On the Earl of Lindsey's shield there are three battering-rams in the first and fourth quarters, and a shattered "castle triple-towered" is represented in the second and third quarters. The origin of this unusual coat of arms is historical. One Robert Bertie, afterwards created Earl of Lindsey, was serving in the army, which, during Queen Elizabeth's reign, laid siege to Cadiz under the Earl of Essex's command. When the English troops made a furious onslaught on the gates of the city, every inhabitant within its walls strove to drive back the enemy, the old women flinging down heavy stones from the ramparts. One of these missiles felled young Bertie to the ground, so that when, after the taking of Cadiz, the youth was knighted for his gallant conduct that day, the newly made knight exclaimed: "The squire was knocked down by an old woman with a stone, but the general bade him arise a knight."
All kinds of escutcheons were also charged upon a shield, as well as helmets and gauntlets. Trophies and tokens of martial victory also occur in heraldry, such as chaplets, torses—the wreath surrounding the helmet—along with the more melancholy charges—fetters, shackles, chains, denoting the subjection and captivity of the vanquished.
Bridles, bits, buckles, and stirrups are of frequent occurrence in heraldry. Lord Stanhope bears three stirrups, buckles, and straps, whilst spurs are borne very appropriately by the Knights.
Before closing this chapter we must mention that besides the charges emblazoned on the shield, which we have been considering at some length, a coat of arms has certain accessory ornaments. These are known as the crest, helmet, mantling, supporters—we have spoken of the latter elsewhere—scrolls,[2] and mottoes. The crest,[3] which is the only part of armorial bearings which is in constant use, is the device placed above an escutcheon, and originally worn upon a helmet, but it now occurs on a coronet, wreath, or cap.
[2:] The ribbon bearing the motto is called heraldically "escroll"—scroll.
[3:] "Crest" is obviously derived from crista, a bird's comb or crest. Its heraldic term is "cognizance," because the crest worn upon his helmet served to insure recognition of a leader by his followers on the battle-field.
As regards the representing of helmets in armorial bearings, the following rules must be noted: A king's helmet must be gold, six-barred, full face, and open; a duke's helmet is steel with five gold bars, and set slightly in profile; baronets and knights have also steel helmets with no bars—these must be drawn full faced with visor raised; steel helmets are also used by esquires, visor down, with gold ornaments and represented in profile. Full-faced helmets denote authority, side-faced ones symbolize attention and obedience towards superiors.
Mantling or lambrequin is the term used for the mantle or a piece of scarf-like drapery, attached to the helmet and showing jagged and torn edges to suggest the cuts received in battle. Generally, however, we find the mantling in heraldry takes the shape of graceful flowing outlines.
In the motto we have, no doubt, the survival of the war-cries; many (besides expressing the name of the bearer or some allusion to the charges on the coat of arms)[4] contain very interesting historical references—viz., the "Grip Fast" of the Earl of Rothes recalls how his ancestor rescued the good Queen Margaret from the river, where she and her palfrey were drowning, and exhorted her to "grip fast" to his belt.
[4:] As, for instance, "Fare fac," the Fairfax motto, or the Weare's motto, "Sumus"—we are—whilst the motto of the Clerks of Penicuik, "Free for a blast," alludes to their crest, a man blowing a horn. This refers to the odd condition under which the Barony of Penicuik is held—viz., that the proprietor must sit on a piece of rock called the Buckstone, and wind three blasts of a horn whenever the sovereign shall come to hunt on the Borough Muir, near Edinburgh.
The motto is generally placed beneath the escutcheon, but we sometimes find it above the crest.