The murdered sentries had each had a saltire cross slashed across their brows, as by a hunting-knife.
Above the fireplace were rows of heraldic shields with the blazonings of the family and of its alliances, the fatal saltirecross breaking out on each of them.
In that flag, of which an official copy is now before me, the fimbriation of the Irish saltire is of much greater breadth than it is in the Admiralty flag, while that saltire itself is considerably reduced in breadth.
In the upper corner is the white saltire of Scotland, with the crown above and the thistle in base.
I do not know when the Irish saltire was first introduced, as a national flag, but from the early conquest of Ireland the Fitzgeralds have borne as their arms a red saltire on a white field.
The flag of Scotland is a white saltire (or St. Andrew's cross) on a blue field, and what has come to be called the flag of Ireland is a red saltire on a white field.
The reader will naturally suppose, however, that the omission consisted in not adding the Irish saltire to that of Scotland, which had been there from the first.
But the lion rampant for Galloway, the saltire for the lordship of Annandale, and the heart and the star, are all Douglas bearings.
On the union with Ireland in the beginning of the present century the Irish saltire was introduced.
In 1603, on the union of the crowns of England and Scotland, the first union flag was formed by the combination of St. George's cross with the saltire of Scotland; but this flag appears to have been used for ships only.
The key will show how the Hauterive saltire stood with the Galors pale.
On the third day he fell in with a troop of horse, whose spears carried the red saltire of the house of Forz on their banneroles.
When you see the Saltire hang there you will march in and meet me at the Bishop's Gate.
The saltire still floats," cried Prosper; "we are not too late for this time.
Gules; three pairs of swords in saltire argent, hilts and pomels or, two pair in chief and one in base.
Gules; on a chevron argent between three pair of barley garbs in saltire or, three tuns sable, hooped of the third.
The Chancellor of France bore two maces in saltire behind his shield.
On a shield borne by Robillard are two billiard cues in saltire between four billiard balls.
The Admiral of France (answering to our old title Lord High Admiral) bore two anchors in saltire behind his shield, whilst admirals carried an anchor in pale behind their shields.
The rank of Marshal of France was indicated by two batons in saltire behind the shield.
It now remains to trace the process by which these two flags became united in one, and finally, by the addition of a red saltire to represent Ireland, developed into the present Union flag.
Neither of these bears any device upon it, but in another book-cover of the twelfth century in the same collection a small cross saltire appears in the body of the flag, and the tails are proportionately of much greater length.
It will be noted that the field on which the cross-saltire was to be placed was immaterial, but if the coat happened to be white the field was to be black.
The saltire flag is nevertheless given as "Pavillon d'Ierne" in the flag plates at the commencement of the Neptune François of 1693, whence it was copied into later flag collections.
Scotch flag a ground of red or blue, and also a ground of red, yellow and green, with the saltire in a canton or overall[125].
Apparently this has been done to bring the outer boundaries in line across the flag, but it seems neither heraldically nor historically correct, for the saltire representing Ireland[210] should be of equal width with that of Scotland.
These show a very wide border to the red cross, and in two instances[147] the red cross, the white border and the white saltire are each of the same width.
The St George's flag flies upon Cornwall, Wales and Man, but the red saltire flag does not appear upon Ireland itself, though it is placed upon the adjacent Mulls of Galloway and Kintyre in Scotland.
These boys saw and heard nothing, so that it is certain that young Saltire did not pass out that way.
It is the Duke's desire that the carriage shall go at once to the Fighting Cock Inn to bring Lord Saltire home.
It was then that we ascertained that Lord Saltire had not been alone in his flight.
Thus both the Irish and Scottish saltires can be easily distinguished from one another, whilst the red saltire has its due white fimbriation.
The flag of the Russian navy is the blue saltire of St Andrew on a white ground.
In the first union flag, the red cross of St George with the white fimbriation that represented-the original white field was simply imposed upon the white saltire of St Andrew with its blue field.
In fact, the continuity of direction of the arms of the St Patrick red saltire has been broken by its portions being removed from the centre of the oblique points that form the St Andrew's saltire.
St Andrew in the same way was the patron saint of Scotland, and his banner, azure, a saltire argent, the national ensign of Scotland.
This had the cross of St George in the first and fourth quarters, the cross of St Andrew, a white saltire on a blue ground, in the second, and the Irish harp in the third.
Ireland, the cross of St Patrick, a saltire gules, on a field argent, was incorporated in the union flag.
At the Dissolution the arms were Gules, two keys in saltire surmounted by a sword in pale, argent.
Barry wavy of six; on the middle bar a boat; on a chief two oars in saltirebetween two cushions, tasselled.
Two grozing irons in saltire between four closing nails; on a chief a lion passant-guardant.
Frequently two swords in saltire is used as the trade device on tokens.
So he took a bar of hot iron from the forge to mark the saltire on them, and thereupon there was this burst of smoke and flame, and the maid, who was leaning over, prying into his doings, had the brunt thereof.
She and Saltire were to be married as soon as a Quentin aunt, who was on her way, had settled down comfortably with the children.
Saxby, lunging forward to stop him, but the deed was already done, thoughSaltire himself was unprepared for what followed on his lifting the iron.
Saltire made no answer, for he was looking at the roses and then into her eyes; and when she tried to return the look, the weight of the little stones was on her lids again, and her lips a-quiver.
They were nearly home when they saw Saltire and his boys close beside their path.
Then she went back to the stoep and, showing Saltire the paper, told him the story of the whispering thing that had sighed so often for Roddy's safety outside her window.
Half-way home they came upon Richard Saltire and the squad of Kafirs who carried his implements and liquids.
Saltire had been writing; a sheet of paper upon which the ink was still wet lay upon the table, and in his hand he held a packet of letters.
For a moment, Saltire seemed utterly taken aback, then he said carelessly: "Throw them away if you like.
Only Saltire paid the company the compliment of unrolling his sleeves, buttoning the top button of his shirt, and assuming a tie for the occasion.
Saltire went to meet Bernard van Cannan at Cradock, taking with him the papers left in his care by Richard Saxby.
Saltire did not put in an appearance, for which small mercy she was fain to thank God.
When James determined to kidnap Lord Saltire it was of this man's service that he availed himself.
Since that time the white saltire cross, upon a blue ground, the banner of St. Andrew, has been carried by the Scots as their national ensign.
According to the received rules of strict heraldry, in emblazoning a shield or a banner, a cross should be given one-third, and a saltire be given one-fifth of the width.
Should this latter suggestion of the origin of the cross of the saltireshape be accepted as the preferable one, this saltire cross has yet a most interesting and particular connection with the early history of Ireland.
She sailed towards him through the gloom of the old hall with a frank smile, and just that amount of admiration in her sweet eyes which paid Lord Saltire the truest compliment he had had for many a day.
Lord Saltire had got the key, and was going to open the room the first time for forty years.
From this state of mind he was aroused by William, who told him that Lord Segur was going, and Lord Saltire with him, and that the latter wanted to speak to him.
Lord Saltire and his snuff-box had not penetrated into the lair of that filthy wolf, but he had heard much of him from many friends, and told it well.
But Lord Saltire had been a constant visitor, bringing with him very often Marston, who was, you will remember, an old friend of Lady Ascot.
Lord Saltire and Lady Ascot were comfortably out of hearing.
Lord Saltire had seen them drive up to the door; so he was quite prepared.
Lord Saltire looked out on all this which I have roughly described (for a reason).
Lord Hainault laughed, and then Lord Saltire looked up and laughed too.
Lord Saltire looked at him curiously, and said to himself, "This fellow is in earnest.
When Lord Saltire had finished he tried to speak, but found his mouth as dry as dust.
Lord Saltire bowed, and settled himself easily in his chair, as one does who expects a good story.
Lord Saltire was disgusted with the war from the very beginning, in consequence of the French alliance, and so the present accident was as fuel for his wrath.
Lord Saltire used to say that he must give her the credit of being the most infernally disagreeable woman in Europe.
The roof, a very fine one of oak, was carried on cambered beams, each displaying the saltire on its centre.
On the seal (1310) of Maude, wife of John Boutetort of Halstead, the engrailed saltire of the Boutetorts takes the sinister place.
Mayster Elwett of Yorke chyre" in a 15th-century roll bears "Silver a saltire of chains sable with a crescent in the chief.
Also they affect to divide these into Honourable Ordinaries and Sub-Ordinaries without explaining the reason for the superior honour of the Saltire or for the subordination of the Quarter.
Nicholas Upton, the 15th-century writer on armory, bore "Silver a saltire sable with the ends couped and five golden rings thereon.
The Saltire is the cross in the form of that on which St Andrew suffered, whence it is borne on the banner of Scotland, and by the Andrew family of Northamptonshire.
