442 HERA 
ceffion to the fountain, we obtain the aftoniffiing fum of 
17,498,880. Were we to add any charge in the other 
parts of the fhield, the number of changes would defy 
all power of calculation; and when we refleft on the 
variety and quantity of objedts, either real or imaginary, 
•which have been, and are everyday, admitted as confti- 
tuent parts of a coat of arms, we mult confefs that He¬ 
raldry, like a filent language, which fpeaks only to 
the mind’s eye, emulates in combinations the nearly ia- 
calculable number of founds which the human tongue 
can articulate and offer to the ear. 
ACCIDENTAL BEARINGS. 
Hitherto we have delineated, as ftridtly and carefully 
as poffible, all the conftituent and component parts of a 
regular coat of arms, under the heads of Ordinaries, Sub¬ 
ordinate Ordinaries, and Common Charges ; which, if once re¬ 
moved from the general compofition of the fhield, alter 
fo materially the bearing, that it becomes to all intents 
and purpofes another coat, juft as diftindtly as if the 
colours or metals were themfelves. changed. But it is 
incumbent on us in this.place to particularize three ac¬ 
cidental bearings, which do not affedt the purity and 
originality of the blazon, either by being added to, or 
removed from, the fhield; for they are perfedtly uncon¬ 
nected with the other charges: we mean, 1. the badge 
ofUlJler-, 2. the badge of Nova Scotia ; and, 3. the modern 
marks of difference , whereby are afcertained the diftindt 
branches of the fame paternal houfe. 
The Badge of Ulster, confifts in a fmall (liield 
argent, enfigned with a JiniJler hand opened and ere£l gules. See 
Plate IX. fig. 22. It may be borne in the dexter corner, 
in the centre chief, or as the fefs point; but never in the 
fliape of a canton. We often find inftances of its being 
affixed to the centre interfedtion of a fhield of four quar¬ 
terings ; or. on an interfedtion in the middle fummit of 
the chief row of the quarterings, when they amount to 
any greater number. It mull however be obferved, that 
in a collection of quarterings, it would be highly impro¬ 
per to introduce it in any other coat than the firft, if an 
interfering middle point could not eafily be found, which 
is the cafe when the row is compofed of an uneven num¬ 
ber of coats, as 3, 5, 7, &c. The origin of this badge 
is as follows : 
In the reign of James I. and even long before his ac- 
ceffion to the throne of England, the whole kingdom of 
Ireland, but particularly the province of Ulfter, had 
continued in a very refradtory and unfettled ftate, gnd 
the people were in general unwilling to fubmit to the 
influence of the Bnglilh government. To reprefs 
thefe licentious cabals, king James created an order of 
baronets, being a middle ftation between the barons of 
parliament and the order of knights ; “ all which (ba¬ 
ronets) did not only tender to his majefty their utmoft 
fervice, but alfo made a proffer of their lives, fortunes, 
and eftates, as a teft of their ready performance of this 
duty;” adding that “while a fpark of rebellion, or hof- 
tile difpofition, continued to difturb the peace of that 
kingdom, or province, they would themfelves in per- 
fon be ready to check and reprefs it.” On their firft 
inftitution, the number of baronets was not to exceed 
two hundred ; but it is now, as are the higher heredi¬ 
tary titles, without limitation, at the pleafitre of the fo- 
vereign. By the words of the patent they are to be 
ftyled Sirs, and their wives Ladies-, belides many other 
privileges and immunities, bee Kimber’s Baronetage of 
England. 
The Badge of Nova Scotia, arofe thus : The or¬ 
der of baronets in Scotland was projedted by King James 
to encourage the plantation and lettlement of the pro¬ 
vince of Nova Scotia, in North America ; but he dying 
before his intentions could be accomplifhed, his fon, 
Charles I. in the fifth year of his reign, executed his fa¬ 
ther’s plan, and inftituted this order foon after his accef- 
fion. The firft perfon dignified with the title was, fir 
Robert Gordon, of Gordenftone, in 1625. His majefty, 
L D R Y. 
in 1629, granted to this order the privilege of wearing 
a ribbon and badge, which laft was prefented to each 
baronet by the king himfelf, according to the words of 
the warrant: “An orange tannie filk ribbon, whereon J.hall 
hang pendent, in a fcutcheon argent, a faltire azure, thereon an 
inefcutcheon of the arms of Scotland, with an imperial crown 
apove the efcutcheon, and incircled with this motto, Fax men¬ 
tis honesty gloria: which cognizance our faid 
prefent lieutenant (hall deliver now to them from us,” 
&c. See Plate IX. fig. 23. 
The Baronets of Ireland, inftituted by James I. 
in the 18th year of his reign, had the fame privileges 
granted to them as are enjoyed by thofe of England, 
and alfo bear on their paternal coat the badge of Ulfter. 
DISTINCTIONS of HOUSES. 
The ancient mode of varying coats of arms between 
father and Tons, and between the feveral branches of a 
family, was, as we have noticed above, by introducing 
an ordinary, inferting a charge, or inverting the paternal 
tindture. But this being for a long while done accord¬ 
ing to every one’s fancy, without fyftem, order, or 
rule, heraldilts have adopted a ftridtly uniform me¬ 
thod, which offers to the beholder a criterion as certain 
and indubitable, as it is manifeft and fatisfadtory. The 
differences thus felected, are exhibited in the Heraldry 
Plate VIII. as follow : 
The heir, or firft fon, wears - - - a label. 
The fecond fon, - - - a crefcent. 
The third fon, - - - - - a mullet. 
The fourth fon, ----- a martlet. 
The fifth fon, - - an annulet. 
The fixtlv fon, - - . a fleur-d'e-lis. 
The feventh fon, - - - . - a rofe. 
The eighth fon, - a crofs moline. 
And the ninth fon, - - - a double quaterfoil. 
For the fecond houfe, that is the houfe or family of 
the fecond fon, the eldeft wears a label on the paternal 
crefcent. The fecond fon a crefcent on a crefcent, and 
fo on invariably. The third houfe, or the houfe of the 
third fon, wears, for the eldeft a label on the paternal mul¬ 
let, the fecond fon a crefcent on the mullet; and fo on. 
The daughters of each houfe fliould always bear the 
family diftindtion borne by their father, but not any to 
ffiow them to be the firft, fecond, third, &c. daugh¬ 
ters, as is done by the royal princeffes ; each of whom 
bears a label differently enfigned, as ffiown in the en¬ 
graving Plate VIII. 
It is not eafy to afcertain exactly when thefe diftinc- 
tions took place. That they are of mod ancient date, 
is beyond doubt; as it was neceffary to give a differ¬ 
ence to all the members of a family to facilitate the 
means of identifying them. However, it appears to us 
that thefe brizures, or, as they are fcientifically called, 
marks of cadency, are coeval with the earlieft vifitations 
of heralds, becaufe they are to be found in the records 
of thofe vifitations preTerved in the College of Arms 
from the early part of the reign of Henry VIII. Now 
as the moll ancient vifitation of which any account is 
recorded, is “ Vifitatio fadta per Marifchallum de Nor- 
roy, ult. ann, Henrici IV. 1412,” preferved in the Har- 
leiar. library, it is fair to conclude that thefe diftindtions 
began to be ufed in the reigns of Henry IV. Edward IV. 
&c. although Edmondfon, whofe partiality againft paft 
and prefent heralds is obvious in his works, reprefents 
them as of modern invention, and of little import, as 
being too fmall to be perceived at a diftance. It is faid, 
that in an old window of the church of St. Mary at 
Warwick, the fix fonsof Thomas Beauchamp, thexvth 
earl of Warwick, who died 34 of Edward III. are dif- 
tinguilhed by thefe differences; but we cannot be fure 
that This window was not put up fome years after his 
death, and perhaps that of his fons. 
Thefe marks of cadency are not adopted by the 
princes or princeffes of the blood royal of England, be¬ 
caufe 
