In gathering up for practical consideration some of the points already discussed, as well as others that are suggested by them, something may first be said on the ways of combining the arms of husband and wife. This was done originally by simply setting them side by side, a plan which of course may still be followed whenever it is thought desirable.

For a short time during the latter part of the thirteenth and beginning of the fourteenth century the arms of husband and wife were combined in one shield by the curious device of halving or 'dimidiating' them, by joining the half of the one to the opposite half of the other, as in the arms of Aymer of Valence and Mary de Seynt Pol, still borne (since 1347) by the lady's foundation of Pembroke college at Cambridge. Owing however to the many inconveniences which this plan involved, it was soon exchanged for the more simple way of 'impaling' or placing the entire arms of both parties side by side in one shield (fig. 146 and pls. VIII C, XVIII A, B), a practice that has continued ever since, except when the wife is an heiress. In that case the lady's arms are usually drawn upon a smaller shield and placed upon the middle of the husband's arms (pl. V A). This ugly and most inconvenient plan, though of considerable antiquity, might very well be amended by the more ancient way of quartering the arms together, as is still done by the children of the heiress. For rules for the combination of the arms of a husband who has married two or more wives, or the cumbrous regulations as to quartering, the student may, if he wishes, consult the various manuals of heraldry.

When a man is a member of any Order, such as the Garter or the Bath, only his own arms should be encircled by the insignia of the Order. Exceptions to this rule can of course be found, but it is otherwise a general one that ought strictly to be followed. Bishops are entitled to bear their personal arms only impaled with those of their bishopstool or cathedral church, and the same rule applies to deans, heads of colleges, and regius professors (like those at Cambridge) who have official arms. The chancellor of a University presumably may impale its arms with his own.

It has already been shown that the arms of ladies, all through the medieval period, were borne in precisely the same way as their fathers' or their husbands', that is, upon a shield, lozenge, or roundel, and that the present inconvenient restriction to a lozenge did not come into use much before the middle of the sixteenth century, when heraldry and heraldic art were already on the down-grade. The present custom seems to be for the arms of married ladies to be borne upon shields, and of widows and spinsters upon lozenges. From the artistic standpoint it would certainly be desirable, whenever it is thought advisable, to revert to the freedom of pre-Elizabethan times.

Enough has already been said as to the elasticity of drawing shields, helms, crests, and mantlings, and as to the proper use of supporters, but a few words may be added as to the proper way of drawing the various creatures that are used in heraldry.

Since heraldry is a survival of what was once a living thing, it is clear that if modern work is to look well, animals and birds ought to be drawn in a more or less conventional manner (figs. 148, 149). Some, such as elephants, dogs, falcons, etc. may be drawn almost directly from nature; but others, especially lions, if so represented, would manifestly be unfit to consort with the leopards, the wivers, the griffins, the two-headed eagles, and other delightful creatures of the early heralds which they borrowed from the bestiaries. The conventional treatment should not, however, be carried to excess, nor should natural forms be too closely copied. Here, as in other matters connected with heraldry, a comparative study of good ancient examples will soon show what are the best types to follow.

It would be an advantage, too, if artists would revert to the old ways of representing the furs known as ermine and vair. The ancient ermine tails did more or less resemble the actual tail of an ermine, but[Pg 257]
[Pg 258] the modern object with its three dots above has no likeness to it whatever (fig. 150). So too with regard to vair, which represents the skins of grey squirrels, the modern treatment of it as rows of angular eighteenth century shields is far removed from the conventional forms of the real skins seen in the best old work (fig. 151).

It has already been pointed out that there are no strict rules as to the particular shades of colour allowable in heraldry, and it is one of the surprises of the student to find what dull and cold tones were anciently used that yet look quite right. The apparently bright reds, for example, of the enamel in the early stall-plates at Windsor are actually brick-colour, and the apparent fine blues a cold grey; but their combination with gilding and silvering makes all the difference in the ultimate beautiful rich effect.

One thing that ought to be most scrupulously avoided in all modern heraldic decoration is the indicating of the gilding and colouring by the pernicious 'dot-and-dash' system. This is all very well as a kind of shorthand in one's own notes or memoranda, but it is utterly destructive of artistic effect if applied in actual work. Ancient shields in relief were no doubt invariably painted, like those still to be seen behind the quire at Westminster; but let any one try to imagine the fine series at York or St. Albans scored and pecked to indicate the colour and gilding. If the heraldic carvings are not to be painted, at any rate do not let their surfaces be disfigured. They may always be relieved by diapering.

The treatment of mottoes may not, at first sight, seem to fall within the scope of this work, but actually it is one of very real importance. There is much to be said for the theory that mottoes are derived from the war cries of early times, and hence their frequent association with the crest worn upon the helm. Reference has already been made to examples upon seals and other authorities. The association of a motto with a shield only was not common anciently, and when it is so found it is generally placed on a scroll, like the well-known examples on the tomb of Edward prince of Wales at Canterbury (fig. 85). In later times, when shields began to be encircled by the Garter of the famous Order (fig. 152), mottoes were often arranged about the shield in a similar way.

There was however always this very important and noteworthy difference and distinction, that the buckled band now so commonly used for mottoes was anciently never allowed for any but the motto of the Order of the Garter. Other mottoes were written on a band which was fastened in a different way, or merely disposed Garter-wise round the shield.

The earliest known representation of the Garter is on a singular lead or pewter medallion (fig. 153) commemorative of Edward prince of Wales, first Prince of the Order, now in the British Museum. In this the prince is kneeling bare-headed before a personification of the Holy Trinity, with his gloves on the ground before him, and an angel standing behind him and holding his crested helm. The whole is enclosed by a buckled band inscribed hony soyt ke mal y pense, with a cloud overlapping its upper margin, from which issues an angel holding down the prince's shield of arms.

In a wardrobe account of King Edward III, from 14th February 1349-50 to 30th September 1351, payments are entered for the making 'of two pencells of sindon de Triple, each having in the midst a Garter of blue sindon with a shield within the same Garter of the King's arms quartered, and beaten throughout the field with eagles of gold'; but representations of such a usage are hard to find. A good early example is afforded by the monumental brass at Trotton in Sussex of Thomas lord Camoys (ob. 1419) (fig. 154).

In illustration of the care above referred to of distinguishing the Garter motto from any other, two concrete examples may be cited: one on the brass at Constance of Robert Hallam bishop of Salisbury (ob. 1416), where the King's arms are encircled by the Garter, and the bishop's own arms by an open scroll with a scripture (fig. 155); the other on the west porch of the cathedral church of Norwich, where the arms of King Henry VI have the Garter about them, and the arms of the builder of the porch, bishop William Alnwick (1426-36), are surrounded by a scroll with his motto.

This distinction was carefully borne in mind when the insignia of British Orders, other than that of the Garter, were devised, and in every case their mottoes are displayed on plain and not buckled bands. In the Albert Medal for Bravery, however, the encircling motto has been most improperly placed on a buckled band like the Garter, and the people who supply 'heraldic stationery' are notorious offenders in the same direction.

The lettering of a motto must of course depend upon the circumstances of its use. Nothing looks so well as the so-called 'old-English' or small black-letter, especially if the height of the words is as nearly as possible the same as the width of the band or scroll, and the capitals are not unduly prominent; but the form of capital known as Lombardic is always preferable to those of the black-letter alphabet. When[Pg 266]
[Pg 267] capitals alone are used, fanciful types should be avoided; a good Roman form such as is often found in Tudor inscriptions being far better. If the motto to be set about a shield is a short one it can often be extended conveniently, if necessary, by a judicious use of ornamental devices like roses or other flowers between the words. The ends of scrolls with mottoes have a more satisfactory appearance if shown partly curled up and partly pulled out spirally than if forked and waved, as may so often be seen nowadays. Scrolls always look better if not bordered or edged in any way, but this does not apply to the narrow bounding line that may be necessary in enamelled work.