Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/234

 158 MARKS OF CADENCY bascinets and camails with rich belts round the hips. Guy, Reynburn, and probably Jerome and John, died in their father's lifetime ; still I do not suppose these windows were executed till after his death in 13G9 : indeed it was he who, by his will in that year, ordered his executors to new-build the choir of this church. It is observable, that this mode of differencing is essentially unlike that given by Upton, who, writing in the first half of the 15th century, assigns to the eldest son a crescent, to the second son a label of three points, to the third son a label of four points, and so forth ; in which, as in many other matters, he is followed by the Book of St. Alban's. An acquaintance with the various modes of differencing coats, which have been in use from time to time, is not only important to the genealogist, but of great service to the antiquary ; for, besides being thereby enabled to identify the branch or member of the family indicated by a particular shield, he can often by such means ascertain, within very narrow limits, the date of the monument or building on which the coat occurs. This, it is obvious, is most prac- ticable in regard to the arms of those families whose pedigrees and heraldic differences are best known or most easily traced ; and, therefore, the shields of the several members of the Royal House of Plantagenet have a peculiar interest and value in this respect. The marks of cadency by which the heirs apparent and the junior members of it were distin- guished, are to a great extent known ; and many original examples of their arms so differenced remain ; some on seals and tombs, and others in illuminations, painted glass, mural paintings, carvings, and the like. The label and bordure, either plain or charged, were chiefly, though not exclusively, used by this family. Thus Edward I., Edward II., and Edward III., before they respectively came to the crown, bore England (i. e., gules three lions passant guardant in pale 07') mth a label azure ;'^ Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lan- caster, second son of Henry III., bore England with a label of France {i. e., azure, charged with fleurs-de-lis or) ; his second son Henry, in the lifetime of his father and elder brother, whom he succeeded, bore England with a bendlet - I have stated tliis label to be azure, sive evidence of this as to Edward I., the which in all probability was the fact ; for siege of Carlaverock and examples in glass though I am not able to adduce anv deci- show Edward II. and III. bore it azure.