The Bight to Bear Arms. By "X.," of the Saturday
Review. (Elliot Stock. 6s.)—This is a vehement protest against the practice, which is so common, of using arms to which the bearer has no right. It is rather the custom nowadays to despise heraldry ; yet never were there so many bearers of coats-of-arms. The general ignorance of the very elements of heraldry which now prevails allows these bogus crests and arms to pass unchallenged, and the days are gone by when the Earl Marshal can take proceedings for infringing the laws of arms, though he may yet have the power to do so. Our author has chosen to place on his title-page an extract from Planche, with which we must all agree "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." Coat-armour, which is the sign of a gentle- man (just as a coronet and a peerage are the signs of a nobleman), can only be borne by one to whom it has been granted by the Crown. The right to bear the arms descends in England to all his legitimate male descendants. The power of granting arms has now been delegated by the Crown to a Corpora. tion, generally called the Heralds' College, where the records of heraldic matters and the pedigrees of those entitled to use arms are carefully preserved. In Ireland and Scotland the laws of arms are somewhat different. We cordially recommend this little book to those who are ignorant of such matters, and are not above learning something of the elementary rules of heraldry, even though they may be certain of their own right to use arms. The book is forcibly and clearly written, the arguments are unanswerable and sup- ported by extracts from ancient documents (which the reader may skip), and many common delusions about arms are exposed.
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