Part 7

In the construction of the flag of Norway, curiously enough, the same blunder has been committed as in our own Union. It is "described" as a blue cross _fimbriated_ white; but the border, as the flag is worn, is too broad, and it really represents two crosses, a blue cross superimposed on a white one--just as our St. George's cross, as represented in our national colours, is nothing but a red cross superimposed on a white one. Mr. Laughton accordingly looking at the Norwegian flag in this light, calls it the white flag of Denmark with a blue cross over it,[50] which it was certainly not intended to be. The flag is shown in Plate V. No. 11. The Swedish-Norwegian union in the canton was introduced in 1817, when the two countries were united under one king.

[50] _Heraldry of the Sea_, p. 23.

The Danish flag (see Plate V. No. 7) is the oldest now in existence. The tradition is that it descended from Heaven ready made in the year 1219 in answer to the prayer of King Waldemar, as he was leading his troops to battle against the pagans of the Baltic. Be that as it may, it certainly dates from the thirteenth century.

The flag of Portugal has borne a conspicuous part in history, and the devices in it carry us back to a very early period. The present royal standard is red with a red shield in the centre charged with towers or castles for the kingdom of Algarve, which Alphonsus III. got from the King of Castile when he married the daughter of the latter in 1278; and in the centre there is a white shield bearing on it the shields of the five Moors placed crossways. The Portuguese national flag is per pale, blue and white, and in the centre point is the same device as appears on the royal standard. The present flag, however, is only a modification of the old flag which was carried by the early discoverers, and which brought glory to Portugal in the days of Prince Henry the Navigator. (See the national flag of Portugal, Plate V. No. 12.)

The royal standards of Norway and Sweden, and also the ensign of these kingdoms, are peculiar in preserving the ancient form of having the fly ending in three points. (See the Swedish standard, Plate V. No. 10.)

Greece has adopted the colours of Bavaria in compliment to her first king. (See Plate VI. No. 7.)

The devices on some of the Asiatic flags are peculiar. That of Burmah bears a peacock; Siam, a white elephant; and China, a hideous-looking dragon. (See these flags, Plate VI. Nos. 1, 2, 3.) On the flag of Bolivia (Plate VI. No. 4) is the representation of a volcano, suggested in all probability by the great volcano of Serhama, which rises in Western Bolivia to the height of 23,000 feet. Japan, the land of the far east, the source of the sun, as her name signifies, has adopted for her flag the sun rising blood-red. (See Plate V. No. 9.)

The flag of Brazil, which is very inartistic in its construction, bears among other devices the armillary sphere of Portugal. (See Plate VI. No. 8.)

In Plates IV. V. and VI. will be found representations of the flags of other kingdoms and republics. These speak for themselves, and do not call for particular description.

But I must now bring these notices to a close. To the true patriot of every country the national flag must be a subject of pride. If, as a French writer observes, it does not always lead him to victory, it inspires him to fight well, and if need be to die well. "We pay to it," says the same writer, "royal honours. When it is paraded--in rags it may be, and with faded colours, bearing in letters of gold the names of victories--the troops present arms, the officers salute it with the sword, and the white heads of veteran generals are uncovered and bent before the ensign." To the soldier its loss is one of the greatest calamities. In Napoleon's disastrous retreat from Moscow in 1812 not many of his flags remained with the Russians. Of those which were not carried off most were burned, and of some of these the officers drank the ashes. More recently the same thing is said to have been done at Metz and Sedan. So a French writer tells us, and he characterizes the act as "_communion sublime_!"

What the flag is, indeed, to the sailor and the soldier, whether when shaken out in battle or when displayed in memory of great victories, none but the soldier and the sailor can realize. At the interment of Lord Nelson, when his flag was about to be lowered into the grave, the sailors who assisted at the ceremony ran forward with one accord and tore it into small pieces, to be preserved as sacred relics. "I know," says Charles Kingsley--in those _Brave Words_ which he addressed to our soldiers then fighting in the trenches before Sebastopol, "I know that you would follow those colours into the mouth of the pit; that you would die twice over rather than let them be taken. Those noble rags, inscribed with noble names of victory, should remind you every day and every hour that he who fights for Queen and country in a just cause is fighting not only in the Queen's army but in Christ's army, and that he shall in no wise lose his reward."

INDEX.

A.

Armenian Flag, 110.

Army, British, Flags of, 96.

Artillery--have no colours, 101.

Assyrian Standards, 17, 19.

Austria, Flag of, 114.

Austro-Hungary, Flag of, 114.

B.

Banner of St. Cuthbert, 33.

Banner-bearers, 33.

Bannerets, 30.

---- their following, 32.

Banners, 29.

Belgian Flag, 109.

Beverly, Sir John of, his banner, 33.

Black Prince at Navarete, 31.

"Blue Blanket," 50, 51.

"Bluidy Banner" of Covenanters, 52.

Bolivia, Flag of, 116.

Brazil, Flag of, 117.

Bryon, Sir Guy de, banner-bearer of Edward III., 34.

Burmah, Flag of, 116.

---- British, Flag of, 71.

C.

Carlaverock, Siege of, 32.

Chandos, Sir John, made banneret, 31.

China, Flag of, 116.

Cochrane, Lord, 85, 86.

Colours of British Army, 96.

Colours of 24th Regiment, 96, 98.

---- of Foot Guards, 97.

---- of Cavalry, 101.

---- Presentation of new, 100.

Columbus, his flag, 113.

Commonwealth, Flag of, 56.

Constantine, Standard of, 25.

Consuls, Flags of, 71.

Coronations, Banners borne at, 35.

Covenanters, Flags of, 51, 52.

Custodiers of Banners, 34.

D.

Danish Flag, 115.

---- Standards, 27.

---- Flag, 109.

Deceiving enemy, Use of Flags in, 76.

Douglas. See Earl Douglas, 47, 48, 49.

Dragon--Standard of Romans and Dacians, 25.

Dragon--Standard of Germany and England, 25.

Dragoon Guards, Colours of, 101.

Dutch Fleets, 70.

E.

Eagle, Roman, 21.

---- French, 108.

Earl Douglas, his standard, 47, 48.

Earl Marshall, his standard, 46.

Earl Percy--love pledges, 48.

Edward III., his banner, 34.

---- his standard, 37.

Egyptian Standards, 13, 14, 15.

Engineers, Royal--have no colours, 101.

Ensign, The, 67.

F.

False Colours, when may be used, 83.

Firing at Colours of a friendly nation, 90.

Flag, waving, First introduction of, 26.

Flag of Mutiny, 75.

Flags, First forms of, 27.

---- Different kinds of, 28.

---- Hauling down enemy's, 86.

---- Usage, International, as to, 88.

---- of British army, 96.

---- of military authorities embarked in boats, 102.

Flags, Special, 71.

---- of private persons, 102.

Fleurs de lis of France in arms of England, 37.

Flodden, Battle of, 46.

Foreign Flags, 103.

---- ---- use of at home, 89.

French Flags, 103.

Funerals, Banners borne at, 35.

G.

George III., his standard, 41.

Gonfanon, 28.

Greece, Flag of, 116.

Greeks, Standards of, 26.

H.

Hauling down enemy's colours, 86, 87.

Hebrew Standards, 15.

Henry II., his standard, 37.

Henry VII., his personal standard, 38.

Hopson, Admiral, 87.

Hussars--have no colours, 101.

I.

India, Governor-general of, his flag, 71.

International usage as to flags, 88.

Ireland, National flag of, 54.

---- Lord-lieutenant of, his flag, 71.

Isandlana, 11, 98.

Italy, Flag of, 114.

J.

Jack, Union, 64.

---- pilot, 66.

James I., his standard, 40.

Japan, Flag of, 116.

K.

Knights Bannerets, 30.

L.

Labarum, Roman, 24.

Lancers--have no colours, 101.

Liberia, Flag of, 113.

Lord-lieutenant of Ireland, his flag, 71.

M.

Marshall. See Earl Marshall, 46.

Mary Stuart, Queen, her standard, 40.

Moscow, Flags destroyed in Napoleon's retreat from, 117.

Mourning, Flags signifying, 74.

Mutiny, Flag hoisted in, 75.

N.

Napoleon I., Standard presented by to his guards, 107.

National Flags, 54.

Navarete, Battle of, 31.

Norman Standards, 27.

Norway, Peculiar form of Flag of, 115, 116.

O.

Otterbourne, Battle of, 47.

P.

Pacha, Standard of, 21.

Parley, Signal for, 34.

Parthians, Banners of, 25, 26.

Paul Jones, his flag, 110.

Pendant, The, 72.

---- Long, 73.

---- Broad, 73.

Pennon, 28.

Penny, Design of Union on, 63.

Penoncel, 28.

Percy. See Earl Percy, 48.

Persian Standards, 20.

Portugal, Flag of, 115.

Private persons, Use of flags by, 102.

Prussian Flag, 109.

Q.

Quarantine, Flag of, 75.

R.

Rifle Brigade--has no colours, 101.

Roman Standards, 21, 22.

Royal Standard of England, 36, 40.

---- of Scotland, 38.

Russian Flag, 109.

S.

Saxons, Standards of, 27.

Scottish Arms, their precedence on Royal standard, 42.

Sedan, Flags destroyed by French at, 117.

Siam, Flag of, 116.

Sickness, Flag intimating, 78.

Signal Flags, 73.

Spain, Flag of, 114.

Special Flags, 71.

Squadrons, Division of navy into, 68.

Standard, Battle of, 28.

Standard, The Royal, 36, 40.

---- ---- when hoisted in ships, 44.

Standard-bearers, 17, 18.

Standards, Ancient, 13.

---- of Egypt, 13-15.

---- of the Hebrews, 15.

---- of the Assyrians, 17, 19.

---- of Persians, 20.

---- of Turks, 20.

---- of Pachas, 21.

---- Roman, 21, 23, 24.

---- of Greeks, 26.

---- Parthian, 26.

---- of Danes, 27.

---- of Saxons, 27.

---- of Normans, 27.

---- suspended from trumpets, 35.

---- at coronations and funerals, 35.

---- Personal, of sovereigns, 38.

---- borne by Nobles, 44.

---- borne by Trades, 50.

Supporters of Royal Arms, 43.

Surrender, Signal of, at sea, 77, 81.

---- of a fortress, 34.

Swedish-Norwegian Flag, 115.

T.

Trades, Standards borne by, 50.

Truce, Flag of, 74.

Trumpets, Banners suspended from, 35.

Turkish Standards, 20.

U.

Union, Design of, on penny, 63.

---- Flag, The first, 55.

---- under Commonwealth, 56.

---- on Restoration, 56.

---- present form, 57.

---- Error in construction of, 58.

---- as it ought to be made, 62.

---- how and when displayed, 65, 66.

---- in Ensign, 68.

---- Jack, 64.

United States Flag, 110.

Usage, International, as to flags, 88.

Uses of Flags in naval warfare, 75.

V.

Volunteer Regiments--have no colours, 102.

W.

Warwick, Earl of, his standard, 45.

William III., his standard, 41.

Wolf, on Roman Standard, 21.

Y.

Yellow Flag, 75.

---- Successful use of, by Lord Cochrane, 85.

Transcriber Notes:

Passages in italics were indicated by _underscores_.

Small caps were replaced with ALL CAPS.

Throughout the document, the oe ligature was replaced with "oe".

Throughout the document, the superscripted letters are preceeded by a carot. If there is only one superscripted letter it is placed directly after the carot, and if there is more than one superscripted letter they are enclosed by curly brackets. Thus, the word "y^e" represents a word where the "y" is normal and the "e" is superscripted; and the word "1^{st}" represents a word where the "1" is normal and the "st" is superscripted.

The illustrations have been moved so that they do not break up paragraphs and so that they are next to the text they illustrate. Thus the page number of the illustration might not match the page number in the List of Illustrations, and the order of illustrations may not be the same in the List of Illustrations and in the book.

Errors in punctuations and inconsistent hyphenation were not corrected unless otherwise noted.

On page 55, "Andrews" was replaced with "Andrew's".

On page 71, "top-gallantmast-head" was replaced with "top-gallant-masthead".

On page 73, two instances of "top-gallantmast head" were replaced with "top-gallant-masthead".

On page 96, "buntin" was replaced with "bunting".