And now a few last words about the frontispiece. This shows the herald in his tabard, which, as the official habit of heralds, has remained unchanged in Great Britain ever since the office of herald was first instituted. The tabard--really, a tunic--was originally worn over mail armour, being blazoned back and front, as it is now, with the arms of the sovereign for the time being. Though the general name of tabard was given to this particular kind of official garment, it was further distinguished by the term of "tunique," when worn by the King-at-Arms. It was then made of "riche fyne velvet." When worn by the heralds, the tabard was known as a "plasque," and made of satin, whilst the pursuivant's tabard was called a "coat of arms," and made of damask silk. A King-at-Arms ranks first amongst heraldic officials. It is his duty to direct heralds, to preside at their chapters, and to him belongs the jurisdiction of arms. We have three English Kings-of-Arms,[5] styled respectively, Garter, Clarencieux, and Norroy. The officer attached to the Order of the Bath is also styled "Bath King-at-Arms." [Footnote 5: The term of "King-at-Arms" is also sometimes employed.] Scotland has her "Lyon King-of-Arms," Ireland her "Ulster King-of-Arms." We have three chief heralds and six subordinate or provincial ones--viz., York, Lancaster, Chester, Windsor, Richmond, and Somerset. On the accession of George I., two more were appointed and styled the "Hanover Herald," and "Gloucester King-at-Arms." A pursuivant is an attendant upon the herald, and belongs to the third or lowest order of heraldic officers. There are four English pursuivants, styled respectively, Rouge Croix, Blue Mantle, Rouge Dragon, and Portcullis. Three pursuivants belong to the Court of Lyon in Scotland--Unicorn, Carrick, and Bute. On the cover we have the figure of a Crusader in his mail armour, bearing on his breast the badge of a red cross charged upon a white field. Looking at the massive, closely knit armour portrayed in our illustration, we can easily understand that the wearer encased within it must have suffered cruelly in the East, when the burning sun poured down upon his metal armour, and that, as a natural consequence, the surcoat of some woven fabric was introduced, to be worn over the coat of mail as a protection against the scorching rays of the sun. CHAPTER XII PENNONS, BANNERS, AND STANDARDS Pennons, banners, and standards are so closely associated with heraldry that we must not leave them altogether unnoticed. In the Middle Ages three distinct classes of heraldic flags appear to have been in use in England. [Illustration: PLATE 7. THE FLAGS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 1. The Union Jack. 2. The Royal Standard.]