HERALDRY,

Is the science which teaches how to blazon, or explain in proper terms, all that belongs to coats-of-arms, and how to marshal, or dispose regularly, different arms on a field; and it also teaches whatever relates to the marshallinġ of solemn cavalcades, processions, and other public ceremonies, at coronations, installations, creations of peers, nuptials, christening of princes, funerals, and the like. Arms, or coats-of-arms, are hereditary marks of honour, composed of fixed and determined colours and figures, granted by sovereign princes as a reward for military valour, shining virtue, or signal public service, and which serve to denote the descent and alliance of the bearer, or to distinguish states, cities, societies, or orders, civil, ecclesiastical, and military.

Thus heraldry is the science of which arms are the proper object; but yet they differ much both in their origin and in their antiquity. Heraldry, according to Sir George Mackenzie, “as digested into an art, and subjected to rules, must be ascribed to Charlemagne and Frederick Barbarossa, for it did begin and grow with the feudal law.” Sir John Feme is of opinion that we borrowed arms from the Egyptians, meaning probably from the hieroglyphics of that people. Sir William Dugdale mentions that arms, as marks of honour, were used by great commanders in war, necessity requiring that their persons should be notified to their friends and followers. Nisbet, in his System of Heraldry, says that arms owe their rise and beginning to the light of nature, and that signs and marks of honour were made use of in the first ages of the world, and by all nations, however simple and illiterate, to distinguish the noble from the ignoble. We find from Homer, Virgil, and Ovid, that the ancient heroes had different figures on their shields, by which their persons were distinctly known. Alexander the Great, desirous to honour those of his captains and soldiers who had done any glorious action, and also to excite emulation amongst the rest, granted them certain badges to be borne on their armour, pennons, and banners; and at the same time ordained that no person or potentate throughout his empire should attempt or presume to give or tolerate the bearing of those signs upon the armour of any other man, but that it should be a power reserved to himself, which prerogative has ever since been claimed and exercised by all other kings and sovereign princes within their dominions.

From these and many other opinions, it may with some confidence be inferred that in all ages men have made use of figures of living creatures, or symbolical signs, to denote the bravery and courage either of their chief or nation, to render themselves more terrible to their enemies, and also to distinguish themselves or families, as names do individuals. Agrippa, in his treatise on the vanity of sciences (c. 81), has collected many instances of these marks of distinction, anciently borne by kingdoms and states which were any way civilized. Thus the Egyptians bore an ox, the Athenians an owl, the Goths a bear, the Romans an eagle, the Franks a lion, and the Saxons a horse, which last is still borne in the arms of his Britannic majesty. As to hereditary arms of families, Camden, Spelman, and others agree that they began towards the end of the seventeenth century. According to Menestrier, a French writer whose authority is of great weight in this matter, Henry l’Oiseleur, or the Falconer, who was raised to the imperial throne of the West in 920, by regulating tournaments in Germany gave occasion to the establishment of family arms, or hereditary marks of honour, which are undeniably more ancient and better observed amongst the Germans than in any other nation. Menestrier likewise' asserts, that with tournaments came coats-of-arms, which, were a sort of livery, made up of several lists, fillets, or narrow pieces of stuff of different colours, whence came the fess, the bend, the pale, and other devices, which were the original charges of family arms; for they who had never been at tournaments had not such marks of distinction. Those who engaged in the crusades also took up several figures hitherto unknown in armorial ensigns; such as alerians, bezants, escalop-shells, martlets, and the like, but more particularly crosses, of different colours for the sake of distinction. From this it may be concluded that heraldry, like most human inventions, was insensibly introduced and established; and that, after having been rude and unsettled for many ages, it was at last methodised, perfected, and fixed, by the crusades and tournaments.

These marks of honour are called arms, from their being principally worn in war and in tournaments by military men, who had them engraved, embossed, or depicted on shields, targets, banners, or other martial instruments. They are also called coats-of-arms, from the custom of the ancients embroidering them on the coats which they wore over their arms, as heralds do to this day. Arms are distinguished by different names, to denote the causes of their bearing; such as, arms of dominion, of pretension, of concession, of community, of patronage, of family, of alliance, of succession. Arms of dominion or sovereignty are those which emperors, kings, and sovereign states constantly bear, and which are, as it were, annexed to the territories, kingdoms, and provinces they possess. Thus the three lions are the arms of England, the fleurs-de-lis those of France, and so on. Arms of pretension are those of kingdoms, provinces, or territories, which a prince or lord has some claim to, and which he adds to his own, although these kingdoms or territories be possessed by a foreign prince or other lord. Thus the kings of England have quartered the arms of France with their own ever since Edward III. laid claim to the kingdom of Fiance, which happened in the year 1330, on account of his being son to Isabelle, sister to Charles the Handsome, who died without issue. Arms of concession, or augmentation of honour, are either entire arms, or else one or more figures, granted by princes as a reward for some extraordinary service. We read in history that Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, allowed the Earl of Wintoun’s ancestor to bear, in his coat-armour, a crown supported by a sword, to show that he and the clan Seaton, of which he was the head, had supported his tottering crown. Queen Anne granted to Sir Cloudesly Shovel, rear-admiral of Great Britain, a cheveron between two fleurs-de-lis in chief, and a crescent in base, to denote three great victories which he had gained, two over the French and one over the Turks. Arms of community are those of bishoprics, cities, universities, academies, societies, companies, and other bodies corporate. Arms of patronage are such as governors of provinces, lords of manors, patrons of benefices, and others, add to their family arms, as a token of their superiority, rights, and jurisdiction. These arms have introduced into heraldry, castles, gates, wheels, ploughs, rakes, harrows, and the like. Arms of family, or paternal arms, are those which belong to one particular family, and distinguish it from others, and which no person is suffered to assume without committing a crime that sovereigns have a right to restrain and punish. Arms of alliance are those which families or private persons take up and join to their own, to denote the alliances which they [7:11:244]have contracted by marriage. This sort of arms is either impaled, or borne in an escutcheon of pretence, by those who r have married heiresses. Arms of succession are such as are taken up by those who inherit certain estates, manors, and other hereditaments, either by will, entail, or donation, and which they either impale or quarter with their own arms; and this multiplies the titles of some families from necessity, and not through ostentation, as some have imagined.

These are the eight classes under which the different kinds of arms are generally arranged; but there is a sort which blazoners call assumptive arms, being such as are assumed by the caprice or fancy of upstarts, though of ever so mean extraction, who, being advanced to a degree of fortune, take them without any legal title. This is considered as a great abuse of heraldry, and common only in Britain, no such practice being permitted on the Continent.

We now proceed to consider the essential and integral parts of arms, which are, the Escutcheon, the Tinctures, the Charges, and the Ornaments.

I. OF THE SHIELD OR ESCUTCHEON.

The shield or escutcheon is the shield or ground on which are represented the figures that make up a coat-of-arms. These marks of distinction were originally put on bucklers or shields before they were placed on banners, standards, flags, and coat-armour; and wherever they may be fixed, they are ⅛till represented on a plain or superficies the form of which resembles a shield.

Shields, in heraldry called escutcheons or scutcheons, from the Latin word scutum, have been, and still are, of different forms, according to the usages of different times and nations. Amongst ancient shields, some were almost like a horseshoe, and others triangular, somewhat rounded at the bottom. The people who inhabited Mesopotamia, now called Diar-behir, made use of this sort of shield. Sometimes the shield was heptagonal, that is, had seven sides. The first of this shape is said to have been used by the celebrated triumvir Marc Antony. That of knights-banneret was square, like a banner. As to modern escutcheons, those of the Italians, particularly of ecclesiastics, are generally oval. The English, French, Germans, and other nations, have their escutcheons formed different ways, according to the carver’s or painter’s fancy.- But the escutcheon of maids, widows, and such as are born ladies, and are married to private gentlemen, is generally of the form of a lozenge. Sir George Mackenzie mentions one Muriel, countess of Strathern, who carried her arms in a lozenge, in 1284; a circumstance which shows how long we have been conversant with heraldry.

Armorists distinguish several parts or points in escutcheons, in order to determine exactly the position of the bearings they are charged with. Thus, in the annexed outline of an escutcheon,

A is the dexter chief, B the precise middle chief, C the sinister chief, D the honour point, E the fess point, F the nombril point, G the dexter base, H the middle precise base, and I the sinister base.

The knowledge of these points is of great importance, and ought to be well observed, for they are frequently occupied with things of different kinds. It is necessary to observe, that the dexter side of the escutcheon is opposite to the left hand, and the sinister side to the right hand, of the person who looks on it.

II. OF TINCTURES, FURS, LINES, AND DIFFERENCES.

1. Of Tinctures. By tinctures is meant that variable hue of arms which is common both to shields and their bearings. According to the French heralds, there are but seven tinctures in armoury, of which two are metals, and the other five colours. The metals are gold, termed or ; and silver, termed argerd. The colours are blue, termed azure ; red, termed gules ; green, termed vert ; purple, termed purpure ; and black, termed sable. When natural objects, such as animals, plants, celestial bodies, and the like, are introduced into coats-of-arms, they retain their natural colours, which is expressed in this science by the word proper. Besides the five colours above mentioned, the English writers on heraldry admit two others, namely, orange, termed tenηy ; and blood-colour, termed sanguine. But these two are rarely to be found in British bearings.

These tinctures are represented in engravings and drawings by dots and lines (as in fig. 3, No. 1-9), which are the invention of the ingenious Silvester de Petra Sancta, an Italian author of the seventeenth century. Thus, or is expressed by dots; argent needs no mark, and is therefore plain; azure, by horizontal lines; gules, by perpendicular lines; vert, by diagonal lines from the dexter chief to the sinister base points; purpure, by diagonal lines from the sinister chief to the dexter base points; sable, by perpendicular and horizontal lines crossing each other; tenny, by diagonal lines from the sinister chief to the dexter base points, traversed by horizontal lines; sanguine, by lines crossing each other diagonally from dexter to sinister, and from sinister to dexter.

Sir George Mackenzie observes, that some fantastic heralds have blazoned not only by the ordinary colours and metals, but by flowers, days of the week, parts of a man’s body, and the like, and have been condemned for it by the heralds of all nations. Yet, he adds, the English have so far owned this fancy, that they lay it down as a rule that the coats of sovereigns should be blazoned by the planets, and those of noblemen by precious stones. According to this rule, which some think judicious, though Cartwrighl and others reprobate it as absurd, the relative blazonry would stand thus:
[table]

“But I crave leave to say,” continues Sir G. Mackenzie, “that these are but mere fancies, and are likewise unfit for the art, for these reasons: Is/, The French, from whom the English derive their heraldry, not only in principles, but in words of the French language, do not only not use these different ways of blazoning, but treat them en ridicuk. 2dly, The Italian, Spanish, and Latin heralds use no such different forms, but blazon by the ordinary metals and colours. 3dly, Art should imitate nature; and as it would be an unnatural thing in common discourse not to call red red because a prince wears it, so it is unnatural to use these terms in heraldry. And it may fall out to be very ridiculous in some arms; for instance, if a prince had for [7:11:245]his arms an ass couchant under his burden gules, how ridiculous would it be to say he had an ass couchant Mars ? A hundred other examples might be given; but it is enough to say, that this is to confound colours with charges, and the things that are borne with colours, ⅛thly, It makes the art unpleasant, and deters gentlemen from studying it, and strangers from understanding what our heraldry is; nor could the arms of our princes and nobility be translated in this disguise into Latin or any other language. But that which convinces most that this is an error is, because it makes that great rule unnecessary, whereby colour cannot be put upon colour, nor metal upon metal; but this cannot hold but where metals and colours are expressed.” The English heralds give different names to the roundlet (No. 10), according to its colour. Thus, if it be or, it is called a bezant; if argent, a plate ; if azure, ŭhurt; if gules, a torteau ; if vert, a pompey ; if purpure, a golpe ; if sable, a pellet; if tenny, an orange; and if sanguine, a guze. The French, and all other nations, do not admit such a multiplicity of names for this figure, but call them bezants, after an ancient coin struck at Constantinople, anciently Byzantium, if they are or and torteaux; or of any other tincture, expressing the same.

2. Of Furs.

Furs represent the hairy skin of certain beasts, prepared for the doublings or linings of robes and garments of state; and as shields were anciently covered with furred skins, they are therefore used in heraldry not only for the linings of the mantles, and other ornaments of the shields, but also in the coats-of-arms themselves.

There are three different kinds in general use, namely, 1. Ermine, which is a field argent, powdered with black spots, the tails of which terminate in three hairs (No. 11); 2. Counter-ermine, where the field is sable, and the powdering white (No. 12); and, 3. Vαir (No. 15), which is expressed by blue and white skins, cut into the forms of little bells, ranged in rows opposite to each other, the base of the white ones being always next to that of the blue ones. Vair usually consists of six rows; if there be more or fewer, the number ought to be expressed; and if the colours be different from those above mentioned, they should likewise be expressed.

The English multiply the furs, as well as the names of the tinctures, though no other nation has adopted such varieties. Thus they give us, 1. White, which is the natural colour of the ermine, but is used upon no occasion except in the description of mantles. 2. Ermines, which is the same with contra-ermine. 3. Erminois, where the field is or, and the powdering sable (No. 13). 4. Pean, where the field is sable, and the powdering or (No. 14). The French use no such term; but they call all furs or doublings des pannes or pennes, a term which has possibly given rise to this mistake, and many others, on the part of those who did not understand the French language. 5. Εrminites, the same as ermine, with the addition of a red hair on each side of the black. Sir George Mackenzie calls these distinctions “but fancies, for erminites signifies properly little ermines? 6. Counter-vair, when the bells of the same tincture are placed base against base, and point against point (No. 16). 7. Potent-counter-potent, anciently called vairy-cuppy, as when the field is filled with crutches or potents counterplaced (No. 17).

It may not be improper to observe here, that the use of the tinctures took its rise from the several colours used by warriors whilst they were in the army, which Silvester de Petra Sancta proves by many citations. And because it was the custom to embroider gold and silver on silk, or silk on cloth of gold and silver, the heralds therefore appointed, that, in imitation of the clothes so embroidered, colour should never be used upon colour, nor metal upon metal.

3. Of the Lines used in the parting of Fields.

Escutcheons are either of one tincture or more than one. Those which are of one only, that is, when some metal, colour, or fur, is spread all over the surface or field, are said to have such a tincture predominant; but in those which have more than one, the field is divided by lines, which, according to their different forms, receive various names.

Lines may be either straight or crooked. Straight lines are carried evenly through the escutcheon, and are of four different kinds, viz. a perpendicular line ∣; a horizontal, —; a diagonal dexter, ∖; a diagonal sinister, ∕. Crooked lines are those which are carried unevenly through the escutcheon, rising and falling. French armorists reckon eleven different sorts of these; Guillim admits of only seven; but there are fourteen distinct kinds, viz. 1. The engrailed; 2. the invected; 3. the wavy; 4. the embattled, or crenelle; 5. the nebule; 6. the regule; 7. the indented; 8. the dancette; 9. the dove-tail; 10. the grafted; 11. the embattled aronde; 12. the battled embattled; 13. the patee or dove-tail; and 14. the champaine.

The principal reason why lines are thus used in heraldry, is to distinguish bearings which would otherwise be the same; for an escutcheon charged with a chief engrailed, differs from one charged with a chief wavy, as much as if the one bore a cross and the other’ a saltier.

As the lines above mentioned serve to divide the field, it must be observed, that if the division consist of two equal parts formed by the perpendicular line, it is called parted per pale; by the horizontal line, parted per fess ; by the diagonal dexter, parted per bend; and by the diagonal sinister, parted per bend sinister. If a field be divided into four equal parts by any of these lines, it is said to be quartered, and this may be done in two ways, viz.

1. Quartered or parted per cross, which is made by a per- ’ pendicular and horizontal line, crossing each other at the centre of the field, and dividing it into four equal parts called quarters. 2. Quartered or parted per saltier, which is made by two diagonal lines, dexter and sinister, crossing one another in the centre of the field, and likewise dividing it into four equal parts.

The escutcheon is sometimes divided into a greater number of parts, in order to place in it the arms of the several families to which one is allied; and in this case it is called a genealogical achievement. These divisions may consist of six, eight, twelve, and sixteen, quarters, and even sometimes of twenty, thirty-two, sixty-four, and upwards; there being examples of such divisions frequently exhibited at pompous funerals. An extraordinary instance of this kind was exhibited at the funeral of the Viscountess Townshend, whose corpse was brought from Dublin Castle to Rainhamhall in Norfolk; on which occasion one of the principal tenants on horseback carried before the hearse a genealogical banner, containing the quarterings of, his lordship’s and her ladyship’s families, to the amount of upwards of 160 coats. But Sir William Dugdale justly objects to so many arms being clustered together in one shield or banner, on account of the difficulty of knowing and distinguishing one coat-of-arms from another.

4. Of the Differences of Coats-of-Arms.

Armorists have invented various differences or characteristical marks, by which bearers of the same coat-of-arpis may be distinguished from one another, and their nearness to the principal bearer demonstrated; and these differences are to be considered as either ancient or modern.
[7:11:246]

Of Ancient Differences. Those which are called ancient differences consist in bordures, ^[1. Bordures are still introduced into English coats-of-arms, but for particular reasons, which heralds can best explain. They are by the t rench frequently taken for a principal figure, and numbered amongst the rest of the ordinaries. ] which is a bearing that goes all round, and parallel to the boundary of the escutcheon, in the form of a hem, and always contains a fifth part of the field in breadth. Bordures were used in ancient times not only for distinguishing one nation or. tribe from another, but also for noting a diversity between particular persons descended of one family and from the same parents. This distinction, however, was not expressly signified by invariable marks; nor were bordures always appropriated to denote the different degrees of consanguinity; for, as Sir Henry Spelman rightly observes, ancient heralds, being fond of perspicuous differences, often inverted the paternal tincture, or sometimes inserted another charge in the escutcheon, such as bends, croslets, cantons, or the like; an irregularity which, he supposes, has induced modern armorists to invent and make use of others.

There are bordures of different forms and tinctures, as, [.for example, 1. Sable, a bordure argent, borne by the Earl of Thanet. When a border is plain, it is not necessary to mention it, as it is always so understood in heraldry, though it be not expressed; but if it has any other form, this must be signified. 2. Gules, a bordure engrailed argent, borne by Lord Gray. This is called engrailed, from the French word engrele, which signifies a thing the hail has fallen upon and broken off’ the edges, leaving it with little semicircles struck out of it. 3. Gules, a bordure engrailed or, borne by the Earl of Shrewsbury. In a bordure or ordinary formed of these lines, the points are represented on all sides towards the field, and the semicircles are turned towards the bordure or ordinary. 4. Argent, a bordure invected azure. This is quite contrary to the last, which turns its points from the bordure into the field. 5. Gules, a bordure indented argent. The word indented requires little explanation, the signification being obvious, from its figure, which is composed of tracks resembling teeth, called in Latin dentes. 6. Azure, a bordure ermine. 7. Vert, a bordure vair. 8. Ermine, a bordure compony, or gobony, or and sable. This is so termed from its being composed of small equal pieces. 9. Quarterly, azure and gules, a bordure compony argent and azure, borne by the Duke of Beaufort. 10. Azure, a bordure counter-compony argent and gules. But the counter-compony always consists of two tracks and no more. 11. Or, a bordure cheeky argent and sable. This has a great resemblance to the last bordure, having only one track more. Before blazoning, therefore, care must be taken to number them, so as to avoid taking the one for the other. 12. Gules, a bordure argent, charged with eight trefoils slipped proper, that is, vert. All nations use few terms in blazoning bordures; but English armorists have perplexed it, and rendered it unintelligible to all foreigners, by introducing several mystical proper names, amongst which may be reckoned the following, viz. They call a bordure, if charged with eight plants, fruits, flowers, or leaves, verdoy of such vegetables; or enaluron of such birds; enurny of beasts; perflew of furs; and entoyre of inanimate things, of whatsoever kind. 13. Gules on a bordure azure, eight stars or. 14. Argent, a bordure compony of the last and gules, the first charged with roses of the second, barbed and seeded proper. This bordure is borne by the Duke of Richmond. 15. Ermine, with a bordure engrailed gules, the coat-of-arms of Viscount Kingsland. This family is of French extraction, and allied to the Dukes of Lower Bretagne. 16. Argent, a bordure sable charged with eight bezants, borne by Lord Ranelagh. 17. Party per pale argent and gules, a: bordure charged with eight escalops counterchanged; I

the coat of arms of Maule, Lord Panmure. This ancient family is originally French, and derives its surname from' the lordship of Maule in Normandy, where the same arms are still to be seen in the parish church. 18. Azure, a bordure quarterly, the first and fourth ermine, the second and third counter-compony argent and azure. 19. Purpure, a bordure compony or and gules, each of the last charged with a bezant. 20. Quarterly or and gules, within a bordure vert, charged with eight escalops or. We shall conclude this head with observing, that a bordure is never of metal upon metal, and seldom of colour upon colour, but rather of the same tincture with the principal bearing or charge. Thus Dalziel of Glenae, whose predecessor was a younger brother of the family of Carnwath, has, within a bordure argent, the paternal coat of the ancient name of Dalziel, viz. sable, a hanged man with his arms extended, argent, and whom they formerly carried hanging on a gallows. This bearing, though so very singular for a coat-of-arms, was given as a reward to one of the ancestors of the Earl of Carnwath, to perpetuate the memory of a brave and hazardous exploit performed, in taking down from a gallows the body of a favourite and near relative of Kenneth II. who had been hung up by the Picts. The story is thus related by Nisbet: “The king being exceedingly grieved that the body of his minion and kinsman should be so disgracefully treated, he proffered a great reward to any of his subjects who would adventure to rescue his corpse from the disgrace his cruel enemies had unjustly put upon it; but when none would undertake this hazardous enterprise, at last a valorous gentleman came and said to the king, Dalziel, which signifies, i I dare;’ and he did actually perform that noble exploit to the king’s satisfaction and his own immortal honour, and in memory of it got the aforesaid remarkable bearing; and afterwards his posterity took the word Dalziel for their surname; and the interpretation of it, I dare, continues even to this day to be the motto of that noble family.” We can have no better proof of the truth of the tradition than this, that the heads of the ancient family in question have for ages carefully retained this bearing without any alteration or addition.

Of Modern Differences. The modern differences which the English have adopted, not only for distinguishing sons issued out of one family, but also for denoting the difference and subordinate degrees in each house from the original ancestors, are nine, viz. for the heir or first son, the label; second son, the crescent; third.son, the mullet; 1 fourth son, the martlet; fifth son, the annulet; sixth son,' the fleur-de-lis; seventh son, the rose; eighth son, the cross-moline; ninth son, the double quatre-foil. By these differences the six sons of Thomas Beauchamp, the fifteenth Earl of Warwick, who died in the thirty-fourth year of the reign of Edward III. are distinguished in an old window of the church of St Mary at Warwick; so that although they are called modem differences, their usage among the English is ancient.

It must be observed, that of all the above-mentioned marks of distinction, none but the label is affixed on the coats-of-arms belonging to any of the royal family; which the authors of this peculiarity have, however, thought proper to distinguish by additional pendants and distinct charges on them.

As to the distinction to be made in the arms of the offspring belonging to each of the above-mentioned brothers, it is expressed by figures on the top and margin of the table contained in fig. 3. For instance, the heir or first son of the second house bears a crescent charged with a label during his father’s lifetime only; the second son of the [7:11:247]second house, a crescent charged with another crescent; the third son of the second house, a crescent charged with a mullet; the fourth son of the second house, a crescent charged with a martlet; the fifth son of the second house, a crescent charged with an annulet; the sixth son of the second house, a crescent charged with a fleur-de-lis; and so on of the other sons, taking care to have them of a different tincture.

It is not certain in what part of the escutcheon these differences should be borne; for Guillim, Morgan, and others, give us many different examples of their position. The honour-point would be the most proper place, if the arms would admit of it; but that is not always the case, as the part in question may be charged with some figure in the paternal coat, which cannot with propriety receive the difference. There arc instances where these are borne as perfect coats-of-arms, which are to be blazoned thus: The first is azure, a label argent. When such a label is borne as a difference, the pendants, according to Leigh, signify that he is but the third person; the dexter pendant referring to his father, the sinister to his mother, and the middle one to himself. The second is argent, a label of five points azure, borne by the name of Henting-ton. If a label has more or less than three pendants or points, they are to be expressed as in the foregoing example. The third is azure, a crescent argent, borne by the name of Lucy. The reason Leigh assigns for the second son having a crescent for a difference, is to show that he should increase the family by adding to its riches and reputation. The fourth is argent, a mullet sable, on a chief azure, a fleur-de-lis or; borne by the name of Rogers, in Gloucestershire. A mullet or spur was appointed for the third son’s difference, to indicate that he should follow chivalry. The fifth is azure, a fleur-de-lis argent; borne by Digby Baron Digby of Geaśhill, in King’s County, Ireland.

These examples, with many more which might be produced, demonstrate the impropriety of adopting these modern differences as marks of cadency to distinguish the different branches of a family; for it is impossible to distinguish the uncle or granduncle from the nephew or grandnephew, if each of them are second, third, or fourth sons; and in the course of succession these differences would multiply to such a number, that it would be impossible in most cases to delineate them distinctly. But as they are given by most of the English writers on heraldry, though no foreign nation uses them, it was thought proper to insert them here.

Sisters, except of the blood-royal, have no other mark of difference in their coats-of-arms, than the form of the escutcheon; and therefore they arc permitted to bear the arms of their father, even as the eldest son does after his father’s decease. The reason of this is said to be, that when they are married, they lose their surname, and receive that of their husbands.

Next to these diminutions Leigh, Guillim, and Dr Harris in his Lexico Technicum, set forth at large different figures, which, they pretend, were formerly added to the coats of such as were to be punished and branded for cowardice, fornication, slander, adultery, treason, or murder, for which they give them the name of abatements of honour ; but as they produce but one instance of such whimsical bearings, we have not inserted them here. Besides, arms being marks of honour, they cannot admit of any note of infamy; nor would any body now-a-days bear them if they were so branded. It is true, a man may be degraded for various crimes, particularly high treason; but in such cases the escutcheon is reversed, trodden upon, and torn in pieces, to denote a total extinction and suppression of the honour and dignity of the person to whom it belonged.

lit. OF THE CHARGES.

Armorists call a charge whatsoever is contained in the field, whether it occupy the whole or only a part thereof. All charges are distinguished by the names of honourable ordinaries, subordinaries, and common charges.

Honourable ordinaries, the principal charges in heraldry, are made of lines only, which, according to their disposition and form, receive different names. Sub-ordinaries arc ancient heraldic figures, frequently used in coats of arms, and which are distinguished by terms appropriated to each of them. Common charges are composed of natural, artificial, and even chimerical objects or figures; such as planets, creatures, vegetables, instruments, and the like.

1. Of Honourable Ordinaries.

The most judicious armorists admit of only nine honourable ordinaries, viz. the chief, the pale, the bend, the bend sinister, the fess, the bar, the cheveron, the cross, and the saltier. Of these, six only have diminutives, which are as follow: That of the chief is a fillet ; the pale has a pallet and endorse ; the bend, a bendlet, cost, and riband; the bend sinister has the scarp and baton; the bar, the closet and barulet ; and thecheveron, a cheveronel and couple-close. Of the Chief. The chief is an ordinary determined by a horizontal line, which, if it be of any other form but straight, must be expressed. It is placed in the upper part of the escutcheon, and contains in depth the third part of the field. Its diminutive is a fillet, the content of which is not to exceed one fourth of the chief, and it stands in the lowest part of the escutcheon. This ordinary is subject to be charged with variety of figures; and may be indented, wavy, nebule, and so forth.

1. Or, a chief indented azure; borne by Viscount Mount-: garret. The family of the Butlers is descended from the ancient Counts of Brion in Normandy; but since Henry II. conferred the office of chief butler of Ireland upon one of the family, he and his successors have assumed the name of Butler. 2. Azure, a chief engrailed or. 3. Argent, a chief invected vert. 4. Vert, a chief undy or. 5. Azure, a chief nebule argent. 6. Or, a chief cheeky azure and argent. 7. Ermine, a chief quarterly or and gules; borne by the name of Peckham. 8. Argent, a chief sable; in the lower part thereof a fillet of the field. 9. Azure, fretty argent, a chief or; borne by Viscount Doneraile. This family is of French extraction, and is descended from Sir Robert Saint Leger, knight, who in 1066 accompanied William duke of Normandy in his expedition into England. 10. Argent, on a chief engrailed azure, a tortoise passant or; borne by the name of Bidgood. 11. Argent, on a chief gules, two spur revels or; borne by Lord St John of Bletshoe. This ancient family derive their surname from a place called St John in Normandy. 12. Argent, on a chief vert, two spears’ heads erect of the field, the points imbrued gules; borne by Viscount Middleton. This family is lineally descended from George de Brodrick, who came into England in the reign of William II. 13. Or, on a chief sable, three escalope of the field, for the name of Graham; and bome quartered in the arms of the Duke, Marquis, and Earl of Montrose, with argent three roses gules. According to the Scottish writers, this family is descended from the renowned Greme or Graeme, who in the year 404 was general of Fergus II.’s army, and in 420 forced his way through the wall built by the Romans between the rivers Forth and Clyde, in order to prevent the Scots from molesting them in their possessions; and the said breach has ever since been called Graeme s Dike. 14. Argent, on a chief [7:11:248] indented gules, three crosses patee of the field; borne by the Earl of Egmont. This family is supposed to have sprung from a younger branch of the sovereign dukes of Bretagne in France. They were transplanted into Normandy before the Conquest, possessed of great estates and power, and were invested with the office of chief butler. 15. Azure, on a chief indented or, three spur revels gules; borne by the Earl of Drogheda. This family, which is of French extraction, came into England soon after the Conquest, and established their first residence in the manor of Moore Court, in the county of Kent. 16. Ermine, on a chief indented azure, three ducal coronets or; borne by the name of Lytton. 17. Azure, on a chief or, three martlets gules, for the name of Wray; and borne by Sir Cecil Wray, Bart, of Lincolnshire. 18. Ermine, on a chief gules; five lozenges of the first; borne by the name of Dixin. 19. Argent, fretty gules, on a chief of the second, three leopards’ faces or; borne by Lord Ravensworth. 20. Ermine, a chief party per pale azure and or, on the dexter the sun in his splendour, on the sinister a cross patee gules; the arms of the bishopric of Raphoe, in Ireland.

Of the Pale. The pale is an ordinary, consisting of two perpendicular lines drawn from the top to the base of the escutcheon, and contains the third middle part of the field. Its diminutives are, the pallet, which is the half of the pale; and the endorse, which is the fourth part of a pale. This ordinary and the pallet may receive any charge, but the endorse should not be charged. The endorse, besides, is never used, except to accompany the pale in pairs, as cotises do the bend; but Sir John Ferne is of a different opinion.

The following are examples: 1. Gules, a pale or; borne by the name of Grandmain. 2. Party per pale argent and gules, a pale counterchanged. 3. Argent, a pale between two endorses gules. 4. Party per pale, 1st, paly of six argent and sable; 2d, azure; borne by the name of Trenchard. 5. Pale of six or and azure. 6. Argent, three pallets undy sable; borne by the name of Downes. 7. Party per pale, argent and gules; borne by Earl Waldegrave. 8. Party per pale indented, or and gules; borne by Bermingham, baron of Athenry, in Ireland. This family, which are of English extraction, took their name from the town of Bermingham in the county of Warwick. 9. Quarterly per pale dove-tail, gules and or; borne by Lord Montfort. Sir Thomas Bromley, one of his lordship’s ancestors, was by the 21st Elizabeth constituted lord high chancellor of England, in which post he died. 10. Argent, a pale flory counterflory sable. 11. Argent, a pale lozengy sable; borne by the name of Savage. 12. Argent, a pale indented vert; borne by the name of Dickson. 13. Argent, on a pale engrailed sable, three crescents or; borne by the name of Ashley. 14. Ermine on a pale engrailed azure, three lions’ heads couped or; borne by the name of Avery. 15. Vert, on a pale radiant or, a lion rampant sable; borne by Lord Tyrawley, in Ireland, supposed to be descended from Milesius king of Spain, by his eldest son Hiberius, who, with his brother Heremon, established a colony in Ireland. 16. Azure, a pallet argent. 17. Vert, an endorse or. 18. Argent on two pallets sable, six cross croslets fitchy or; borne by the name of Bethunes, of the county of Salop. 19. Argent, two endorses gules, in chief three mullets sable; borne by the name of Vautort. 20. Azure, on a pale walled with, three pieces on each side or, an endorse sable; borne by the name of Sublet de Noyers, a family of distinction in France.

Of the Eend and Bend Sinister. The bend is an ordinary formed by two diagonal lines, drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base, and contains the fifth part of the field in breadth if uncharged; but if charged, then the third. Its diminutives are. the bendlet, which is the half of a bend; the cost or cotise, when two of them accompany a bend, which is the fourth part of a bend; and the riband, the moiety of a cost, or the eighth part of the field. There is also the bend sinister, which is of the same breadth as the bend, but drawn the contrary way. This is subdivided into a scarpe> which is the half of the bend, and into a baton, which is the fourth part of the bend, but does not extend itself to the extremities of the field, there being part of it seen at both ends.

The examples are, 1. Argent, a bend wavy sable; borne 1 by the Earl of Portsmouth, descended from the Wallops 1 of Hampshire, a Saxon family, who were possessed of lands to a considerable value in the county at the time of the Conquest. 2. Cheeky or, and azure, a bend ermine; borne by Viscount Dudley and Ward. 3. Azure, a bend engrailed argent, between two cotises or; borne by Lord Fortescue, as also by Baron Fortescue, in Ireland, this last nobleman bearing a crescent in his arms for difference.^[2. Tι⅛v ami Z ° f Fortescue is descended from Sir Richard le Forte, a person of extraordinary strength and courage, who accompanied William duke of Normandy in his invasion of England; and bearing a strong shield before the duke, at the battle of Hastings, had three horses killed under him, and from that signal event the name and motto of the family were assumed; for the Latin word scutum, or the old French word cscuc, a shield, being added to forte, strong, composes their name; and the motto is, Forte scutum salus ducum. ] 4. Sable, a bend argent between two cotices indented or; borne by the name of French. 5. Paly of six or and sable, a bend counterchanged; borne by Baron Baltimore. 6. Party per bend crenelle argent and gules; borne by the Earl of Cork and Orrery, in Ireland. 7. Argent, three bendlets, enhansed gules, as the English express it, though the phrase enhansed is used by no other nation. The proper blazon of this arms is, parted per bend, 1st, bendy of six gules and argent, and, 2d, of the last; borne by Lord Byron.^[3. From Doomsday Book it appears that this family was possessed of numerous manors and lands in the reign of the Conqueror; and that Sir John Byron attended King Edward III. in his wars in France. ] 8. Ermine, a bend voided gules; borne by the name of Ireton. 9. Argent, three bendlets wavy azure; borne by the name of Wilbraham. 10. Bendy of six pieces argent and azure. When the shield is filled with an equal number of bendlets of metal and colour, it is called bendy, but if the number of them be unequal, they are to be blazoned by the name bend lets, and their number specified. 11. Party per bend azure and argent, two bendlets engrailed counterchanged; borne by the name of Frenes. 12. Quarterly, or and gules, a bend over all vair; borne by the Duke of Dorset and Earl of Middlesex. 13. Gules on a bend argent, three trefoils slipped proper; borne by the Earl of Bristol, who derives his pedigree from Robert Fitz-Hervey, a younger son of Hervey duke of Orleans, who came over from France with William the Conqueror. 14. Argent, on a bend gules cotised. sable, three pair of wings conjoined of the first; borne by Viscount Powerscourt, in Ireland. 15. Gules, on a bend contre ermine cotised or, three boars’ heads couped argent; borne by Lord Edgcumbe, whose ancestors received their name from the manor of Edgcumbe in Devonshire. 16. Argent, a bend sinister gules. 17. Or, a bendlet gules. 18. Argent, a riband gules. The name of this bearing corresponds with its form, being long and narrow, in the shape of a riband. 19. Azure, a scarf or. This bearing is that kind of ornament which is used by officers on duty, and usually worn after the same manner. 20. This contains three batons; the first is compony ermine and azure, set over the royal arms; the second is compony argent and azure, set over the royal arms; the [7:11:249]third is gules, charged with three roses argent, seeded and ι barbed proper, set over the royal arms.

Of the Fess and Bar. The fess is an ordinary which is produced by two parallel lines drawn horizontally across the centre of the field, and contains in breadth the third part thereof. Some English writers think it has no diminutive, as a bar is a distinct ordinary of itself. The bar, according to their definition, is formed of two lines, and contains only the fifth part of the field; but this is not the only respect in which it differs from the fess; for there may be more than one in an escutcheon, placed in different parts of it, whereas the fess is limited to the centrepoint. The bar has two diminutives; the barulet, which contains the half of the bar; and the closet, which is the half of the barulet. When the shield contains a number of bars of metal and colour alternate, of even number, that is called harry of so many pieces, expressing their number.

Theexamples are, 1. Argent, a fess indented sable; borne by Earl Delaware. 2. Argent, a fess wreathed azure and gules; borne by the Earl of Hyndford.^[4. Of this ancient family, which is said to assume their surname from the lands of Carmichael, in the county of Lanark, in Scotland, where they still have their chief seat, was Sir John Carmichael, who accompanied Archibald, earl of Douglas, to the assistance of Charles VI. of France, against the English; and signalizing his valour at the battle of Baughey in April 1421, and breaking his spear when the French and Scotch obtained the victory, had thereupon added to his paternal coat a dexter arm holding a broken spear, which is now the crest of the family. ] 3. Party per fess or and argent, a fess nebule gules; borne by the name of Anteshed. 4. Party per fess indented or and azure; borne by the name of Saunders. 5. Cheeky or and azure on a fess gules, a crescent argent for difference; borne by Lord Clifford of Chudley, descended from Walter de Clifford of Clifford Castle, in the county of Hereford, who came over into England with the Conqueror.^[5. Fair Rosamond, mistress to Henry II. was of this family. ] 6. Argent, on a fess azure, three lozenges or; borne by the Earl of Denbigh and Desmond, descended from the Earls of Hapsburg, in Germany; Geoffroy earl of Hapsburg being oppressed by Rodolph emperor of Germany. 7. Or, on a fess gules, three fleurs-de-lis of the first; borne by the name of Lennard. 8. Ermine, on a fess gules, a lion passant or; borne by Baron Craysfort, in Ireland. 9. Sable, a fess ermine, between three crescents or; borne by the Earl of Coventry, descended from John Coventry, a native of the city of Coventry, and afterwards mercer and Lord Mayor of London in the reign of Henry V. 10. Sable, a fess cheeky, or and azure, between three bezants; borne by the Earl and Baron of Londonderry.^[6. Of this family, anciently of Bandfort, in the county of Dorset, was Thomas Pitt, who, in the reign of Queen Anne, was made governor of Fort St George in the East Indies, where he resided many years, and purchased a diamond, which he sold to the king of France for L.125,000 sterling, weighing 136 carats, and commonly known by the name of the Pitt Diamond. ] 11. Or on a fess sable, between three Muscovy ducks proper, a rose of the field; borne by Viscount Bateman. 12. Sable, on a fess argent, between three leopards passant guardant or, three escalops gules; borne by the Earl of Hillsborough. 13. Or, a fess-couped gules, between two lions passant sable; borne by Lord Masham, descended from Sir John Masham, who flourished in the reign of King Henry VI. 14. Argent, a lion rampant guardant gules, debruised by a fess azure, between three étoiles issuing out of as many crescents of the second; borne by the Earl of Roscommon in Ireland.^[7. This noble family is derived from Logan, surnamed Dilune or Delion, which signifies brave and valiant, to whom the Duke of Aquitaine gave his daughter in marriage, in whose right, after her father’s death, he became prince and sovereign of Aquitaine, which continued in his posterity till Henry II. married Alionora, daughter and heir to William V. duke of Aquitaine, and about 1172 obtained that principality by superior force; and, to prevent any disturbance, brought Sir Henry Delion or Dillon, and his brother Thomas, then infants, to England, their father being slain. ] 15. Or, two bars azure, a chief quarterly of the second and gules, the first and fourth charged each with two fleurs-de-lis of France, the second and third with a lion of England; borne by the Duke of Rutland and Marquis of Granby. 16. Barry of ten pieces argent and azure, over all six escutcheons 3, 2, 1, sable, each charged with a lion rampant of the first, armed, and langued gules, a crescent for difference; borne by the Earl of Salisbury, descended from the famous William Cecil, Lord Burghley, who left two sons, Thomas and Robert, both of whom were made earls in one day; Robert, the younger, being created Earl of Salisbury in the morning; and Thomas, the eldest, Earl of Exeter in the afternoon. 17. Gules, two bars or; borne by the Earl of Harcourt, descended from the Harcourts of Normandy, who took their name from a place called Harcourt in that province, where the family usually resided. 18. Ermine, two bars gules; borne by the Earl of Westmeath, Baron Delvin. 19. Argent, two bars indented sable; borne by the Earl of Athlone.^[8. Godart, the first earl, was descended of an ancient family in the United Provinces of Holland, where he was Baron de Reede and Ginkel. In 1691, he was a lieutenant-general of King William’s forces in Ireland, where, in June the same year, he took Ballymore for the English, and, in July following, the town of Athlone∙ ] 20. Argent, three bars gemels gules; borne by the Earl of Barrymore.

Of the Cheveron. The cheveron, which represents two rafters of a house well joined together, or a pair of compasses half open, occupies the fifth part of a field with the English, but the French allow it the third. Its diminutives are, the cheveronel, which contains the half of a cheveron; and the couple close, which is the half of a cheveronel, that is, its breadth is only a fourth part of a cheveron. But this last diminutive is never borne except in pairs, or with a cheveron between two of them. The French have but one diminution of this ordinary, called etaye i containing the third part of its breadth.

The examples of cheverons are, 1. Argent, a cheveron gules between three torteaux; borne by the Earl of Harborough, lineally descended from Scherard, who possessed manors and lands in the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire in the reign of William the Conqueror. 2. Sable, a cheveron between three étoiles argent; borne by Lord Langdale, descended from the Langdales of Yorkshire, who resided at the town of Langdale, whence they took their name, in the reign of King John. 3. Sable, a cheveron between three leopards’ heads or; borne by the Earl of Stafford.^[9. All genealogists agree that the name of Wentworth is of Saxon original, and taken from the manor of Wentworth in Yorkshire, where, in the reign of William the Conqueror, lived Reginald de Wenteworde, as it is spelt in Doomsday Book. ] 4. Argent, a cheveron between three griffons passant sable, a crescent for difference; borne by the Earl of Ailesford, descended from Herbert Fitz-Herbert, earl of Pembroke, and chamberlain to King Henry I. They took the name of Finch in the reign of King Edward I.^[10. One of the ancestors of this family was the Right Honourable Heneage Finch, earl of Nottingham, who was constituted lord high chancellor of England in 167ð; and lord high steward on the trials of Philip earl of Pembroke, and William viscount Stafford, in 1689. ] 5. Azure, a cheveron ermine between three escalops argent; borne by Viscount Townshend. This family is of [7:11:250]Norman extraction, and came into England about the time of the Conquest. 6. Azure, a cheveron between three mullets or; borne by Viscount Chetwind, of Ireland. 7. Argent, a cheveron gules, between three square buckles sable; borne by Lord Ducie, descended from the Ducies in Normandy. 8. Argent, a cheveron cheeky gules, and of the field, between three bugle-horns strung sable, garnished of the second; borne by Lord Semple. The first Lord Semple was Sir Robert, who, being much in favour with King James IV. was by him created Lord Semple in 1489. 9. Argent, a cheveron engrailed between three lions passant sable; borne by Viscount Strangford. 10. Quarterly argent and azure, a cheveron engrailed counter-changed; borne by the name of Chamber. 11. Party per cheveron engrailed gules and argent, three talbots’ heads erased counter-changed; borne by Lord Feversham, descended from the Duncombes of Barley-end in Buckinghamshire. ,12. Paly of six, argent and gules, on a cheveron azure, three cross-croslets or; borne by the name of Carpenter, Baron Carpenter of Killaghy in Ireland. 13. Azure, on a cheveron or, between three bezants, a bay leaf proper; borne by the Earl of Hopetoun, descended from Henry Hope, a native of Holland, who, about two centuries ago, came over and settled in Scotland. 14. Vert, on a cheveron between three unicons’ heads erased argent, homed and maned or, three mullets sable; borne by the name of Kerr, being the first and fourth quarters in the arms of Kerr, duke of Roxburghe, &c. This family is said to have come from Normandy. 15. Azure, on a cheveron or, between three bears’ heads couped argent, muzzled gules, a roebuck’s head erased, between two hands holding daggers all proper; borne by Mackay, Lord Reay.^[11. This family is said to derive their descent from Alexander, a younger son of Ochonacher, who, about the end of the twelfth century, came to Ireland. The fourth in descent from him was Donald of Strathnaver, whose son was named Y More ; and from him began the surname of Mac Y , Mackie, or Mackay. Donald, the first lord of this family, was created baronet in 1625, and on the 20th of June 1628 was created Baron Reavf the county of Caithness, by Charles I. ] l 16. Ermine, on a cheveron azure, three foxes’ heads erased or, and in a canton of the second a fleur-de-lis of the third; borne by the Earl of Ilchester, &c. 17. Or, two cheveronels gules, borne by Lord Monson, descended from John Monson, who flourished in the reign of King Edward III. and from whom descended another John, who attended King Henry V. in his wars in France. 18. Or, on a fess, between two cheveronels sable, three cross-croslets of the first; borne by the Earl of Orford. This family took their name from Walpole in Norfolk, where they resided before the Conquest. 19. Azure, three cheveronels interlaced or, and a chief of the last; borne by the name of Fitz-Hugh. 20. Argent, three cheveronels gules, in chief a label azure; borne by Viscount Barrington, &c. This family is of Norman extraction.

Of the Cross. The cross is an ordinary formed by the meeting of two perpendicular with two horizontal lines in the fess-point, where they make four right angles; the lines are not drawn throughout, but discontinued the breadth of the ordinary, which takes up only the fifth part of the field when not charged; but if charged, the third. It is borne as well engrailed, indented, &c. as plain. There is so great a variety of crosses used in heraldry, that it would be a difficult task to treat of them all. Guillim has mentioned thirty-nine different sorts; De la Columbière, seventy-two; Leigh, forty-six; and Upton declares he cannot ascertain all the various crosses borne in arms, as they are almost innumerable. As their different forms cannot be given here, we shall, therefore, only take notice of such as are most commonly seen at present in coats-of-arms.

The first is quarterly, ermine and azure, a cross or; borne by the Duke of Leeds. 2. Gules, a cross engrailed argent, a lozenge in the dexter chief of the second; borne by Lord Leigh. This family took their surname from the town of High Leigh in Cheshire, where they resided before the Norman conquest. 3. Gules, a cross argent fretty azure; borne by Viscount Taaffe of Corran, in Ireland.

4. Sable, a cross raguly or; borne by the name of Stoway.

5. Argent, on a cross sable, a leopard’s face or; borne by Brydges, duke of Chandos. The ancestors of this noble family took their name from the city of Bruges in Flanders; and one of them, who came over with William the Conqueror, had a considerable share in the victory of Hastings. 6. Or, on a cross sable, a patriarchal cross of the field; borne by Vesey, Baron Knapton in Ireland. The family of Vescey or Vesey derives its origin from Charles the Great, king of France, and emperor of the West, who died at Aix-la-Chapelle in Germany, on the 28th of January 814. 7. Argent, on a cross gules, five escalops or; borne by the Earl of Jersey, descended from the family of Villiers in Normandy, some of whom came over to England with the Conqueror. 8. Sable, on a cross within a bordure engrailed or, five pellets; borne by the Earl of Brooke and Warwick. The ancestors of this family are of Norman extraction, and came over with William the Conqueror, who conferred on them manors and lands in England. 9. Argent, a cross bottony sable; borne by the name of Winwood. 10. Or, a cross-croslet gules, borne by the name of Taddington. 11. Azure, a cross potent fitchy or. This ensign is said to have been borne by Ethelred, king of the West Saxons. 12. Party per pale, gules and argent; a cross potent quadrate in the centre, between four crosses patee counter-changed; the armsoì the episcopal see of Litchfield and Coventry. 13. Azure, a cross moline argent; borne by Bentinck, duke of Portland, descended from a family in the United Provinces ol Holland, of which was William Bentinck, who in his youth was page of honour to the Prince of Orange, afterwards William III. king of Great Britain, and, on the accession of William and his consort, was made groom of the stole, privy-purse to his majesty, lieutenant-general of his majesty’s army, and also created Baron of Cirencester, Viscount Woodstock, and Earl of Portland, in 1689. 14. Argent, a cross patonce sable; borne by the name of Rice. 15. Sable, a cross patee argent; borne by the name of Maplesden. 16. Azure, a cross flowery or; borne by the name of Cheney. This is said to have also been the arms of Edwin, the first Christian king of Northumberland. 17. Argent, six cross-croslets fitchy 3, 2, 1, sable, on a chief azure two mullets pierced or; borne by the Duke of Newcastle, descended from Jeffrey de Clinton. 18. Gules, a cheveron between ten crosses patee, six above and four below, argent; borne by the Earl of Berkeley, descended from Robert Fitz-Harding, who obtained a grant of Berkeley Castle in Gloucestershire, which the family still inherits, and whence they obtained the surname of Berkeley, from Henry, duke of Normandy, afterwards king of England. 19. Azure, three mullets or. accompanied with seven cross-croslets fitchy argent, three in chief, one in fess, two in flanks, and the last in base. borne by Lord Somerville. 20. Gules, three crosses re-cercelée, voided or, a chief vairy ermine and contre ermine; borne by Baron Willoughby de Broke, descended from William de Vernai, who flourished in the reign ol King Henry I.

Of the Saltier. The saltier, which is formed by the bend and bend sinister crossing each other in right angles [7:11:251]as the intersecting of the pale and fess forms the cross, contains the fifth part of the field; but if charged, the third. In Scotland, this ordinary is frequently called a St Andrew’s Cross. It may, like the others, be borne engrailed, wavy, &c. also between charges, or charged with any thing.

The examples are, 1. Argent, a saltier gules; borne by the Duke of Leinster, descended from Otho, or Other, a powerful lord in the time of King Alfred, descended from the dukes of Tuscany. 2. Gules, a saltier argent, between twelve cross-croslets or; borne by the Earl of Plymouth, descended from Robert Fitz-Hieman, lord of the manor of Bloxham, Oxfordshire, in the 56th Henry III. 1272. 3. Vert, a saltier wavy ermine; borne by the name of Wakeman of Beckford, in Gloucestershire. 4. Ermine, a saltier counter-com pony or and gules; borne by the name of Ulmston. 5. Argent, a saltier azure with a bezant in the centre; borne by Yorke, earl of Hardwicke. 6. Argent, on a saltier gules an escalop or; the arms of the bishoprick of Rochester. 7. Party per saltier, azure and argent, on a saltier gules, a crescent of the second for difference; quartered by Viscount Gage of Castle-Island, in Ireland. This noble family is of Norman extraction, and derives its descent from De Gaga or Gage, who attended William I. in his expedition to England; and, after the conquest thereof, was rewarded with grants of lands in the forest of Dean, and county of Gloucester. 8. Gules, on a saltier argent, a rose of the first barbed and seeded proper; borne by Lord Abergavenny, premier baron of England. 9. Or, on a saltier azure, nine lozenges of the first; the paternal arms of Dalrymple, earl of Stair. 10. Argent, on a saltier engrailed sable, nine annulets or; borne by the name of Leak. 11. Gules, a saltier between four crescents or; borne as the second and third quarters in the coat-of-arms of Lord Kinnaird. 12. Argent, a saltier engrailed between four roses gules, for Lennox; and bome as first and fourth quarters in the coat-of-arms of Lord Napier.^[12. This family is said to be descended from the ancient tłianes or stewards of Lennox in Scotland, but to have taken the surname of Napier from the following occurrence. King David II. in his wars with the English, about the year 1344, having convocated his subjects to battle, the Earl of Lennox sent his second son Donald, with such forces as his duty obliged him to furnish; and coming to an engagement, where the Scotch gave ground, this Donald, taking his father’s standard from the bearer, and valiantly charging the enemy with the Lennox men, the fortune of the battle changed, and they obtained the victory; whereupon every one advancing, and reporting their acts, as the custom then was, the king declared they had all behaved valiantly, but that there was one among them who had ηα pier, that is, no equal; upon which the said Donald took the name of Napier, and had, in reward for his good services, the lands of Gosfield, and other estates in the county of Fife. For this tradition, however, we have been unable to find any sufficient authority. ] 13. Gules, a saltier or, surmounted of another vert; for the name of Andrews. 14. Azure, a saltier quarterly quartered or and argent; the arms of the episcopal see of Bath and Wells. 15. Party per saltier argent and gules, a saltier counter-changed. 16. Party per pale indented argent and sable, a saltier counter-changed; borne by persons of the name of Scot. 17. Argent, three saltiers couped and engrailed sable; borne by the name of Benton. 18. Argent, a saltier gules, and a chief ermine; borne by Fitz-Maurice, earl of Kerry, &c. This family is a branch of that of Kildare, who originally descended from the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and of which was Otho, a baron of Italy, whose son Walter, attending the Norman conqueror into England, was made constable of the castle of Windsor. 19. Sable, a saltier argent, on a chief azure, three fleurs-de-lis or; borne by the Earl of Upper Ossory, and Baron of Gowran in Ireland, descended from Heremon, the first monarch of the Milesian race in Ireland. After they had assumed the surname of Fitz-Patrick, they were for many ages kings of Ossory, in the province of Leinster. 20. Party per pale argent and gules, three saltiers counterchanged; borne by the name of Lane. These arms are also borne, without the least alteration, by the name of Kingsman.

2. Of Sub-Ordinaries.

Besides the honourable ordinaries and the diminutions already mentioned, there are other heraldic figures, called sub-ordinaries, or ordinaries only, which, by reason of their ancient use in arms, are of worthy bearing; namely, the gyron, franc-quarter, canton, pairle, fret, pile, orle, inescutcheon, tressure, annulet, flanches, flasques, voiders, billet, lozenge, gutts, fusil, rustre, mascle, papillone, and diaper. See Plate CCLXXVII. under fig. 1.

The gyron is a triangular figure formed by two lines, one drawn diagonally from one of the four angles to the centre of the .shield, and the other is drawn either horizontal or perpendicular, from one of the sides of the shield, meeting the other line at the centre of the field. Gyronny is said, when the field is covered with six, eight, ten, or twelve gyrons in a coat-of-arms; but a French author contends that the true gyronny consists of eight pieces only. The franc-quarter is a square figure, which occupies the upper dexter quarter of the shield, but is rarely carried as a charge. The canton is a square part of the escutcheon, somewhat less than the quarter, but without any fixed proportion, representing the banner that was given to ancient knights-bannerets, and, generally speaking, possesses the dexter-chief point of the shield; but should it possess the sinister corner, which but seldom occurs, it must be blazoned a canton sinister. The pairle is a figure formed by the conjunction of the upper half of the saltier with the under half of the pale. The reí is a figure representing two little sticks in saltier, with a mascle in the centre interlaced. Gibbon terms it the herald’s true lover’s knot, but many dissent from his opinion. Fretty is said when the field or bearings are covered with a fret of six, eight, or more pieces. The∕>z7e, consisting of two lines terminating in a point, is formed like a wedge, and is borne engrailed, wavy, &c. It issues in general from the chief, and extends towards the base; yet there are some piles borne in bend, and issuing from other parts of the field. The orle is an ordinary composed of two lines going round the shield, the same as the bordure; but its breadth is but one half of the latter, and at some distance from the brim of the shield. The inescutcheon is a little escutcheon borne within the shield. Modern heralds give the name of inescutcheon to such as are borne single in the fess-point or centre, and call that which is fixed upon the fess-point escutcheon of pretence. The fressure is an ordinary commonly supposed to be the half of the breadth of an orle, and is generally borne flowery and counter-flowery, as it is also very often double, and sometimes treble. This double tressure forms part of the arms of Scotland, as marshalled in the royal achievement, and granted to the Scotch monarch by Charlemagne. The annulet, or ring, is a well-known figure, and is frequently found in arms throughout every kingdom of Europe. The flanches are formed by two curved lines, or semicircles, being always borne double. The flasques resemble the flanches, except that the circular lines do not go so near the centre of the field. The voiders are considered as a subordinate ordinary, and are not unlike the flasques, but they occupy less of the field. The billet is an oblong square figure, twice as long as broad. Some heralds [7:11:252]imagine that they represent bricks for building; but others more properly consider them as representing folded paper or letters. The lozenge is an ordinary of four equal and parallel sides, but not rectangular; two of its opposite angles being acute, and the other two obtuse. . Gutts, or drops, are round at bottom, waved on the sides, and terminate at the top in points. Heralds have given them different names, according to their different tinctures. Thus, if they are yellow, they are called d’or ; if white, d’eau ; if red, de sang ; if blue, de larmes; if green, de vert; if black, de poix. The fusil is longer than the lozenge, having its upper and lower part more acute than the other two collateral middle parts, which acuteness is occasioned by the short distance of the space between the two collateral angles; and this space, if the fusil be rightly made, is always shorter than any of the four equal geometrical lines of which it is composed. The rustre is a lozenge pierced round in the middle. The mascle is pretty much like a lozenge, but voided or perforated throughout its whole extent, showing a narrow border.^[13. Authors are divided about the resemblance of a mascle, some taking it for the mash of a net, an ’ d others for the spots of certain flints found about Rohan; and as no writer has given a clearer account in support of this last opinion than Colombier, author of Lα Sciente Héraldique, we shall transcribe it for the satisfaction of the curious. “Rohan,” says he, “bears gules, nine mascles, or, 3, 3, 3. Opinions have varied very much about the origin of the itiascles or mashes, as being somewhat like the meshes of nets; but for my own part, having often observed that those things which are remarkable and singular in some countries, have sometimes occasioned the lords thereof to represent them in their escutcheons, and to take them for their arms, I am of opinion, that the lords of Rohan, who, I believe, are the first that bore those figures in their arms, though descended from the ancient kings and princes of Bretagne, took them, because in the most ancient viscounty of Rohan, afterwards erected into a duchy, there are abundance of small flints, which being cut in two, this figure appears on the inside of them; as also the carps, which are in the fish-ponds of that duchy, have the same mark upon their scales; which, being very extraordinary, and peculiar to that country, the ancient lords of the same had good reason, upon observing that wonder, to take those figures for their arms, and to transmit them to their posterity, giving them the name of macles, from the Latin word macula, signifying a spot; whence some of that house have taken for their motto, Sine macula macla, that is, a mascle without a spot.” ] Papilione is an expression used for a field or charge that is covered with figures like the scales of a fish. Diapering is said of a field or charge shadowed with flourishings or foliage, with a colour a little darker than that on which it is wrought. The Germans frequently use it; but it does not enter into the blazoning or description of an arms, and only serves to embellish the coat.

If the forementioned ordinaries have any attributes, that is, if they are engrailed, indented, wavy, &c. they must be distinctly specified, after the same manner as the honourable ordinaries.

The following are examples of sub-ordinaries, viz. 1. Gules, an orle ermine; borne by the name of Humfran-ville. 2. Argent, three inescutcheons gules; borne by the name of Hay, and the second and third quarters in the coat-of-arms of Hay, earl of Kinnoull. The first of the name of Hay who bore these arms obtained them because he and his two sons, after having defeated a party of the Danes at the battle of Loncarty in the year 942, were brought to the king with their shields all stained with blood. 3. Argent, a fret sable; borne by Talmash, earl of Dysart. 4. Or, fretty of gules, a canton ermine; borne by Noel, earl of Gainsborough, descended from Noel, who came into England with William the Conqueror, and, in consideration of his services, obtained a grant of several manors and lands. 5. Gironny of eight pieces or and sable; the first and fourth quarters of the coat-of-arms of Campbell, now Marquis of Breadalbane, descended in regular succession from Duncan, the first Lord Campbell, ancestor of the family of Argyll. 6. Lozengy argent and gules; borne by Earl Fitz-William, descended from Sir William Fitz-William, marshal of the army of William the Conqueror at the battle of Hastings. 7. Sable, a mascle within a tressure flowery argent; borne by the name of Hoblethorne. 8. Gules, three rnullets or, within a bordure of the latter, charged with a double tressure flowery, and counter-flowery with fleurs-de-lis of the first; borne by the family of Sutherland, &c. This family is amongst the oldest in Britain, if not in Europe; the title of Earl having been conferred on one of their ancestors in 1067. 9. Azure, a pile ermine; for the name of Wyche, and quartered as first and fourth in the coat-of-arms of Wyche. 10. Or, on a pile engrailed azure, three cross-croslets fitchy of the first; borne by the name of Rigdon. 11. Or, on a pile gules, three lions of England between six fleurs-de-lis azure; the first and fourth quarters of the Duke of Somerset, granted him by Henry VIII. on his marriage with Lady Jane Seymour. 12. Ermine, two piles issuing from the dexter and sinister sides, and meeting in base sable; borne by the name of Holles. 13. Argent, three piles, one issuing from the chief between the others reversed, sable; for the name of Hulse. 14. Azure, a pile wavy bendways or; borne by the name of Aldham. 15. Or, three piles in bend, each point enseigned with a fleur-de-lis sable; borne by the name of Norton. 16. Argent, three piles meeting near the point of the base azure; borne by the name of Bryan. 17. Party per pale and per bend or and azure counterchanged; borne by the name of Johnson. 18. Party per pale and per cheveron argent and gules counterchanged. 19. Party per pale chappé or and vert counterchanged. This is a bearing seldom to be met with. 20. Party per fess gules and argent, a pale counterchanged; borne by the name of Lavider.

3. Of Common Charges borne in Coats-of-Arrns.

It has been already observed, that in all ages men have made use of the representation of living creatures, and other symbolical signs, to distinguish themselves in war; and that these marks, which were promiscuously used as hieroglyphics, emblems, and personal devices, gave the first notion of heraldry. But nothing shows the extent of human ingenuity more than the great variety of these marks of distinction, since they are composed of all sorts of figures, some natural, others artificial, and many chimerical or fantastical.

Hence it is that the sun, moon, stars, comets, meteors, and so on, have been introduced to denote glory, grandeur, power; that lions, leopards, tigers, serpents, stags, have been employed to signify courage, strength, prudence, swiftness. The application to certain exercises, such as war, hunting, music, has furnished lances, swords, pikes, arms, fiddles; architecture, columns, cheverons, &c.; and the other arts several things that relate to them. Human bodies, or distinct parts of them, also clothes and ornaments, have, for some particular intention, found a place in armorial bearings; and trees, plants, fruits, and flowers, have likewise been admitted to denote the rarities, advantages, and singularities of different countries. The relation of some creatures or figures to particular names has farthermore been a very fruitful source of variety marms. Thus the family of Coningsby bears three coneys; that of Arundel, six swallows; that of Urson, a bear; that of Lucie, three pikes, in Latin tres lucios pisces ; that of Starkey, a stork; that of Castlemain, a castle triple-towered[7:11:253]; and that of Shuttleworth, three weavers’ shuttles.

Besides these natural and artificial figures, there are chimerical or imaginary ones used in heraldry, the result of fancy and caprice; such as centaurs, hydras, phoenixes, griffons, hippogriffs, dragons, and the like. This great variety of figures shows the impossibility of comprehending all common charges in a work of this nature; therefore such only shall be treated of as are most frequently borne in coats-of-arms, or escutcheons.

Anτ. 1.— Of Natural Figures borne in Coats-οfArms.

Amongst the multitude of natural things which are used in coats-of-arms, those most usually borne are, for the sake of brevity as well as perspicuity, distributed into the following classes: viz. Celestial figures, as the sun, moon, stars, &c. and their parts; effigies of men, women, &c. and their parts; beasts, as lions, stags, foxes, boars, &c. and their parts; birds, . as eagles, swans, storks, pelicans, &c. and their parts; fishes, as dolphins, whales, sturgeons, trouts, &c. and their parts; reptiles and insects, as tortoises, serpents, grasshoppers, &c. and their parts; vegetables, as trees, plants, flowers, herbs, &c. and their parts; stones, as diamonds, rubies, pebbles, rocks, and the like. These charges have, as well as ordinaries, various attributes or epithets, which express their qualities, positions, and dispositions. Thus the sun is said to be in his glory, eclipsed, and the moon in her complement, increscent; animals are said to be rampant, passant ; birds have also their denominations, such as close, displayed; and fishes are described to be hauriant, naiant, and so forth.

1st. Examples of Celestial Figures. — 1. Azure, a sun in his glory; borne by the name of St Clere, and found in the first and fourth quarters of the coat-of-arms of the Marquis of Lothian. 2. Azure, one ray of the sun, bendways gules, between six beams of that luminary argent; borne by the name of Aldam. 3. Argent, five rays of the sun issuing out of the sinister corner gules; borne by the name of Mudtshideler, a family of distinction in Franconia. 4. Or, a sun eclipsed. This bearing is seldom to be met with, except in emblematic or hieroglyphic figures, and might be expressed sable, because that hue is accidental and not natural. 5. Gules, the moon in her complement or, illustrated with all her light proper. This is sufficient without naming the colour, which is argent. 6. Azure, a moon decrescent proper; borne by the name of Delaluna. 7. Gules, a moon increscent or; borne by the name of Descus. 8. Argent, a moon in her detriment, sable. This word is used in heraldry to denote her being eclipsed. 9. Azure, a crescent argent; borne by the name of Lucy. This bearing is also used as a difference, being assigned to the second son, as before mentioned. 10. Gules, three crescents argent; borne by Oliphant, Lord Oliphant. 11. Azure, a crescent between three mullets argent; borne by Arbuthnot, Viscount and Baron Arbuthnot. 12. Gules, a star issuing from between the horns of a crescent argent. 13. Azure, a star of sixteen points argent; borne by the name of Huitson. 14. Argent, three mullets pierced sable; borne by the name of Wollaston. 15. Azure, six mullets, 3, 2, 1, or; borne by the name of Welsh. 16. Ermine, a mullet of six points gules pierced; borne by the name of Hessenhul. 17. Argent, a rainbow with a cloud at each end proper. This is part of the crest to the Earl of Hopetoun’s coat-of-arms. The whole of it is a globe split on the top, and above it is the rainbow and clouds. 18. Party per fess crenelle gules and azure, three suns proper; borne by the name of Pierson. 19. Gules, a mullet between three crescents argent; borne by the name of Oliver. 20. Gules, a chief argent, on the lower part thereof a cloud, the sun’s resplendent rays issuing throughout proper; borne by the name of Leeson.

2¢Z. Examples of Effigies of Men, 8 i 'C. and their Parts. —1. Azure, the Virgin Mary crowned, with her babe in her right arm and a sceptre in her left, the coat-of-arms of the bishopric of Salisbury. 2. Azure, a presbyter sitting on a tombstone, with a crown on his head surmounted by a glory or, his right hand extended, and holding in his left hand an open book argent, with a sword cross his mouth gules; the coat-of-arms of the bishopric of Chichester. 3. Azure, a bishop habited in his pontificals sitting on a chair of state, and leaning on the sinister side thereof, holding in his left hand a crosier, his right being extended towards the dexter chief of the escutcheon, all or, and resting his feet on a cushion gules, tasseled of the second; the coat-of-arms of the bishopric of Clogher in Ireland. 4. Azure, a bishop habited in his pontificals, holding before him, in a pale, a crucifix proper; the coat-of-arms of the Bishop of Waterford in Ireland. 5. Or, a man’s leg couped at the midst of the thigh azure; borne by the name of Haddon. 6. Azure, three sinister hands couped at the wrist, and erected argent; borne by the family of Malmains. 7. Argent, three sinister hands couped at the wrist, and erected gules; borne by the name of Maynard. 8. Argent, a man’s leg erased at the midst of the thigh sable; borne by the name of Prime. 9. Gules, three legs arιned proper, conjoined in the fess point at the upper part of the thighs, flexed in triangles, garnished and spurred, or. This is the coat-of-arms of the Isle of Man; and is quartered by the Duke of Atholl, titular lord or king of that island. 10. Gules, three dexter arms vambraced fessways, in pale proper; borne by the name of Armstrong. 11. Or, three legs couped above the knee sable; borne by the name of Hogg. 12. Vert, three dexter arms conjoined at the shoulders in the fess point, and flexed in triangle or, with fists clenched argent; borne by the name of Tremaine. 13. Argent, a man’s heart gules, with two equilateral triangles interlaced sable; borne by the name of Villages, a family of distinction in Provence. 14. Azure, a sinister arm, issuing out of the dexter-chief, and extended towards the sinister base argent. 15. Argent, a dexter hand couped at the wrist, and erected, within a bordure engrailed sable; borne by the name of Manly. 16. Argent, a man’s heart gules, ensigned with a crown or, and on a chief azure, three mullets of the first. The paternal coat of the name of Douglas, and quartered in the arms of the Dukes ofHamilton and Queensberry; as also in those of the Earls of Morton and March. 17. Gules, a Saracen’s head affrontée, erased at the neck argent, environed about the temples with a wreath of the second and sable; borne by the name of Mergith. 18. Argent, three blackamoors’ heads couped proper, banded about the head argent and gules; borne by the name of Tanner. 19. Gules, three bezants, each charged with a man’s face affrontée proper; borne by the name of Gamin. 20. Or, a blackamoor’s head couped proper, banded about the bead argent; borne by the name of Ustoc.

When half of the face, or little more, of human figures, is seen in a field, it is then said to be in profile·, and when the head of a man, woman, or other animal, is represented with a full face, it is termed affrontée. 2>d. Examples of the di fere nt Positions of Lions, &c. in Coats-of-Arms. — 1. Or, a lion rampant gules; quartered by Percy, duke of Northumberland. 2. Azure, a lion i rampant-guardant or; borne by the name of Fitz-Hammond. 3. Gules, a lion rampant-reguardant or; quartered by Cadogan, Lord Cadogan. 4. Ermine, a lion saliant gules; borne by the name of Worley. 5. Azure, a lion statant-guardant or; borne by the name of Broomfield.

6. Or, a lion passant gules; borne by the name of Games.

7. Argent, a lion passant guardant gules crowned or; [7:11:254]quartered by Ogilvy, earl of Findlater. 8. Gules, a lion sejant argent. 9. Or, a lion rampant double-headed azure; borne by the name of Mason. 10. Sable, two lions rampant-combatant or, armed and Jangued gules; borne by the name of Carter. 11. Azure, two lions rampan t-adossés or. This coat-of-arms is said to have been borne by Achilles at the siege of Troy. 12, Sable, two lioncels counter-passant argent, the uppermost towards the sinister side of the escutcheon, both collared gules; borne by the name of Glegg.^[14. It is the natural disposition of the lion not to bear a rival in the field; therefore two lions cannot be bome in one coat-of-arms, but must be supposed to be lions’ whelps, called lioncels ; except when they are parted by an ordinary, or so disposed that they seem to be distinctly separated from each other. In the two preceding examples they are called lions, because in the 10th they seem to be striving for the sovereignty of the field, which they would not do unless they were of full growth; and in the 11th they are supposed to represent two valiant men, whose dispute being accommodated by the prince, are leaving the field, their pride not suffering them to go both one way. ] 13. Argent, a demi-lion rampant sable; borne by the name of Mervin. 14. Gules, a lion couchant between six cross-croslets, three in chief, and as many in base, argent; for the name of Tynte. 15. Azure, a lion dormant or. 16. Or, out of the midst of a fess sable, a lion rampant naissant gules; borne by the name of Emme.^[15. This form of blazon is peculiar to all living things which are found issuing out of the midst of some ordinary or other charge. ]. Azure, three lioncels rampant or; borne by Fienes, Viscount and Baron Saye and Sele. 18. Gules, a tri-corporated lion issuing from three parts of the escutcheon, all meeting under one head in the fess point or, langued and armed azure; borne by the name of Crouchback. This coat appertained to Edmund Crouchback, earl of Lancaster, in the reign of his brother King Edward I. 19. Gules, a bezant between three demi-lions rampant argent; borne by Bennet, earl of Tankerville, descended from the family of the Bennets in Berkshire, who flourished in the reign of King Edward III. 20. Party per pale azure and gules, three lions rampant argent; borne by Herbert, earl of Pembroke, descended from Henry Fitz-Roy, natural son to Henry I.

It is to be observed that, if a lion, or any other beast, be represented with its limbs and body separated, so that they remain upon the field at a small distance from their natural places, it is then termed Behache, or couped in all its parts; of which remarkable bearing there is an instance in armory, namely, or, a lion rampant gules, de-haché, or couped in all its parts, within a double tressure flowery and counter-flowery of the second; borne by the name of Maitland.

4 ∕∕z. Examples of other Quadrupeds and their Parts, borne in Coats-of-Arms. — 1. Sable,acamel statant argent; borne by the name of Camel. 2. Gules, an elephant statant argent, tusked or. 3. Argent, a boar statant gules, armed or; borne by the name of Trewarthen. 4. Sable, a bull passant or; borne by the name of Fitz-Geffrey. 5. Sable, three nags’ heads erased argent; borne by Blayney, Baron Blayney of Monaghan, in Ireland, descended in a direct line from Cadwallader, a younger son of the Prince of Wales. 6. Argent, three boars’ heads erased and erect sable, langued gules, for the name Booth. 7. Azure, three boars’ heads erased or; quartered by Gordon, duke of Gordon, &c. Of this family, which took their surname from the barony of Gordon in the county of Berwick, there have been, besides those in North Britain, several of great distinction in Muscovy. In the time of King Malcolm IV. 1160, it was very numerous, and flourished in the county of Berwick. 8. Argent, three bulls’ heads erased, sable, armed or; borne by Skeffington, earl of Massa-reene. 9. Argent, two foxes counter-saliant, the dexter surmounted of the sinister gules; for the name of Kadrod Hard, an ancient British family, from which are descended the Wynns, who bear this quartered, second and third, in their coat-of-arms. 10. Argent, three bulls passant sable, armed and unguled or; for Ashley, and quartered by Ashley Cooper, earl of Shaftesbury, descended from Richard Cooper, who flourished in the reign of Henry VIII., and purchased the manor of Paulet in the county of Somerset, of which the family are still proprietors. 11. Ermine, three cats p⅜ssant in pale argent; for the name of Adams. 12. Gules, two greyhounds rampant or, respecting each other; borne by the name of Dogget. 13. Or, an ass’s head erased sable; borne by the name of Hackwell. 14. Gules, three lions gambs erased argent; for the name of Newdigate. 15. Argent, three lions’ tails erected and erased gules; borne by the name of Cork. 16. Azure, a buck’s head cabossed argent; borne by Legge, earl of Dartmouth, descended from Signior de Lega, an Italian nobleman, who flourished in Italy in the year 1297. 17. Argent, two squirrels sejant adossée gules, for the name of Samwell. 18. Gules, a goat passant argent; borne by the name of Baker. 19.∙ Sable, a stag standing at gaze argent; borne by the name of Jones of Monmouthshire 20. Azure, three holy lambs or; borne by the name of Row.

5 th. Examples of Birds, Fishes, Reptiles, &c. —1. Ermine, an eagle displayed sable; borne by the name of Beddingfield. 2. Gules, a swan close proper; borne by the name of Leigham. 3. Argent, a stork sable, membered gules; borne by the name of Starkey. 4. Gules, a pelican in her nest with wings elevated, feeding her young ones or, vulned proper; borne by the name of Carne. 5. Argent, three peacocks in their pride proper; borne by the name of Pawne. 6. Sable, a goshawk argent, perching upon a stock in the base-point of the escutcheon of the second, armed, jessed, and belled or; borne by the nameof Wheele.

7. Or, a raven proper; borne by the name of Corbet.

8. Argent, three cocks gules, crested and jow-lopped sable, a crescent surmounted of a crescent for difference; borne by Cockayne, Viscount Cullen, of Donegal in Ireland.

9. Sable, a dolphin naiant embowed or, borne by the name of Symonds. This animal is borne by the eldest son of the French king, and next heir to the crown, no other subject in that kingdom being permitted to bear it. 10. Argent, three whales’ heads erect and erased sable; borne by the name of Whalley. 11. Gules, three escalops argent; borne by Keppel, earl of Albemarle, descended from Arnold Joost van Keppel, a nobleman of the province of Guelderland in Holland, who came over into England with the Prince of Orange in 1688, to whom he was then a page of honour, and was by him created a peer of England, by the title of Earl of Albemarle, in the duchy of Normandy in France, 10th February 1696. 12. Azure, three trouts fretted in triangle argent; borne by the name of Troutbeck. 13. Vert, a grasshopper passant or. 14. Azure, three bees, two and one, volant, in pale argent; borne by the name of Bye. 15. Vert, a tortoise passant argent; borne by the name of Gawdy. 16. Gules, an adder nowed or; borne by the name of Nathiley.^[16. Adders, snakes, and serpents, are said to represent many things, which being according to the fancy of the ancients, and a few modern authors who have adopted their opinions, it is needless to enlarge upon. It is certain they often occur in armory; but the noblest is that of the duchy of Milan, viz. “argent, a serpent gliding in pale azure, crowned or, vorant an infant issuing gules.” The occasion of this bearing was as follows: Otho, first viscount of Milan, on his way to the Holy Land with Godfrey of Bouillon, defeated and slew in single combat the great giant Volux, a man of extraordinary stature and strength, who had challenged the bravest of the Christian army. The viscount having killed him, took his armour, and amongst it his helmet, the crest of which was a serpent swallowing an infant, worn by him to strike terror into those who should be so bold as to engage him. ] 17. Ermine, a rose gules barbed[7:11:255] and seeded proper; bome by Boscawen, Viscount Falmouth, descended from Richard Boscawen, in the county of Cornwall, who flourished in the reign of King Edward VI. 18. Azure, three laurel leaves slipped or; borne by the name of Leveson, and quartered by Granville-Leveson Gower, Earl Gower, &c. 19. Azure, three garbs or; borne by the name of Cumming. 20. Gules, three cinquefoils argent; borne by Lambart, baron of Cavan, in Ireland. This ancient family is of French extraction.

It is to be observed, that trees and plants are sometimes said to be trunked, eradicated, fructuated, or raguled, according as they are represented in arms.

Art. 2.— Of Artificial Figures borne in Coats-of-Arms.

After the various productions of nature, artificial figures, the objects of art and mechanism, claim the next rank. They may be distributed into the following classes, viz. Warlike instruments, as swords, arrows, battering-rams, gauntlets, helmets, spears, pole-axes; ornaments used in royal and religious ceremonies, as crowns, coronets, mitres, wreaths, crosiers; architecture, as towers, castles, arches, columns, plummets, battlements, churches, portcullises; navigation, as ships, anchors, rudders, pendants, sails, oars, masts, flags, galleys, lighters, and so on.

All these bearings have different epithets, serving to express their position, their disposition, or their form. Thus swords are said to be erect, pommeled, hilted; arrows, armed, feathered; towers, covered, embattled; and so of all others, as will more fully appear by the following examples: 1. Sable, three swords, their points meeting in the base argent, pommeled and hilted or, a crescent in chief of the second for difference; borne by Powlet, duke of Bolton, descended from Hercules, lord of Tournon in Picardy, who came over to England with Jeffrey Plantagenet, earl of Anjou, third son of King Henry II., and amongst other lands had the lordship of Paulet in Somersetshire conferred on him. 2. Argent, three battering-rams barways in pale,headed azure and hooped or, an annulet for difference; borne by Bertie, earl of Abington. 3. Azure, three left-hand gauntlets with their backs forward or; borne by Fane, earl of Westmoreland, descended from the Fanes, an ancient family which resided at Badsal in Kent. 4. Azure, three arrows, their points in base or; borne by Archer, Lord Archer, descended from John de Archer, who came over from Normandy with William the Conqueror. 5. Gules, two helmets in chief proper, garnished or, in a base of a garb of the third; borne by Cholmondeley, earl of Cholmondeley, descended from the ancient family of Egerton in Cheshire, which flourished in the time of the Conquest, from whom also the Duke of Bridgewater was descended. 6. Argent, a ship with its sails furled up sable; quartered by Hamilton, earl of Abercorn. The descent of this family is from that of the Duke of Hamilton. 7. Or, an anchor in pale gules; quartered by Johnston, marquis of Annandale. The Johnstons are an ancient and warlike family, and derive their surname from the barony of Johnston in Annandale. 8. Sable, three spears’ heads erect argent, imbrued gules, on a chief or, as many pole-axes azure; borne by King, Lord King. 9. Gules, three clarions or; quartered by Carteret, earl of Granville. This ancient family derives its pedigreefrom Offercy de Carteret, whoattended William the Conqueror in his descent upon England, and contributed to the victory he obtained over Harold, at Hastings, in 1066. 10. Argent, a maunch sable; borne by Hastings, earl of Huntingdon, descended from Hugh de Hastings, a younger son of the ancient and noble family of the Hastings, earl of Pembroke, of which was William de Hastings, steward of the household to King Henry I. 11. Azure, a circular wreath argent and sable, with four hawks’ bells joined thereto in quadrature or; borne by Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn.^[17. This noble family is of great antiquity; for, after the Romans had been masters of Britain for five hundred years, wearied with the wars, they took their final leave of it, and carried away with them a great many of their brave old British soldiers, who had served them in their wars both at home and abroad, to whom they gave Armorica in France, for their former services, which country was from them afterwards denominated Little Britain. It is supposed that there were some of this family amongst them; and that they gave the name of Joceiyn to a town in this country, which still preserves the name; and it is thought probable that they returned with William the Conqueror, since in 1066 we find mention made of Sir Gilbert Jocelyn. ] 12. Gules, three towers argent; quartered by Fowler, Viscount Ashbrook. 13. Gules, two keys in saltier argent, in chief a royal crown proper; the arms of the archbishopric of York. 14. Gules, two swords in saltier argent, pommeled and hilted or; the arms of the bishopric of London. 15. Sable, a key in bend, surmounted by a crosier in bend sinister, both or; the arms of the bishopric of St Asaph. 16. Gules, two keys adossée in bend, the uppermost argent, the other or, a sword interposed between them in bend sinister of the second, pommeled, and hilted of the third; the arms of the bishopric of Winchester. 17. Gules, three mitres with their pendants or; the arms of the bishopric of Chester. 18. Sable, three ducal coronets paleways or; the arms of the bishopric of Bristol. 19. Gules, a sword erect in pale argent, pommeled and hilted or, surmounted by two keys in saltier of the last; the arms of the bishopric of Exeter. 20. Gules, three ducal coronets or; the arms of the bishopric of Ely.

Art. 3.— Of Chimerical Figures.

The last and the oddest kind of bearings in coats-of-arms is comprehended under the name of chimerical figures; that is, such figures as have no real existence, but are mere fabulous and fantastical inventions. These, charges, griffons, martlets, and unicons excepted, are so uncommon in British coats, that in order to make up the same number of examples hitherto contained in each collection, several foreign bearings are introduced; which, however, as they are conformable to the laws of heraldry, may also contribute both to entertain and instruct the reader. Those most in use are the following, namely, angels, cherubims, tritons, centaurs, martlets, griffons, unicons, dragons, mermaids, satyrs, wiverns, harpies, cockatrices, phoenixes.

These, like the foregoing charges, are subject to various positions and dispositions, which, from the principles already laid down, will be easily nnderstood by the following examples: 1. Gules, an angel standing affrontée, with his hands conjoined and elevated upon his breast, habited in a long robe close girt argent, his wings displayed or; borne by the name of Brangor de Cerevisia, a foreign prelate, who assisted at the council of Constance in 1412. 2. Sable, a cheveron between three cherubim or; borne by the u name of Chaloner of Yorkshire and Cheshire. 3. Azure, a fess indented between three cherubim argent. These arms were granted to John Ayde, Esq. of Doddington in Kent, by Sir William Segar, garter. 4. Gules, a cherub having three pair of wings, the uppermost and lowermost counter-crossed saltierways, and the middlemost displayed argent; borne by the name of Buocasoco, a foreign prelate. This example is copied from Menestrier’s Methode du Blason. 5. Azure, a griffon segreant or, armed and langued gules, between three crescents argent; quartered by Bligh, Lord Clifton. 6. Gules, three martlets or; borne by the name of Macgill. This bird, which is represented without feet, is given for a difference to younger brothers, to put them in mind that, in order to [7:11:256]raise themselves, they should trust to the wings of virtue and merit, and not to their legs, having but little land to set their feet on. 7. Azure, three mullets argent within a double tressure counter-flowery or, in the centre a martlet of the last; borne by Murray, Lord Elibank. 8. Sable, a cockatrice displayed argent, crested, membered, and jowlopped gules. 9. Argent, a mermaid gules, crined or, holding in her right hand a comb, and in her left a mirror, both proper; borne by the name of Ellis. 10. Argent, a wivern, his wings elevated, and his tail nowed below him gules; borne by the name of Drakes. 11. Or, a dragon passant vert. 12. Gules, a centaur or sagittary in full speed reguardant proper. This was the coat-of-arms of Stephen of Blois, son of Adela, daughter of William the Conqueror, and of Stephen, earl of Blois; who, grounding his pretension to the crown of England on this descent, was proclaimed king in 1135, and reigned till the 25th of October 1154. 13. Argent, an unicon sejant sable, un-guled and horned or; borne by the name of Harling. 14. Argent, a dragon’s head erased vert, holding in his mouth a sinister hand couped at the wrist gules; borne by the name of Williams. 15. Gules, three unicons’ heads couped or; borne by the name of Paris. 16. Argent, a wivern volant bendways sable; borne by the name of Raynon.

17. Azure, a lion sejant guardant winged or, his head encircled with a glory, holding in his fore-paws an open book, in which is written, Pax tibi, Marce, Evangelista meus; over the dexter side of the book a sword erect, all proper. These are the arms of the republic of Venice.

18. Azure, a bull saliant and winged or, borne by the name of Cadenet, a family of distinction in Provence. 19. Argent, a wivern with a human face affrontée hooded, and winged vert; borne by the Buseraghi, an ancient and noble family of Lucca. 20. Azure, a harpy displayed, armed, crined, and crowned or. These are the arms of the city of Nuremberg in Germany.

To the above-mentioned figures may be added the mon-tegre, an imaginary creature, supposed to have the body of a tiger with the head and horns of a satyr; also those which have a real existence, but are said to be endowed with extravagant and imaginary qualities, as the salamander, beaver, cameleon, and others.

IV. OF THE EXTERNAL ORNAMENTS OF ESCUTCHEONS.

The ornaments which accompany or surround escutcheons were introduced to denote the birth, dignity, or office, of the persons to whom the coat-of-arms appertained; and this was practised both amongst the laity and the clergy. Those which are most in use consist of ten sorts, viz. crowns, coronets, mitres, helmets, mantlings, chapeaux, wreaths, crests, scrolls, and supporters.

1. Of Crowns.

The first crowns were only diadems, bands, or fillets; but afterwards they were composed of branches of various trees, and then flowers were added to them. Amongst the Greeks, the crowns given to those who carried off the prize at the Isthmian games were of pine; at the Olympic, of laurel; and at the Nemean, of smallage. The Romans also had various crowns to reward martial exploits and extraordinary services done to the republic. Examples of some of these crowns are frequently met with in modern achievements.

But modem crowns are only used as an ornament, which emperors, kings, and independent princes set on their heads, in great solemnities, both to denote their sovereign authority, and to render themselves more imposing to their subjects. Those most in use in heraldry are as follow:

Hi. The imperial crown, which is made of a circle of gold, adorned with precious stones and pearls, heightened with fleurs-de-lis, bordered and seeded with pearls, and raised in the form of a cap voided at the top like a crescent. From the middle of this cap rises an arched fillet enriched with pearls, and surmounted with a mound on which is a cross of pearls. No. 1.

2rf. The crown of the kings of Great Britain, which is a circle of gold, bordered with ermine, enriched with pearls and precious stones, and heightened up with four crosses patee and four large fleurs-de-lis alternately; .from these rise four arched diadems adorned with pearls, which close under a mound, surmounted with a cross like those at the bottom. No. 2.

3d. The crown of the kings in France, which is a circle enamelled, adorned with precious stones, and heightened up with eight arched diadems, rising from as many fleurs-de-lis, which conjoin at the top under a double fleur-de-lis, all of gold. No. 3.

4íä. The crowns of Spain, Portugal, and Poland, are all three of the same form, and are described by Colonel Parsons in his Genealogical Tables of Europe. A ducal coronet, heightened up with eight arched diadems, which support a mound, ensigned with a plain cross. Those of Denmark and Sweden are both of the same form, and consist of eight arched diadems, rising from a marquis’s coronet, which conjoin at the top under a mound ensigned with a cross-bottony. The crowns of most other kings are circles of gold, adorned with precious stones, heightened up with large trefoils, and closed by four, six, or eight diadems, supporting a mound, surmounted of a cross.

5th. The Grand Signior bears over his arms a turban, enriched with pearls and diamonds, under two coronets, the first of which is made of pyramidical points heightened up with large pearls, whilst the uppermost is surmounted with crescents. No. 4.

6th. The pope, or bishop of Rome, appropriates to himself a tiara or long cap of golden cloth, from which hang two pendants embroidered and fringed at the ends, semée with crosses of gold. This cap is enclosed by three marquises’ coronets; and has on its top a mound of gold, on which is a cross of the same, sometimes represented by engravers and painters pometted, recrossed, flowery, or plain. It is a difficult matter to ascertain the time when the popes assumed the three coronets above mentioned. A succession of the supreme pontiffs, engraved and published by order of Clement XIII. for the edification of his subjects in Great Britain and Ireland, represents Marcellus, who was chosen bishop of Rome in the year 310, and all his successors, adorned with such a cap; but it appears from good authority, that Boniface VIII. who was elected to the see of Rome in the year 1295, first compassed his cap with a coronet; whilst Benedict XII. in 1335, added to it a second, and John XXIII. in 1411, a third, with a view to indicate that the pope is the sovereign priest·, the supreme judge, and the sole legislator, amongst Christians. No. 5.

2. Of Coronets.

The coronet of the Prince of Wales, or eldest son of the king of Great Britain, was anciently a circle of gold set round with four crosses patee, and as many fleurs-de-lis alternately; but since the restoration it has been closed with one arch only, adorned with pearls, surmounted by a mound and cross, and bordered with ermine like the king’s. No. 7.

Besides this coronet, the Prince of Wales has another distinguishing mark of honour, peculiar to himself, called by the vulgar the prince’s arms, namely, a plume of three ostrich-feathers, with an ancient coronet of a prince of Wales. Under this, in a scroll, is the motto, Ich Dien, [7:11:257] which in the German or old Saxon language signifies I serve. This device was first assumed by Edward, prince of Wales, commonly called the Black Prince, after the famous battle of Cressy, in 1346, where having with his own hand killed John, king of Bohemia, he took from his head such a plume as that here described, and put it on its own. No. 6.

The coronet of all the intermediate sons and brothers of the kings of Great Britain is a circle of gold bordered with ermine, heightened up with four fleurs-de-lis and as many crosses patee alternate. No. 8. The particular and distinguishing form of such coronets as are appropriated to princes of the blood-royal is described and settled in a grant of Charles II. in the thirteenth year of his reign. The coronet of the princesses of Great Britain is a circle of gold bordered with ermine, and heightened up with crosses-patee, fleurs-de-lis, and strawberry leaves alternate (No. 9); whereas a prince’s coronet has only fleurs-de-lis and crosses.

A duke’s coronet is a circle of gold bordered with ermine, enriched with precious stones and pearls, and set round with eight large strawberry or parsley leaves. No.

10. A marquis’s coronet is a circle of gold bordered with ermine, set round with four strawberry leaves and as many pearls on pyramidical points of equal height alternate. No.

11. An earl’s coronet is a circle of gold bordered with ermine, heightened up with eight pyramidical points or rays, on the tops of which are as many large pearls, which are placed alternately with as many strawberry leaves, but the pearls much higher than the leaves. No. 12. A viscount’s coronet differs from the preceding ones as being only a circle of gold bordered with ermine, with large pearls set close together on the rim, without any limited number, which is the prerogative above the baron, who is limited. No. 13. A baron’s coronet, which was granted by King Charles II., is formed with six pearls set at equal distances on a gold circle bordered with ermine, four of which only are seen on engravings, paintings, and the like, to show that he is inferior to the viscount. No. 14. The eldest sons of peers, above the degree of a baron, bear their father’s arms and supporters with a label, and use the coronet appertaining to their father’s second title; and all the younger sons bear their arras with proper differences, but use no coronets.

As the crown of the king of Great Britain is not quite like that of other potentates, so most of the coronets of foreign noblemen differ a little from those of the British nobility. For example, the coronet of a French earl is a circle of gold with eighteen pearls set on the brim of it; a French viscount’s coronet is a circle of gold only enamelled, charged with four large pearls; a French baron’s coronet is a circle of gold enamelled and bound about with a double bracelet of pearls; but these coronets are only used on French noblemen’s coats-of-arms, and not worn on their heads, as the British noblemen and their ladies do at the king’s coronation.

3. Of Mitres.

The archbishops and bishops of England and Ireland place a mitre over their coats-of-arms. It is a round cap pointed and cleft at the top, from which hang two pendants fringed at both ends; with this difference, that the bishop’s mitre is only surrounded with a fillet of gold, set with precious stones (Plate CCLXXXIII. fig. I, No. 6), whereas the archbishop’s issues out of a ducal coronet. (Plate CCLXXXII. fig. 2, No. 15.) This ornament, with other vestments, is still worn by the archbishops and bishops of the church of Rome, whenever they officiate with solemnity; but it is never used in England, otherwise than on coats-of-arms, as before mentioned.

4. Of Helmets.

The helmet was formerly worn as a defensive weapon, to cover the bearer’s head, and is now placed over a coat-of-arms as its chief ornament, and the true mark of gentility. Several sorts have been distinguished, Isŕ, by the matter they are made of; 2dly, by their form; and, 3dly, by their position.

Isí, As to the matter they are, or rather were, made of, the helmets of sovereigns were of burnished gold damasked; those of princes and lords, of silver figured with gold; those of knights, of steel adorned with silver; and those of private gentlemen, of polished steel. 2dly, As to their form, those of the king and the royal family, and noblemen, of Great Britain, are open-faced and grated, and the number of bars serves to distinguish the bearer’s quality; that is, the helmet appropriated to the dukes and marquises is different from the king’s, by having a bar exactly in the middle, and two on each side, making but five bars in all (No. 1), whereas the king’s helmet has six bars, or three on each side (No. 7). The other grated helmet with four bars is common to all degrees of peerage under a marquis. The opened-faced helmet without bars denotes baronets and knights. The close helmet is that for all esquires and gentlemen, 3dly, Their position is also looked upon as a mark of distinction. The grated helmet in front belongs to sovereign princes. The grated helmet in profile is common to all degrees of peerage. The helmet standing direct without bars, and the beaver a little open, denotes baronets and knights. Lastly, the side-standing helmet, with the beaver close, is the manner of wearing it peculiar to esquires and gentlemen. See Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 7.

5. Of Mantlings.

Mantľmgs are pieces of cloth jagged or cut into flowers and leaves, which now serve as an ornament for escutcheons. They were the ancient coverings of helmets, to preserve them, or the bearer, from the injuries of the weather, as also to prevent the evil consequences of their too much dazzling the eye in action. But their shape must have undergone a great alteration since they have been out of use, and therefore they might more properly be termed flourishings than mantlings. The French heralds assure us that these mantlings were originally no other than short coverings which commanders wore over their helmets, and that, going into battle with them, they often, on coming away, brought them back in a ragged manner, occasioned by the many cuts which they had received on their heads; and therefore the more hacked they were, the more honourable they were accounted; as our colours in time of war are the more esteemed for having been shot through in many places. Sometimes skins of beasts, as lions, bears, and such like, were thus borne, to make the bearer look more terrible, and that gave occasion to the doubling of mantlings with furs.

6. Of Chapeaux.

A chapeau is an ancient hat, or rather cap, of dignity, worn by dukes, generally scarlet-coloured velvet on the outside, lined and turned up with fur, and frequently to be met with above an helmet, instead of a wreath, under gentlemen’s and noblemen’s crests. Heretofore they were seldom to be found, as of right appertaining to private families; but by the grants of Robert Cooke, clarencieux, and other succeeding heralds, these, together with ducal coronets, are now frequently to be met with in families, who yet claim not above the degree of gentlemen. (Plate CCLXXXII. fig. 3, No. 5.) [7:11:258]7. Of the Wreath.

The wreath is a kind of roll made of two skeins of silk of different colours twisted together, which ancient knights usually wore as a head-dress when equipped for tournaments. The colours of the silk are always taken from the principal metal and colour contained in the coat-of-arms of the bearer. They are still accounted one of the lesser ornaments of escutcheons, and are placed between the helmet and the crest. In the time of Henry I. and long afterwards, no man who was under the degree of a knight had his crest set upon a wreath; but this, like other prerogatives, has been so far infringed, that every body now-a-days wears a wreath.

8. Of Crests.

The crest is the highest part of the ornaments of a coat-of-arms. It is called crest, from the Latin word crista, which signifies comb or tuft, such as many birds have upon their heads, as the peacock, pheasant, and others, in allusion to the place on which it is fixed.

Crests were formerly great marks of honour, because they were only worn by heroes of great valour, or by such as were advanced to some superior military command, in order that they might be the better distinguished in an engagement, and thereby rally their men if dispersed; but they are at present considered as a mere ornament. The crest is frequently a part either of the supporters, or of the charge borne in the escutcheon. Thus the crest of the royal achievement of Great Britain is a lion guardant crowned, and the crest of France is a double fleur-de-lis. Out of the many crests borrowed from supporters, are the following, namely, the Duke of Montagu’s, a griffon’s head couped or, backed and winged sable; the Marquis of Rockingham’s, a griffon’s head argent, gorged with a ducal coronet; the Earl of Westmoreland’s, a bull’s head argent, pyed sable, armed or; and Lord Archer’s, out of a mural crown or, a wivern’s head argent. There are several instances of crests which relate to alliances, employments, or names; and which on that account have been changed.

9. Of the Scroll.

The scroll is the ornament placed above the crest, containing a motto, or short sentence, alluding thereto, or to the bearings, or to the bearer’s name. Thus, the motto of the Earl of Cholmondeley is, Cassis tutissima virtus, “Virtue is the safest helmet,” on account of the helmet in the coat-of-arms; and the motto of Lord Fortescue is, Forte scutum salus ducum, “A strong shield is the safety of the commanders,” alluding to the name of that ancient family. Sometimes, however, the motto has reference to neither, but expresses something divine or heroic; as that of the Earl of Scarborough, Murus aereus conscientia Sana, “A good conscience is a wall of brass.” Others are enigmatical, as that of the royal achievement, which is, Dieu et mon droit, “ God and my right,” introduced in 1340 by Edward III., when he assumed the arms and title of king of France, and began to prosecute his claim, which occasioned long and bloody wars, fatal by turns to both kingdoms; or that of the Prince of Wales, Ich dien, “I serve,” the origin of which has already been explained. Mottos, though hereditary in the families which first took them, have been changed on particular occasions, and others appropriated in their stead. Instances of this are sometimes to be met with in the history of families.

10. Of Supporters.

Supporters are figures standing on the scroll, and placed at the side of the escutcheon; they are so called because they seem to support or hold up the shield. The rise of supporters is, by Menestrier, traced to ancient tournaments, in which the knights caused their shields to be carried by servants or pages under the disguise of lions, bears, griffons, blackamoors, and the like, who also held and guarded the escutcheons, which the knights were obliged to expose to public view for some time before the lists were opened. But Sir George Mackenzie dissents from this opinion, and contends {Treatise on the Science of Heraldry, chap, xxxi. p. 93), “That the first origin and use of them was from the custom which ever was, and is, of leading such as are invested with any great honour to the prince who confers it. Thus, when any man is created a duke, marquis, or knight of the garter, or any other order, he is supported by, and led to the prince, betwixt two of the quality, and so receives from him the symbols of that honour; and in remembrance of that solemnity, his arms are thereafter supported by any two creatures he chooses.” Supporters were formerly taken from such animals or birds as were borne in the shields, and sometimes they have been chosen as bearing some allusion to the names of those whose arms they are made to support. The supporters of the arms of Great Britain, since the accession of James I. to the throne, are a lion rampant guardant crowned or, on the dexter side, and an unicon argent, crowned, armed, unguled, maned, and gorged with an antique crown, to which a chain is affixed, all or, on the sinister.

This last figure represents the coat-of-arms of the king of Great Britain, or the royal achievement, as it has been marshalled since the accession of George I. in 1714, and is blazoned as follows, viz.

ARMS. Quarterly, in the first grand quarter gules, three lions rampant guardant in pale or, the imperial ensigns of England; impaled with or, a lion rampant, within a double tressure flowery and counter-flowery gules, the royal arms of Scotland. The second is azure, three fleurs-de-lis or, the arms of France. The third is azure, a harp or, stringed argent, the ensign of Ireland. The fourth grand quarter is gules, two lions passant guardant in pale or, for Brunswick; impaled with or semée of hearts proper, a lion rampant azure, for Lunenburg; with grafted in base gules a horse current argent, for ancient Saxony; and in a shield surtout gules, the crown of Charlemagne or, as arch-treasurer of the empire; the whole within a garter, inscribed with this motto, Honi soit qui mal y pense, as sovereign of that noble order, given by the founder King Edward HI.

CREST. On a helmet full faced, grated and surmounted by a crown, a lion guardant crowned or; the mantlings of the last, and lining, ermine.

SUPPORTERS. On the dexter side a lion rampant guards or, crowned as the crest. On the sinister side an unieorn argent, crowned, armed, maned, and unguled or, gorged with an antique crown; a chain affixed thereto, reflecting over the back, and passing over the hind legs of the last, both standing on a scroll inscribed with this motto, Dieu et mon droit, from which issue the two royal badges of his majesty’s chief dominions, viz. on the dexter side a rose party per pale argent and gules, stalked and leaved proper, for England; and on the sinister side a thistle proper, for Scotland, being so adorned by King James I. upon his succeeding to the crown of England. As king of Scotland, he bore two unieorns as his supporters; but upon the union of that crown with England, in 1603, he introduced one of the above supporters on the sinister side of the royal achievement, which continues to this day.

It is to be observed, that bearing coats-of-arms supported, is, according to the heraldic rules of England, the prerogative, first, of those called nobiles majores, viz. dukes, [7:11:259] marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons; secondly, of all knights of the garter, though they should be under the degree of barons; thirdly, of knights of the bath, who, as well as the former, receive on their creation a grant of supporters; and, lastly, of such grants as the king chooses to bestow this honour upon. An instance of this occurred in the case of Sir Andrew Fountain, who was knighted by Philip, earl of Pembroke, when lord lieutenant of Ireland, Fountain being then his secretary; and on his return to England, King William granted him supporters to his arms, viz. two griffons gules and or. In Scotland all the chiefs of clans or names have the privilege of claiming supporters, and also the baronets. But by act of parliament, 10th September 1672, none are allowed to use either arms or supporters, under a penalty and confiscation of all moveables on which arms are put, without the authority of the lord lyon.

V. OF THE RULES OR LAWS OF HERALDRY.

The several escutcheons, tinctures, charges, and ornaments of coats-of-arms, and their various properties, being now explained, it may not be improper to subjoin such rules for blazoning these as the ancient usage and laws of heraldry have established amongst us.

I. The first and most general rule is, to express one’s self in proper terms, so as not to omit any thing which ought to be specified, and at the same time to be clear and concise without tautology.

II. We must begin with the tincture of the field, and then proceed to the principal charges which possess the most honourable place in the shield, such as fess, cheveron, &c. always naming that charge first which lies next and immediately upon the field.

III. After naming the tincture of the field, the honourable ordinaries, or other principal figures, their attributes, and afterwards their metal or colour, must be specified.

IV. When an honourable ordinary, or some one figure, is placed upon another, whether it be a fess, cheveron, cross, &c. it is always to be named after the ordinary or figure over which it is placed, with the expression surtout, or over all. N . In blazoning such ordinaries as are plain, the bare mention of them is sufficient; but if an ordinary should be made of any of the crooked lines mentioned above, its form must be specified; that is, whether it be engrailed, wavy, &c.

VI. When a principal figure possesses the centre of the field, its position is not to be expressed; or, which amounts to the same thing, when a bearing is named, without specifying the point where it is placed, then it is understood to possess the middle of the shield.

VII. The number of the points of mullets or stars must be specified when more than five; and also if a mullet or any other charge be pierced, it must be mentioned as such, to distinguish it from what is plain.

VIII. When a ray of the sun, or other single figure, is borne in any other part of the escutcheon than the centre, the point it issues from must be named.

IX. The natural colour of trees, plants, fruits, birds, and the like, is no otherwise to be expressed in blazoning but by the word proper ; but if discoloured, that is, if they differ from their natural colour, it must be particularized.

X. When three figures are in a field, and their position is not mentioned in the blazoning, they are always understood to be placed, two above, and one below.

XI. When there are many figures of the same species bome in a coat-of-arms, their number must be observed as they stand, and distinctly expressed.

But, for the better understanding of this last rule, we have inserted examples of the different dispositions of figures, in which they are properly represented. Tims, two maybe 1 ranged in pale, in fess, &c. Three may be 2 and 1, as also in bend, &c. Four are placed 2 and 2, or cantoned. Five, 1, 3, 1, in cross; or 2, 1, 2, in saltier. Six, 3, 2, 1, 1 in pile; or 2, 2, 2, paleways. Eight, in orle, or on a bordure. Nine, 3, 3, 3, barways; or 3, 3, 2, 1, in pile. Ten, 4, 3, 2, 1, in pile; or else 4, 2, 4, bar ways. Twelve are placed 4, 4, 4, barways.

There are other positions called irregular ; as, for example, when three figures are naturally placed, 2 and 1 are disposed 1 and 2, &c. It must also be observed, that when the field is strewed with the same figures, this is expressed by the word semee ; but, according to the opinion of a French armorist, if the figures strewed on the field are whole ones, it must be denoted by the words sans nombre; whereas, if part of them be cut off at the extremities of the escutcheon, the word semee must then be used.

VI.—OF MARSHALLING COATS-OF-ARMS.

By marshalling coats-of-arms is to be understood the art of disposing them in one escutcheon, and of distributing their contingent ornaments in proper places.

Various causes may occasion arms to be thus conjoined, and these Guillim comprehends under two heads, viz. manifest and obscure. By manifest causes in the marshalling of coats-of-arms, are meant such as betoken marriages, or a sovereign’s gift, granted either through the special favour of the prince, or for some eminent services. Concerning marriages it is to be observed, that when the coats-of-arms of a married couple, descended of distinct families, are to be put together in one escutcheon, the field of their respective arms is conjoined paleways, and blazoned parted per pale, baron and femme, two coats, first, &c. ; in which case the baron’s arms are always to be placed on the dexter side, and the femme’s arms on the sinister side.

If a widower marry again, his late and present wife’s arms are, according to Leigh, to be both placed on the sinister side, in the escutcheon with his ow n, and parted per pale. The first wife’s coat should stand on the chief, and the second on the base; or he may set them both in pale with his own, the first wife’s coat next to himself, and his second outermost. If he should marry a third wife, then the first two matches should stand on the chief, and the third should have the whole base. And if he take a fourth wife, she must participate one half of the base with the third wife, and so they will seem to be so many coats quartered. But it must be observed, that these forms of impaling are meant of hereditary coats, by which the husband stands in expectation of having the hereditary possessions of his wife united to his patrimony.

In the arms of femmes joined to the paternal coat of the baron, the proper differences by which they were borne by the fathers of such women must be inserted.

If a coat-of-arms which has a bordure be impaled with another, as by marriage, then the bordure must be wholly omitted in the side of the arms next the centre.

The person who marries an heiress, instead of impaling his arms with those of his wife, is to bear them in an escutcheon placed in the centre of his shield, after the same manner as the baronet’s badge is marshalled, and which, on account of its showing forth his pretension to her estate, is called an escutcheon of pretence, and is blazoned surtout, or over all, as in the escutcheon borne in the fourth quarter of the royal achievement. But the children are to bear the hereditary coat-of-arms of their father and mother quarterly, which denotes a fixed inheritance, and so transmit them to posterity. The first and fourth quarters generally contain the father’s arms, and the second and [7:11:260]third the mother’s; unless the heirs should derive not only their estate, but also their title and dignity, from their mother.

If a maiden or a dowager lady of quality marry a commoner, or a nobleman inferior to her in rank, their coats-of-arms may be set beside one another in two separate escutcheons, upon one mantle or drapery, and the lady’s arms may be ornamented according to her title.

Archbishops and bishops impale their arms differently from the before-mentioned coats, in giving the place of honour, that is, the dexter side, to the arms of their dignity. It may be observed of these prelates, that they thus bear their arms parted per pale, to denote that they are joined to their cathedral church in a sort of spiritual marriage.

With respect to such armorial ensigns as the sovereign thinks fit to augment a coat-of-arms withal, they may be marshalled in various ways, as may be seen by the arms of the Duke of Rutland, and others.

To those augmentations may be added, first, the baronet’s mark of distinction, or the arms of the province of Ulster in Ireland, granted and made hereditary in the male line by King James I. who erected this dignity on the 22d of May 1611, in the ninth year of his reign, in order to propagate a plantation in that province. This mark is, Argent, a sinister hand couped at the wrist, and erected gules; which may be borne either in a canton, or in an escutcheon, as will best suit the figures of the arms. Secondly, the ancient and respectable badge of the order of the garter, instituted by King Edward III. in 1349, and which, ever since its institution, has been looked upon as a great honour bestowed on the noblest persons of this nation and other countries. This honourable augmentation is made to surround, as with a garter, the arms of such knights, and is inscribed with the motto, Honi soit qui mal y pense.

So far the causes for marshalling different arms in one shield, &c. are manifest. As to those which are called obscure, that is, when coats-of-arms are marshalled in such a manner that no probable reason can be given why they are so conjoined, they must be left to heralds to explain, as being the most proper persons to unfold these and other mysteries of the science.

VII.—OF FUNERAL ESCUTCHEONS.

After having treated of the essential parts of the coats-of-arms, of the various charges and ornaments usually borne therewith, of their attributes and dispositions, and of the rules for blazoning and marshalling them, we shall next describe the several funeral escutcheons, usually called hatchments, by which it may be known, after any person’s decease, what rank either he or she held when living; and if it be a gentleman’s hatchment, whether he was a bachelor, married man, or widower, with similar distinctions for gentlewomen.

The hatchment represents such as are affixed to the fronts of houses when any of the nobility and gentry dies, the arms therein being those of a private gentleman and his wife parted per pale; the dexter side, which is gules, three bars or, for the husband, having the ground without the escutcheon black, denotes the man to be dead; and the ground on the sinister side being white, signifies that the wife is living, which is also demonstrated by a small hatchment, which is there depicted without mantling, helmet, and crest, for the sake of perspicuity alone.

When a married gentlewoman dies first, the hatchment is distinguished by a contrary colour to the former; that is, the arms on the sinister side have the ground without the escutcheon black, whereas those on the dexter side, for her surviving husband, are upon a white ground. The hatchment of a gentlewoman is, moreover, differenced by a cherub placed over the arms instead of a crest.

When a bachelor dies, his arms may be depicted single or quartered, with a crest over them, but never impaled as the two first are, and all the ground without the escutcheon is also black.

When a maid dies, her arms, which are placed in a lozenge, may be single or quartered, as those of a bachelor; but, instead of a crest, they have a cherub placed over them, and all the ground without the escutcheon is also black.

When a widower dies, his arms are represented impaled with those of his deceased wife, having a helmet, mantling, and crest over them, and all the ground without the escutcheon black.

When a widow dies, her arms are also represented im paled with those of her deceased husband, but enclosed in a lozenge, and, instead of a crest, a cherub is placed over them; all the ground without the escutcheon being also black.

If a widower or bachelor should happen to be the last of his family, the hatchment is depicted as in the case of a widower; and that of a maid or widow, whose family is extinct by her death, is depicted as in that of a widow, with this difference only, that a death’s-head is generally annexed to each hatchment, to denote that death has conquered all, leaving nothing but the vain formalities of heraldry.

By these rules, which are sometimes neglected through the ignorance of illiterate people, may be known, upon the sight of any hatchment, what branch of the family is dead; and by the helmet or coronet, the title and degree of the person deceased.

The same rules are observed with respect to the escutcheon placed on the hearse and horses used in pompous funerals; excepting that they are not surmounted with any crest, as in the foregoing examples of hatchments, but are always plain. It is necessary, however, to ensign those of peers with coronets, and that of a maiden lady with a knot of ribands.

In Scotland, a funeral escutcheon not only shows forth the arms and condition of the defunct, but is also a proof of the gentility of his descent; and such persons for whom this species of escutcheon can be made out, are legally entitled to the character of gentlemen of blood, which is the highest species of gentility. The. English hatchment above described exhibits no more than a right to a coat of arms which may be acquired by purchase, and is only the first step towards establishing gentility in a family.

The funeral escutcheon, as exhibited in Scotland, France, and Germany, is in the form of a lozenge, above six feet square of black cloth; in the centre of which is painted, in proper colours, the complete achievement of the defunct, with all its exterior ornaments and additional marks or badges of honour; and round the sides are placed the sixteen arms of the families from which he derives his descent, as far back as the grandfather’s grandfather, as the proofs of his gentility. They exhibit the armorial bearings of his father and mother, his two grandmothers, his four great-grandmothers, and his eight great-grandmothers’ mothers; and if all these families have acquired a legal right to bear arms, then the gentility of the person whose proof it is must be accounted complete, but not otherwise. On the four corners are placed mort-heads, and the initials of his name and titles or designation; and the black interstices are semée or powdered with tears.

On the morning of the interment, one of these is placed on the front ’of the house where the deceased lies; and another on the church where he is to be buried, and after the burial it is fixed above the grave. The pall, too, is generally adorned with these proofs of gentility, and the horses of the hearse with the defunct’s arms.
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