Huissier

d’armes, Fr. tipstaff; an officer formerly so called in France, who was attached to the royal household. They were at first distinguished by the name of Sergens d’armes, or serjeants at arms. Some were directed to bear the mace before the king during the day, and obtained on that account the appellation of Hui iers d’armes; in later times while the monarchy subsisted, they were called the Hui iers, or tipstaffs of the king’s chamber. Others kept watch in the king’s bed-chamber during the night, and were sworn to expose their lives for the safety of his person, whence they obtained the name of archers de la garde, which term was changed into gardes-du-corps, or body-guards. Death HUNTERS , followers of an army, who, after the engagement look for dead bodies, in order to strip them. They generally consist of soldiers’ wives, .