HERALDRY. 



ted to bear their father's arms, with the 

 same distinctions used by them. 



The shield, or escocheon, the mantle, 

 the helmet and crest, are the several 

 parts of arms which compose an achieve- 

 ment. Accidents in the escocheon are 

 points and abatements; the former are 

 places in the shield named according to 

 their position in the middle, or remote ; 

 the middle are near the centre. The 

 fess point is the centre of the escocheon. 

 The honour point is in a direct line above 

 it, and the nombril is next below it. Re- 

 mote points are placed at still greater dis- 

 tances from the fess point, some of which 

 are superior and others inferior ; the for- 

 mer occjupy the upper part of the esco- 

 cheon, and of those there are middle and 

 extremes, the middle is the exact middle 

 of the chief between the two extremes ; 

 the two superior extreme points occupy 

 the corners of the chief part of the esco- 

 cheon, and are termed the dexter and 

 sinister. The inferior points are at the 

 base, and of them there are middle and 

 remote, (see fig. 23,) in which A is the 

 dexter chief point ; B, the precise middle 

 chief; C, the sinister chief ; D, the ho- 

 nour point ; E, the fess point ; F, the 

 nombril point ; G, the dexter base ; II, 

 the dexter middle base ; I, the sinister 

 base point. An abatement is a casual 

 mark annexed to coat armour, which an- 

 nounces some dishonourable act of the 

 bearer. Abatements consist of diminu- 

 tion and reversing, the first is the blem- 

 ishing of some particular point of the es- 

 cocheon by sanguine and tenne, which 

 are stains ; were the metals used, they 

 would be considered additions of honour. 

 See fig. 24. 



Augmentations are additional charges 

 borne on an escocheon, a canton, or chief, 

 and given as particular marks of honour. 

 See fig. 26. 



Escocheons are either of one or more 

 tinctures: of those of more than one, that 

 is said to be predominant, when some one 

 metal-colour or fur is supposed to be 

 spread over the whole surface of the es- 

 cocheon, which is termed the field, or 

 shield ; in such as have more than one 

 tincture, the field and charge must be 

 observed. 



The charge is that which possesses the 

 field, whether natural, artificial, vegeta- 

 ble, or sensitive, and may be placed 

 throughout the superficies, or in some 

 particular part of the esco Jheon. 



Ordinaries consist of lines variously 

 drawn. The properties of them depend 

 upon their deviations from a right line. 

 Those ajre termed engrailed, inveeted, 



waved, crenelle, or embattled, nebule, 

 indented, and dancette. (See fig. 27.) 

 Of these, and straight lines, honourable 

 ordinaries, abatements, and rewards of 

 honour, are composed. 



The honourable ordinaries are, the 

 cross, chief, fess, barr, pale, chevron, 

 bend, saltier, and escocheon. 



The cross occupies the fifth part of the 

 escocheon ; if charged, the third ; and is 

 borne engrailed, invected, wavy, 8cc. be- 

 tween a charge, and charged as the rest 

 of the ordinaries are. (See fig. 28.) Ar- 

 gent a cross sable. 



The chief is peculiar to those who have 

 obtained it by extraordinary merit : it 

 contains one third part of the escocheon 

 in depth, and is divided into a fillet, 

 which includes a fourth part of the chief, 

 and is placed in the chief point. (See fig. 

 29.) Or, a chief gules. 



The fess is situated in the centre of the 

 shield, and contains in breadth the third 

 part of the escocheon. (See fig. 30. Azure 

 a fess, or.) The bar differs from the fess 

 only as it is but the fifth part of the 

 shield. It is divided into the closet, or a 

 moiety of the bar ; and the burulet, or 

 half the closet. 



The pale contains the third part of the 

 escocheon, and is divided into a pallet, or 

 one-half of the pale. An endorse is the 

 fourth part of a pale, and is not used but 

 when the pale is between two of them. 

 If the pale is upon an animal, it is usual 

 to say, he is debrused with the pale ; if 

 the beast is on the pale, he is supported 

 of the pale. (See fig. 31.) Gules, a pale, 

 or. 



The chevron resembles the rafters of a 

 house, and occupies the fifth part of the 

 field, and is divided into the chevronel, 

 which contains half the chevron; arid a 

 couple close, the fourth part of the chev, 

 ron. These are not borne but in pairs, un- 

 less there is a chevron between them. 

 (See fig. 32.) Gules, a chevron argent. 



The bend contains the fifth part of the 

 field in breadth when not charged ; when 

 charged, the third ; and is divided into 

 the bendlet, which is limited to the sixth 

 part of the shield; into a garter, the moie- 

 ty of a bend; into a cost, the fourth part 

 of a bend ; and a riband, the half of a cost, 

 (See fig. 33.) Or, a bend azure. 



There is, besides, the bend sinister, 

 which passes obliquely across the esco- 

 cheon, from the sinister chief to the dex- 

 ter base. This is divided into the scrape, 

 half the bend ; and the battune, the 

 fourth part of the bend, the most com- 

 mon badge of illegitimacy. (See fig. 34.) 

 Gules, a battune argemV 



