The billet is a small elongated rectangular figure, representing a block of wood, and is seldom used. The gyron (Fig. 28), which is a triangular figure, does not occur in English heraldry as a single charge, but what is termed a _coat gyronny_ is not unusual in armorial bearings, when the field may be divided into ten, twelve, or even sixteen pieces. All arms borne by the Campbell clan have a field gyronny. The origin of the word is doubtful; some trace it to the Greek for curve, others to a Spanish word for gore or gusset. The introduction of a gyron into heraldry dates from the reign of Alfonso VI. of Spain, who, being sore beset by the Moors, was rescued by his faithful knight, Don Roderico de Cissnères. The latter, as a memento of the occasion, tore three triangular pieces from Alfonso's mantle, being henceforward allowed to represent the same on his shield in the shape of a gyron. The frette, formerly known as a "trellis," from its resemblance to lattice-work, is very frequent in British heraldry; it also occurs as a net in connection with fish charges. In the Grand Tournament held at Dunstable to celebrate Edward III.'s return from Scotland, one Sir John de Harrington bore "a fretty arg., charged upon a sable field." The roundlet is simply a ring of metal or colour, and is much used in coats of arms at all periods of heraldry. The family of Wells bears a roundlet to represent a fountain, whilst the Sykes charge their shield with three roundlets, in allusion to their name, "sykes" being an old term for a well. [Illustration: FIG. 29.] In Fig. 29 we see an example of a shield charged with an inescutcheon within a bordure. CHAPTER IV THE BLAZONING OF ARMORIAL BEARINGS In this chapter we shall deal with _blazoning_, in which "the skill of heraldry" is said to lie. The word "blazon" in its heraldic sense means the art of describing armorial bearings in their proper terms and sequence. "To blazon," says Guillim, "signifies properly the winding of a horn, but to blazon a coat of arms is to describe or proclaim the things borne upon it in their proper gestures and tinctures" (_i.e._, their colours and attitudes) "which the herald was bound to do."[1] [Footnote 1: Our word "blast," as well as our verb "to blow," are obviously derived from the German _blasen_, the Anglo-Saxon _blawen_, to blow, and the French _blasonner_.] The herald, as we know, performed many different offices. It was his duty to carry messages between hostile armies, to marshal processions, to challenge to combat, to arrange the ceremonial at grand public functions, to settle questions of precedence, to identify the slain on the battle-field--this duty demanded an extensive knowledge of heraldry[2]--to announce his sovereign's commands, and, finally, to proclaim the armorial bearings and feats of arms of each knight as he entered the lists at a tournament.