Note 3: — Chapter II

In Fig. 5, A, B, C, mark the chief—i.e., the highest and most honourable point of the shield—A marking the dexter chief or upper right-hand side of the shield, B the middle chief, and C the sinister or left-hand side of the chief. E denotes the fess point, or centre; G, H, and I, mark the base of the shield—G and I denoting respectively the dexter and sinister sides of the shield, and H the middle base. After the points of a field, come the tinctures, which give the colour to a coat of arms, and are divided into two classes. The first includes the two metals, gold and silver, and the five colours proper—viz., blue, red, black, green, purple. In heraldic language these tinctures are described as "or," "argent" (always written arg:), "azure" (az:), "gules" (gu:),3 "sable" (sa:), "vert," and "purpure." According to Guillim, each tincture was supposed to teach its own lesson—e.g., "as gold excelleth all other metals in value and purity, so ought its bearer to surpass all others in prowess and virtue," and so on.