PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 245 



of an observer looking toward it ; but the sinister chief and base are 

 on the left side of the shield. (Plate VI. Fig. 5.) 



The tinctures, or armorial colors, are represented in engravings as 

 follows ; or, (golden or yellow), by a dotted surface ; argent, (silver 

 or white), by a white surface, unshaded ; (Fig. 7) ; azure, (blue), 

 by shading with horizontal lines; (Fig. 8) ; gules, (red), by shading 

 with vertical lines ; (Fig. 9) ; sable, (black), by two sets of lines, 

 horizontal and vertical : (Fig. 10) ; vert, (green), by lines inclining 

 downwards to the right; (Fig. 12); purpure, (purple), bylines in- 

 clining downwards to the left; (Fig. 16); tenne, (orange), bylines 

 crossing obliquely ; (Fig. 15) ; and sanguine, (dusky red), by oblique 

 lines inclining downwards to the left, crossed by horizontal ones. 

 (Fig. 14). Of furs, ermine, is represented by black sprigs on a white 

 field, each sprig having three dots over it ; (Fig. 6) ; and contre- 

 ermine, (or counter-ermine) is the same, only with white sprigs, on 

 a black ground. Vair, is represented by a surface covered with small 

 escutcheons, alternately white and blue, with the white inverted, and 

 placed opposite to the blue ; (Fig. 11) ; while in contre-vair, two of 

 the same color, blue or white, are placed head to head.* 



The ordinaries, are certain divisions or portions of the escutcheon, 

 which have received distinctive names. Thus, a broad horizontal 

 space, constituting the upper third part of the shield, is called the 

 chief; (Plate VI. Fig. 6) ; and a broad horizontal belt across the 

 middle, is called a fcss ; (Fig. 7) ; or if narrower, a bar. A broad 

 space down the middle of the shield, is termed the pale ; (Fig. 8); a 

 similar belt from the left upper corner, downward to the right, is 

 called the bend ; (Fig. 9) ; and if inclined the contrary way, the 

 bend sinister. The bar sinister, (Fig. 10), is the most common 

 badge of illegitimacy. A smaller shield within the escutcheon, is 

 called an inescutcheon ; and a broad space around the edge, is termed 

 a border. (Fig. 11). A horizontal and vertical band, together, form a 

 cross ; but two oblique bands, united, form a saltier. (Fig. 12). A 

 band across the shield, forming a right angle, with the vertex upwards, 

 is called a chevron; (Fig. 13); a vertical triangle, with the point 

 upwards, is named a pile ; (Fig. 14) ; and a vertical band, narrowest 

 in the middle, and with concave sides, is termed aflasque. (Fig. 15). 

 A cross in the form of the letter T, that is, wanting the upper arm, is 

 called a potence. (Fig. 16). If the shield is divided by a line across 

 the middle, it is said to be parted per fess, (parte per fesse) ; if by 

 a line down the middle, parted per pale ; and so of other directions. 

 The dividing line may be either straight ; or indented, (Fig. 6) ; or 

 invected, (Fig. 7) ; or engrailed, (Fig. 8) ; or waved, (Fig. 9) ; or 

 nebuled t (Fig. 12) ; or it may be embattled, raguled, urded, dove- 

 tailed, or in still other forms, which we have no room here to explain. 



Heraldic charges, are those figures which are painted within the 

 field of the escutcheon ; and which may represent almost any 

 objects, whether natural or artificial. If simple round spots, or 

 roundlets, are used, they are called bezants, when yellow ; plates, 

 when white ; torteaux, when red ; and by other names for other 



* The block shading in Fig. 13, is technically called potent-counter-potent / but 

 it might be more simply designated counter-potent. 



X2 



