The Handbook to English Heraldry Part 6

Charges set on a Saltire _slope with its limbs_ (all, however, pointing to the chief), _the central charge being erect_; and the disposition of charges set "_in saltire_" is the same: a single charge set on a Saltire is blazoned erect on the central point of the Ordinary, as in No. 122, another Shield of NEVILLE, in which the "Silver Saltire" is charged with a _rose gules_. A Saltire may be borne with a Chief, as in No. 73.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 123.--De Stafford.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 124.--Shield of De Clare.]

The CHEVRON (H. 3), in form and proportions is rather more than the lower half of a Saltire. The Diminutive is a _Chevronel_, containing half a Chevron, or perhaps less: thus, for DE STAFFORD (E. 2),--_Or, a Chevron gu._, No. 123: for the great family of DE CLARE, from whom so many other families derived their Chevrons and Chevronels--_Or, three Chevronels gules_, No. 124 (H. 3). Two Chevrons may be borne in one composition: or they may appear with a Fesse, as in No. 79: or with a Chief, as (H. 3), for DE CROMBE--_Erm., a Chevron gu., and on a Chief of the last three escallops or_; for ST. QUINTIN (H. 3)--_Or, three Chevronels gu., a Chief vair_. A field _Chevronee_ is of rare occurrence: the three Chevronels of DE CLARE, however, No. 124, appear to have been derived from a field _Chevronee_: certainly, on his seal, "Strongbow" has the Chevronee Shield, No. 125, about A.D. 1175. Charges set on a Chevron, or disposed "_in Chevron_," are always placed erect.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 125.--Early shield of De Clare.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 126.--De Chandos.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 127.--De Brian.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 128.--De Ba.s.sett.]

The PILE (H. 3), resembling a wedge in form, is borne both single and in small groups. Unless some other disposition on the field be specified, this Ordinary issues from the chief of the Shield. Examples: _Or, a Pile gu., between six and charged with three estoiles_ (or _mullets_) _counter-changed_,--for ROBERT DE CHANDOS, No. 126: _Or, three Piles az._, No. 127,--for Sir GUY DE BRIAN; _Or, three Piles gu., a canton erm._, No. 128,--for DE Ba.s.sETT (all H. 3): and (E. 2), _Arg., a Pile engrailed sa._--for Sir ROB. DE FORNEUS. In early emblazonments three piles appear almost uniformly to be depicted with the points converging.

But a distinction is now made, and when the piles are intended to converge, as in No. 128, they are termed "_in point_."

The probable structural origin of these Ordinaries is sufficiently apparent to render any further comment on that interesting circ.u.mstance superfluous.

CHAPTER VII

THE GRAMMAR OF HERALDRY

SECTION IV

_The Subordinaries:-- The Canton or Quarter: The Inescutcheon: The Orle: The Tressure: The Bordure: Flanches: The Lozenge, Mascle, and Rustre: The Fusil: The Billet: The Gyron: The Frette-- The Roundles._

"The second in a line of stars."

--IDYLLS OF THE KING.

THE SUBORDINARIES. This t.i.tle has been a.s.signed, but without any decisive authority, to another group of devices, second in rank to the Ordinaries. Very few writers agree as to which are ordinaries and which subordinaries; nor does there seem any reason why any distinction between them should exist. Nor, indeed, save that all are exclusively heraldic, why some of them should be regarded as anything more than ordinary charges. These Subordinaries are the _Canton_, the _Quarter_, the _Inescutcheon_, the _Orle_, the _Tressure_, the _Bordure_, _Flanches_, the _Lozenge_, _Mascle_ and _Rustre_, the _Fusil_, the _Billet_, the _Gyron_, and the _Frette_. The Canton, by the early Heralds commonly styled the "Quarter," sometimes has been grouped with the Ordinaries. And it must here be observed that the Lozenge, Fusil, Billet, Gyron, and Frette were not used as single charges by the early Heralds; but by them the fields of Shields were divided _lozengy_ and _gyronny_, or they were _semee of Billets_, or covered over with _Frette_-work, from which the single charges evidently were afterwards obtained.

The CANTON (H. 3), sometimes blazoned as a QUARTER, cut off by two lines, the one drawn in pale and the other bar-wise, or in fesse, is either the first quarter of the field of a Shield, or about three-fourths of that quarter, but smaller if not charged. The confusion between the canton and the quarter is due to the fact that ancient arms in which the charge is now, and has been for centuries past, stereotyped as a canton and drawn to occupy one-ninth of the Shield, were uniformly drawn and blazoned in early times with the charge as a quarter. But there is a marked distinction now made between the canton and the quarter. A _Canton ermine_ is of frequent occurrence, as in No. 128; but it is generally borne charged, and it always overlies the charges of the field of the Shield, as No. 129, for DE KYRKEBY (R. 2)--_Arg., two bars gu.; on a canton of the last a cross moline or_; and, for BLUNDELL (H. 3)--_Az., billettee, on a canton or a raven ppr._, No. 130.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 129.--De Kyrkeby.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 130.--Blundell.]

The INESCUTCHEON (H. 3) is a Shield borne as a charge, and superimposed upon another Shield larger than itself. When one Inescutcheon is borne, it is usually placed on the fesse-point; but several Inescutcheons may appear in one composition. The well-known Shield of the MORTIMERS supplies a good example, No. 131 (H. 3)--_Barry of six or and az., an inescutcheon arg.; on a chief gold, gyroned of the second, two pallets of the same_: for DARCY--_Arg., an inescutcheon sa., within an orle of roses gu._, No. 132 (E. 2): _Arg., three inescutcheons gu._, for DE WYLLERS (E. 2), No. 133. This is also the well-known Scottish coat of Hay.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 132.--Darcy.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 131.--De Mortimer.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 133.--De Wyllers.]

The ORLE (H. 3), blazoned by early Heralds as a "_false escutcheon_"

("_faux escocheon_"), or as an "_inescutcheon voided_," is the border of a Shield or Escutcheon--a Shield, that is, voided of the central area of its field, and, like an Inescutcheon, charged on a Shield. The arms of BALLIOL, No. 134, are--_Gu., an Orle arg._ (H. 3). These arms are blazoned on many Scottish Seals of the greatest interest, and on the Seals of Balliol College, Oxford. Small charges are frequently disposed about the border of a Shield "_in Orle_," as in Nos. 86 and 132.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 134.--De Balliol.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 135.--Single Tressure Flory.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 137.--Double Tressure flory counterflory.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 136.--Single Tressure flory counterflory.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 138.--Scotland.]

The TRESSURE (H. 3) may be regarded as a variety of the Orle; indeed, in its simplest form it is a very narrow Orle, which is generally set round with fleurs de lys. A Tressure thus enriched is represented in No. 135: in this example all the heads of the fleurs de lys point externally, and all their stalks internally, and this accordingly is blazoned as a "_Tressure flory_." In No. 136, which, like No. 135, is a single Tressure, the fleurs de lys are so disposed that the heads and stalks of the flowers point alternately in contrary directions: this is blazoned as a "_Tressure flory counterflory_." From this last example the Tressure that is so well known in the blazonry of the Royal Shield of SCOTLAND differs, in being "_double_." This, the double Tressure of Scotland, is a combination of two such single Tressures as No. 136, and it is produced from them in the manner following:--From one such single Tressure, as No. 136, all the alternate heads and stalks of the fleurs de lys that point internally are cut away and removed; then a second similar Tressure, of rather smaller size, is denuded of all its external adornment, and in that condition it is placed within the former Tressure, leaving a narrow interval between the two. Each component half of this "double Tressure flory counterflory," accordingly, has its own independent series of demi-fleurs de lys, the stalks and heads of the flowers alternating, and the one alternate series pointing externally, while the other points internally. When in combination, these two series of demi-fleurs de lys must be so arranged that the heads of the flowers in one series correspond with their stalks in the other, as in No. 137.

I am thus particular in describing the process of producing the Royal Tressure, because it is frequently to be seen incorrectly drawn. No.

138, the Royal Shield of SCOTLAND, now displayed in the second quarter of the Royal Arms of the UNITED KINGDOM, is thus blazoned--_Or, a lion rampt. within a double Tressure flory counterflory, gu._ It will be observed that a narrow strip of the golden field of this Shield intervenes between the two Tressures. There are many fine examples of this Shield in Scottish Seals; in the Garter-plate, also, of JAMES V. of Scotland, K.G., at Windsor; and on the Monuments in Westminster Abbey to MARY Queen of SCOTS (A.D. 1604), and to the Countess of LENNOX, the mother of Lord DARNLEY (A.D. 1577). Mr. Seton ("Scottish Heraldry," p.

447) states that the Tressure may be borne "triple"; and, after specifying the Scottish families upon whose Shields the same honourable bearing is blazoned, he adds:--"In the coat of the Marquess of HUNTLY, the Tressure is flowered with fleurs de lys within, and adorned with _crescents_ without; while in that of the Earl of ABERDEEN it is flowered and counter-flowered with _thistles_, _roses_, and fleurs de lys alternately."

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 139.--De Waltone.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 140.--Richard, Earl of Cornwall.]

The BORDURE (H. 3), as its name implies, forms a border to a Shield: it is borne both plain and charged. Thus, for DE WALTONE (E. 2)--_Arg., a cross patee sa., within a Bordure indented gu._, No. 139: for RICHARD, Earl of CORNWALL, second son of King JOHN (H. 3),--_Arg., a lion rampt.

gu., crowned or, within a Bordure sa. bezantee_, No. 140. The Bordure, and its important services in Heraldry, will be more fully considered hereafter. (See Chapters XII. and XIII.)

FLANCHES are always borne in pairs; but they are not of very early date, nor do they often appear in blazon. _Flanches_ are formed by two curved lines issuing from the chief, one on each side of the Shield: they are shown, shaded for azure, in No. 141; and in No. 142 are their Diminutives, _Flasques_ or _Voiders_, shaded for gules. But these diminutives are hardly ever met with. There is a close resemblance between these charges and a peculiar dress worn by Ladies of rank in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; but it is not easy to determine whether the dress suggested the Flanches on the Shield, or was derived from them. One thing, however, is certain--the dress must have possessed very decided good qualities, since it continued in favour for more than two centuries. It is remarkable that many of the ancient Greek Shields have pierced Flanches.

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 141.--Flanches.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 142.--Flasques.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 143.--Mascle.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 144.--Rustre.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 145.--De Burgh, Earl of Kent.]

The LOZENGE (E. 2), MASCLE (H. 3), and RUSTRE. The _Lozenge_ is a diamond-shaped figure, or a parallelogram set diagonally. The _Mascle_ is a _Lozenge voided of the field_, No. 143; and the _Rustre_, No. 144, is a _Lozenge pierced with a circular opening_. In the early days of Heraldry the Lozenge and the Mascle were evidently held to be identical.

The Shield of the famous HUBERT DE BURGH, Earl of KENT, in the early Rolls is blazoned as "_masculee_": but his Seal proves it to have been, as in No. 145, _lozengy vair and gu._ The Lozenge, it will be remembered, is always set erect upon the field of a Shield.

The FUSIL is an _elongated Lozenge_. The Arms of MONTACUTE or MONTAGU (see No. 20) are--_Arg., three Fusils conjoined in fesse gu._, No. 20: the Arms of PERCY are--_Az., five fusils conjoined in fesse or._

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 20.--Montacute.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: No. 146.--Deincourt.]

The BILLET (H. 3) is a small elongated rectangular figure. Thus, for DEINCOURT, No. 146--_Az., billettee, a fesse dancette or._ The early Heralds blazoned a "Fesse Dancette" as simply a "_Dancette_" or "_Danse_." See also No. 130.