The origin of heraldric mottoes might probably be traced to two sources, in themselves diametrically opposed to each other; I mean Religion and War. "Extremes," we are told, "sometimes meet," and certainly these two feelings did coalesce in the institutions of chivalry, if we may be allowed to prostitute the holy name of religion by identifying it with the frenzy which possessed the human mind in such enterprises as the Crusades. It is uncertain whether we ought to deduce the origin of mottoes from those devout ejaculations, such as ='Drede God!'--'Jesu mercy--Lady helpe,'= which occur on antient tombs, or from the _word of onset_, employed by generals on the battle-field to stimulate their soldiers to great feats of prowess. The preponderance in point of number of religious mottoes would incline us to the former supposition; but the general opinion of our best authors favours a military origin. The war-cry, known in Latin as the _Clamor militaris_, in French as the _Cri de guerre_, and in the Scottish language as the _Slughorn_, or _Slogan_, is of very remote antiquity. In early scripture history we have an example in "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon," the word of onset employed by the Hebrews against the Midianites in the valley of Jezreel.[192] Among barbarous nations at the present day it has its representative in the war-whoop, or yell, employed as well to animate the courage of their own party as to inspire terror in the hearts of their enemies. From an early period the phrase '=a boo!=' was employed by the Irish for these purposes. This expression, in course of time, became the motto of many of the great families of that island, with the adjunct of their surname or the name of their chief fortress. Hence the '_Crom a boo_' of the Earls of Leinster; the '_Shanet a boo_' of the Earls of Desmond; the '_Butler a boo_' of the Butlers; the '_Galriagh a boo_' of the Bourkes, Lords Clanricarde, &c. &c. In England, France, and other countries, an invocation of the patron saints, St. George, St. Denis, &c. constituted the war-cry of the common cause; but in intestine wars each party had their separate cry, and every commander urged on his forces by the well-recognized shout of his own house. That this practice prevailed in England so recently as the close of the fifteenth century appears from an Act of Parliament, passed in the tenth year of Henry VII, to abolish these cries as productive of rancour among the nobles, who, with their retainers, were thenceforth enjoined to call only upon St. George and the king. The following are some of the antient _cris-de-guerre_: The kings of France, 'Montjoye[193] St. Denis!' The kings of England, 'Montjoye Notre Dame, St. George!' Edward III (in a skirmish near Calais) 'Ha! St. Edward! Ha! St. George!' The dukes of Burgundy, 'Montjoye St. Andrew!' The kings of Scotland, 'St. Andrew!' The dukes of Normandy, 'Dieu aye!' (aide.)