▁greatest ▁honour ▁( see ▁also ▁D ex ter ▁and ▁sin ister ). ▁ ▁A ▁more ▁vers atile ▁method ▁is ▁quarter ing , ▁division ▁of ▁the ▁field ▁by ▁both ▁vertical ▁and ▁horizontal ▁lines . ▁This ▁practice ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Spain ▁( Cast ile ▁and ▁León ) ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁As ▁the ▁name ▁implies , ▁the ▁usual ▁number ▁of ▁divisions ▁is ▁four , ▁but ▁the ▁principle ▁has ▁been ▁extended ▁to ▁very ▁large ▁numbers ▁of ▁" quarters ". ▁ ▁Qu arters ▁are ▁number ed ▁from ▁the ▁de xter ▁chief ▁( the ▁corner ▁nearest ▁to ▁the ▁right ▁shoulder ▁of ▁a ▁man ▁standing ▁behind ▁the ▁shield ), ▁proceed ing ▁across ▁the ▁top ▁row , ▁and ▁then ▁across ▁the ▁next ▁row ▁and ▁so ▁on . ▁When ▁three ▁co ats ▁are ▁quarter ed , ▁the ▁first ▁is ▁repeated ▁as ▁the ▁fourth ; ▁when ▁only ▁two ▁co ats ▁are ▁quarter ed , ▁the ▁second ▁is ▁also ▁repeated ▁as ▁the ▁third . ▁The ▁qu arters ▁of ▁a ▁personal ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁correspond ▁to ▁the ▁ancest ors ▁from ▁whom ▁the ▁bear er ▁has ▁inherited ▁arms , ▁normally ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁sequence ▁as ▁if ▁the ▁pedig ree ▁were ▁laid ▁out ▁with ▁the ▁father ' s ▁father ' s ▁... ▁father ▁( to ▁as ▁many ▁gener ations ▁as ▁necessary ) ▁on ▁the ▁extreme ▁left ▁and ▁the ▁mother ' s ▁mother ' s ... m other ▁on ▁the ▁extreme ▁right . ▁ ▁A ▁few ▁line ages ▁have ▁accum ulated ▁hundreds ▁of ▁qu arters , ▁though ▁such ▁a ▁number ▁is ▁usually ▁displayed