Overleg:Brisure

And (he saith) it is commonly called a Fissure (which is a cut or rent) pro co quod findit Arma paterna in duas partes; quia ipse bastardus finditur & dividitur à patrimonio patris sui: in that it cuts or rents the Coat-armour in twaine, because the bastard is cut off from his fathers Inheritance. In some Countries they used to distinguish these from the lawfull begotten, by setting of two letters upon their garments, S. and P. quasi, Sine Patre, without Father.

Cui pater est populus, pater est huic nullus & omnis.

                  Brats are privileg'd above any:
                  We have but one Sire; they have many. 

And perhaps S.P. did signifie Satus Populo, the Sonne of the People. Cassaneus saith, that bastard are not capable of their fathers patrimonie, either by law, or custome, Quia filius Ancillæ non erit hæres cum filio Liberæ: the Servants child must not part stakes with her Mistrisses. Leigh is of opinion, that the lawfull Son of a bastard shall change his Fathers Marke to the right side; observing still the quantitie thereof: for so I doe understand him, in respect that he addeth immediately, that the same may at the pleasure of the Prince be enlarged, or broken, after this manner. Signification of the letters S.P.

He beareth Azure, a Bend, double Dauncette, Argent, by the name of Zorks. This (saith Leigh) shall never be called other then a Bend, after it is thus parted: but bastards (saith hee) have sundry other markes, every one according to their unlawfull begetting; which with hundreds of others are the Secret of Heralds. 

Besides those bearings Bend-wise above demonstrated, wee mentioned another by the name of a Bendlet, which hath greater resemblance with a Bend then any of the rest, and by the name it may seeme to be some subdivision of the Bend: yet it hath no certaine quantitie thereof, but containeth evermore a sixth part of the Field (according to the observation of Leigh) whereof you have an Example in this next Escocheon. Bendlet.

The Field is Argent, a Bendlet, Gules. Two manner of waies doth this Charge differ from the Bend: the one, that the Bend containeth the fifth part of the Field uncharged, and the third part thereof charged. And this is limited to the sixth part of the Field, which it may not exceed. Secondly, it is distinguished from the Bend, secundùm locationem, in place, inasmuch as the Bend is so placed, as that the corner of the Escocheon doth answer to the just middle of the same, betweene the upper and nether lines thereof: but the Bendlet beginneth in the exact corner of the point of the Escocheon; so as the lower line is distant from the corner thereof the full bredth of the Bendlet.