THE CROSS

The heraldic cro (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 doubtle 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 cro are subject to the lines of partition (Figs. 156-161). 128 When the heraldic cro was first a umed with any reason beyond geometrical convenience, there can be no doubt that it was intended to represent the Sacred Cro itself. The symbolism of the cro is older than our present system of armory, but the cro itself is more ancient than its symbolism. A cro depicted upon the long, pointed shields of those who fought for the Cro would be of that shape, with the elongated arm in base. | Fig. 158. —Cro embattled. | Fig. 159. —Cro indented. | Fig. 160. —Cro raguly. | | Fig. 161. —Cro dovetailed. | Fig. 162. —Pa ion Cro . | Fig. 163. —Cro Calvary. | But the contemporary shortening of the shield, together with the introduction of charges in its angles, led naturally to the arms of the cro being so disposed that the parts of the field left visible were as nearly as po ible equal. The Sacred Cro , therefore, in heraldry is now known as a "Pa ion Cro " (Fig. 162) (or sometimes as a "long cro "), or, if upon steps or "grieces," the number of which needs to be specified, as a "Cro Calvary" (Fig. 163). The crucifix (Fig. 164), under that description is sometimes met with as a charge. The ordinary heraldic cro (Fig. 155) is always continued throughout the shield unle stated to be couped (Fig. 165). Of the cro es more regularly in use may be mentioned the cro botonny (Fig. 166), the cro flory (Fig. 167), which must be distinguished from the cro fleuretté (Fig. 168); the cro moline, 129 (Fig. 169), the cro potent (Fig. 170), the cro patée or formée (Fig. 171), the cro patonce (Fig. 172), and the cro cro let (Fig. 173). IMG:855465476085164071_plate3.jpg:Plate III. | Fig. 164. —Crucifix. | Fig. 165. —Cro couped. | Fig. 166. —Cro botonny. | | Fig. 167. —Cro flory. | Fig. 168. —Cro fleuretté. | Fig. 169. —Cro moline. | | Fig. 170. —Cro potent. | Fig. 171. —Cro patée (or formée). | Fig. 172. —Cro patonce. | Of other but much more uncommon varieties examples will be found of the cro parted and fretty (Fig. 174), of the cro patée quadrate (Fig. 175), of a cro pointed and voided in the arms of Dukinfield (quartered by Darb is hire), and of a cro cleché voided and pometté as in the arms of Cawston. A cro quarter-pierced (Fig. 176) has the field visible at the centre. A cro tau or St. Anthony's Cro is shown in Fig. 177, the real Maltese Cro in Fig. 178, and the Patriarchal Cro in Fig. 179. 130 Whenever a cro or cro cro let 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 cro patée, it is then termed "fitchée at the foot" (Fig. 182). | Fig. 173. —Cro cro let. | Fig. 174. —Cro parted and fretty. | Fig. 175. —Cro patée quadrate. | | Fig. 176. —Cro quarter-pierced. | Fig. 177. —Cro Tau. | Fig. 178. —Maltese Cro . | | Fig. 179. —Patriarchal Cro . | Fig. 180. —Cro cro let fitched. | Fig. 181. —Cro patée fitched. | Of the hundreds of other varieties it may confidently be said that a large proportion originated in misunderstandings of the crude drawings of early armorists, added to the varying and alternating descriptions applied at a more pliable and fluent period of heraldic blazon. A striking illustration of this will be found in the cro botonny, which is now, and has been for a long time past, regularised with us as a distinct variety of 131 constant occurrence. From early illustrations there is now no doubt that this was the original form, or one of the earliest forms, of the cro cro let. It is foolish to ignore these varieties, reducing all cro es to a few original forms, for they are now mostly stereotyped and accepted; but at the same time it is usele to attempt to learn them, for in a lifetime they will mostly be met with but once each or thereabouts. A field semé of cro cro lets (Fig. 183) is termed crusilly. | Fig. 182. —Cro patée fitched at foot. | Fig. 183. —Crusilly. | Fig. 184. —Saltire. | | Fig. 185. —Saltire engrailed. | Fig. 186. —Saltire invecked. | Fig. 187. —Saltire embattled. |