Hosoever shall addresse himselfe to write of matters of Instruction, or of any other Argument of importance, it behooveth, that before hee enter thereinto, hee should resolutely determine with himselfe, in what order hee will handle the same: So shall he best accomplish that hee hath undertaken, and informe the understanding, and helpe the memorie of the Reader. For so doth Cassaneus admonish us, saying, Prinsquam ad scientiam perveniatur, bonum est, modum præscribere docendi & ordinem, quia per ordinem res intellectæ magis delectant animos, mentes nutriunt, sensus magis illuminant, & memoriam reddunt clariorem. Such order and course of writing doth also procure in the Reader a facility of apprehension, as Erasmus noteth, saying, Faciliùs discimus quæ congruo dicuntur ordine, quàm quæ sparsìm & confusìm.

What Order is, S. Augustine doth informe us, saying, Ordo est parium dispariúmque rerum distributio. This order is twofold, the one of Nature, the other of Discipline: The order of Nature (as Doctour Casius noteth) is a progression from simples to things compound: contrariwise, the order of Discipline is a proceeding from things compound to simples. As touching the order that I have prefixed to my selfe in this display of Heraldrie, you shall understand, that forasmuch as the handling of one of these alone, sufficeth not to the effecting of my intended Method, I must of force make use of them both in some sort, according to their distinct kindes. Wherein albeit the order of Nature in right should have the precedence, as the more worthy, quia Natura regitur ab intelligentia non errante: neverthelesse, in regard my principall purpose tendeth to the prescribing of a forme of Discipline, whereunto these tokens which we call Armes must be reduced, and therein to manifest rather their location then their generation, their use then their essence, their shadow then their substance; I am constrained to preferre the latter (which serveth directly for my purpose) before the former, which tendeth thereto but collaterally: whose dignity notwithstanding of things Naturall in their proper places.

But before I enter my Method, I hold it expedient, (though I doe somewhat digresse) by way of introduction to the better conceiving and understanding of that which shall bee heerein handled, briefly to offer to the consideration of the judicious Reader, some few things of necessarie note, touching the Subject of the Worke: Such are those ensignes or markes which wee call Armes in English, and in Latine, Arma: which being a word of æquivocation or ambiguitie, needeth some explication: Digredi enim quandoque licet ex causa, non autem divagari: for so it is very requisite, to the end it may bee certainly knowen in what sense this word is to be heere taken, quia discenti ponenda sunt vera & certa.

It is therefore to be observed that this word Arma in Latine is sometimes taken for very naturall instruments, and in this sense doth Doctour Casius use the same, where he saith, Arma bellius natura dedit, ut Leoni dentes, Serpenti aculeum, &c. Sometimes it is taken for all manner of instruments pertaining to Mechanicall Trades, as Arma Rusticorum, Rastra, Ligones, & huiusmodi. Also Arma coquinaria, lebes, patella, tripus, olla, &c. And Virg.Æneid.5. speaking of the necessaries pertaining to shipping, saith,
                    Colligere arma jubet, validisque incumbere remis.
Sometimes it is taken for all sorts of warlike instruments; and in this sense doth Doctour Casius take it, saying, At hominibus arma industria finxit, eoquo finxit, ut pro imperio rationis eis uteretur. But this word Arma heere meant is not understood in any of these significations, but must bee taken in a metaphoricall sense, for that they doe assume a borrowed name (by way of figure called Metonymia subjecti) from the Shields, Targets, Banners, Military Cassockes, and other Martiall Instruments, whereupon they were ingraven, embossed, embrodered or depicted: which kinds of furnitures & habiliments are peculiar unto martiall men and professed souldiers, to whom only it pertaineth to beare Armour; which even at this day wee doe usually call by the name of Armes. And of them in processe of time did these ensignes or markes receive their denomination, and were called Arma, in English Armes, as Abra.Fra. noteth, saying, Arma appellantur, quod olim solis militibus data suerunt, qui arma gerere solent. Nam cum ista sit gloria armis, ut instrumentis comparata placuit ipsam quoque mercedem arma appellare.

Armes then, as they are heere meant, may be thus defined: Armes are tokens or resemblances, signifying some act or quality of the bearer. How great the dignitie and estimation of Armes ever hath beene, and yet is, we may easily conceive by this, that as they doe delight the beholders, and greatly grace and beautifie the places wherein they are erected; so also they doe occasion their spectators to make serious inquisition whose they are, who is the owner of the house wherein they are set up, of what Familie their bearer is descended, and who were his next, and who his remote Parents or Ancestors.

Betweene Armes and Names there is a certain conformitie, so that, as it is a thing unlawfull for a man (but upon great occasion) to change his name; sic nequam arma (saith Cassan.) mutare licet, nisi magna & honorifica aliqua causa accesserit. And another saith, A nominibus ad arma bonum deducitur argumentum.

Also there is betweene these Armes and their Bearers a kinde of Sympathie or naturall participation of qualities, in so much as who so dishonourably or unreverently useth the Armes of any man, seemeth to have offered indignitie to the person of their Bearer; so as (according to some Authours) their owner shall right himselfe against such an offender or wrong-doer, actione injuriarum.

As touching the antiquitie of these signes which we call Armes, Diodorus Siculus maketh mention, that Osyris, surnamed Jupiter the just, sonne to Cham the cursed sonne of Noah, called of the Gentiles Janus, being banished from the blessed Tents of Shem and Japhet, by reason of the curse fallen upon his father, was constrained to seeke some remote place wherein he might settle himselfe, his children, and people: For which purpose he assembled a great Armie, and appointed Hercules his eldest sonne Captaine. And in this so ancient an expedition of warres, as well Osyris himselfe as Hercules, Macedon and Anubis his sonnes, and others, did paint certaine signes upon their shields, bucklers, and other weapons; which signes were after called Armes. As for example, Osyris bare a Scepter royall, insigned on the top with an Eie; Hercules a Lion rampant, holding a Battle-axe; Macedon a Wolfe, and Anubis a Dogge. In this first assumption of their signes, every man did take to himselfe some such beast, bird, serpent, or other creature, as he thought best fitting his estate, or whose nature and qualitie did in some sort quadrate with his owne, or whereunto himselfe was in some respect like in qualitie, or wished to bee resembled unto.

The principall end for which these signes were first taken up, and put in use, was that they might serve for notes or markes to distinguish Tribes, Families, and particular persons each from other. But this was not their onely use, for that they served also to notifie to the ingenious beholder of them (after some sort) the naturall qualitie and disposition of their Bearers. And so behoovefull was this invention thought to be, and their use so resonable, as that they have beene entertained of all succeeding posterities amongst all nations, and continued (even to this day) without immutation or alteration of their primarie institution. These Armoriall Ensignes thus ingeniously devised, had yet a further use: for they served also for the more commodious distribution of Nations, Tribes, and Families, into Regiments and Bands; as also for assembling, conducting, and governing of them in martiall expeditions: for which uses and ends they have received approbation in the highest degree, even from the mouth of God himselfe, who (when he prescribed unto Moses and Aaron a forme of ordering and conducting the Israelites in their passage towards the Land of promise) did expresly command the use of Armoriall signes, saying, Filii Israelis quisquis juxta vexillum suum cum signis secundùm domum Majorum suorum castra habento: which order he required to be observed, not only in the conduction of them in their journey, but also in the pitching and raising of their Campe.

In which precept we may observe, that God maketh mention of two sorts of Ensignes; the one generall, the other particular; and that these latter were no lesse needfull then the former, for the orderly governing and conducting of so huge and populous a multitude as the Israelites were, in a journey so long and withall subject to infinite dangers. The first sort of these Ensignes, God called Vexilla, that is to say, Standards or Banners, which served for the conduction of their severall Regiments. For the Israelites consisted of twelve Tribes which were divided into foure Regiments; that is to wit, three Tribes to each Regiment, of which every one had a particular Standard, which as they differed in colour one from another, so did they doubtlesse comprehend in them severall and distinct formes.

Heere may arise a twofold question concerning these Standards before mentioned; the one, what colour each of them were; the other, what formes and shapes were depicted on them. As to the colour, Lira upon the second of Numbers, saith, Qualia sunt ista vexilla in Texta non habetur, sed dicunt aliqui Hebræi quod vexillum cuiuslibet Tribus, erat similis colori lapidis positi in rationali in quo inscriptum erat nomen ipsius Ruben, & sic de aliis.

And as to their severall formes, Martinus Borhaus in his Commentarie upon the same place, hath this saying, Tradunt veteres in Rubenis vexillo Mandragoram depictam fuisse, quam ille in agro collectam matri Liæ attulerat: In Jehudæ Leonem cui illum benedicendo pater Jacobus contulerat. In Ephraim vexillo, Bovis species. In Danis vexillo, serpentis Imago, qui serpenti & colubro a Jacobo comparatus erat, fiat Dan coluber in via. And in conclusion he saith: Sit fides penes Authores.

This sort of Ensigne according to Calepine, is called, Vexillum quasi parvum velum. & accipitur (saith hee) pro signo quo in exercitu vel classe Imperares utuntur. The use of these Standards doe consist heerein, that they being borne aloft upon a long pole or staffe apparant to every mans view, the Souldiers may bee thereby directed (upon all occasions of service) and by the sight of them may be dissevered and united at all times, as the necessity of the service shall require. Of this use, Lira upon the second of Numbers, saith, Vexilla in perticis elevantur ut ad eorum aspectum bellatores dividantur & uniantur: For like as a ship is guided in the surging seas by the Sterne or Ruther, even so are the Souldiers ordered in their Martial exploits by their Standard or Ensigne.

The other sorts of Ensignes, God calleth, Signa secundum domum Majorum suorum: whereby is meant (if I bee not deceived) the particular Ensignes, or Tokens of each particular Family, and of the particular persons of each Familie. For so doe I understand that exposition of Lira upon the same place: Signa propria sunt in vestibus & scutis quibus bellatores mutuò se cognoscunt & suos ab Adversariis distingunt.

These were the primarie uses for which these Signes were first devised and put in practice, and those the ends whereunto they were referred; but after long tract of time, these tokens which we call Armes, became remunerations for service, and were bestowed by Emperours, Kings, and Princes, and their Generals and chiefe commanders in the field upon martiall men, whose valerous merits (even in justice) required due recompence of honour answerable unto their worthy acts, the remembrance whereof could not better bee preserved and derived unto posterity, then by these kindes of honourable rewards. The first we read of, that made this use of them was Alexander the great, being moved thereunto by the perswasion of Aristotle his Schoolemaster: who having observed his magnificent mind in rewarding his souldiers to the full of their deserts; did at length prevaile with him so much, as that he caused him to turne the Current of his bounty another way, and to recompence his souldiers with these marks or tokens of honour; which hee bestowed on them as hereditary testimonies of their glorious merits. Whose example heerein, Emperours, Kings, and Princes, of succeeding ages have ensued; using therein the ministery of the Office of Heralds, as subordinate Officers thereto appointed and authorized, reserving alwaies to themselves the supreame jurisdiction of judging and remunerating persons according to their deserts, but using the industry of the Heraulds, as for sundry other uses of great importance in a State, so also for the inventing and devising of Congruent tokens of honour, answerable to the merits of those that shall receive the same.