A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

IN. ARMORIES.
is 1'rom the figure of pearl, of which in its proper place. This partition is mad'.-
by a paler line issuing from the base point, dividing, at the centre, into two diagonal
lines, which end in the dexter and sinister chief points, and divide the field
into three areas ; blazoned, tierce in pairle, argent, sable, and gules, tig. 24. borne
by the Prince of Misnia in Upper Saxony. Sylvester Petra Sancta not only give-,
us this partition, but the reverse of it, tierce in pairle, reversed argent, or, and
azure, borne by the family of Haldarmanstetin in Germany.
There are partitions denominated by the French, parti emanche, coupe
emancbt .
&c. of the first, when the field is divided perpendicularly by points or piles, mix
ing with one another, or like a large dancette, as fig. 25.
Parti emanche, sable and argent, the English would blazon it, parted per pair.
dancette argent and sable ; or argent, three piles issuing from the left side., sable.
The French know nothing of piles of which afterwards ; but say, when such fi-
gures appear, emanche, manche signifying the sleeve of a coat. By the descriptions
of these partitions, and the examples given, it is more than probable, that these
partition lines were originally from the habits and party-coloured garments of great
men. ,
There are other partitions, called by some repartitions, a few of which, chiefly
used in Europe, I shall here subjoin ; though these may be referred to the Chapter
Of Marshalling many Coats of Arms in one Shield. But since these are used by
some families in Europe as one coat of arms, I shall speak of them in this place.
This partition is made by a fesse, or horizontal line, and half a palar or perpendicular
line from the chief, terminating in the centre ; which the English would
blazon, parted per fesse, first parted per pale, or and azure, second argent. The
1
French say, caupe mi-parti
en haut d'or, d azure,
1
et d argent; and Sylvester Petra
Sancta, parma transversa secta, superiore parte partim aurea, partim cytinea, & inferne
argentea, the arms of the Fatieri in Venice, fig. 26.
Fig. 27. parted per fesse, first or, second parted per pale, sable and argent ; the
French say, coupe mi-parti en base ; and Sylvester Petra Sancta, superne omnino aurea,
inferne casia argentcaque, the arms of SchafFengergi in Bavaria.
Fig. 28. parted per pale, first parted per fesse, azure and gules, second argent ;
the French, parti mi-coupe, to the dexter d'azure, de gueules, et d? argent. Sylves-
ter Petra Sancta, scutum in dextra semisse quidem, super ne caruleum, inferne puniceum,
& penitus argenteum in lava semisse, borne by the family of Florcaneri in Bavaria.
I shall add this partition, consisting of six areas ; blazoned, parti one, coupe two,
azure and argent, as fig. 29. But this partition is fitter for holding different coats
of arms marshalled together in one shield, than to be a coat of arms of itself with-
but more of such afterwards.
There are many other odd partitions and repartitions
out figures ;
of the field into two or
more parts, which are to be found in the books of heralds before-mentioned, which,
for brevity's sake, I omit ; because they are not to be met with in our Britannic
Bearings, and rarely in eminent families abroad. I shall only here add one, which
is a little singular with us, which I met with in a part of a manuscript of the learned
Mr Thomas Crawfurd, a curious antiquary and herald, whose writings on this
and other sciences, were, to the great loss of our country, embezzled and destroyed
after his death. He gives us the arms of Garth, (or M'Garth), in Galloway, an
old name, but now not frequent, as fig. 30. which he blazons, quarterly per pale
and cheveron, argent and gules.
To put an end to these partitions and repartitions, I shall only advise my reader
to carry along with him the four principal partition lines, as they are given in the
English and French terms ; from which not only the other partitions and reparti-
tions, which commonly occur, but also the following proper figures in heraldry,
which I am to treat of, have their names.
And here I shall conclude this chapter, as I propose to do those that follow, with
a collection of blazons of the several families with us, which have for their bearings
one or more of those partitions or figures whereof I have now treated, or may treat
hereafter, in their proper places : Which I choose rather to do, than interrupt my
reader by a multitude of blazons at the end of every paragraph.
JAMES ALEXANDER of Knockhill, parted per pale, argent and sable, a cheveron
and crescent in base, all counter-changed, with a mullet for difference. N. R. . By
H