The Royal Standard--the Three Lions of England--the Lion Rampant of Scotland--Scottish sensitiveness as to precedence--the Scottish Tressure--the Harp of Ireland--Early Irish Flags--Brian Boru--the Royal Standards from Richard I. to Victoria--Claim to the Fleurs-de-Lys of France--Quartering Hanover--the Union Flag--St. George for England--War Cry--Observance of St. George's Day--the Cross of St. George--Early Naval Flags--the London Trained Bands--the Cross of St. Andrew--the "Blue Blanket"--Flags of the Covenanters--Relics of St. Andrew--Union of England and Scotland--the First Union Flag--Importance of accuracy in representations of it--the Union Jack--Flags of the Commonwealth and Protectorate--Union of Great Britain and Ireland--the Cross of St. Patrick--Labours of St. Patrick in Ireland--Proclamation of George III. as to Flags, etc.--the Second Union Flag--Heraldic Difficulties in its Construction--Suggestions by Critics--Regulations as to Fortress Flags--the White Ensign of the Royal Navy--Saluting the Flag--the Navy the Safeguard of Britain--the Blue Ensign--the Royal Naval Reserve--the Red Ensign of the Mercantile Marine--Value of Flag-lore. Foremost amongst the flags of the British Empire the Royal Standard takes its position as the symbol of the tie that unites all into one great State. Its glowing blazonry of blue and scarlet and gold is brought before us in Fig. 44. The three golden lions on the scarlet ground are the device of England, the golden harp on the azure field is the device of Ireland, while the ruddy lion rampant on the field of gold[18] stands for Scotland. It may perhaps appear to some of our readers that the standard of the Empire should not be confined to such narrow limits; that the great Dominion of Canada, India, Australia, the ever-growing South Africa, might justly claim a place. Precedent, too, might be urged, since in previous reigns, Nassau, Hanover, and other States have found a resting-place in its folds, and there is much to be said in favour of a wider representation of the greater component parts of our world-wide Empire; but two great practical difficulties arise: the first is that the grand simplicity of the flag would be lost if eight or ten different devices were substituted for the three; and secondly, it would very possibly give rise to a good deal of jealousy and ill-feeling, since it would be impossible to introduce all. As it at present stands, it represents the central home of the Empire, the little historic seed-plot from whence all else has sprung, and to which all turn their eyes as the {30} centre of the national life. All equally agree to venerate the dear mother land, but it is perhaps a little too much to expect that the people of Jamaica or Hong Kong would feel the same veneration for the beaver and maple-leaves of Canada, the golden Sun of India, or the Southern Cross of Australasia. As it must clearly be all or