A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

OF THE LINES. 21
u mascle or mullet in the dexter chiefpoint, differ from those that have the like in
the base Heralds tell
points.
us, these points have diflerent significations; for figures
which represent wit, are placed in the chief points ; and these which give
addition of honour, are placed in the honour point: These which are given to reward
courage, are placed in the cceur or centre point ; and these that are given in
reward of supply or support, are placed in thejlank points, because a man's thighs,
or flanks, are his greatest support. But these thoughts are mere flights of fancy in
heralds, and seldom or never considered in composing arms ; but direct how to
place figures on a shield after the most regular and beautiful ways, and, in blazon,
to name the points wherein they stand, or are situated. When arms are blazoned,
without relation to 4 or expressing the points wherein the figures are situated, the\
are then supposed to possess the centre of the shield. The other scheme being the
figure 2. in which the letter A is the centre of the shield, where, ordinarily, the
principal figure of the bearing is placed.
B the middle chiefpoint ; any figure placed there, is said to be in chief.
C is ordinarily the place, when three figures are carried two and one : The undermost
is there situate, as in the bearing of the house of Hamilton, gules, three
cinquefoils, ermine, two in chief and one in base.
D the dexter chiefpoint, or canton.
E the sinister chiefpoint, or canton.
F the dexterflanque ; and G, the sinister flanque of the shield, where are situate
the two crescents in the arms of Haig of Bemerside, Plate VI. fig. 28.
D B E are said to be in chief, or ranged in chief, as in the arms of Dalmahoy of
that Ilk ; azure, three mullets in chief, argent. Plate VI. fig. 34.
When figures are situate or ranged, as D A I, they are said to be in bend, as the
three martlets in the arms of Norvil. Plate V. fig. 20.
When ranged, as E A H, they are said to be in bend sinister.
When ranged, as H C I, they are said to be in base; the French say, in point.
When nine figures are ranged and placed as the nine letters in the scheme, they
ire then, in the blazon, said to be carried 3, 3, and 3.
When three figures are ranged or situate as the three letters F A C, they are said
to be in fesse.
And when five figures are ranged or placed as A B C F G, they
in cross ; and when situate as A D I E H, they are then ranged in saltier.
When eight figures are situate as the letters DBEGICHF, they
he placed in orle .
OF THE LINES.
are said to be
are said to
THE lines used in armories, in dividing the shield into different parts, and in
composing of figures, are of different forms, without which many arms would
be one and the same ; for a chief wavey differs from a plain chief, by the lines
which compose them : And
there are particular reasons for these different forms of
lines, as shall be observed hereafter. These lines,
names, give
according to their forms and
denomination to the pieces or figures which they form, except the
straight or plain line. The crooked lines are these following : The first two lines,
Plate II. named ingrailed and inverted, when represented together, are somewhat
known, the one from the other, being opposite to one another, both being made
(as it were) of semicircles, the ingrailed with points upward, and the invected line
with points downward. Bxit this is not yet a sufficient distinction ; for suppose the
space betwixt them, which they form, be a fesse, then it is only ingrailed and not
invected ; for a fesse ingrailed must have the points on both sides turned towards
the field, and the convex or gibbose parts towards the fesse itself ; and so of a bend,
if these be invected, then the
cheveron, and other proper figures
in : heraldry And
convex parts of the line are towards the field ;
but these lines are more clearly distinguished,
when placed by way of border, as fig. i. Plate II. with the letters within
a border ingrailed, and in fig. 2. within a border invected. These two lines, in-
grailed and invected, are more hard to be distinguished, when the field is divided
into two equal parts of different tinctures, as parted per pale, parted per fesse, &c,
F