The first was the pennon; this was an armorial lance flag, narrow and tapering, and was the mark of knightly rank. Sometimes it was triangular in form, but it was oftener forked or swallow-tailed at the fly. It was borne on a lance, and served as the personal ensign of the bearer, being charged with his badge or some other part of his armorial bearings. The banner was a square flag, very often representing the whole coat of arms of the bearer, in exactly the same way as a shield was blazoned. A banner was carried by all above the rank of a knight, kings included. An emperor's banner was 6 feet square, a king's 5, a nobleman's only 3. The standard was the third variety of early heraldic flags. It was chiefly in use in the fifteenth century, though some standards were certainly in use some fifty years sooner. In old days the term "standard" was loosely applied to any large flag on which a badge and motto were represented; in fact, there is no doubt that the standard was originally designed for the special purpose of displaying armorial bearings. Nevertheless, a standard proper was a tapering flag, richly embroidered, and slit slightly at the narrow end. The standard of an emperor or king was 11 yards long when it was planted before his pavilion, but when it was carried into battle it was reduced to 9 yards in length. It is, therefore, quite incorrect to speak of the square banner on which our royal arms are blazoned as a _standard_, for it is most distinctly a _banner_. It displays, as you all know, the armorial bearings of the sovereign fully blazoned, just as they are marshalled in the royal shield. This banner should only be hoisted over a palace when the king or some member of the royal family is actually in residence. In the Navy, the Royal Standard--falsely so-called--is considered the supreme flag of Great Britain, and is only flown on a ship when the monarch, or someone belonging to the royal family, is on board. The Union Jack is the national banner of Great Britain and Ireland. It represents the three united crosses of St. George for England, the saltire of St. Andrew for Scotland, and the cross of St. Patrick for Ireland. St. George's Cross is red on white; St. Andrew's is white on blue; St. Patrick's (saltire-shaped like St. Andrew's) is red on white. Some writers have derived the word _jack_ from Jacques for James I., because he was the monarch who united the flags of England and Scotland; but this is held to be incorrect. The old heraldic name for a surcoat was "jacque," hence obviously our word "jacket," which recalls the German _jacke_ for coat, and therefore undoubtedly "jaque" survives in the "Union _Jack_," which is intended to represent the national arms, and thus certainly fulfils the purposes of a coat of arms.