THE CROSS.

This, as its name imports, was the distinguishing badge of the
Crusaders, in its simplest form. It was merely two pieces of list or
riband of the same length, crossing each other at right angles. The
colour of the riband or list denoted the nation to which the Crusader
belonged. The cross is an honourable ordinary, occupying one fifth of
the shield when not charged, but if charged, one third.

[Illustration: Cross]

Ex. Or, a cross, gules.

When the cross became the distinguishing badge of different leaders in
the Crusades, the simple form given in the preceding example was not
generally adopted. Some bordered the red list with a narrow white
edge, others terminated the arms of the cross with short pieces of the
same colour, placed transversely, making each arm of the cross have
the appearance of a short crutch; the ends of these crutches meeting
in a point, make the cross potent. There is so great a variety of
crosses used in Heraldry that it would be impossible to describe them
within the limits of this introduction to Heraldry. The reader will
find a great number of those most used in English Heraldry described
and illustrated in the Dictionary. He of course will understand, if a
coat of arms comes under his notice where this ordinary is described
as a cross engrailed, a cross invected, &c., that the form of the
cross is the same as that in the last example, but that the lines
forming it are engrailed, invected, &c. Small crosses borne as charges
are called crosslets.