6. The BAR is formed by two equidistant lines drawn horizontally across the middle or centre of the escutcheon, after the manner of the fres, but containing one-fifth part only of the field. The bar bath two diminutives, viz. a closet, which is in breadth one-half, and a barrulet, which is in breadth one-fourth of the bar. When the field is divid ep into 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 equal parts, it is then blazoned Barry ; and when the diminutives of the bar are placed in pairs on the shield, they are called bars gemelles, from the Latin gemelli, twins.
7.• The ESCUTCHEON itself is deemed an ordinary, and is composed of three lines. It may be carried singly, or with others, as in the coat of Hay, argent, three escutch eons, pules. See Fig. 7.
N. B. Inescutcheon signifies the same thing.
8. The BORDER bath, by several writers, been refused admittance into the number of ordinaries ; they alleging, that it is not a principal figure, but a difference only. Nis bet, however, very properly observes, that this is quite unjust, inasmuch as many coats consist of other charges than the border alone. In blazon, borders always give way to the chief, the quarter, and the canton; so that, in coats charged with one of these ordinaries, the border goes round the field until it touches it, and there finishes ; but, in re spect to all other ordinaries, it passes over them. When a border is of two colours, and divided into squares, it is called a border compcny or compony ; if it bath two rows of squares, it is called counter cornpony ; if three, it is call ed cheque.
A border Innyleurcd is shaped exactly like vair : when it is of one row, it is called purfleured ; when it is of two rows, it is counter pu?:flewed ; when of three, vair. The border enaleron is a border charged with birds ; the border entoire is charged with besants ; the border verdoye is charged with vegetables ; the border enurney with lions, Sze. But these terms ought all to be discarded as use less.
9. The ORLE is an inner border of the same shape as the escutcheon, and cloth not touch the exterior of the shield, the shield being seen within and around it on all sides, so that it appears like an escutcheon voided. The edges of the orle may be ingrailed, indented, invecked, ke. When any bearings, as martlets, mascles, Stc. are placed round an escutcheon on a field, they are said to be in ork ; and it is needless to mention the number of them, for fi gures so placed are always supposed to be eight in number.
See Fig. 9.
The TnEssunE is a diminutive of the orle, formed by a small line or trace passing along the field, and encom passing the inner part of the escutcheon in the same form as that of the shield. In some coats, the tressure is formed or two lines or traces, for:, cow/m.1/07.y, as in the arms of Scotland. Indeed, unless it be of this sort, it may as well be called an orle as a tressure, as Edmonstone has well observed.
10. " The FLASQUE consists of an arched line drawn somewhat distant from the corner of the chief, and swelling by degrees till you come towards the centre of the escutch eon, and then decreasing again with a like descent unto the sinister point base." See Fig. 10.
" The FLANCH is formed of an arched line, taking its beginning from the corner of the chief, and from thence compassing orderly with a swelling embossment, until it come near the nombril of the escutcheon, and thence pro portionably declining to the sinister base point." So says Guillim ; but Gibbon and Edmonstone are both of opinion, that these two ordinaries are one and the same. The voider is certainly a mere diminution of the flinch, and, by reason of its smallness, cannot be charged.
II. The SALTIER, or Sautar, is an ordinary, consisting of a fourfold line, two whereof are drawn from the dexter chief towards the sinister base corner ; and the other two from the sinister chief to the dexter base point. If not charged, it containeth one-fifth of the field ; if charged, one-third. See Fig. 11.
12. The Cuoss, after the expeditions to the Holy Land, came to be an ordinary of most flecinent use. It is com posed of a fourfold line, whereof two are perpendicular and two horizontal ; so that it seems to be formed of the pale and the fess, not lying on one another, hut corporally united in the centre. The great variety of crosses used in heraldry is such, that in all considerable systems several pages are filled with engravings of them, Fig. 12. The most considerable are, the cross patee, Fig. 13 ; the cross potence, Fig. 14 ; the cross avellane, Fig. 15 ; the cross furche, Fig. 16 ; the cross crosslet, Fig. 17 ; the cross bo tone, Fig. 18 ; the cross Flory, Fig. 19 ; the cross patee ditched, Fig. 20; the cross pierced, Fig. 21 ; the cross mo line, Fig. 22. The proportions of the cross are exactly the same as those of the saltier.