The chancellor of Scotland bore behind his shield two maces in saltier, ensigned with imperial crowns ; as also un der the shield a purse with the strings open, pendant, fret ted, flowed, buttoned, and tasselled gules, embroidered with the royal arms.
In addition to these, the chancellor of France has a pro per cap of gold, (mortier d'or) turned up ermine on the helmet.
The presidents of the parliaments in France had in the same way their proper cap of black velvet edged with gold galloon.
The lord high chamberlain in Scotland had two keys disposed in saltier behind his shield, in the same manner as the grand chambricr of France.
The justice general of Scotland carried two naked swords in saltier behind his shield, the points being up ward.
The lord high treasurer in Scotland carried a white staff ensigned on the top, with au imperial crown in pale behind his shield.
The office of cup-hearer being of old hereditary in the house of Southesk, these Earls carried a golden cup in their arms.
The king's foresters carried hunting horns ; as Burnet in the northern forest, and Forester of that ilk, in the south ern. So did the grand veneur of France.
The grand pannetier of France cart ies under his arms a rich cover and knife and fork in saltier.
The lord high constable of Scotland carries on each side of the base part of his shield, an arm gauntletted fessways, issuing out of a cloud, and grasping a sword erected in tale at the dexter and sinister sides of his shield, all proper hilted and pomelled OR: In France many other exterior marks of the same sort were in use, all sufficiently intelligible without previous description, as the grand master of artillery, who carried under his arms two field pieces, &c.
But in no kingdom were either external or internal en of dignity so extensively used, or 50 systematically arranged, as in France, during the empire of Napoleon. Not only were princes, grand dignitaries, dukes, counts senators, counts-archbishops, cof,nts-military, barons-mi litary, baron-bishops ; and chevaliers, distinguished by mantles, lined in different manners ; but for each of these ranks of persons there was set apart some one of the honourable ordinaries, which, either by its charge, its co lour, or its position, immediately denoted that order in the state to which the bearer belonged: Thus the princes grand dignitaries had a chief of azure charged with bees of gold ; dukes, a chief or azure charged with stars of silver; count senators, a canton dexter azure charged with a mirror in pale or, in which a serpent wreathed argent regards itself; counts-archbishops, on a canton dexter azure a cross pates or ; counts•military, on a canton-dexterazure, a sword erect in pale argent mounted or, &c. The canton dexter always denoted a count, the canton sinister a baron. Chevaliers
of the legion of honour placed the cross of their order on any one of the nine honourable ordinaries which they pre ferred. In this heraldry supporters are entirely laid aside, and the nobility, under the rank of princes, are distinguish ed by the number of feathers in the plume of the bonnet with which the shield is timbrcd. See Plate CCXCIV. Fig. 12. sheaving the .1rms of a Duke under Napoleon.
Of Ensigns of Chivalry or Knighthood.
.17. Knights of the different sovereign orders in Europe are in use to surround their shields with thc collars of their orders; and if any one has more orders than one, the collar of the most ancient order ought or right to be placed nearest the shield. In Britain, however, it has be come the practice for knights of the garter to place their shields within the garter itself, not the collar of the order, and always to give this most dignified order the preference over every other, by assigning to its ensign the place of honour nearest to the escutcheon. For a particular account of the several orders now so much in vogue among the so vereigns of Europe, see the article KNIGHTHOOD.
Of the Compartment.
48. The compartment is that figure, on which the shield and supporters usually rest. When the bearer has more mottos than one, if one of them relate to the supporters or figures of the shield, it should be placed in the compart ment ; if one relate to the crest, it should be in an escrole thereupon. Ileralds agree, that the compartment is in ge neral intended to represent the lands or feu of thc person be low whose shield it lies, although it be sometimes granted or assumed in memory of some remarkable action. An instance of the compartment thus applied, is to be found, says Nisbet, " in that of the Earls of Douglas, who obtain ed the right of having their supporters placed within a pale of wood wreathed, because the Lord James, in King Robert Bruce's time, defeated the English in the forest of Jedburgh, and, that they might not escape, caused wreath and impale that part of the wood, by which he conjectured they might make their escape." The territorial com partment may, in like manner, be illustrated from the same family. William, first Earl of Douglas and Mar, has "a compartment like to a rising ground, with a tree growing out of it, and semee of hearts, mullets, and cross crosslets, the armorial figures of this Earl's escutcheon, to shew that the compartment was meant to represent his lands and fens." Others seem to have assumed a compartment from more fanciful motives ; as the old Earls of Perth, who had a green hill scmee of galtraps, which, with their motto "Gang warrily," forms a complete device.