A Dictionary of Mottoes [antikvár]

PREFACE which the user of this work is respectfully requested to read The definition of the word 'motto' is given comprehensively in the Concise Oxford Dictionary thus: 'Senience inscribed on some object and expressing appropriate sentiment; word or sentence accompanying coat of arms or crest; maxim adopted as rule of conduct; verses etc. in paper cracker; quotation prefixed to book or chapter; (Mus.) recurrent phrase having some symbolical significance.' Chamber's Twentieth Century Dictionary concurs with Oxford in a derivation of the word from Low Latin of muttum - muttire, to mutter, no doubt correct philo-logically but somewhat obscure. Of the six classes of meaning above, the present work is concerned with the first three and for the vast majority of instances with the second class only, that in which the motto accompanies a coat of arms. The reason is that in ancient history, either classical or scriptural, a motto was in most cases associated with some particular event. Only very occasionally did a sentence enter permanent usage. Obvious examples are the Roman wording, Senatus popu-lusque Romanus, which survived the transformation of the Republic into the Empire. As mentioned in due course, SPQR even appeared on 'arms' attributed to Julius Caesar; and this alleged 'coat of arms' was included in the grand armorial achievement of Queen Elizabeth I, a matter beyond human learning to explain, since among all the kings and princes from whom the great sovereign had descent, Caesar was neither king nor ancestor. Or again one might consider as a permanent expression of a maxim the famous 'Know thyself of the Delphic Oracle; or the inscription about the importance of mathematics and music as prime factors in education over the Athenian Academy. The real development of the motto comes with the civilization of medieval Europe; consequently the overwhelming majority of the mottoes hsted are connected with coats of arms. A caveat needs to be remembered here. A motto is very frequently found in the description of an arms grant when the latter comes from a heraldic authority such as the College of Arms, or Lyon Office. From this it would be natural to assume that the motto is part of the grant along with the coat of arms. This is incorrect. A coat of arms, once granted, cannot be varied save by agreement with the grantor, but a motto can be altered at the wish of the owner. Those who edit works illustrated with drawings of arms as a rule strongly discourage any alterations of motto in the illustration; it would mean an entirely new block - an expensive matter. As the word 'crest' is mentioned above and as if distinct from the coat of arms, and since the term 'crest' is of