Of a royal duke

[Ill.u.s.tration: Coronet, earl]

Of an earl

[Ill.u.s.tration: Coronet, duke]

Of a duke

[Ill.u.s.tration: Coronet, viscount]

Of a viscount

[Ill.u.s.tration: Coronet, baron]

Coronet of a baron

DANCETTE. A zig-zag figure with s.p.a.ces between the points, much larger than in the indented.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dancette]

Ex. Argent, a pale, dancette vert.

DEBRUISED. Any animal that has an ordinary placed upon it is said to be debruised.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Debruised]

Ex. Argent, a lion rampant guardant gules, debruised by a fess azure.

DECRESSANT, or DECRESCENT. A moon in its wane, whose horns are turned to the sinister side of the escutcheon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Decressant]

Ex. Azure, a moon decrescent, proper.

DEMI, or DEMY. This particle is always joined to a substantive, and signifies half; as, a demi-lion, _i.e._ half a lion.

DETRIMENT. The moon is said to be in its detriment when it is eclipsed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Detriment]

Ex. Argent, the moon in her detriment sable.

DEXTER. A word used in Heraldry to signify the right side of any thing.

DIADEM, a circle of gold with points rising from it, worn by ancient kings as the token of royalty. The diadem of most of the monarchs of Europe, as represented in ancient statuary, stained gla.s.s, and paintings, resembles the annexed engraving; the kings of England, from the Conquest to Henry VII., all wore a diadem of this shape.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Diadem]

DIAMOND. The hardest and most valuable of precious stones; it was formerly used by English heralds to denote black or sable in blazoning the arms of the n.o.bility.

DIFFERENCE. The term given to a certain figure added to coats of arms to distinguish one family from another, and to show how distant younger branches are from the elder or princ.i.p.al branch. See p. 13.

[CHAP. III.]

DIMINUTION. A word sometimes used instead of difference.

DISPLAYED. A bird whose wings are expanded and legs spread is said to be displayed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Displayed]

Ex. Argent, an eagle displayed sable.

DORMANT. The French word for sleeping, used to denote the posture of a lion, or any other beast reposing. See LION.

DOUBLINGS. The lining of robes of state, as also the rows of fur set on the mantles of peers.

DOUBLE TRESSURE. Two Tressures, or orles, one within the other.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Double Tressure]

DOVETAILED. A term borrowed from carpentry to show tinctures joined together by reversed wedges, which, being shaped like doves' tails, are by joiners called dovetailing.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dovetailed]

Ex. Quarterly per pale dove-tailed, or and gules.

DRAGON. An imaginary monster; a mixture of beast, bird, and reptile.

It is frequently borne in crests and charges.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Dragon]

Ex. Argent, a dragon proper, tail nowed.

DRAGON'S HEAD. Part of a celestial constellation, used by ancient English heralds to denote tenne when emblazoning the arms of sovereigns; this style of heraldry has become obsolete.

DRAGON'S TAIL. Part of the same constellation; formerly used to denote sanguine.

DUKE. The highest degree of British peerage next to the prince of Wales. This t.i.tle is derived from the Latin word _dux_: the t.i.tle of Duke was known in other parts of Europe long before it was introduced into England. The first person that was created a duke in this country was Edward the Black Prince, who was created duke of Cornwall by his father Edward the third. The t.i.tle has since that time belonged to the first born son of the monarch of England. A duke formerly possessed great authority over the province that formed his dukedom, and had large estates annexed to his t.i.tle to support its dignity. At the present time dukes are created by patent, and their dukedom is merely nominal, neither power nor possessions being annexed to the t.i.tle.

EAGLE. _Aquila_ in Ornithology. In Heraldry the eagle is accounted one of the most n.o.ble bearings, and ought to be given only to such as greatly excel in the virtues of generosity and courage, or for having done some singular service to their sovereign.

EAGLET is a diminutive of eagle, properly signifying a young eagle.

In Heraldry, when several eagles are on the same escutcheon, they are termed eaglets.

EARL. The third degree of British peerage. Under the Danish and Saxon kings this was the highest t.i.tle known in England conferred upon a subject. It was formerly the custom upon creating an earl to a.s.sign him, for the support of his state, the third penny from the fines and profits of the sheriff's court, issuing out of the pleas of the shire whence the earl took his t.i.tle; as, formerly, there was no count or earl but had a county or shire for his earldom. When the number of earls was increased, they took their t.i.tles from towns and villages.

An earl is now created by patent.

EARL-MARSHAL OF ENGLAND. A very ancient, and formerly a very important, officer, who had several courts under his jurisdiction, as the Court of Chivalry, the Court of Honour. He still presides over the Heralds' College, and nominally over the Marshalsea Court. The t.i.tle of Earl Marshal of England is now, and has been for some ages, hereditary in the n.o.ble family of the Howards.