CROWN, an ornament worn on the head by kings, sovereign princes, and noblemen, as a mark of their dignity.
In scripture there is frequent mention of crowns, and the use of them seems to have been very common among the Hebrews. The high priest wore a crown, which was a fillet of gold placed upon the forehead, and tied with a ribbon of hyacinth colour, or azure blue. It seems also as if private priests, and even common Israelites, wore also a sort of crown, since God commands Ezekiel not to take off his crown, nor assume the marks of one in mourning. This crown was no more than a ribbon or fillet, with which the Jews and several people in the east girt their heads. And indeed the first crowns were no more than a bandelet drawn round the head, and tied behind, as we still see it represented on medals round the heads of Jupiter, the Ptolemies, and kings of Syria. Afterwards they consisted of two bandelets: by degrees they took branches of trees of divers kinds; at length they added flowers, insomuch that Claudius Saturni-
us says, there was not any plant whereof crowns had not been made. The woods and groves were searched to find different crowns for the several deities; and they were used not only on the statues and images of the gods, by the priests in sacrificing, and by kings and emperors, but also on altars, temples, doors of houses, sacred vessels, victims, ships, &c.
The Roman emperors had four kinds of crowns, still seen on medals, viz. a crown of laurel, a radial or radiating crown, a crown adorned with pearls and precious stones, and the fourth a kind of bonnet or cap, something like the mortier.
The Romans had also various kinds of crowns, which they distributed as rewards of military achievements; as, 1. The oval crown, made of myrtle, and bestowed upon generals, who were entitled to the honours of the lesser triumph, called ovation. 2. The naval or rostral crown, composed of a circle of gold, with ornaments representing beaks of ships, and given to the captain who first grappled, or the soldier who first boarded, an enemy's ship. 3. The crown called in Latin vallaris, or castrensis, a circle of gold raised with jewels or palisades; the reward of him who first forced the enemy's entrenchments. 4. The mural crown, a circle of cold indented and embattled; given to him who first mounted the wall of a besieged place, and there lodged a standard. 5. The civic crown, made of the branch of a green oak, and given him who had saved the life of a citizen. 6. The triumphal crown, consisting at first of wreaths of laurel, but afterwards made of gold; proper to such generals as had the honour of a triumph. 7. The crown called obfidalionalis, or graminea, made of grass growing on the place; the reward of a general who had delivered a Roman army from a siege. 8. The crown of laurel, given by the Greeks to their athletes; and by the Romans to those who had negotiated or confirmed a peace with an enemy: this was the least honourable of all. We meet also with the corona aurea, often bestowed on soldiers, without any other additional term; the radial crown, given to princes at their translation among the gods; athletic crowns, and crowns of laurel, destined to crown victims at the public games, poets, orators, &c. All these crowns were marks of nobility to the wearers; and upon competitions with rivals for rank and dignities, often determined the preference in their favour. See Plate LXVI. fig. 8. no. 1. 2. 3. &c.
The Imperial Crown is a bonnet or tiara, with a semi-circle of gold, supporting a globe with a cross at top. See Plate LXVI. fig. 9. no. 1.
The British Crown is adorned with four crosses, between which there are four fleurs de lis: it is covered with four diadems, which meet at a little globe supporting a cross. Ibid. no. 2.
The French Crown, is a circle of eight fleurs de lis, encompassed with six diadems, bearing at top a double fleurs de lis, which is the crest of France. Ibid. no. 3.
The Spanish Crown is adorned with large indented leaves, and covered with diadems terminating in a globe, surmounted with a cross. Ibid. no. 4.
The crowns of almost all other kings are adorned with large leaves, bordered with four, six, or eight diadems, with a globe and cross at top.
The Papal Crown is composed of a tiara, and a triple crown encompassing it, with two pendants like the bishop's mitres. These crowns represent the pretended triple capacity of the pope, as high priest, supreme judge, and sole legislator of Christians. Ibid. no. 5.
An electoral Crown, or coronet, is a scarlet cap turned up with ermine, and closed with a femicircle of gold, all covered with pearls, with a globe at top, surmounted with a golden cross. Ibid. no. 6.
Crowns of British princes of the blood. 1. The prince of Wales's crown consists alternately of crosses and fleurs de lis, with one arch, in the middle of which is a ball and cross, as in the royal diadem. 2. That of all the younger sons and brothers of the king, consists likewise of crosses and fleurs de lis alternately, but without any arch, or being surmounted with a globe and cross at top. 3. That of the other princes of the blood consists alternately of crosses and leaves, like those in the coronet of dukes, &c. Ibid. fig. 10. no. 1. 2. 3.
Crowns of noblemen are, a duke's, composed of leaves of smillage, or parsley: that of a marquis, of flowers and pearls placed alternately: an earl's has no flowers about the circle, like the duke and marquis, but only points rising, and a pearl on every one of them: a viscount has neither flowers nor points raised above the circle, like the other superior degrees, but only pearls placed on the circle itself without any limited number: a baron's has only six pearls on the golden border, not raised, to distinguish him from the earl's; and the number of them limited, to shew he is inferior to the viscount. Ibid. fig. 11. no. 1. 2. &c.