PLATE 29.
The various tinctures (or colours), metals, and furs are represented by lines, etc., in black-and-white drawings. (Figs. 1 to 8): Showing those most commonly in use. (1): Gold (or). (2): Silver (argent). (3): Red (gules). (4): Blue (azure). (5): Black (sable). (6): Green (vert). (7): Ermine. (8): Vair. Nos. 1 and 2 are metals, 3-6 colours, 7 and 8 furs.[82] The heraldic names are given in brackets. (Figs. 9 to 18): Honorouble ordinaries (bands upon the shields). (9): A chief. (10): A pale. (11): A fess. (12): A bend dexter. (13): A bend sinister. (14): A chevron. (15): A cross. (16): A saltire or St. Andrew’s cross. (17): A pile. (18): A bordure. The shields were also divided or “parted” into differently coloured portions by lines following the position of these ordinaries—e.g. (Fig. 19): Shows a shield “parted per pale” (see 10.) (Fig. 20): “Parted per chevron” (see 14). (Fig. 20): Also shows the different portions of a shield—A, the chief; B, the base; C, the dexter (right) side; D, the sinister (left) side; E, the dexter chief; F. the sinister chief. (Fig. 21): Arms of the Douglas family. (Fig. 22): A lion rampant—typical of animals borne upon the shield. (Fig. 23): A castle—typical of inanimate objects. (Fig. 24): The banner of the Knights Templars, the renowned Beauseant, black above and white below, to denote that while fierce to their foes they were gracious to their friends. (Fig. 25): Badge of Henry VIII., typifying the union of England (the rose) with Spain (the pomegranate) in the persons of Henry and Katherine of Aragon. (Fig. 26): A Tabard from a brass of 1444. The arms: Argent, a chevron between three crosses patée sable. (In describing a coat of arms, the colour of the shield or field is always given first, in this case being argent or white.) (Fig. 27): Crest of the Duke of Hamilton, “an oak tree covered with golden acorns, the trunk being cut transversely by a frame saw, on the blade of which is inscribed the word ‘Through’.” This commemorates the fact that an ancestor of the Duke of Hamilton, when fleeing before his enemies, was pursued closely into a wood, accompanied only by a faithful retainer. He bribed two woodcutters, who were sawing the trunk of an oak tree, to let him and his servant take their places. Soon after the fugitives had commenced sawing, their pursuers came up and questioned them (thinking them to be woodcutters) as to the whereabouts of the men they were pursuing. The servant, frightened, began to falter, but Hambledon sternly bade him go on with his sawing and cut “through.” After reaching a place of safety, Sir Gilbert de Hambledon adopted the above crest and motto, and they have continued in the family to this day. (Fig. 28): “Shield for Peace” of the Black Prince, described heraldically as “sable, three ostrich feathers, two and one, the quill of each passing through a scroll argent.” The Black Prince was, according to Mr. Fox-Davies, probably so called on account of black being his livery colour, and that his own retainers and followers wore the livery of black. (Fig. 29): Badge of Richard II.—a white hart. (Fig. 30): Upper part of a heraldic achievement. Over the shield is placed an esquire’s helmet surmounted by a crest upon a torse or wreath, with a lambrequin or mantling between the wreath and the helmet. The torse, representing two twisted silken scarves, was worn to hide the junction of the crest with the helmet. It must consist of six links alternatively of metal and colour (the livery 83-84 colours of the arms). The mantling was a “little mantle” depending from the crown of the helmet and hanging over the back of the neck as a protection against heat. In the course of a fight it would become rent and slashed. Hence it has become the custom to make it very ragged as a sign of honour. (Fig. 31): Crest of William Earl of Salisbury, c. 1344, from his seal.
[THE TUDOR NAVY.]
Henry VII. founded the first English permanent dockyard at Portsmouth, and built in 1495 the first dry dock in England. During his reign 85 vessels at least were added to the Navy, some being purchased, some taken as prizes, and others (about 46) built.
The first great ship in mediæval times was the Great Harry, built by Henry VII. in 1488, and costing £14,000; but up to this time vessels had no portholes from which the guns could be fired.
This was the invention of a ship-builder of Brest, named Descharges, in 1500, and by its adoption, guns could be fired from the lower decks. The early portholes, however, were so small that the guns could consequently only be worked in one direction. This did not matter very much, as it was usual, on account of the difficulties of loading, only to fire the guns once or twice, and then to run alongside the enemy and board him.
In 1515 the great English man-of-war, Harry Grace à Dieu, was built by Henry VIII. She had two decks, and carried 14 heavy guns on the lower deck, 12 on the upper deck, and 46 other guns arranged in different quarters of the vessel—a total of 72 guns. The heavy guns weighed from 2,000 to 3,000 lbs., and gave the English ships a distinct advantage over their less heavily armed enemies.
She had four masts and a bowsprit, all square rigged. There were two sails on each of the first and second masts (“foer” and “mayne”), and a lateen sail on each of the other two masts (“mayne mizzen” and “bonaventure”).
The Harry was estimated at 1,000 or 1,500 tons, the system of measuring a ship at the time being to estimate how many tons or tun casks of wine she could carry.