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evidences of note, which I myself have seen, but which are now dispersed into sundry hands, sufficiently setting forth his great abilities therein."

Art. 26. "A Synopsis of Heraldry; &c. with coats of nobility and gentry." London. Printed for L. Curtis, near Fleetbridge, and T. Simmons at the Princes Arms in Ludgate Street. 1682. duod.

This was the predecessor to those pocket introductions to Heraldry, which almost every year now produces in the booksellers' shops in London.*

Art. 27. An Essay of the ancient and modern use of Ar-
mories; shewing their origin, definition, and division of them
into their several species. The Method of composing them,
and marshalling many coats together in one shield. Illus-
trated by many examples and sculptures of the armorial en-
signs of noble families in this and other nations. To which
is added an index, explaining the terms of Blazon made use of
in this
essay.

In perpetuum per Gloriam vivere
D. JUSTINIAN.

Intelliguntur.

By Alexander Nisbet, Gent. London.

Printed and sold by A. Bell in Cornhill, R. Robinson in St. Paul's Churchyard, W. Taylor in Paternoster-Row, J. Graves in Pall Mall, and F. Clay without Temple Bar. 1718. 4to. pp. 240.

A very learned and satisfactory treatise, full of curious research, and sound historical knowledge. This was published preparatory to the author's very copious Treatise of Heraldry Speculative and Practical in two volumes Folio, 1722; which having become very scarce was lately reprinted.

* Sir George Mackenzie published a learned Treatise of Precedency af Edinburgh, 1680, with another of Heraldry.

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The author says also in his Preface that he had many years before given to the public "An Essay on additional figures and marks of Cadency," the most intricate part of the science, of which he " may say without vanity, that nothing of this nature so perfect had been hitherto published.”

Art. 28. London and Middlesex illustrated; by a true and explicit account of the names, residence, genealogy, and coat-armour of the nobility, principal merchants, and other eminent families, trading within the precincts of this most opulent city and county: (the eye of the universe:) all blazoned in their proper colours, with references thereunto: shewing in what manuscript books, or other original records of the Herald's Office, the right of each person, respectively, may be found. Now first published. In justification of the subscribers, and others who have been encouragers of the new map of London and Middlesex, whose arms are engraved therein : and at the same time to obviate the symbolical or heraldrical mystery, so industriously circulated by some heralds, that trade and gentility are incompatible, until rectified in blood by the Sovereign touch of Garter King of Arms's Sceptre. By John Warburton, Esq. Somerset Herald, F.R.S.

Spe labor levis.

London. Printed by C. and J. Ackers in St. John's Street for the author, and sold by R. Baldwin, Junr. at the Rose in Paternoster-row. 1749. 8vo. pp. 163.

This publication originated from a command of the Deputy Earl Marsha (at the instigation of Mr. Anstis, Garter,) to Warburton, to prove the right of each person to the arms ascribed to him in the author's Map of London and Middlesex; it having been," says he, " maliciously and unjustly represented to the Earl Marshal, that the greatest part of those 500 coats of arms, were either fic

titious,

titious; and without owners; or otherwise not the right of the persons to whom they are ascribed.

"It is well known," he adds, "that the citizens of Lon-' don consist chiefly of descendants from the younger sons of the best families in the kingdom, And as the ancientest arms are the most difficult to be proved, occasioned by their evidences being lost or destroyed, it is no wonder, that so many of them at this time, are necessitated (in obedience to the Earl Marshal's authority and power) to apply for grants of new arms; as the difficulty of joining themselves to their old family stock, through the want of Visitations, often proves more expensive to them. I mention this the more particularly, to shew the absolute necessity there now is for a revival of Visitations of Counties, by the Heralds, as of old: an affair indeed worthy of the Legislature's regard, as the rights of inheritance, to all estates, are more or less affected by it. And this want is at present so great in many counties, that notwithstanding a person's right may be ever so good to the coat-armour or genealogy of his ancestors, it is not possible to make the same appear to the satisfaction of any law, or other judicial, court, by the Register-Books of the Herald's-College.

"Some counties, particularly Devonshire and Cornwall, have not been visited since the year 1620; being near one hundred and thirty years; others not for one hundred; and in a few years more, if some speedy expedient is not found out to prevent it, time will terminate all proofs to family arms and pedigrees, and also bury in oblivion the births, marriages, issues, and deaths, of all distinguished families in the kingdom; and consequently, their rights of inheritance to their paternal and maternal estates."

It has not been my intention to pursue the list of heraldric writers regularly below the reign of Charles II, I shall now add only one or two modern works, too well known to be dwelt upon,

Art.

Art. 29. A Complete Body of Heraldry, &c. &c. By Joseph Edmondson, F.S.A. Mowbray Herald Extraordinary. 1780 Two Vols. Fol.

The first of these volumes contains an elaborate Historical Enquiry into the origin of Armories, and the Rise and Progress of Heraldry, considered as a science. The second consists of an Alphabet of Arms, which includes upwards of 50,000 coats. In the first the author is supposed to have had the assistance of the late Sir Joseph Ayloffe, Bart. F.A.S. a learned antiquary.

Among much curious matter, he is very severe on the mode of constructing new coats, which, owing to the predominance of one or two ignorant and stupid Heralds, has of late years obtained in the College of Arms.

"Modern heralds" says he, "have stuffed several of the new-purchased coats, with such a multitude and variety of charges, and introduced such a medley of new and extraor dinary bearings, that the escutcheons become crowded, confused and unseemly, and consequently are inadequate to the purposes for which coat-armour was originally instituted; nay the descriptions which they give us of those very arms are so loose and defective, that such arms cannot with certainty and exactness be drawn from their blazon, as they stand worded in the grants.

"It may be difficult to ascertain the reasons which have induced our modern heralds to deviate from their predecessors in thus forming of arms. Possibly they are desirous of giving good pennyworths, and think that as purchasers now pay forty guineas for a grant of arms, the coat ought to be fuller, and to contain a greater number of bearings, than are placed in those coats, which were granted when the expenses of obtaining them amounted to no more than five guineas. That this practice of filling arms to oblige the purchaser, and the defective descriptions given of the seve

ral

ral charges they contain, puts it out of the power even of a very good herald to draw new arms from their blazons is evident." &c,

"Allusive arms, which are often like Rebuses, should be very cautiously admitted; and should never be granted as memorials of common events; but only as tesseræ of some very particular and important personal valour, or transaction, whereby either the Crown, or the public had been benefited. How then could we approve of a grant of arms, wherein we should find, a troubled ocean, with Neptune rising therefrom, and holding in his hand part of the wreck of a ship, in order to indicate that the grantee had been cast away in a ship, and in great danger of being drowned! ! !"*

Art. 30. Inquiries into the Origin and Progress of Heraldry, &c. By James Dallaway, A.M. 1793, 4to.

Art. 31. A Summary View of Heraldry, in Reference to the Usages of Chivalry, and the general Economy of the Feudal System; with an Appendix respecting such distinttions of Rank, as have place in the British Constitution. By Thomas Brydson, F.A.S. Edinb.-Edinburgh, Printed for Mundell and Son. 1795. 8vo. pp. 319.

I am informed that this book, for I am not acquainted with it myself, is a work of uncommon ingenuity; and deserves to be called "the Philosophy of Heraldry." And I

I have often heard the present Garter blamed and ridiculed for the strange and absurd coats of this sort, which he has granted-but it seems he is not to be censured-for he only does, as he would be done by-as this is the very coat which some years ago he granted to himself under the following description: "Ar. a Neptune crowned with an eastern crown of gold, bis trident sab, beaded or, issuing from a stormy ocean, the left hand grasping the bead of a ship's mast, appearing above the waves, as part of a wreck, all proper; on a ch chief azure, the arctic polar star of the first, between two water bougets of the second. Granted to Issac Heard, Lancaster Heald, 1762." To be sure these are more like hieroglyphics than arms!

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