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©n Banners ; and Hill, wherever they are placed, 'tis on fomething reprefl-nting the Form of a Shield.
The Latin Sputum, no doubt, came originally from the Greek Scutos, Leather, wherewith the Shields were ufually cover'd. See Shield.
On theft Shields was always fome particular Mark, Badge or Symbol painted : Which was the Original of Armoury. See Arms.
The Mfctitcfteon is of a Square Figure, excepting for the Bottom Part, which is ufually a little rounded, ending with a Point in the middle.
Till within a few Hundred Tears, the Efcntcheons of- the French and Englifo were triangular : Thofe of the Spaniards, are ftill quite round at Bottom without any Point : Thofe of the Italians, are Oval : And thofe of the Germans, in Form of Cartouches.
The antient Efcntcheons were generally couch'd, or in- clined ; and they only began to place them upright, when Crowns, &c. were put over them by Way of Creft.
In France, Efcuttbn, Ffcutcheo?i, was formerly reftrain'd to a Shield, or Coat, pointed at Bottom ; by which it was diftinguifh'd from the Ffcu, which was quite Square, and was only allowed to be bore by the Counts and Vii counts. Thofe of inferior Quality were confined to the Efcnffon, or pointed Efcu.
The feveral Parts, and Points of the Escutcheon, have their feveral Names : The Point D, for Inftance, is the Dexter chief 'Point ; C the middle Chief ; and S the finifter Chief 'Point : H is the Honour Point 5 F the Fejfe 'Point $ N the Nom- bril Point ; d the 1)exter Bafe, B the Middle, and s the Sinifter Bafe Point. The Efcittcheon is diverfely denominated, according to its Divisions. It is call'd dexter'd, when the perpendicular Line that divides it, is to the right of a third Part of the Efcittcheon : Sinijlefd, when on the left : "Tierced in 'Pal, when it is double, and divides the whole Ef- mtcheon into three equal Parts : 'Paled, when increas'd to the Number of fix, eight, or ten. A Horizontal Line makes the Chief, when at one third Part from the Top : The Thin, when at a third from the Bottom : And when double, in the middle, at an equal Diftance from both Extremes, it makes the Fefs, and the Tierced in Fefs : When 'tis multiplied, it denominates it feffed : When there -are S, or io equal Spaces, Surrelle: A Diagonal from the Dexter of the Chief to the Sinifter of the Point makes it tranche 5 the contrary, double. If it be doubled at equal Diftances, the firft makes bande, and the tierce in Bend 3 and the other barre, or tierce in Bar : Increafing the Number of the firft makes bande and cottice $ and increa* fing that of the fecond, barre and traverfe.
Escutcheon of Pretence, is an In- efciitcheon, or little Efc7'tcheon,which a Man, who hath married an Hcirefs, and hath Iffue by her, may bear over his own Coat of Arms ; and in it the Arms of his Wife : and the furviying Itfue will bear both Coats Quarterly. See Pretense.
Escutcheon, and Escutcheon-Grafting, in Gar- dening. See Engrafting.
ESPALIER, in the French Gardening, a Wall-Tree b or a Bruit-Tree which is not left to grow at Liberty in full Air, but has its Branches nail'd or faften'd to a Wall, near which it is planted ; and thus growing, it is made to conform it felf to the flat, tho' unnatural, Figure thereof. See Wall "Tree.
Espaliers, in our Gardening, are Rows of Trees, planted in a curious Order round the Outfide of a Garden, or Plantation, for the general Security thereof, from the Violence and Injury of the Winds ; or elfe only round fome Part of a Garden, for the particular Security of a Plantation of Orange Trees, Lemon Trees, Myrtles, and other tender Plants 5 or, laftly, for the bounding of Bor- ders, Walks, Avenues, &c. See Garden, &c.
Efpaliers are now come into mighty Ufe, with RefpecT: to the firft of thefe Intentions : In Effect, 'tis found by Experience, that the beft Brick, or Stone Walls, are not of thcmfelves fufficient Security to Fruit-Trees, from the Ravages of blighting Winds. See Wall.
The Reafon may be, that being built clofe and com- pact, they repel the Winds, and by that Means damage the tender Plants, that lie within the Reach of the Re- pulfion. But thefe Efpaliers ferve to deaden the Violence of the Winds, fo as the tender Greens, or Plants, encom- patted by them, reft fercne and quiet.
Thus, if the Efpaliers, for Inftance, be of Spruce Holly or Yew, they give Way to the Force of tempeftuous Winds, beating againft them, without occaiioning any Reiilition thereof,
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Meff London, and Wife, direct them to be planted at fome Diftance, without the outmoft Bounds, ot Walls of Gardens, (ge. Two, or three Rows of Trees, they think fufficient, from 18 or 20 to 25 Foot a-part. And as to the Method, or Order, of di fpofing the Trees the molt commodious is where the middle Row makes every where Equilateral Triangles with the extreme Rows, i n the fol- lowing Manner,
The Trees recommended for making, or planting, thefe Efpalier Fences, are the Elm, Lime, Beech, Scotch Fir, Oak, Pine and Sycamores j bnt particularly the two firft. For the Method of planting 'em. See Planting, Trans- planting, Sc.
As for Efpalier Hedges, or Hedge Rows, for Defence of tender Greens, and Plants from deftructive Winds in the Summer Seafon : If there be Occafion to ufe them the firft or fecond Tear after they are planted ; a fubftantial Frame of Wood muft be made, feven or eight Foot high, with Polls and Rails. And to this Efpalier Frame, muft the fide Boughs of the young Trees be tied, to caufe the Efpalier to thicken the fooner.
As to the Form of fuch an Efpalier, it muft be ob- long, running North and South.
Thefe Efpaliers may be planted of Apples, Pears, Holly, Laurel, Lime, Maple, white-Thorn, Tew, iSc.
To prevent the Diforders that might befal Efpalier Fruit Trees whea in Bloffom, Mr. Bradley mentions a nurfery Man at •Brentford, who having moft Sorts of Fruit in Efpaliers, has portable Hedges made of Reeds in Frames, which he fets both at the Back, and Front of his Efpaliers, as he fees Occafion.
ESPATJLE, ESPAULEMENT, iSc. in Fortification. See Epaule, Epaulement, &c.
ESPLANADE, in Fortification, call'd alfo Glacis, a Part ferving the Countctfcarp, or cover'd Way, for a Parapet ; being a Declivity, or Slope of Earth, commencing from the Top of the Counterfcarp, and lofing it felf infenfibly in the Level of the Campaign. See Glacis.
Esplanade, alfo fignifies the Ground which has been levell'd from the Glacis of the Counterfcarp, to the firft Houfes ; or the vacant Space between the Works and the Houfes of the Town.
The Term is alfo applied in the general for any Piece of Ground render'd flat or level, which before had fome Eminence that incommoded the Place. See Talut. ESPOUSALS. See Marriage. ESQU ADR1LLE, 1 „ j Ou a dp. il. ESQUADRON, X t,ee IScojadron. ESQJJINANCT, in Medicine, a Difeafe call'd alfo Angina, Squinancy, and popularly <piiinzy. See Angina, Sq_uinancy, &c.
ESQUIRE, a Title of Nobility, next below that of Knight, and above that of a fimple Gentleman. See Nobility, Knight, and Gentleman.
The Origin, both of the Name and the Thing, Efquire, is very dark and intricate : The Englijb Denomination is con- feffedly borrowed from the French Efcuyer ; and that from the Latin Scutum, Shield, as fome will have it ; or as others, from Scutarius, or Scutiger, Shield-Bearer, or from Sc-uria, Stable, or Equifo, Groom.
So many different Ideas of the Formation of the Word, have given rife to as many about their Office; unlefs, perhaps, the latter have given Occafion to the former.
<Pufquier in his Recherches, L. II. C. 15. maintains the Title of Efquire, Efcuyer, Scutarius, to be very antient. From the Time of the Declenfion of the Roman Empire, he obferves, thete were two extraordinary Kinds of Sol- diery, in the Roman Army ; the one call'd Gentiles, and the other Scutarii.
Jmmian. Marcellin L. XIV. C. 7. and L. XVI. C. 4. fpcaks of thefe Scutarii as Men of redoubted Prowefs ; and even deem'd invincible. 'Tis added, that Julian the Apoftate fet a mighty Value on thofe Troops, when he was in the Gauls : And hence, probably, it was, that the Gauls, or perhaps, only the Franks, finding the braveft among the Roman Forces were call'd Gentiles, and Scutarii, gave the like Names to the boldeft and braveft among them- felves ; fuch, according to that curious Antiquary, is the Origin of Efquires.
Esquire, however, afterwards came to be ufed in a fomewhat different Senfe ; viz. for a Gentleman who at- tended a Knight in the Wars, and on other military Oc- cafions ; bearing the Shield, Scutum, before him : Whence Scutarius, Scutiger, or Scutifer ; as alfo hi3 Launce, and other Weapons : Whence his other Latin Appellation, ufual among us, Armiger, q- d. Armour-Beater,
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