Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 19, Scripture-SUG

SHI [24
ways cliofe. to reprefent them upon the figure of a fhield,
but with feveral exterior additions and ornaments ; as
the helmet, fupporters, and the reft.
The form of the ftiield has not only been found dif¬
ferent in various nations, but even the people of the
fame nation, at different times, have varied its form ex¬
tremely ; and among feveral people there have been
fhields of feveral forms and fizes in ufe, at the fame pe¬
riod of time, and fuited to different occafions. The
molt ancient and univerfal form of Ihields, in the earlier
ages, feems to have been the triangular. This we fee
inftances of in all the monuments and gems of antiquity:
our own moft early monuments (how it to have been the
moft antique fhape alfo with us, and the heralds have
found it the moft convenient for their purpofes, when
they had any odd number of figures to repietent j as if
three, then two in the broad bottom part, and one in the
narrow upper end, it held them very well} or if five,
they flood as conveniently, as three below, and two
above. The other form of a ftiield, now univerfally
ufed, is fquare, rounded and pointed at the bottom : this
is taken from the figure of the Samnitic ftiield ufed by
the Romans, and fince copied very generally by the
Englifti, French, and Germans.
The Spaniards and Portuguefe have the like general
form of ftiields, but they are round at the bottom with¬
out the pointand the Germans, befide the Samnite
ftiield, have two others pretty much in ufe : thefe are,
i. The bulging ftiield, diftinguiftied by its fwelling or
bulging out at the flanks; and, 2. The indented ftiield,
or ftiield chancree, which has a number ot notches and
indentings all round its fides. 1 he ufe of the ancient
fliield of this form was, that the notches ferved to reft
the lance upon, that it might be firm while it gave the
thruft ; but this form being lefs proper for the receiving
armorial figures, the two former have been much more
ufed in the heraldry of that nation-
Befide this different form of the ftiields in heraldry,
we find them alfo often diftinguiftied by their different
pofitions, fome of them Handing ereft, and others flant-
ing various ways, and in different degrees-, this the he¬
ralds exprefs by the word pendant, “ hanging,” they
feeming to be hung up not by the centie, but by the
right or left corner. I he French call thefe ecu pendant,
and the common antique triangular ones ecu ancien.
The Italians call this fcuto pendente ; and the reafon
given for exhibiting the ftiield in thefe figuies in heral¬
dry is, that in the ancient tilts and tournaments, they
who were to juft at thefe military yxercifes, were obliged
to hang up their fhields with their armories, or coats of
arms on them, out at the windows and balconies of the
houfes near the place ; or upon trees, pavilions, or the
barriers of the ground, if the exereife was to be perform¬
ed in the field.
Thofe who were to fight on foot, according to Co-
lumbier, had their flrields hung up by the right corner,
and thofe who were to fight on horfeback had theirs
hung up by the left. This pofition of the ftiields in
heraldry is called couc/ie by fome writers, though by the
generality pendant.
It was very frequent in all parts of Europe, in arms
given between the nth and 14th centuries; but it is
to be obferved that the hanging by the left corner,
as it was the token of the owner’s being to fight on
horfeback, fo it was efteemed the moft honourable and
> ] SHI
noble fituation ; and all the pendant ftiields of the Tons
of the royal family of Scotland and England, and of our
nobility at the time, are thus hanging from the left
corner. The hanging from this corner was a token of
the owner’s being of noble birth, and having fought in
the tournaments before ; but no fovereign ever had a
ftiield pendant any way, but always ered, as they never
formally entered the lifts of the tournament.
The Italians generally have their ftiields of arms of
an oval form ; this feems to be done in imitation oi thofe
of the popes and other dignified clergy : but their herald
Petro Sando feems to regret the ufe of this figure of the
ftiield, as an innovation brought in by the painters and
engravers as moft convenient for holding the figures, but
derogatory to the honour of the pofleffor, as not repre->
fenting either antiquity or honours won in war, but ra¬
ther the honours of fome citizen or perfon of learning.
Some have carried it fo far as to fay, that thofe who
either have no ancient title to nobility, or have fullied
it by any unworthy adion, cannot any longer wear their
arms in ftiields properly figured, but were obliged to
have them painted in an oval or round fliield.
In Flanders, where this author lived, the round and
oval {Fields are in the difrepute he fpeaks of; but in
Italy, befides the popes and dignified prelates, many of
the fir ft families of the laity have them.
The fecular princes, in many other countries, alio re¬
tain this form of the fliield, as the moft ancient and truly
expreffive of the Roman clypeus.
Shield,in Heraldry,^ efcutcheon, or field on which
the bearings of coats of arms are placed. See Heraldry.
SHIELDRAKE, or Sheldrake. See Anas, Or¬
nithology Index.
SHIELDS, North and South, two fca-port towns,
at the mouth of the T yne, the one in Northumberland,
the other in the county of Durham. South Shields
contained above 2CO falt-pans, 50 years ago ; but now
there are not more than five or fix ; and the duty, which
is now only 1 o,cool, per annum, amounted formerly to
8o,OOOl. South Shields has a confiderable trade, in
which not lefs than 500 veffels from ICO to 500 tons
burden are employed ; and has nine dry docks for re¬
pairing, and 10 yards for building ftiips. This town
has been much improved of late years. In the centre
there is a large Iquare, in which there is a handlome
town-hall, with a colonnade under it for the weekly
market, and from which ftreets branch out on all fides.
North Shields contains alfo fome fine ftreets and fquares.
The harbour is very commodious, and fo fpacioas, that
it is capable of receiving 2000 ftiips. It is defended by
a fort, in which there is alfo a lighthoufe, correfpond-
ing with another on the top of the bank, to diredl vef¬
fels into the harbour. The population of North and
South Shields is eftimated at 23',000. W. Long. 1. 12.
N. Lat. 55. 44.
SHIFTERS, on board a man of war, certain men
who are employed by the cooks to ftiift and change the
water in which the flefh or fifti is put, and laid for fome
1 time, in order to fit it for the kettle.
SHIFTING A TACKLE, in fea-language, the aft of
’ removing the blocks of a tackle to a greater diftanee
from each other, on the object to which they are ap¬
plied, in order to give a greater fcope or extent to their
purchafe. This operation is otherwife called fleeting.
Shifting the helm denotes the alteration of its pofition,