CELESTIAL FIGURES.—The Sun was the cognizance of Louis XIV., with the overbearing motto, " Nec pluribus impar." In heraldry this was blazoned as "the sun in his splendour."

Jean de la Hay bore argent, the sun in his splendour gules.

Ralph de la Hay, temp. Henry III., differenced this coat by bearing only a ray of the sun, "blanc, ung rey de soleil de goules."

Sir John Aldam, temp. Edward II.: azure, a ray of the sun or. In both examples the ray issues from the dexter chief, and is borne bendwise. It resembles a pile wavy.

John de Fontibus, bishop of Ely, 1220-25, bore the sun, moon, and seven stars, 2,1,2,1,2.1.

The Moon is always borne as a crescent, and usually with the concavity upwards. If this be to the dexter it is increscent, if to the sinister, decreseent. It is an early and general charge, though seldom borne singly.

Chapman : per chevron argent and gules, a crescent counterchanged.

Weld: azure, a fess nebulé between three crescents ermine.

Baron of co. Lincoln: azure, in chief two moons increscent and decreseent argent, in base an estoile or.





The seal of Sir Lawrence de Berherolles, 1392, gives a chevron between three crescents (fig. 118).

The Star, or estoile, is usually shown with six rays, wavy, and is thus, and by not being pierced, distinguished from the mullet. If there be more rays the number must be given.

Ingilby of Ripley : sable, an estoile argent.

One of the branebes of De la Hay bore ar-gent, an estoile of sixteen rays gules.

Sir Francis Drake, in memory of his voyages, bole sable, a fess wavy be-tween the arctic and antarctic pole stars argent.





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