1868.] Heraldry. 269 planet to which it is compared ; the stone is the diamond. It is termed sable from the Latin sabulum, which signifieth gross sand, or gravel. It signifies to the bearer Constancy, Divine Doctrine, and Loss of Friends." VERT,— GREEX, typified in the engraved blazonry by oblique lines, all over any escutcheon or any bearing, parallel to a line drawn from the dexter chief point to the sin- ister base point, and shown in Tricking by the letter V, — is the common French word for green, and has that sense with the English heralds ; but the French heralds themselves — it being thought necessary, in science and art, to get a little apart from the common speech of mankind — employ technically the word sinople for green. In Latin it is called viridis color; in Spanish, verde ; in Italian, verde ; and in German, grun, which con- veys both the natural and the heraldic meaning. Of this color Guillim speaks thus : " Green consisteth of more black and of less red, as appeareth by the definition, Viridis est color nigredine copiosiore et rubedine minore, contemperatus. The French heraldic term, Sinople, is from the name of a town in the Levant, where the best materials for dyeing green are found." Colombiere says : " Synople is so called from the Latin word synopis, which is a sort of clay or mineral, found in the Levant, very proper for dj'eing green." Green, among Christian virtues, de- notes Charity and Hope ; and among the worldly, Honor, Courtesy, Civility, Love, Joy, and Plenty. Of the planets, Mercury ; of the elements, the earth ; of men's constitutions, the phlegmatic ; of precious stones, the emeraud [emerald] ; of the days of the week, Wednesday ; of the months of the year, April and May ; of metals, mercury or quicksilver ; of trees, the laurel ; of flowers, the Ever- lasting ; of birds, the parrot ; and of the ages of men, youth. Those who bear this color in their arms are obliged to support peasants and laborers, and particularly the poor that are oppressed. With gold, according to Sylvanus Morgan, it denotes Pleasure and Joy; with silver, Innocent Love, and a Sure Tenant. Kent says : " Green, a most beautiful color, and very pleasant to the sight, comes next, being resembled to the gladsome planet, Venus, and to the glit- tering smaragd or emerald. In blazon we call it vert, from the French verd, [same as vert,'] which is derived of the Latin viridus, signifying green. It shows in the bearer Joyful Love, Bountiful Mirth and Gladness, with Continuance." P 1 PURPUEE,- iTJRPLE, — expressed by heraldic engravers with diagonal lines, drawn from the sinister chief point to the dexter base ; and marked, in Tricking, by the letter P, — from the French,/ pou rp r e, and that, again from the Latin, wherein this tincture is titled, Purpureus Color. It is, in Spanish, purpura and morado, in Italian, porporino and pavonazzo, and in Ger- man, purpur. Guillim saj^s : " Purpure is a color, that consisteth of much red, and a small quantity of black, and is thus described, Purpureus Color est, quia multa rube- dine, etpauciore nigredine commiscetur :" Chassaneus, having spoken of the six colors, white, black, red, yellow, green and blue, remarks, "That, of them all, being compounded and mixed together,
