utterly unentitled, by ancient descent or modern grant, to such insignia. An erroneous impression, carefully fostered by certain advertising seal-engravers, exists amongst the public, that all persons possessing the same name have a right to bear the same arms. Mr. Jones considers himself justified in bearing the crest of Viscount Ranelagh; Mr. Brown that of the Marquis of Sligo. Mr. Smith appropriates to himself the coat of Lord Carrington, and Mr. Robinson sees no just cause or impediment to prevent his displaying that of Earl de Grey and Ripon. There are instances in which, not content with the paternal coat of their noble namesake, persons have also assumed the quarterings they have found marshalled with it, and we remember having seen a baronet's arms appropriated thus wholesale, including the distinguishing mark of his rank, the badge of Ulster! Surely even those who affect the greatest contempt for Heraldry, will admit that if arms are to be borne at all, it should be according to the laws of arms; and that if the display of them be an empty vanity, it is a less creditable vanity to parade as our own those which belong of right to others. The most useful purpose of Heraldry is also defeated by this silly practice, as identification of family or property is impossible under such circumstances. Nor is it scarcely possible for the more scrupulous, who design coats or crests for themselves, to avoid interfering, more or less, with recorded arms, either ancient or modern, and thus equally, though more innocently, contributing to the confusion. Another abuse of arms is the common custom of wives having their note-paper stamped with the crests. appertaining to, or assumed by, their husbands. No lady is entitled to a crest (see under CRESTS), and the display of one by a female of any rank is an absurdity. CLASSES OF ARMS. Arms are usually divided by modern authorities into eleven classes. 1. Arms of Dominion. 2. Arms of Pretension. 3. Arms of Community. 4. Arms of Assumption. 5. Arms of Patronage. 6. Arms of Succession. 7. Arms of Alliance. 9. Arms Paternal and Here- 10. Arms of Concession. 11. Canting or Allusive Arms. These may fairly be reduced to nine, and even less, as we shall show in our description of them. ARMS OF DOMINION are those which emperors and kings constantly bear, and which, being annexed to their territories, are stamped on their coins, and displayed on their colours, standards, banners, coaches, seals, &c. ARMS OF PRETENSION are those of kingdoms, provinces, or territories to which a prince or lord pretends to have some claim, and which he therefore adds to his own arms, although the land be possessed by some other prince or lord. Thus, the kings of England quartered the arms of France with those of England from the year 1330 (when Edward III. laid claim to that kingdom, as son to Isabella, sister of Charles the Handsome, who died without issue) till the year 1801, although at the latter date all pretensions to France on the part of England had long ceased. On the union of this kingdom with Ireland, the arms of France were first omitted, and the ensign of Ireland inserted in their stead. In like manner Spain quarters the arms of Portugal and Jerusalem; and Denmark those of Sweden. ARMS OF COMMUNITY are those of bishoprics, cities, universities, academies, societies, companies, and other bodies corporate. ASSUMPTIVE ARMS. In the days of chivalry, according to Sir John Ferne, it was considered lawful that the victor, upon making captive any gentleman of higher degree than himself, might assume the shield of arms of his prisoner; and the acquiring of coat-armour by such feats of valour was esteemed highly honourable. As this practice has long been disused, if indeed it ever existed, these so-called arms of assumption may be struck out of the list. ARMS OF PATRONAGE are, in one sense, such as governors of provinces, lords of manors, patrons of benefices, add to their family arms, as a token of their rights and jurisdiction; in another, they are part of the arms of such lords, assumed by and added to the paternal arms of persons holding lands in fee under them. Thus, as the earls of Chester bore garbs, many gentlemen of the county bore the same ensign; and numerous instances of this kind of bearing may still be adduced in England, Scotland, and, indeed, in most parts of Europe. ARMS OF SUCCESSION are those taken up by such as inherit certain lands, manors, &c., either by will, entail, or donation; and which they bear instead of, or quarter with, their own arms. ARMS OF ALLIANCE are such as, when heiresses marry into families, are taken up by their issue, to show their descent paternal and maternal; and by this means the memory of many ancient and noble families, extinct in the male line, is preserved and conveyed to posterity; which is one of the principal reasons of marshalling several coats, pertaining to distict families in one shield, ARMS OF ADOPTION. Already described as arms of succession. They are called "of adoption " because the last of a family may by will adopt a stranger to possess his name, estate, and arms, and thereby continue the name and coat of his family in the world after his decease. The present custom for persons adopted, is to apply to the Crown for a Royal license to empower them to fulfil the will of the testator, or to the Parliament for an Act. ARMS PATERNAL AND HEREDITARY are such as are transmitted from the first possessor to his son, grandson, great-grandson, &c. In such case they are arms of a perfect and complete nobility, begun in the grandfather, or great-grandfather (as heralds say), growing in the son, complete in the grandson, or rather great-grandson; from which rises the distinction of gentleman of blood in the grandson, and, in the great-grandson, gentleman of ancestry. ARMS OF CONCESSION are augmentations granted by the sovereign, of part of his ensigns or regalia, to such persons as he pleaseth to honour therewith. Henry VIII. honoured the arms of Thomas Manners (whom he created Earl of Rutland) with an augmentation, on account of his being descended from a sister of King Edward IV. His paternal arms were, or, two bars azure, a chief gules. The augmentations were, the chief quarterly, azure and gules; on the first, two fleurs de lis in fess, or; on the second, a lion passant gardant. See Plate XI. n. 3. The same monarch also granted, as an augmentation of honour, to Lady Jane Seymour, a pile gules, charged with three lions passant gardant, or, to be marshalled with her paternal coat; and many similar instances might be adduced of our sovereigns giving special proof of their favour by granting arms of concession by their royal warrant, recorded in the College of Arms. But these augmentations did not always consist of part of the royal bearings. Thus, the arms granted in 1692 to Sir Cloudesley Shovel were gules, a chevron ermine, in chief two crescents argent, in base a fleur de lis or; to denote three victories gained by him, two over the Turks, and one over the French: Lord Heathfield was permitted to assume a fortress, to commemorate his gallant defence of Gibraltar. The arms of many other of our heroes, naval and military, as Nelson, Collingwood, Wellington, may also be referred to, as justly bearing these augmentations of honour (called by the French heralds armes de concession), although we cannot too strongly express our disapprobation of the wretched taste and unheraldic character of the augmentations themselves. |