Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/690

 672 HERALDRY STJXVT WWAAA /W Engrailed. Invected. Wavy. Embattled. Nebuly. Raguly. Indented. Dancette. Dovetailed. Partition Lines. number of parts by lines drawn through it at right angles to each other is said to be quar- terly of the number ; thus, if divided into eight parts by three vertical lines crossed by one hori- zontal, it is said to be quarterly of eight. All of these divisions are multiplied by the use of a variety of lines, the principal of which are called engrailed, invected, wavy, embattled, nebuly raguly, indented, dancette, and dove- tailed - v When an y of these lines are used in the division of a shield instead of straight lines, it must be de- scribed, as party per pale wavy, party per fess indented, &c. The term parted or party may be omitted as su- perfluous, it being un- derstood in phrases like the preceding. A charge is any emblem or figure borne in a field, and the field thus blazoned is said to be charged. Charges are divided into honorable ordinaries, subordinaries, and common charges. The hon- orable ordinaries, which are the principal char- ges in heraldry, are nine, viz. : the chief, pale, bend, bend sinister, fess, bar, chevron, cross, and saltier, the most of which have diminu- tives. The chief occupies the upper one third of the shield, determined by a horizontal line. Its diminutive is the fillet, one fourth its width and occupying its lower edge. The pale is formed by two parallel vertical lines drawn from the middle chief to the middle base, and occupying one third of the field. It has two diminutives, the pallet of one half its width and the endorse of one fourth its width, which frequently accompany the pale. The bend is formed by two diagonal lines drawn from the dexter chief to the sinister base, and is one fifth the width of the field. Its diminutives are the bendlet or garter of one half its width, the cost or cotise of one fourth its width, and the riband of one eighth its width and couped or cut off at the ends. The bend sinister is like the bend, but is drawn from the sinister chief to the dexter base. Its diminutives are the scarpe of one half its width, and the baton of one fourth its width and couped at the ends. The baton and the riband are generally consid- ered to indicate illegitimacy. The fess is formed by two parallel horizontal lines drawn through the middle of the field and occupying one third of it. The bar is similar to the fess, but occupies only one fifth of the field, and differs from it in that it is not confined to the middle, but may be placed in any part of the field ; there may be also several bars in a field. Its diminutives are the barrulet of one half its width, and the closet of one fourth its width. The latter is never borne single. The chevron is a figure formed of two bars drawn from the dexter and sinister bases and meeting in an angle in the fess point. Its diminutives are the chevronel of one half its width, and the couple-close of one fourth its width. The latter is borne in couples, generally one on each side of the chevron. The cross is a combination of the pale and the fess. This is the Greek cross, which is the only one included in honorable ordinaries. All variations of it are common charges. The saltier is a combination of the bend and the bend sinister. All of the honor- able ordinaries may be engrailed, wavy, indent- ed, &c., and may themselves be charged or borne between charges. The subordinaries are the bordure or border, orle, inescutcheon, quarter, canton, gyron, billet, paile or pall, pile, flanch or flanque, lozenge, mascle, rustre, fusil, and fret. The bordure is a stripe surrounding the shield, and is one fifth the width of the field. It passes over all the ordinaries except a chief, a quarter, and a canton. When divided into squares of alternate metal and color, it is said to be compony or gobony ; when into two rows of squares, counter-compony ; when into three or more rows, chequy. The bordure is often used to distinguish different branches of a family, and the bordure wavy is now the general mark to denote illegitimacy. The orle is one half the width of the bordure, and is borne within the shield and not extending to its edge. The inescutcheon is a small escutch- eon borne within the shield. The quarter is a square occupying the upper dexter quarter of the field. The canton is like the quarter but smaller, and occupies the dexter chief; if placed in the sinister chief, it must be described as a canton sinister. The gyron is formed by intersecting the quarter by a diagonal line bendwise. The billet is an oblong rectangular figure twice as long as broad. The pall is a figure like the letter Y, representing the pall of an archbishop. The pile is a wedge-like figure issuing, unless otherwise specified, from the middle chief, and extending to the nombril point or lower. Flanches, which are always borne in pairs, are formed by curved lines drawn from the upper angles to the respective base points. The lozenge is a figure of four equal sides, the upper and lower angles of which are acute and the others obtuse. The mascle is a lozenge perforated so as to make it only a narrow border. The rustre is a lozenge with a circular perforation. The fusil is an elongated lozenge. The fret is formed by the in- terlacing of a figure like a saltier with a mas- cle. A distinct group of charges are called roundles and guttae or gouttes, both of which may be of different tinctures. The roundle is circular, the goutte is round at the bottom and pointed at the top. Roundles of or are called bezants, of argent plates, of gules torteaux, of azure hurtes, of sable pellets or ogresses, of vert pommes, of purpure golpes. A roundle barry wavy of six, argent and azure, is called a fountain. Gouttes of or are called d'or, of argent d'eau, of gules de sang, of azure de larmes, of sable de poix, of vert d'olive.- Charges and tinctures may be varied so as to