246 BIOGRAPHY. 



colors ; or, if very small, they are called guttes, that is, drops. If 

 diamond shaped, they are called lozenges, fusils, or muscles ; and 

 if oblong, they are named billets. Angels, men, beasts, birds, fishes, 

 insects, stars, and ships, are frequently used as heraldric charges ; 

 having in the first instance probably a symbolical reference to the 

 acts or character of their bearer. In case of animals, their position 

 is carefully designated ; as couchant, lying down ; dormant, sleep- 

 ing ; guardant, looking towards the spectator ; reguardant, looking 

 backward ; passant, walking by ; combattant, fighting ; rampant, 

 rearing up to fight; salient, leaping; seiant, sitting; and various 

 other postures. 



Some charges are deemed more honorable than others : as the lion 

 is deemed the most honorable of beasts ; and beasts generally are 

 deemed more honorable than fishes : but these very artificial dis- 

 tinctions, now but little regarded, it is not our province to explain. 

 Marks of cadency, are those symbols used to designate the order 

 of birth or primogeniture. Thus, the eldest son may bear the addi- 

 tion of a label, or alabel ; that is a horizontal bar, with three drops 

 beneath : the second son may be distinguished by a crescent ; the 

 third, by a mullet, or five pointed star ; the fourth, by a martlet, a 

 certain small bird ; the fifth, by an annulet, or ring ; the sixth, by a 

 fleur de Us ; and so on. Sometimes, however, this distinction is 

 made by repeating the characteristic charge, or varying its position. 



The ornaments, of an escutcheon, are the external objects con- 

 nected with it ; as crests, helmets, scrolls, and the like. The crest, 

 was originally the plume attached to the helmet ; and in coats of 

 arms it was a badge of the highest honor : but the term is now 

 applied to any object placed above the shield, for ornament. Of the 

 helmet, there were four kinds ; for the king ; (Fig. 1) ; for the nobili- 

 ty; (Fig. 2) ; fora knight; (Fig. 3) ; and for an esquire. (Fig. 4). 

 Croivns, are appropriated to sovereigns ; (Fig. 17) ; and coronets, 

 to the nobility, with distinctions to mark the grade. The coronets 

 of dukes, marquises, and earls, (Figs. 18, 19, 20), are set with both 

 strawberry leaves and pearls ; but those of viscounts and barons, are 

 set with pearls alone. Mitres are peculiar to the coats of arms of 

 the higher clergy; (Fig. 21); but the tiara, or triple crown, (Fig. 

 22), is worn only by the pope of Rome. The mantling, is the 

 drapery thrown around the escutcheon : the wreath, resembling leaves, 

 is an appendage to the helmet ; the scroll, is usually attached below 

 the escutcheon, containing some motto selected by the individual 

 owner; and the supporters, are figures, usually of animals, standing 

 on the scroll, and on each side of the escutcheon. 



The marshalling of arms, or uniting of two or more coats in one, 

 is most frequently performed by impaling; that is, bisecting the 

 shield by a vertical line, and appropriating one-half to each coat. 

 This method is usually adopted for the escutcheons of a husband and 

 wife. Another mode, is by quartering $ that is, dividing the shield, 

 by cross lines, into quarters, in which the separate arms are placed. 

 These may be farther subdivided ; so that one coat of arms may 

 unite many others, from which it is derived. Funeral escutcheons 

 or achievements, also called hatchments, are of a lozenge shape, and 



