The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1878-01-10
The Arms Of Great Britain,

Nv Young readers have doubtless often
observed upon familiar objects, such as
books, china and steelware, etc., the de-
vice of lion and horse (sometimes
represented as unicorn) supporting
between them a shield, surmounted by
a crown. On the shield are certain divi-
sions called quarterings," in one of
which you will observe two lions and
horse. Attached to the whole is the
motto, Dieu ct mon it,-French
words, whose meaning is, God and my
right"
If you inquire, you will be told that
this device is the "coat t-of-arms of
Great Britain as the eagle, shield and
olive branch is that of the United States,
and that all articles thus marked are
of British manufacture.
In old times the national symbol of
England was the rose, of Scotland the
thistle, of Ireland the shamrock or
clover. When England claimed Ireland
on the British royal shield, as we find
them in the time of Queen Elizabeth.
On a victory over France, the symbol Of
France, unicorn, was also added, the
unicorn wearing a chain, to denote the
subjection of France to England.
When a new sovereign succeeds to the
crown. he has right to place his own
family coat ef-arms on the royal shield
of Great Britain. George tie First did
this. The two lions and the white horse,
which You see on one of the quarterings
is the coat-of-arms of the Guelphs, who
we're dukes of Brunswick and Hanover
in Germany. 1t is therefore called the
arms of the House of Brunswick, and
it is about this that now design to tell
you.
We read in history that when the
great Charlemagne conquered the
northern countries, one of the Saxon
leaders, named Wittikind, refused to
submit to him, and that, in consequence,
many bloody battles were fought, where
in the Saxons bore in the van a tall
pole surmounted by wooden horses
head. This was their ensign; aud when
they afterward became more civilized,
they retained the same emblem
white horse painted upon black ground
which remains to this day the stand
ard or banner of the little kingdom of
Saxony.
In the year S61,-just about one
thousand years ago,-Bruno, the son of
Saxon king, founded a city in Saxony
which he called after himself, Brunonis
Vicus, now known as Brunswick. He
retained rs the standard of Brunswick
the white horse of Saxony, and thus it
remained until the end of the three sue
ceeding centuries. About that time the
reigning prince of Brunswick was cer-
tain Henry Guelph, leader in the
Crusades, noted for his strength and
daring which acquired for him the title
of Henry the Lion" This prince
refused to own sllegiance to the great
Emperor of Germany, Frederick Bar
barossa. He declared himself indepen-
dent, and as token of defiance set up a
great stone lion in Brunswick, and had
the same symbol placed upon his stan
dard, two lions supporting n shield be-
meath the white horse.
Thus you know the origin OF the
Brunswick coat-of-arms. But how came
the banner OF small German country
to be adopted on the arms of Great
Britain? This will now explain.
About the year 1850, the then reign
ing Duke of Brunswick, afterward also
Elector of Hanover, married the grand
daughter of King James the first of
England. Their eldest son was named
George Louis. When, on the death of
Queen Anne, the English were in want
OF successor, they looked about
among those nearest of kin to the royal
family, and decided to choose this great
grandson of King James l. Thus it was
that George Louis Guelph-a Saxon
German-came to be King George the
First of England, and this was how the
"hon-and-h horse" arms of Brunswick
and Hanover came to be also part of the
arms of Great Britain. His successors
were George the Second, George the
Third against whose rule the American
colonies rebelled), George the Fourth,
William and lastly Queen Victoria the
present queen, who is granddaughter
to George the Third. Thus you under
, stand how Queen Victoria is descended
from the princes of Brunswick ;-how
she happens to be of German instead of
English blood,-and why her name is
Guelph. h.-i&. Nicholas.