Part 5

KNIGHTS OF THE BATH. An ancient and honourable military order of knighthood. The date of its origin is too remote to be traced with certainty: by some authors it is said to have been instituted in Normandy before the Conquest; it was re-established in England by Henry IV., and revived by George I. The chapel of this order is Henry VII.'s chapel in Westminster Abbey: the Dean of Westminster for the time being is always dean of the order of the Bath. The number of the knights is according to the pleasure of the sovereign. At the close of the late war the Prince Regent, afterwards George IV., remodelled this order of knighthood; and to enable himself to bestow marks of honour upon the naval and military officers that had distinguished themselves on the ocean and in the field, he divided the order into three classes: first, all the noblemen that were Knights of the Bath were henceforth to be called Knights Grand Crosses of the Bath, which was also the title of the commanders of fleets and armies that were rewarded by being admitted into the highest class of this noble order.

The second class are called Knights Commanders of the Bath; a great number of naval and military officers above the rank of captains in the navy and majors in the army are admitted into this class.

The third class is styled Companions of the Order of the Bath, and is open to officers of inferior rank.

The Knights Grand Crosses of the Bath attach the initials K.G.C.B. to their names and titles.

The Knights Commanders use the initials K.C.B.

The Companions are known by the initials C.B.

LABEL. The noblest of abatements serving as a difference between the eldest and the junior sons. See DIFFERENCE.

LANGUED. A term derived from the French word _langue_, tongue. It signifies in Heraldry that the tongue of a bird or beast is of a different tincture from the body.

LION. The strength, courage, and majestic deportment of this noble animal, has gained him the regal titles of monarch of the forest and king of beasts. Ancient heralds selected the figure of the lion as symbolic of command, strength, power, courage, and other qualities attributed to that animal. Armorists have introduced lions to denote the attributes of majesty, might, and clemency, subduing those that resist, and sparing those that yield to authority. The lion has been depicted in every attitude which could by any means be construed into a compliment to the person the sovereign delighted to honour, by raising him to a rank that enabled him to bear arms. Was it a warrior, who, though victorious, was still engaged in struggling with the foes of his sovereign, the lion rampant was considered a proper emblem of the hero. The warrior having overcome his enemies in the field, yet retaining his military command for the safety and honour of his country, was typified by the lion statant gardant. We might easily find examples to show the propriety of the emblem for all the positions of the lion introduced as charges in coats of arms; but the two given will be sufficient: the rest may easily be imagined by the intelligent reader. The following are the most usual positions in which the lion appears in shields of arms:--

Rampant.

Rampant gardant.

Rampant regardant.

Salient.

Statant gardant.

Passant.

When the lions' heads are placed in the same position as in rampant gardant and regardant, they are then said to be passant gardant and regardant.

Sejant.

Couchant.

Dormant.

Thus far the lion is drawn in natural positions; these are considered the most honourable, as they have never been properly inserted in arms but for persons of high authority and pre-eminent courage and virtue. There are a great many deviations from the above, which are marks of great honour. It is considered that a lion cannot bear a rival in the field; therefore if two or more lions are introduced they are supposed to be lion's whelps, or in Heraldic terms lioncels.

Two lioncels addorsed or back to back.

Lioncels combatant.

Lion rampant double-headed.

An incorporated lion gardant in the fess point.

There are a great number of ways of introducing this charge: many of them will be seen under the proper words that describe their condition: such as the word debruised, where the lion is confined by the fess passing over it; demi-lion or half lion; but the examples here given will be sufficient to explain their positions, active or passive. If no mention is made of the tincture it is always supposed that they are proper, that is, to be coloured like nature: they are introduced in arms of every metal and tincture known in Heraldry.

LODGED. A stag sitting on the ground with its head erect, is said to be lodged.

LOZENGE. An angular figure, known as diamond-shaped, to distinguish it from the square.

EX. Or, a lozenge vert.

LOZENGY. Covered with lozenges.

EX. Lozengy gules and argent.

LUNA. The moon: it formerly signified argent in emblazoning the arms of sovereigns.

MANCHE. An ancient sleeve with long hangings to it.

EX. Argent, a manche, gules.

MANED. When the manes of horses, unicorns, &c. are of a different tincture from their bodies they are said to be maned.

MANTLE. A long robe or cloak of state.

MANTLING. The flowing drapery forming the scroll-work displayed on either side of the helmet from beneath the wreath, representing the ancient covering of the helmet, used to protect it from stains or rust. When the mantling incloses the escutcheon, supporters, &c., it represents the robe of honour worn by the party whose shield it envelopes. This mantle is always described as doubled, that is, lined throughout with one of the furs, as ermine, pean, vary. For examples of mantling, see the arms and crests of England, Scotland, and Ireland.

MARQUIS. The second order of nobility in England, next in rank to a duke.

MARSHAL. A title of honour. See EARL MARSHAL.

TO MARSHAL. To place persons in due order, according to their precedency, in public processions, such as coronations, proclamations of peace or war, funerals, &c.

MARSHALLING ARMS. The disposing of several coats of arms belonging to distinct families in the same escutcheon, together with their ornaments, parts, and appurtenances.

MARTLET. An imaginary bird said to be without legs; it is used both as a charge and a difference.

EX. Argent, a martlet, gules.

MASCLE. An open lozenge-shaped figure, one of the subordinate ordinaries.

EX. Argent, a mascle, vert.

MEMBERED. A term used to express the beak and legs of a bird when they are of a different tincture from its body.

MERCURY. The name of the planet, used by ancient heralds to describe purple in blazoning the arms of sovereigns.

METAL. The two metals used in Heraldry are gold and silver, called or and argent. It is against the rules of Heraldry to place metal upon metal, or colour upon colour, unless for special reasons. Therefore, if the field be of any colour, the bearing must be of one of the metals, and on the contrary, if the field be of one of the metals, the bearing must be of some colour.

MILLRIND. The iron placed in the centre of a grindstone to protect the hole in the centre from the action of the axis; it is a charge frequently borne on escutcheons of persons connected with agriculture.

EX. Argent, a millrind, gules.

MITRE. A sacerdotal ornament for the head, worn by Roman Catholic archbishops and bishops on solemn occasions. Certain English abbots formerly wore mitres, and they are frequently found as charges in the arms of abbeys and monasteries. The annexed is a representation of the mitre of the archbishops and bishops of the church of England, borne as a mark of distinction over the arms of the see, or over their paternal achievements, when impaled with the arms of their see. The prelates of the Protestant Church of England never wear mitres.

The Bishops of Durham were formerly princes of the Palatinate of Durham, and wore a ducal coronet surmounted by a mitre. They still retain the coronet and mitre as an heraldic distinction, borne over the arms of the bishopric.

MORION. A steel cap or helmet formerly worn by foot soldiers below the rank of gentlemen.

MOTTO. A word or short sentence inserted in a scroll, which is generally placed beneath the escutcheon; in some instances it is placed above the crest. The motto frequently alludes to the name of the bearer of the arms, as the motto of the Right Honourable Lord Fortescue--FORTE SCUTUM SALUS DUCUM, a strong shield is the safety of commanders. Sometimes the motto is the watchword or war-cry in the battle where the original bearer won the honours that are retained by his descendants. Generally the motto is founded upon the piety, loyalty, valour, fortitude, &c. of the persons to whom arms were granted.

MOUND. A globe encircled with a band and surmounted with a cross; it is an ensign of royalty, signifying dominion.

MULLET. From the French word _molette_, the rowel of a spur: it is generally drawn with five points, as in the annexed example: when more points are used they are named.

EX. Azure, a mullet or.

MURAILE. A French term for walled.

MURREY. A word used by ancient armorists instead of sanguine.

NAIANT. A French term for swimming. This term is used in Heraldry when a fish is drawn in an horizontal position.

EX. Argent, a salmon proper, naiant, its head towards the sinister side of the shield.

NAISSANT. A French word signifying coming out. It is used when a lion or any other animal appears to be rising out of the centre of an ordinary.

EX. Or, from the midst of a fess, gules, a lion rampant naissant.

NEBULÉ, or NEBULY. A French word, signifying cloudy, represented by a curved line, thus--

NOBILITY. Under this denomination are comprehended--dukes, marquises, earls, viscounts, and barons only. Archbishops and bishops are included in the rank of clergy.

NOMBRIL POINT. That part of the shield below the fess point. See page 6. letter F. [CHAP. II.]

NORROY. The name of one of the Kings-at-Arms. See King-at-Arms.

NOWED. This word signifies tied or knotted, and is applied to serpents, wiverns, or any animals whose tails are twisted and enfolded like a knot.

OGRESSES. Black roundlets.

OR. The French word for gold. This tincture is denoted in engraving by small points.

ORANGES. Roundlets tinctured tenne.

ORDINARY. A term used to denote the simple forms which were first used as heraldic distinctions, and therefore called honourable ordinaries, as conferring more honour than later inventions. They are the chief, pale, bend, bend sinister, fess, bar, chevron, cross, and cross saltier. There are thirteen subordinate ordinaries. The form, size, and place that the honourable and subordinate ordinaries occupy in an achievement are all described in the Manual, and in this Dictionary under their different names.

ORLE. A subordinate ordinary composed of double lines going round the shield at some distance from its edge; it is half the width of the bordure.

OVER ALL. This expression describes a figure borne over another and obscuring part of it.

EX. Quarterly or and gules, over all a bend vair.

PALE. One of the honourable ordinaries formed by two perpendicular lines drawn from the base to the chief. The pale occupies one third of the shield.

EX. Azure, a pale or

PALL. A scarf in the shape of the letter Y, forming part of the vesture of a Roman Catholic prelate. It is introduced as the principal bearing of the archbishops of Canterbury, Armagh, and Dublin.

Ex. Azure, on a pall argent, four crosses fitchy sable, in chief a cross pattee of the second.

PALLET. A diminutive of the pale.

PALY. A field divided by perpendicular lines into several equal parts of metal and tincture interchangeably disposed.

Ex. Paly of four, argent and gules.

PARTY or PARTED signifies divided, and applies to the several parts of an escutcheon parted by a line, which always runs in the direction of one or more of the honourable ordinaries, as may be seen in the following examples:--

PARTED PER PALE AND PER BEND SINISTER Counterchanged, or and gules.

PARTED PER PALE AND PER CHEVRON. Gules and or, counter changed.

PARTY PER FESS. A shield parted in the centre by an horizontal line through the fess point.

Ex. Party per fess, engrailed, argent and gules.

PARTY PER PALE. This signifies a shield parted by a perpendicular line down the centre, so that one shield may contain two coats of arms.

Ex. Parted per pale, gules and argent.

PASCHAL LAMB, or HOLY LAMB.

Ex. Argent, a lamb passant, carrying a banner charged with a cross.

PASSANT. Passing or walking. See LION PASSANT and PASSANT GUARDANT.

PATONCE. See CROSS.

PATTE. A cross small in the centre, wide at the ends. See CROSS.

PATRIARCHAL CROSS. Cross used by patriarchs in the Greek church. See CROSS.

PEARL. A precious stone, used by ancient heralds for argent in emblazoning the arms of peers.

PEAN. The name of a fur, the field sable, the tufts or.

PEER. Name given to all persons included in the rank of nobility.

PELLETS. A name given to black roundlets.

PENDANT. A shield suspended or hanging from a branch of a tree, or from a nail. Shields of arms frequently appear drawn thus in architecture, and when described are said to be pendant.

PENNONS. Small flags borne at the end of a lance of an esquire or gentleman bearing his paternal arms. The end of the pennon was cut off upon the person being created a knight banneret. See BANNERET. Penoncels or Pencils were small flags decorating the helmet or the horse armour. They are now only used at funerals. The large flag in the engraving is a pennon, the smaller, penoncels or pencils.

PHEON. A missile instrument with a barbed head, thrown from a cross bow.

Ex. Argent, a pheon proper.

PIERCED OR PERFORATED. Cut through the centre.

Ex. Argent, a mullet pierced, sable, on a chief azure, three mullets pierced, of the first.

PILE. An angular figure like a wedge, formed by lines running from the dexter and sinister chief to the middle base.

Ex. Argent, a pile, purpure.

IN PILE. Arms or other charges that are placed so as to form the shape of a pile are said to be borne in pile.

Ex. Argent, three swords in pile, their points towards the base.

PLATE. One of the six roundlets; its colour is argent, but the tincture is not mentioned, as the plate is always silver.

POMEIS. Green roundlets.

POMMELLED. The pommel of the sword is the round ball or knob at the end of the hilt of a sword.

PORTCULLIS. A grating suspended by chains, used to defend the entrance to a castle.

POTENT. The ancient name of a crutch: when the field is covered with figures like small crutches it is called potent; when the heads of the crutches touch each other it is called counter potent.

Ex. Argent and azure, potent and counter potent. Some armorists call counter potent vary cuppy.

PRINCE. The only Principality in Great Britain is that of Wales. The title of Prince of Wales is usually conferred upon the eldest son of the British monarch. All other sons, grandsons, brothers, uncles, and nephews, are called princes of the blood royal. For instance, the Duke of Cambridge, the uncle of Queen Victoria, is styled His Royal Highness Prince Adolphus Frederick Duke of Cambridge.

His son is styled Prince George of Cambridge.

PRINCESS. Daughter of a sovereign. In England the eldest daughter of the monarch is called the Princess Royal; the others by their Christian names.

PROCLAMATION. A publication by the authority of the King. Proclamations of peace or war, or other matters of importance, are usually read by one of the heralds. They are addressed to the whole community under their different orders or ranks, viz. Clergy, Nobility, Gentry, Burgesses, and Commons.

PROPER. This word is used to denote that animals introduced as charges in an escutcheon appear in their natural colour. Modern writers on Heraldry consider this word superfluous, as the omission of the name of any metal or tincture is quite sufficient to make any person conclude that a lion, horse, or other animal is to be represented as it appears in nature.

PURPURE. The colour of purple, described in engraving by lines drawn diagonally from the sinister to the dexter side of the shield.

PURSUIVANTS. Four officers of the Heralds' College, whose duty it is to attend the King-at-Arms on public occasions, and preside over certain departments of the Heralds' Office.

They are called--Rouge Croix, Blue Mantle, Rouge Dragon, Portcullis.

They are entitled to rank as gentlemen, but not esquires.

QUARTERED. A shield divided into four equal parts by a cross is said to be quartered. The quarter occupying the dexter chief is marked 1, or the first quarter; that occupying the sinister chief, 2; the dexter base, 3; the sinister base, 4; as in the annexed example.

QUARTERLY. This term is used to signify that the shield is quartered. In describing the royal arms of England we should say--Quarterly, first and fourth gules, three lions passant guardant, or. Second, or, a lion rampant gules, within a double tressure of the same, flory and counter flory. Third, azure, a harp or, stringed, argent.

QUARTERED OR PARTED PER SALTIER. A field divided by diagonal lines crossing each other in the centre of the field.

QUARTER FOIL. A four-leaved flower.

QUARTERINGS. An escutcheon divided into any number of squares is said to contain as many quarterings; they may be as numerous as the arms required. An escutcheon containing a number of quarterings is called a genealogical achievement.

QUADRATE. Square. See CROSS QUADRATE.

QUARTER PIERCED. See CROSS QUARTER PIERCED.

RADIENT. Any charge having rays or beams about it.

Ex. Azure, a pale, or, radient.

RAGULY. Any bearing that is ragged, like the trunk or limbs of a tree lopped of its branches, is said to be raguly. See CROSS.

RAMPANT. Any beast in a fighting attitude. See LION RAMPANT.

RAY. A stream of light proceeding from a luminous body.

Ex. Azure, a ray of the sun issuing out of the dexter corner of the escutcheon. The lines on each side are not noticed.

REST. The figure inserted in the illustration of the word "clarion" is by some writers on Heraldry thought to represent a rest for a lance, and they give the charge that name. See CLARION.

REGARDANT. An animal looking towards the sinister side of the shield. See LION REGARDANT.

RIBAND. A diminutive of the bend.

Ex. Gules, a riband, or.

ROUNDLETS. Small round figures, all named from different metals and tinctures. See p. 8. [CHAP. II.]

RUBY. A precious stone, formerly used instead of gules.

SABLE. The term used in Heraldry for black.

SALIENT. An animal springing forward. See LION SALIENT.

SALTIER. One of the honourable ordinaries, by Scottish heralds called St. Andrew's Cross.

Ex. Argent, a saltier, gules

SANGUINE. One of the heraldic tinctures. It is a dark red or blood colour. By some armorists it is called murrey. The latter word is considered obsolete.

SAPPHIRE. The name of a precious stone, formerly used to express azure.

SARDONYX. A precious stone, formerly used to denote sanguine in emblazoning the arms of the English nobility.

SATURN. The name of a planet, used to denote sable in emblazoning the royal arms by ancient armorists.

SCEPTRE. A royal staff; an ensign of sovereignty borne in the hand. It was originally a javelin without a head. Sceptres of the present time are splendidly decorated with jewellery. The annexed engraving represents two sceptres of the kings of England: _the sceptre with the dove_ is of gold, three feet seven inches long; the circumference of the handle is three inches, and two inches and a quarter at the end of the staff; the pomel is decorated with a fillet of table diamonds and other precious stones; the mound at the top is enriched with a band of rose diamonds; upon the mound is a small cross of Calvary, over which is a dove with its wings expanded, as the emblem of mercy.

_The royal Sceptre with the Cross_ is of gold; the handle is plain, and the upper part wreathed; it is in length two feet nine inches, the fleur-de-lis of six leaves; the mound, and the cross above it, are richly embellished with amethysts and diamonds.

SCARPE. A diminutive of the bend sinister.

Ex. Argent, a scarpe, gules.

SCROLL. The riband below the escutcheon, on which the motto is inscribed.

SEEDED. When the seed of a rose or any other flower is of a different tint from the petal, it is called seeded. The heraldic colour of the seed in the centre of a flower is or, but, as in other proper names, the colour of the seed is not mentioned unless it is of a different tincture.

SET FOIL OR SIX FOIL. Six leaves conjoined in the centre.

SEGREANT. This term is used to describe a griffin displaying its wings as if about to fly.

Ex. A griffin rampant, segreant, gules.

SEJANT. French word for sitting. See LION SEJANT.

SEMÉ. A French word for strewed. A field powdered or strewed with any object is said to be semé: thus a shield may be semé of fleur-de-lis, semé of hearts, &c.

SINISTER. A term used in Heraldry to signify the left side of any object. Thus a bend proceeding from the top of the left side of the shield is called a bend sinister.

SLIPPED. Torn from the stock or branch.

Ex. Azure, three laurel leaves slipped, argent.

SOL. A planet, formerly used to denote or, in emblazoning royal arms. It is the Latin name for the sun.

SOL, or THE SUN IN ITS SPLENDOUR. The sun is said to be in its splendour when it is figured (that is, delineated with a human face) and surrounded with rays. Sometimes this figure is called a sun in its glory.

Ex. Azure, a sun in its splendour.

STANDARD. A large square flag bearing the whole of the achievements of the monarch or nobleman, as seen in the royal standard of England. The royal standard, when placed before the pavilion of the monarch either at a tournay or in an encampment, was eleven yards long and three yards broad.