The Manual of Heraldry; Fifth Edition | Page 2

of DOMINION, PRETENSION, CONCESSION.
COMMUNITY, PATRONAGE, FAMILY. ALLIANCE, AND
SUCCESSION.
Arms of Dominion or Sovereignty are properly the arms of the kings or
sovereigns of the territories they govern, which are also regarded as the
arms of the State. Thus the Lions of England and the Russian Eagle are
the arms of the Kings of England and the Emperors of Russia, and
cannot properly be altered by a change of dynasty.
Arms of Pretension are those of kingdoms, provinces, or territories to
which a prince or lord has some claim, and which he adds to his own,
though the kingdoms or territories are governed by a foreign king or
lord: thus the Kings of England for many ages quartered the arms of
France in their escutcheon as the descendants of Edward III., who
claimed that kingdom, in right of his mother, a French princess.
Arms of Concession are arms granted by sovereigns as the reward of
virtue, valour, or extraordinary service. All arms granted to subjects
were originally conceded by the Sovereign.
Arms of Community are those of bishoprics, cities, universities,

academies, societies, and corporate bodies.
Arms of Patronage are such as governors of provinces, lords of manors,
&c., add to their family arms as a token of their superiority, right, and
jurisdiction.
Arms of Family, or paternal arms, are such as are hereditary and belong
to one particular family, which none others have a right to assume, nor
can they do so without rendering themselves guilty of a breach of the
laws of honour punishable by the Earl Marshal and the Kings at Arms.
The assumption of arms has however become so common that little
notice is taken of it at the present time.
Arms of Alliance are those gained by marriage.
Arms of Succession are such as are taken up by those who inherit
certain estates by bequest, entail, or donation.
SHIELDS, TINCTURES, FURS, &c.
The Shield contains the field or ground whereon are represented the
charges or figures that form a coat of arms. These were painted on the
shield before they were placed on banners, standards, and coat armour;
and wherever they appear at the present time they are painted on a
plane or superficies resembling a shield.
[Illustration: Escutcheon]
[Illustration: Lozenge]
Shields in Heraldic language are called Escutcheons or Scutcheons,
from the Latin word scutum. The forms of the shield or field upon
which arms are emblazoned are varied according to the taste of the
painter. The Norman pointed shield is generally used in Heraldic
paintings in ecclesiastical buildings: the escutcheons of maiden ladies
and widows are painted on a lozenge-shaped shield. Armorists
distinguish several points in the escutcheon in order to determine
exactly the position of the bearings or charges. They are denoted in the

annexed diagram, by the first nine letters of the alphabet ranged in the
following manner:
[Illustration]
|-----------------| | A B C | A, the dexter chief. | | B, the precise middle
chief. | D | C, the sinister chief. | | D, the honour point. | E | E, the fess
point. | | F, the nombril point. | F | G, the dexter base. | | H, the precise
middle base. | G H I | I, the sinister base. \ / \ --------- /

The dexter side of the escutcheon answers to the left hand, and the
sinister side to the right hand of the person that looks at it.
TINCTURES.
By the term Tincture is meant that variable hue which is given to
shields and their bearings; they are divided into colours and furs.
The colours or metals used in emblazoning arms are--
yellow, white, red, blue, black, green, purple, orange, murrey.
These colours are denoted in engravings by various lines or dots, as
follows:
[Illustration: OR]
OR, which signifies gold, and in colour yellow, is expressed by dots.
[Illustration: ARGENT]
ARGENT signifies silver or _white_: it is left quite plain.
[Illustration: GULES]
GULES signifies _red_: it is expressed by lines drawn from the chief to
the base of the shield.

[Illustration: AZURE]
AZURE signifies _blue_: it is represented by lines drawn from the
dexter to the sinister side of the shield, parallel to the chief.
[Illustration: VERT]
VERT signifies _green_: it is represented by slanting lines, drawn from
the dexter to the sinister side of the shield.
[Illustration: PURPURE]
PURPURE, or purple, is expressed by diagonal lines, drawn from the
sinister to the dexter side of the shield.
[Illustration: SABLE]
SABLE, or black, is expressed by horizontal and perpendicular lines
crossing each other.
[Illustration: TENNE]
TENNE, which is tawny, or orange colour, is marked by diagonal lines
drawn from the sinister to the dexter side of the shield, traversed by
perpendicular lines from the chief.
[Illustration: SANGUINE]
SANGUINE is dark red, or murrey colour; it is