

HERALDRY. 



has ever been considered as symbolical of 

 majesty and dignity ; the ruby cannot be 

 wasted by fire or water, and Mars, the 

 planet, alludes to the heathen God of bat- 

 tle, the patron of courage and military ad- 

 dress. 



Azure, blue, the lines in this instance 

 are horizontal, (see fig. 4,) and intended 

 for the tint of the air or sky, and is said to 

 denote loyalty, fidelity, and chastity ; the 

 precious stone and planet in azure were 

 adopted as possessed of superior quali- 

 ties, emblematic of the worth of nobles 

 and princes. 



Sable, or black, represented by per- 

 pendicular and horizontal lines crossing 

 each other at right angles (see fig. 5). 

 Sable indicates gravity, constancy, and 

 grief for the loss of friends ; the diamond 

 is the most valuable of all stones, and Sa- 

 turn presides over counsellors and other 

 grave characters. 



Vert, green, the lines are bendways 

 (see fig. 6.) or from the sinister corner of 

 the chief to the opposite of the base, and 

 is emblematical of youth, peace, and con- 

 cord. 



Purpure, is a colour composed of a 

 large part of crimson, and a less of blue, 

 and the lines which express it tend di- 

 rectly contrary to those of vert, (see fig. 

 7.) this word is derived from the fish call- 

 ed purpura ; the amathyst was preferred, 

 for its excellence, to decorate the breast 

 of Aaron, and the planet Mercury signi- 

 fies goodness of temper, 



Tenne, or tawny, is a mixture of red 

 and yellow, and represented by lines like 

 those of purpure ; it has been but little 

 used in England, but was formerly in a 

 considerable degree in France. 



Sanguine, is composed of lake and a 

 small quantity of Spanish brown, and ex- 

 pressed by lines as purpure ; it was much 

 used by the knights of the Bath, and by 

 the Serjeants at law, in their Vestments ; 

 the Sardonix is said by St. John to be the 

 sixth stone in the Heavenly Jerusalem. 



Furs are the next object to be consi- 

 dered, the use of which may be thus ex- 

 plained. 



Ermine, implies a field argent, with the 

 powdering sable, (see fig. 8.) 



Ermines, is the reverse, or a field sable, 

 and the powderings argent. 



Erminois, signifies a field or, and the 

 powdering sable. 



Pean, is a field sable, and the powder- 

 ings or. 



Vair, is of two descriptions ; if it con- 

 sists of argent and azure, it is sufficient to 

 ay vair ; but if it is compounded of any 



other colours, it is usual to say vairy of 

 the colours adopted, (see fig. 9.) 



Fig. 10 is blazoned potent-counter-po- 

 tent, and the colours argent and azure. 



Doublings, or furs, were anciently, and 

 are at present, used for the linings of the 

 robes and mantles of senators, consuls, 

 and kings. 



The bordure is extended to a great va- 

 riety, as (fig. 11) gules a bordure, or; 

 (fig. 12) a bordure indented, argent; 

 (fig. 13) a bordure counter compone, ar- 

 gent and gules. 



The bordure is generally one-sixth part 

 of the breadth of the shield, and is in- 

 grailed, indented, charged, componed, 

 and countered. If the inner line of the 

 bordure is strait and the latter plain, the 

 colour of the bordure alone is named in 

 blazoning; if it is charged witli parts of 

 plants or flowers, it is described as verdoy 

 of trefoils. If it consists of ermines, vair 

 or vairy, or any of the furs, (he heralds 

 say purflew of ermines. When charged 

 with martlets, charged with an enaluron 

 of martlets. 



The label is the first of the distinctive 

 marks of the branches of a family, and is 

 borne by the eldest son during the life of 

 his father (see fig. 14). The second son 

 bears a crescent, the third a mullet, the 

 fourth a martlet, the fifth an annulet, the 

 sixth a fleur de lis, the seventh a rose, the 

 eighth a' cross moline, and the ninth a 

 double quatrefoil. (see figures 15, 16, 17, 

 18, 19,20,21,22.) 



Those differences should be strictly ob- 

 served by every brother or house, to 

 prevent contention relating to coat ar- 

 mour. 



In the second house, the first son bears 

 a crescent charged with a label during his 

 father's life only ; the second son, of the 

 same house, a crescent charged with ano- 

 ther crescent; the third, a crescent charg- 

 ed with a mullet ; the fourth, a cres- 

 cent charged with a martlet ; the fifth, a 

 crescent charged with an annulet ; and 

 the sixth, a crescent charged with a fleur 

 de lis. 



The mullet, which is the difference of 

 the third house, is thus charged : the first 

 son, with a label during the life of his fa- 

 ther ; the second, with a crescent ; the 

 third, with a mullet ; the fourth, with a 

 martlet ; the fifth, with an annulet ; and 

 the sixth, a fleur de lis. 



The martlet, annulet, and fleur de lis, 

 the differences of the fourth, fifth, and 

 sixth houses, are charged for distinctions 

 similar to the mullet. 



The daughters of families are permit- 



BTTB 



