The bull and the lion with the wings of an eagle occasionally occur in continental armory, but I do not recollect an instance of either in English heraldry. The winged lion is the achievement of the city of Venice. The foregoing enumeration of heraldric monsters includes all that are generally borne, and even some that scarcely ever occur; but Randle Holme, in his 'Academy of Armory,' figures and describes a multitude of others, some of which I strongly suspect to have been the offspring of his own prolific fancy. The triple-headed Cerberus was borne, this writer tells us, by the name of _Goaler_, while another family bore 'the scarlet beast of the bottomless pit:' ensigns of _honour_, truly! What shall we say of The _Nependis_, or ape-hog, half ape, half swine; The _Minocane_, or _Homocane_, half child, half spaniel dog; The _Lamya_, a compound of a woman, a dragon, a lyon, a goat, a dog, and a horse; The Dragon-tyger, and Dragon-wolf; The Lyon-wyvern; The Winged Satyr-fish; The Cat-fish and Devil-fish; The Ass-bittern (the arms of Mr. Asbitter!) The Ram-eagle; The Falcon-fish with a hound's ear; and The 'Wonderfull Pig of the Ocean?' _From Holme's Academy of Armory._ [Illustration: Ram-eagle.] [Illustration: Cat-fish.] [Illustration: Ass-bittern.] CHAPTER V. The Language of Arms. "Armes do speak." _Sylvanus Morgan._ The very earliest of armorial devices are of two classes: the first comprising those which consist of simple lines and tinctures, so disposed as to form an agreeable harmony or contrast; and the second embracing those which convey some sentiment. The first resulted from a study of what was pleasing to the eye; the other expressed the moral attributes of the original bearer, by natural or artificial figures employed as symbols. To illustrate my meaning, let us suppose that two knights, A and B, assume each a coat of arms. A, regarding nothing more than an agreeable effect, embroiders his banner with chequers of red and yellow. B, esteeming himself a valiant soldier, expresses that sentiment by representing upon his silver buckler a lion in the attitude of combat, which, for the purpose of inspiring terror, he paints of a colour resembling that of blood. In the course of a few generations the principles upon which these devices have been framed are reduced to a science, with a regular nomenclature and fixed laws. Then A's banner begins to be spoken of as 'Chequy, gules, and or,' while B's escocheon is described as 'Argent, a lion rampant, gules.' Again, two followers of A, whom we will call C and D, imitating their chief's example, assume similar devices for their shields and pennons. C gives the red and yellow chequers of his patron, adding, for distinction's sake, a white bordure, while D surmounts the same device with a diagonal stripe of blue. In like manner, two adherents