Part 6 (1/2)

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 s.h.i.+eld 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.--s.h.i.+eld 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 s.h.i.+eld, 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 s.h.i.+eld 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 s.h.i.+eld. 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 s.h.i.+elds 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 s.h.i.+eld, 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 s.h.i.+eld, 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 s.h.i.+eld, 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 s.h.i.+eld borne as a charge, and superimposed upon another s.h.i.+eld 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 s.h.i.+eld 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 s.h.i.+eld or Escutcheon--a s.h.i.+eld, that is, voided of the central area of its field, and, like an Inescutcheon, charged on a s.h.i.+eld. 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 s.h.i.+eld ”_in Orle_,” as in Nos. 86 and 132.