The Dorothy Dunnett Companion: Volume II

AA coat of arms . . . with a fish in it . . . and a tree and a ring? LIONS, 22:  The reference is to the armorial bearings of the city of Glasgow, which famously incorporates an oak tree proper, the stem at the base surmounted by a salmon on its back, also proper, with a signet ring in its mouth. It signifies an incident in the life of St. Mungo. The Queen of his day being rash, she had confided her marital gift-ring to a soldier. The King, observing it on the sleeping man's hand, flung it into the river and went to his Queen, pretending he wished her to show it to him. When she turned to the saint in despair, Mungo advised that a fishing-line be cast into the Clyde, assuring her that the first fish to be caught would have the ring in its mouth or its stomach. He was right. Repossessing the ring, the Queen was able to confound her jealous husband by producing it. The story fails to mention the fate of the soldier. (D. D.)A Dead Sea apple: KINGS, IV, 2: Mandeville describes the fruit of the trees on the shore of the Dead Sea in The Travels of Sir John Mandeville:"By the side of this sea grow trees that bear apples fine of colour and delightful to look at; but when they are broken or cut, only ashes and dust and cinders are found inside, as a token of the vengeance that God took on those five cities and the countryside round about, burning them with the fires of Hell."A good lord, so brave, so sweet, so very debonair: CHECKMATE, V, 8:  Spoken of a man lying ill, but in fact the lord is Christ, and the writer Henry Plantagent, Duke of Lancaster. "Sweet and debonair" was a favourite phrase of the time, also used of the lover in the French poem, "The Romaunt of the Rose." Jesus, ce prophete debonaire makes an appearance in French Mystery Plays. (D. D.)A large reporter of his owne Acts: CHECKMATE, I, 5: Quoted from one of the books in the collection of the character the Dame de Doubtance, the description also appears in the Christian Astrology (1647) of William Lilly (1602-1681) as the characteristics of those ruled by the planet Mars (extract): Nature:  He is a Masculine, Nocturnall Planet, in nature hot and dry, cholerick and fiery, the lesser In fortune, author of Quarrels, Strifes, Contentions.Manners when well dignified:  In feats of Warre and Courage invicibel, scorning any should exceed him, subject to no Reason, Bold, Confident, Immoveable, Contentious, challenging all Honour to themselves, Valiant, lovers of Warre and things pertaining thereunto, hazarding hiimselfe to all Perils, willingly will obey no body, or submit to any; a large Reporter of his owne Acts, one that slights all things in comparison of Victory, and yet of prudent behaviour in his owne affaires. Those governed by Mars are prone to "The Gall, the left Eare, tertian Feavers, pestilent burning Feavers, Megrams in the Head . . . and such other Diseases as arise by abundance of too much Choller, Anger or Passion."