, and marks of honor, designed to distinguish the great and noble from the common or ignoble. In Homer, Virgil, Ovid and other ancient authors, we find notices of these customs, and that heroes on the battlefield had figures of different kinds, but, of their own device, represented on their shields, whereby they might be distinguished one from the other, as well as from those of a lower order of warriors. This custom was the origin of using the shield and device thereon in armorial life, and even at this day they are prominent features in heraldric science. From the earliest ages to the present time nations have adopted symbolical signs as marks of distinction, indicating the nation by a flag, on which was illustrated their peculiar symbolic representation. The flag of the Athenians had on it the figure of an owl, the Goths a bear, the Egyptians an ox, the Romans an eagle, the Franks a lion, and the Saxons a horse. In modern times we see the custom adhered to with equal desire among nations:- thus on Great Britain's flag is represented St. George's and St. Andrew's cross; Mexico, the eagle, the serpent and the cactus; and the United States, the eagle, stripes and stars. These symbols are peculiarities of the respective nations, and the recollection, or sight of them, in the hour of peace or war, infuses into the people a pride and glory for the brilliant renown which may characterize their own dear flag. Symbolic representation has not been confined to the earliest and modern ages of the civilized world, but we also find it among the customs of the North American Indians. We have seen the otter as the emblem of the Ottaway tribes of Indians, the wolf, the bear, the turtle, and other devices the adopted emblems of the Iroquois and other tribes. They paint them on their bodies, and represent them as a species of idols. An author supposes, that in Europe the Crusades and tournaments were the cause of methodizing and perfecting into a science the various national, family and individual emblems, to which was given the name of Heraldry; a term which embraced originally not only all that pertains to Coats of Arms, but also to the marshalling of armies, solemn processions, and all ceremonies of a public nature. Is is also supposed, that the term, coats of arms, originated from the circumstance that the ancients embroidered various colored devices on the coats they wore over their armor. Also, those who joined the Crusades, and those who enlisted in the tournaments, had their devices depicted on their arms or armor, as on their shields, banners, etc.; and as colors could not be retained, particular marks were used to represent them. All coats of arms, formed according to the rules of heraldry, are delineated on shields or escutcheons, which are of various forms-oval, triangular, heptagonal, etc. The parts composing the escutcheon, or represented on it, are tinctures, lines, borders, charges, etc. By tinctures, we mean the various colors used, the names and marks of which are as follows, viz.: Or means gold or yellow, and is represented by dots or points. Argent means silver or white, is plain. Azure, or blue, is represented by horizontal lines. Gules, or red, by perpendicular lines. Vert, or green, by diagonal lines from upper right corner to the lower left, or to the lower right as you face the shield. Purpure, or purple, from upper left to lower right, being reversed from map rule as to right and left. Sable, or black, by horizontal and perpendicular lines crossing each other. Charges are whatever may be represented on the field of the escutcheon; the principal of which, in addition to natural and celestial figures, are the Chief, the Pale, the Bend, the Fess, the Bar, the Cheveron, the Cross, and the Saltier; each of which, although occupying its appropriate space and position in the escutcheon, and governed by definite rules, admits of a great variety of representations. The external ornaments of the escutcheon are crowns, coronets, miters, helmets, mantlings, caps, wreaths, crests, scrolls, and supporters. Some escutcheons have none of these ornaments, and others nearly all of them. The supporters are placed on the side of the escutcheon standing on a scroll, and are thus named, because they appear to support or hold up the shield. The great seal of the State of Maine has a shield, supported on the right by a husbandman resting on a scythe, representing agriculture, and on the other is a seaman resting on an anchor, the symbol of commerce and the fisheries. The great seal of the State of New-Jersey has a shield supported by the goddess of Liberty on the right with a wand and a cap, those being symbols of independence, because among the ancients the rod was used by the magistrates in the ceremony of manumitting slaves, and the cap was worn by the slaves who were soon to be set at liberty, and hence they have been handed down from time immemorial as symbolical of liberty and independence,they are fit emblems of the United States! Many of the seals of the States are designed to represent some peculiar era in its history, regardless of heraldric science: thus, Virginia, after the struggles of 1776, adopted a seal fitly representing the feeling pervading the hearts of her great and chivalrous people. On one side of the seal the goddess of Virtue, the genius of the Commonwealth is represented dressed like an Amazon, resting on a spear with one hand, and holding a sword in the other, and treading on Tyranny, which is represented by a man prostrate, a crown fallen from his head, a broken chain in his left hand, and a scourge in his right. Above the goddess is the name of the State, and underneath the words, Sic semper tyrannis-"thus we serve tyrants." While this side of the seal represents exultation over the surrender of Yorktown and the triumph of the American arms, the other side contemplates some reflection as to future glory and happiness. In the centre is the goddess of Liberty, with her wand and cap; on the right hand is Ceres, with the cornucopia in one hand and an ear of wheat in the other, and on her left side is Eternity, holding in one hand the globe, on which rests the Phoenix, the fabulous bird of the ancients, that is said to rise again from its own ashes. The great seal of South Carolina is another symbolic repre sentation of the feelings of the people. The device is a datetree, or the great palm, emblematical of the State, which is supported by two cross-pieces, to which is attached at the junction or cross a scroll or label. Branches of the palm were worn by the ancients in token of victory, and hence the emblem signifies superiority, victory, and triumph. On the border of the seal is the name of the State and its motto:-Animis opibusque parati,-"Ready (to defend) with our lives and property." The great seal of the State of Kentucky was adopted shortly after the confederation of the thirteen original States, and her people, filled with the good feeling of union and universal goodwill and peace with all mankind, adopted a very plain symbol, which has ever proved characteristic of the noble and generoushearted Kentuckian. It is formed of two men, as friends embracing, with a motto in plain English: "United we stand, divided we fall." Such were the sentiments entertained by the sires of that great State,-renowned for having the names of the greatest men of the world recorded with golden capitals upon her bright and glittering escutcheon. ( The great seal of the State of Missouri, being of more modern. origin than those heretofore mentioned, is somewhat classical in its arrangement. It is composed of "Arms parted per pale; on the dexter side, gules, the white or grizzly bear of Missouri, passant, guardant, proper; on a chief engrailed, azure, a crescent, argent; on the sinister side, argent, the arms of the United States; the whole within a band inscribed United we stand, divided we fall." For the crest, over a helmet full faced, grated with six bars, or a cloud proper, from which ascends a star, argent, and above it a constellation of twenty-three smaller stars, argent, on an azure field, surrounded by a cloud proper. Supporters on each side, a white or grizzly bear of Missouri, rampant, guardant, proper, standing on a scroll inscribed with the motto, Salus populi, suprema lex esto; and under the scroll inscribed MDCCCXX., the whole surrounded by a scroll inscribed with the words, "The great seal of the State of Missouri." The following is the recognized explanation to the above: The arms of Missouri are represented on a circular escutcheon, divided by a perpendicular line into two equal portions. On the right side, on a red field, is the white or grizzly bear of Missouri, in its natural color, walking guard. edly. Above this device, and separated from it by an engrailed line (indented and waved), is an azure field, on which is represented a white or silver crescent. On the left side of the escutcheon, on a white field, are the arms of the United States. Around the border of the escutcheon are the words, "United we stand, divided we fall." For the crest, over a yellow or golden helmet, full faced, and grated with six bars, is a cloud in its natural color, from which ascends a silvery star, representing the State of Missouri-and above it a constellation of twenty-three smaller stars, on a blue field surrounded by a cloud. The twenty-three stars represent the number of States in the Union at the time of the admission of Missouri. For "supporters" on each side of the escutcheon is a grizzly bear in the posture of attack, standing on a scroll inscribed with the motto, Salus populi, suprema lex esto,-"The public safety is the supreme law." Under the scroll is the date of the admission into the Union, etc. We have now devoted more space to the seals of States than at first contemplated, but we have done so with the view of showing the fact of heraldric science being blended in the coats of arms of the States of the Union. Having thus noticed a few of the armorials of the States, we will now notice, briefly, the grand national seal of the United States, which was adopted June 20th, 1782, by Congress. "ARMS: Paleways of thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief azure; the escutcheon on the breast of the American eagle displayed, proper, holding in his dexter talon an olive branch, and in his sinister a bundle of thirteen arrows, all proper, and in his beak a scroll inscribed with this motto, Epluribus unum. For the CREST: Over the head of the eagle, which appears above the escutcheon, a glory, or breaking through a cloud, proper, and surrounding thirteen stars forming a constellation, argent, on an azure field." The paleways of thirteen pieces is symbolic of the original thirteen United States that formed the general confederation of the American Union. The thirteen stars and arrows are representatives of the same fact. The stars are on an azure field, and hence the blue field on the flag of the United States. The stripes of the flag represent the paleways of the escutcheon, being gules or red, and argent or silver colors. Thus the flag is composed. Its heraldry is simple and beautiful, full of language, and expressive of great events. The remembrance of the revolutionary times, when the fathers of the American confederacy fought bravely for the supremacy of the will of the people, infuses into the soul new life and affection for the Declaration or Magna Charta of Freemen's Rights. The grand seal of the American Telegraph Confederation is composed of the most ancient heraldic devices, beautifully illustrating patriotism, renown and virtue. He who follows through life the index of their morals, will be recognized by the world as the noblest work of God-an honest man. The grand seal we describe thus: the escutcheon, ornamental border, quartered; the first and fourth, the arms of the United States; the second, armorial of Mexico; the third, armorial of |