Page:Acadiensis Q2.djvu/253

are most artistic, and excellent both in design and execution, but it is rather unfortunate that Mrs. Owen's arms should be displayed as those of an unmarried woman. The heraldic rules as to the arms of women are very precise, and always require that they should indicate whether the bearer is a spinster, a wife, or a widow. The arms in this instance should have impaled those of the husband. With regard to the arms in Judge Owen's plate, there is one thing BO peculiar as to be a little difficult to under, stand, namely, a charge which is apparently a canton, and if so should be enclosed by lines parallel to the middle perpendicular and horizontal lines of the shield, but it is placed at an angle to those lines. If I might venture to offend against the motto, "No sutor ultra crepidam," and remark upon matters which are beyond my special field of criticism, I would say that if the figures in these two book-plates had been portraits, the book-plates would have been of the very greatest interest. The quaint costume of the judicial figure would have been appropriate, with but slight variation, for Judge Owen, even though if it might be possibly a little more elaborate and imposing than is usually worn in his court.

Toronto, April, 1902.