A Complete Guide to Heraldry. Arthur Charles Fox-Davies

Fig. 154.—Ecclesiastical pallium. Fig. 155.—Cross. Fig. 156.—Cross engrailed. Fig. 157.—Cross invecked.

      The necessity of displaying this device of rank—the pallium—upon a field of some tincture has led to its corruption into a usual and stereotyped "charge."

      THE CROSS

      The heraldic cross (Fig. 155), the huge preponderance of which in armory we of course owe to the Crusades, like all other armorial charges, has strangely developed. There are nearly four hundred varieties known to armory, or rather to heraldic text-books, and doubtless authenticated examples could be found of most if not of them all. But some dozen or twenty forms are about as many as will be found regularly or constantly occurring. Some but not all of the varieties of the cross are subject to the lines of partition (Figs. 156–161).

      When the heraldic cross was first assumed with any reason beyond geometrical convenience, there can be no doubt that it was intended to represent the Sacred Cross itself. The symbolism of the cross is older than our present system of armory, but the cross itself is more ancient than its symbolism. A cross depicted upon the long, pointed shields of those who fought for the Cross would be of that shape, with the elongated arm in base.

Fig. 158.—Cross embattled.	Fig. 159.—Cross indented.	Fig. 160.—Cross raguly.
Fig. 161.—Cross dovetailed.	Fig. 162.—Passion Cross.	Fig. 163.—Cross Calvary.

      But the contemporary shortening of the shield, together with the introduction of charges in its angles, led naturally to the arms of the cross being so disposed that the parts of the field left visible were as nearly as possible equal. The Sacred Cross, therefore, in heraldry is now known as a "Passion Cross" (Fig. 162) (or sometimes as a "long cross"), or, if upon steps or "grieces," the number of which needs to be specified, as a "Cross Calvary" (Fig. 163). The crucifix (Fig. 164), under that description is sometimes met with as a charge.

      The ordinary heraldic cross (Fig. 155) is always continued throughout the shield unless stated to be couped (Fig. 165).

      Of the crosses more regularly in use may be mentioned the cross botonny (Fig. 166), the cross flory (Fig. 167), which must be distinguished from the cross fleuretté (Fig. 168); the cross moline, (Fig. 169), the cross potent (Fig. 170), the cross patée or formée (Fig. 171), the cross patonce (Fig. 172), and the cross crosslet (Fig. 173).

PLATE III.

Fig. 164.—Crucifix.	Fig. 165.—Cross couped.	Fig. 166.—Cross botonny.
Fig. 167.—Cross flory.	Fig. 168.—Cross fleuretté.	Fig. 169.—Cross moline.
Fig. 170.—Cross potent.	Fig. 171.—Cross patée (or formée).	Fig. 172.—Cross patonce.

      Of other but much more uncommon varieties examples will be found of the cross parted and fretty (Fig. 174), of the cross patée quadrate (Fig. 175), of a cross pointed and voided in the arms of Dukinfield (quartered by Darbishire), and of a cross cleché voided and pometté as in the arms of Cawston. A cross quarter-pierced (Fig. 176) has the field visible at the centre. A cross tau or St. Anthony's Cross is shown in Fig. 177, the real Maltese Cross in Fig. 178, and the Patriarchal Cross in Fig. 179.

      Whenever a cross or cross crosslet has the bottom arm elongated and pointed it is said to be "fitched" (Figs. 180 and 181), but when a point is added at the foot e.g. of a cross patée, it is then termed "fitchée at the foot" (Fig. 182).

Fig. 173.—Cross crosslet.	Fig. 174.—Cross parted and fretty.	Fig. 175.—Cross patée quadrate.
Fig. 176.—Cross quarter-pierced.	Fig. 177.—Cross Tau.	Fig. 178.—Maltese Cross.
Fig. 179.—Patriarchal Cross.