Itherunto of Colours and Metals: Now of Furres, according
to the series and course of our distribution before delivered,
pag.7.
Furres (used in Armes) are taken for the skinnes of certaine beasts stripped from the bodies, and artificially trimmed, for the furring, doubling, or lining of Roabes and Garments, serving as well for state and magnificence, as for wholesome and necessarie use. And these thus trimmed and imploied, are called in Latine, pellicei, à pellendo, of driving away, (quite contrary in sense, though like in sound, to pellices, à pellicendo, for drawing all to them) because they doe repell and resist the extremities of cold, and preserve the bodies that are covered with them, in good temperature.
That Furre that consisteth of one colour alone, is
White, which in doubling is taken for the Lituits skin,
before spoken of, 
Ermine is a Furre consisting of White distinguished
with Blacke spots. You must blazon this by the name
of Ermine, and not Argent powdered with Sable. This
is the skin of a little beast, lesse then a Squirrell (saith
Leigh) that hath his being in the woods of the Land
of Armenia, whereof hee taketh his name. The taile
thereof is of a thumbes length, which is of colour
Browne, as appeareth Fol.75. In the former part of
his Accidence, Fol.132. he seemeth therein to contradict
himselfe, in that he affirmeth Ermine to be no
Colour, but a Compound with a Metall, and serveth as Metall onely.
For mine owne part, I doe not see how in doubling of Mantels it should bee
reckoned a Metall, for that all doublings or linings of Roabes and Garments,
though perhaps not altogether, yet chiefly are ordained for the repelling of cold
and wethers drift: to which use Metals are most unfit, as King Dionysius declared,
when comming into a Church where the Images were attired in
most rich golden Roabes, hee tooke them away, saying, such garments
were too cold for winter, and too heavie for summer. A faire pretence to
cloake his Sacrilegious Avarice. The same Author in his said Accidence,
Fol.75. making mention of this Furre, taketh occasion to commend a late
prescribed order for the distribution of this rich and rare Furre, according
to the dignitie of the persons to whom the weraing thereof is allowed,
which is this: that an Emperour a King or a Prince, may have the pouldering in
their apparell as thicke set together as they please: a Duke may have in his
Mantles cape, onely, foure Raungs or Rankes of them: a Marquis three
Raungs and a halfe: an Earle a cape of three Raungs onely. In some Coates
these are numbred, but then they extend not to the number of tenne. These
rowes or rankes before named are of some Authors called Tymbers of Ermyne:
for no man under the degree of a Baron or a Knight of the most honourable
order of the Garter may have his mantle doubled with Ermyne.
This is that other Furre, before mentioned, to
consist of a mixture of white and blacke, and hath
some resemblance of the former: but differeth in
this: that where, that is composed of white powdered
with blacke: contrariwise this is blacke powdered
with white. But neither in that, nor in this shall you
make any mention in blazon of any such mixtures,
but onely use the name appropriated to either of
them, which doth sufficiently expresse the manner
of their composition to the understanding of those
that are but meanley skilled in blazon; the names peculiarly alotted to this
Furre is Ermynes.
Of those Furres before mentioned, that are compounded
of Yellow and Blacke, this is the first, and is
tearmed in Blazon, Ermynois, whose ground or field is
yellowe, and the Poulderings blacke, though this be rich
in Armes (saith Leigh) yet in doubling it is not so rich.
Of the use of this Furre, Bara. maketh mention in his
booke entituled, Le Blazone des Armoiries, pag.14.
and Edel. Hiryssen in his booke entituled le Jardyn
d'armories, in the Armes of Leefwelt.
This is that other Furre composed of the same colours,
but disposed in a contrary manner to the former;
for whereas that consisteth of yellowe powdered
with blacke, this is blacke powdered with yellow; and
in Blazon is termed Pean.
Hee beareth Verry, Or and Azure by the name of
Claude de Rochford, sometime Constable of France.
In Coates of this sort of bearing, in case where it may
bee holden doubtfull whether should have the
precedence, the Colour or the Metall, the Metall must
have the preheminence as the more worthy. The
Frenchmen, from whom we doe borrow our termes of
blazon, doe call all sorts of Doublings or Furres of this
forme, by the name of Vayre; perhaps Quia ex diversis
coloribus alternatim variantur. To this sort of
bearing, there are no other termes of Blazon allowed. As for the rest,
viz. Verry and Varrye, they are meere fantasies and improper
termes. If your vaire doth consist of Argent and Azure, you
must in Blazon thereof, say onely, hee
beareth vaire, and it sufficeth: but if it bee composed of any other colours,
then you must say, he beareth vaire of these or those colours.
The Latine Blazoners making mention of this sort of bearing, doe thus describe
them, Portat arma variata ex pellibus albis & cæruleis, accounting them for
skinnes of little beasts. For that in ancient times they were used for linings of
Roabes, and mantles of Senators, Consuls, Emperours and Kings, and thereupon
are skilfullie tearmed doublings. Of this use of them, Alex. ab Alex.Genial. dierum,
lib.5.Fol.285. saith, Legimus Caligulam depictas penulas induisse. If you observe the
proportion of this vaire, you shall easily discerne the very shape of the case
or skinne of little beasts, in them; for so did ancient Governours and Princes
of the world, (saith Sir John Ferne in Lac. Nob. pag. 86) line their Pompous Roabes,
with furre of divers colours, sowing one skinne to another after the plainest fashion.
There is yet an other kind of furres much differing from all other the furres before
expressed, not onely in shape, but in name also, as in example.
This sort of furre or doubling, was (as Leigh noteth)
of some old Heralds called varry cuppy and varry tassa, which (saith hee)
is asmuch to say, as a Furre of cupps, but himselfe calleth it Meire,
for so he reckneth it well blazoned, and very ancient, and a Spanish coate.
But I hold it better blazoned, Potent counterpotent, for the resemblance
it hath of the heads of crowches, which Chaucer calleth Potents, Quia
potentiam tribuunt infirmis, as appeareth in his description of old age,
in the Ronicant of the Rose.
This at the first sight may seeme to bee all one with the second
Furre, before in this Chapter expressed, but differeth in this, that heerein
is added one haire of Redde on each side of every of these Poulderings.
And as this differeth little in shape and shew from that second Furre named
Ermyne; so doth it not much differ from the same in name, that being called
Ermine, and this Ermynites.
This differeth much from all the other furres, and (according to Leigh)
must bee blazoned vaire; this is composed of foure distict colours,
viz. Argent, Gule, Or, and Sable. Heere I will note unto you, a generall
rule that you must carefully observe, not onely in the blazoning of these
Furres, but generally of all Coate-Armours, viz. that you describe them so
particularly and plainely, as whoso heareth your blazon, may bee able
to tricke or expresse the forme and true portrature thereof, together
with the manner of bearing, no lesse perfectly, then if he had done it
by some paterne thereof laid before him. And thus concluding this Chapter
of Tinctures, being the first kinds of Accidents of Armes,
I will proceed to the second sort.