London's Armory Accuratly delineated in a Graphical display of all the Arms Crests Supporters Mantles & Mottos of every distinct Company and Corporate Societie in the Honourable City of London as they truly bear them faithfully Collected from their severall Patents which have been approved and Confirmed by Divers Kings at Arms in their Visitations A Work never till now exactly perfected or truly Published by any and will rectify many essentiall Mistakes and manifest Absurdities Committed in Painting & Carving
London Printed for the Author Rich Wallis Citizen & Arms painter of London & are to be sold by him at his Shop against y e Royall Exchange 1677
Whereas We have been given to Understand, That Our Trusty and Well-beloved Subject Richard Wallis, Arms-Painter in Our City of London, hath with much Pains and Charge Endeavoured to attain a Perfect and General Collection of the Arms proper to every Society or Corporation within Our said City, and hath at length Finished the same after a most exact and curious manner; And the said Richard Wallis having humbly besought Us to Grant him a Priviledg for the sole Printing of his said Book; We have thought fit for his Encouragement to gratifie him therein. Know Ye therefore, That it is Our Royal Pleasure, and We do by these presents not only give him the said Richard Wallis full Leave, Licence, and Authority to Print the said Book; But strictly Charge, Prohibite, and Forbid all Our Subjects to Reprint within any Our Kingdoms the said Book in any Volume, or any part thereof, or to Import, Buy, Vend, Utter, or Distribute any Copies or Exemplaries of the same, Reprinted beyond the Seas, within the term of Fifteen Years, next ensuing the Publishing hereof, without the Consent and Approbation of the said Richard Wallis, his Heirs, Executors or Assigns; as they, and every of them so Offending will answer the contrary; not only by the Forfeiture of the said Books, Copies, or Exemplaries, but at their Utmost Peril: Whereof as well the Wardens and Company of Stationers of Our City of London, as all and singular Our Officers of the Customs in this Port of London, or any other Place within Our Dominions, and all other Our Officers and Ministers whom it may concern, are to take particular Notice, that due Observance be given to this Our Royal Command.
TO THE Right Honourable Sir THOMAS DAVIES Kt. Lord Mayor of the City of London; AND To all the Right Worshipful Society of Senatours his Brethren in this Supream, Unparaleld, and Renowned Metropolis for Wealth, Beauty, Honour, and Good Government.
MIsconception and Erroneous Tradition, which have so much perverted and corrupted the radical path and order of Primitive Invention, and almost obliterated the true Intentions of Antiquity both in Philosophy and History; have also in this general Infection traduced even Heraldry; witness, the manifold Errors and egregious Mistakes, which by industrious Enquiry and sedulous Search, I have discovered in divers of the Companies Escutcheons, and Corporations Coats of Arms in this Honourable City of London, since they were first conferred upon them in the gracious Grants of their respective Patents under the Great Seals of several Kings of England, committed through the stupidity and careless performances of divers Artificers, (viz.) Painters, Plaisterers, Gravers, and Carvers; whose absurdities are of late advanced in the most eminent and conspicuous Places of very beautiful and stately Structures: who were first of all unadvisedly misled by putting faith in false Copies; such as have been lately, and now are, exposed to publick Sale in Graving and Printing. Which when I had sufficiently considered, I was much concerned what dishonourable reflections it might cast upon so many Worshipful Companies and Worthy Corporations; and was troubled to think that those Loyal Societies, who have so much Truth in their Hearts, should have so much Error in their Arms, and began to think of a Reformation, which with much care and cost I obtained by the conveniency of surveying distinctly their ancient Patents, wherein I found in what manner the several Kings of Arms had from time to time given them their Shields, Charge, Crests, Supporters, and Motto's; which I forthwith Copied for some, with the examination of Ancient Records for others: and reduced them to truth and order; in the exactness of Draught and curiosity of Sculpture; So large, that a judicious Eye with pleasure may behold them; So true to the Rules of Dimension, Proportion, Correlation, Position, Posture, and Symmetry, that now they will endure the most curious examinations of the Nicest Criticks, and consequently prove and continue authentick Copies for Futurity; and also be a likely means to suppress and annihilate all those erroneous Draughts that have misguided the over-credulous Imitators. And having with great Charge and Labour thus finisht this my Undertaking, and knowing how much your Lordship and Ye his Brethren concern your selves in Advancing and Rewarding all Endeavours for the preservation of the Honour of this Famous City, and the several Societies and Corporations thereof; I cannot but promise my self that this my Work will be graciously received and entertained by such Indulgent Patrous, and accordingly be esteemed and valued by the several Societies and Corporations; to whom, as I have hereby endeavoured to express my Zeal for their Service, so I shall make it the business of my Life to approve my self
The Preface.
HAving designed nothing to my self in this Work, but the advancement of Truth and discouragement of Falshood; and particularly with respect to those Worshipful Societies and Corporations, that have too long suffered thereby in their Coats of Arms. I shall not use any artifice to gain the approbation of Generous Judgments, Accurate Artists, and Curious Disquisitors, to whom I leave it to certifie their enquiries by comparison. The turning over the leaves of this little Volume of Variety proves not only profitable to the Judicious Artists, but also delightful to all those Persons of Qualitie, who sometimes are pleased to advance Heraldry into the honour of their Recreations; which indeed is a Contemplation full of pleasing diversities, and agreable to every Noble and Generous Disposition; being in substance the most refined part of Natural Philosophy, while it assumeth also the principles of Geometry, by putting into use almost every Square Angle and Circle. These Sheets being orderly fixt upon fine Canvass, and well framed, may prove Ornamental, when placed in any Magnificent Hall, Gallery, or Beautiful Dining-Room, where the Inquisitive Spectators may be pleasantly entertained with making delightful Comparisons between the Aptitude of the Arms to the Amplitude of any Trade, Science, Art, Mystery, Occupation, contained in the Table, of which there are several Additional Coats of Companies and Societies that never were yet Engraved or exposed until this present, and were the occasion of much industry and expence in their Atchievment; besides the patient examinations and careful corrections of all those that have been Published, which were Erroneous either in Omission, Addition, or Transversion; although (it may be) they were honestly designed with good and true Intentions. Which is all I shall say for the Augmentative and Corrective part of this Work. For Design I shall refer my self to those numerous compartiments, whose Order and Beauty supply the defect of Supporters, which are adapted to their respective Coats of Arms, and diversified from each other. In a word, If the Generous and Judicious are pleased with this that I have done, I have no further Ambition; If Artificers will think fit by these Copies to rectifie their mistakes, and Criticks not be too rash in charging me with new ones, I am well contented; And after all my expence and labour, if I can but be a Saver, I shall acknowledg my self abundantly rewarded, Publick Benefit having been the sole end proposed to my self herein, as it shall be ever the Aim of
MERCHANTS OF Y E STAPLE