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Page 7
The label only, is used in the arms of the royal family as a
difference; but the points of the label are charged with different
figures to distinguish the second and succeeding sons. The arms of the
sons of King George III. were thus distinguished: the shield of the
arms of the Prince of Wales by a label; the Duke of York's by the
label, the centre point of which was charged with a red cross; that
of the Duke of Clarence by a label, the dexter and sinister points
of which were charged with an anchor, the centre point with the red
cross; each of the succeeding sons were differenced by charges on the
points of the labels.
All the figures denoting differences are also used as perfect charges
on the shield; but their size and situation will sufficiently
determine whether the figure is used as a perfect coat of arms, or is
introduced as a difference or diminution.
Sisters have no differences in their coats of arms. They are permitted
to bear the arms of their father, as the eldest son does after his
father's decease.
Guillim, Leigh, and other ancient armorists mention divers figures,
which, they assert, were formerly added to coats of arms as marks of
degradation for slander, cowardice, murder, and other crimes, and to
them they give the name of abatements of honour; others have called
them blots in the escutcheon: but as no instance can be produced of
such dishonourable marks having been borne in a coat of arms, they
may justly be considered as chimerical, or at any rate obsolete,
and unworthy of consideration at the present time. Porney pithily
observes, "that arms being marks of honour, they cannot admit of any
note of infamy, nor would any one bear them if they were so branded.
It is true, a man may be degraded for divers crimes, particularly high
treason; but in such cases the escutcheon is reversed, trod upon, and
torn in pieces, to denote a total extinction and suppression of the
honour and dignity of the person to whom it belonged."
The only abatement used in heraldry is the baton: this denotes
illegitimacy. It is borne in the escutcheons of the dukes that assume
the royal arms as the illegitimate descendants of King Charles the
Second.
[Illustration: Baton]
CHAP. IV.
HONOURABLE ORDINARIES.
Honourable ordinaries are the original marks of distinction bestowed
by sovereigns on subjects that have become eminent for their services,
either in the council or the field of battle. Volumes have been
written upon the origin and form of the honourable ordinaries. These
long and tedious inquiries can only be interesting to antiquaries: it
is sufficient for the tyro in Heraldry to know that they are merely
broad lines or bands of various colours, which have different names,
according to the place they occupy in the shield; ancient armorists
admit but nine honourable ordinaries--the chief, the pale, the bend,
the bend sinister, the fess, the bar, the chevron, the cross, and the
saltier.
The _chief_ is an ordinary terminated by an horizontal line, which, if
it is of any other form but straight, its form must be expressed; it
is placed in the upper part of the escutcheon, and occupies one third
of the field.
Ex. Argent, on a chief, gules, two mullets, sable.
[Illustration: Chief]
Any of the lines before described may be used to form the chief.
[Illustration: Chief]
Ex. Argent, a chief, azure, indented.
The chief has a diminutive called a _fillet_; it must never be more
than one fourth the breadth of the chief.
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