A System of Heraldry - Clan Strachan Society

20 POINTS AND PARTS OF THE SHIELD, &c.
We meet often in French books vair or vairy, with their pieces otherwise ranged
than the former, as fig. 14. which they call vair en pointe; of which Monsieur Baron,
in his LArt Heraldique, gives us the arms of Durant, which he blazons vair
en
pointe ; and, when of other tinctures than argent and azure, vair en
pointe,
d'or &- de gueles.
There is another furr rarely to be met with, but in the books of our English
writers, as fig. 15. which Gerard Leigh calls Meirre, a term used by them when
the field is grittie, as John Feme says ; that is, when the field is composed equally
of pieces of metal and colour alternately, as vair, cheque, lozenge, and meirre. The
last, of which we are is speaking, composed of pieces representing cups or goblets,
always of the tinctures of argent and azure alternately. And the foresaid Leigh
blazons this coat t
vairy cappy, (or assyj ; and his countryman, Mr Gibbon, in
his Introductio ad Latinam Blazoniam, calls "
it, Campum cuppis vel tassis
variega-
"
turn." But Guillim, and other modern heralds, say, the pieces of this furr do
represent the heads of crutches, and blazon it, potent contre potent, argent and
azure; Potent, an English word signifying a crutch, from the French word Potence,
a gallows, or cross like a T. The name of Bureau, in France, have a cheveron
of these figures in their arms, which is blazoned by Sylvester Petra Sancta,
"
Cantherius ex repetitis mutuo insertis patibulis ;" and Mr Gibbon calls
"
it, Can-
"
therium patibulatum ;" and the English heralds, Potent contre
potent; as in
the foresaid figure. Of which more particularly afterwards, in the Chap, of Crosses,
at the title, Of the Cross Potent, or Potence.
Having, I think, sufficiently treated of the nature and forms of furrs used in armories,
which are a compound of metal and colour, and are sufficient of themselves,
without the addition of any other figure, to stand for a complete coat of
arms ; when they are a field of arms, may be indifferently charged, either with
metal or colour; and when charges or pieces are of those furrs, they may be laid
on a field either of metal or colour, without offending the rule of heraldry, Not
to put metal upon metal, or colour upon colour. I now proceed to the principal
points of the shield.
CHAP. VI.
Til)' POINTS AND PARTS OF THE SHIELD ;' AND FORMS OF LINES, WHICH DIVIDE THE
SHIELD INTO SEVERAL PARTS.
I HAVE described the shield under several forms, and clothed it with armorial
tinctures and furrs. I shall proceed now to show its points or niduli, as the
Latir-5 term them, in which figures are situated, and from them have additional
terms in the blazons, to show in what parts of the shield they stand, and how dis-
posed of.
The names of the points and parts of the shield are taken from the parts of a
man, whom the shield is supposed to represent ; of which I have given two schemes,
Plate II.
In fig. i. Plate II. the letters ABC represent the highest part of the shield,
which the French call chef, the head. The English and we write it chief, as it
'.vere the most honourable and chief part of the shield.
D is called the collar, or honour point; because eminent men do wear their badof
honour about their necks, as the Knights of the Thistle, Garter, Holy Ghost,
Golden Fleece, &c.
E is called the cceur (or heart) point, as also the centre or fesse point.
F, the nombrel or the navel point.
G H, by the French, are called \\\zjlanque points; but by the English, the base
points. And I, by all nations, the base point.
^ is the dexter chief point ; B the middle chief point ; C the sinister chief'point ;
^ the right base point; H the sinister base point : But the French call themflanques ;
and the letter I under them, they call the base point. The use of these points is to
difference coats of arms charged with the same figures : For arms having a lion in
chief, differ from those which have a lion in the nombrel point; and arms that have