HERAXiDRY.

2JX)

kingdoms. It has been alleged, that the Emperors wereaccustomed to take under their protection such of theirvaliant soldiers of genlilitial birth, who had been grievouslywounded, or maimed in their wars, which soldiers weredistinguished by the name of “ veterans;” to whose judg-ment and counsel the Emperors were wont to pay greatrespect: whence the attendance of such, as a council of war,became necessary to be always near the persons of the Em-perors . They were accordingly employed in negotiatingmatters and litigated questions, between their masters andtheir rebellious subjects or their foreign enemies.

The institution of jousts, tilts, and tournaments, whichalso originated in Germany , as has been said, opened a newsphere of employment for those veterans, as none were suf-fered to give, or would any receive a challenge to enter thelists, without the gentility of the party was proved, which wasdone by his armorial bearing. The establishment of the feudalsystem, which took place about this period in Europe , we con-ceive originated in Egy pt on the following occasion. DiodorusSiculus relates, in the fourth chapter of his first book, that thefather of Sesostris, caused all the youths in Egypt , who wereborn upon the same day with his son, to be bred up andeducated with that prince : that their diet, education, andexercise, being the same, without the least distinction; theirlabours being hard and dillicult, and being compelled to run180 furlongs before breakfast, by these means, when theycame to man’s estate, they were fit to become either com-manders, or to undertake any brave or noble enterprise, orgallant action, from the vigour of their bodies and the ex-cellent endowment of their minds. This 'young prince isreported to have conquered Arabia in his youth by theassistance of these his brave comrades. Upon his return,after he had come to the crown, be bestow T ed upon those hiscompanions, amounting to the number of above 1700, largeestates in lands in the richest parts of Egypt , that theymight not in the least want any thing, reserving only theirattendance upon him in his wars.

The original service, called knights’ service, in Europe ,having, in consequence of the establishment of this systembecome general, those tenants of this description, in orderto their being more readily known, assumed some deviceor token, which they bore upon their shields, targets, andbanners, which devices were afterwards called arms. Noone, without his having a certificate of such his gentilityfrom the heralds or veterans, was considered"** a gentleman,of which his device, symbol, or arms were the criterion.