437 
HERA 
ri.il enfigns of fir Sidney Smith, granted to him on ac¬ 
count of his brave and fuccefsful achievements in Pa. 
leftine. 
Fig. 44. Sable, three crofs crofslets, thefirfiplain, the fecond 
fitchc, or fitchy, the third jitchy at the foot, argent. 
Fig. 45. Argent, a crofs flory gules. In this very old 
bearing we find each end ot the crofs adorned with a 
f’ur-de lis. Fig. 46. Azure, a crofs ragule or. Fig. 47. 
Argent, a crofs moline vert. The ends of this crofs are in the 
lb ;p of the fer dc moulin. See fig. 65. Fig. 48. Sable, in 
chief a crofs patte, in bafe a cfofs patie fitchy. The word pa- 
tec is derived from the French epate, fpread, extended in 
width, in the fhapeof a paw or claw, which the French 
call patte: un^i't epate, a fiat fpread nofe, a pug nofe. 
Thefe etymologic elucidations may appear at firft ufe- 
Iefs or trifling ; but when we confi'der that molt of the 
words employed; in heraldry are foreign to an Englilh 
ear, and cannot be remembered if they are not connected 
with fome interefting fadt more likely to make an im- 
preffion on the mind, we truft that, far from having to 
apologize to the lover of the blazon, we fhall be enti¬ 
tled to his thanks for thus affifting his memory, in a 
ipannerwhich conveys literary inftrudtion befides. Avel- 
lane, moline, pat'ee, are barbarous and unmeaning founds 
to the ear of thole who do not know what aveline, moulin, 
and patte, may fignify in another language. 
Fig. 49. Or, a crofs patonce azure. The etymology of 
the word patonce is the fame as in the explanation of 
the preceding figure. Fig. 50. Vert, a crofs plain argent. 
This bearing is the.neareft to the ordinary, being a crofs 
couped or levered from the (ides of the Ihield. Fig. 51. 
Argent, a crofs potent fable. The ends ,of this crofs repre- 
fent the potent or cr-utch, mentioned above, at the article 
vair. Fig. 52; Vert, a chalice, a cup, and a covered cup or. 
Thefe charges are very nearly alike in form, and often 
occur in ancient heraldry. In the romantic hiftory of 
Gabriel de Vergy, we find that her relentlefs father 
caufed her to be imprifoned and ftaeved to death, with 
the cap by her fide, containing the heart of her lover, 
which, by his laft delire, had been conveyedto France 
from the Holy Land, where he had fallen in battle. 
This, or fome fimilar circumflance, may have intro¬ 
duced this bearing. In modern grants it is properly af- 
figned to dignified clergymen. 
Fig. 53. Or, a dolphin naiant proper. The dolphin, as 
reprefented in heraldry, '.is nearly an imaginary being. 
Pliny the Younger, in his 23d letter, book ix. gives a 
curious anecdote to prove the Angular attachment, or 
accidental afteftion, of this fifh for man. Naiant, means 
fwimming. See the Definitions of Heraldic Terms. 
Fig. 54. Gules, a dolphin haurianl'argent. Several tribes 
of fifties, and particularly thole of rite cetaceous clafs, 
cannot live in the deep, without afeending now and then 
to the furface to draw (haurire) that portion of air ne- 
cefl’ary for their exiftence; as on the other fide, man is 
obliged to draw from rivers, or out of the bofom of the 
earth, a proportional quantity of water for his fupport. 
Fig. 35. Argent, a dragon vert. This fabulous creature 
is fully delcribed in the vocabulary. See the word 
Dragon. 
Fig. 56. Vert, an eagle clofe or. The king of the fea¬ 
thered tribes; the melfenger of Jove; the only "bird, it 
is laid, that can Hare, unwinking and unmoved, at the 
dazzling difeus of the fun ; was not an emblem unwor¬ 
thy ot the attention of former heralds: and hence 
we are to account for the great number of eagles that 
occur in ancient and modern coats of arms. PH bird, in 
heraldry, is (lyled clofe, when it is reprefented with its 
wings lying clofe to its,body. 
F‘g- 57- Argent, an eagle difplayed azure. Fig. 58, 
azure, an eagle’s headerafed argent. Fig. 59, or, an eagle 
difplayed with two headsJable : perhaps more heraldically, 
er y a, fpread eagle with two heads fable. The eagle was the 
ancient fynibol of Roman bravery, the enfign of the vic¬ 
torious legions, the terror of the world ; when the em- 
Vol. IX. No, 597. 
L D R Y. 
pire became divided, the head of the eagle was fplit ; 
and this noble emblem is Hill born by the emperor of 
Germany. See the introductory difcourfe on the origin 
and progrefs of heraldry . 
Fig. 60. Purple, an eagle’s leg argent. This fagacious bird 
was To great a favourite with thofe who gave confident 
analogy to the bearing of arms, that they laid a contri- 
bution on every pofition, attitude, or part, of his body - t 
fublimity of conception, ftrength and clearnefs of fight, 
rapidity and vigour of wing, foaring to celeftial heights, 
were qualities well calculated to fymbolize the merit of 
thofe who adopted any part of this empyreal bird for 
their armorial enfigns. 
Fig. 61. Or, an elephant's head erafed proper. This ani ¬ 
mal, for its fagacity, utility, and wonderful ftrength, is 
fully delcribed under the article Elephas, vol. vi. 
p.452. Fig. 62, azure, an efcallop argent. This (hell which, 
is of the pe&en kind, was generally worn on the hats, and 
chaperon of pilgrims and palmers to the Holy_ Land- 
Fig. 63, argent, an efioile of fix points fable. The pointsyre 
generally twilled and waved, as in the engraving. Fig- 
64, gules, a falcon belled or. This bird of prey afforded 
an uncommon deal of amufement to the kings, princes, 
and nobles, of former times, and hence it has fo often a 
place in armories. 
Fig. 65, Or, two fer demolinein chief azure, afire-ball m bafe 
fable, burfiing proper. The fer de moline, or mill-rind, is a 
piece of iron placed in the mill-ftone, nearly in fhape as 
reprefented here. The fire-ball, or bomb, has beem 
moltly granted to generals, naval officers, and military 
men, who have eminently dirtinguifhed themfelves in 
their refpeCtive fituations. 
Fig. 66. Sable, two fire-brands it 'dltire proper. Fig. 67- 
Perfefs or and azure, a fifh hauriant argent. Fig. 68. Sable, 
a fleece or. The hiftory of Jafon, well known in Grecian 
mythology, has probably given rife to this bearing, as 
well as to the Spanifti order of knighthood of that name. 
Fig. 69. Or, three fleurs-de-lis azure. See our intro¬ 
ductory difcourfe, p. 412. We read inTalfo, Gierufal. 
Liberata, canto primo, ftanza 37 : 
de’ Gigli d’oro 
Segui l’ufata infegna il fier Drapello. 
Which confirms what has been obferved on the anti¬ 
quity of this noble bearing. 
Fig. 70. Gules, a lion’s gambe argent. This word is 
nearly French. They ca\\ jambe what the Latins named 
crus, the leg. Fig. 71. Argent, three gauntlets azure. 
Gauntlets, from the French gand, a covering for the 
hands, were iron or fteel gloves, part of the armour of 
a warrior. 
Fig. 72. Azure, a greyhoundfejant argent. Fig. 73, or, 
a greyhound courant fable collared argent. The amufement 
of the chace was much more common in feudal times 
than it is at prefent. It was held in eftimation as a pre¬ 
liminary fchool, to teach young men how to fupport 
themfelves under the fatigues of the field. 
Fig. 74. Vert, a griffon paffant or. This monfter, half 
an eagle and half a lion, owes its origin to the ancient 
romantic writers. The'grifi'on was fuppofed to be en- 
trufted with the guardianlhip of treafures in caverns, in 
enchanted forefts, and gold mines, where they were 
often attacked by the Arimafpians, who, according to 
Herodotus, waged a continual war with them. See 
“ Paradife Loft,” where Milton compares Satan, “half 
on foot, half flying,” to that chimerical monfter ; 
As when a gryphon through the wildernefs 
With winged courfe, o’er hill or mpory dale, 
Purfues the Arimafpian, who by Health 
Had from his wakeful cuftody purloin’d 
The guarded gold. Book II. 1 . 943. 
The wings of the griffon are always elevated, difplayed, 
and addorfed. He may be fegreant, paflanf, See. 
Fig. 75. Or, three mallets azure. The hammer of the 
S T fmith* 
