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THE BOOK OF PUBLIC ARMS

(but not those now in use) can be found in conjunction with the arms of the City of London at a period when it is at any rate doubtful whether heraldic supporters were fully established as part of an achievement. Supporters to the arms of the Livery Companies are found very carly, but they were not usual with the arms of cities and towns until the seventeenth century. But for a long period an idea held in England, and was uniformly acted upon, that supporters were the sign of a city and could not be granted to a town of lesser degree. A careful examination of precedents has shown that there is no authority or foundation for such a supposed rule, and as far as I am aware supporters will now be granted to any impersonal coat of arms on payment of the usual fees. They certainly have been granted to some colonies, many cities, some towns, some counties, and a large number of institutions and corporate bodies. But I do not know of any instance of supporters being granted to an episcopal coat, a university, a school, or a railway company. Before leaving supporters a passing reference perhaps may be made to the single supporters which occur in the arms of the Swiss Cantons, the City of Perth, and the Burgh of Falkirk. The blazon of this latter coat, and that of the Royal Warrant to the Bermudas, are rather typical of the differing Scottish and English methods of dealing with the same situation.

With regard to wreaths, one can only say the usual heraldic practices are generally adopted, although the City of Chester gives us an example of a wreath and mantling each of three colours, and in the cases of one or two of the City Livery Companies the colours are exceptional.

Augmentations in the case of impersonal aris are rare. The arms of Londonderry and Hereford are instances however, and I cannot but think it would be a happy proceeding if the sieges of Ladysmith and of Mafeking were commemorated by augmentations.

The resuscitation in recent years of the old practice of assigning badges and standards has in a few cases already spread to impersonal arms. Launceston was the first, and Nottingham, Llanelly, and the Port of London Authority have since followed suit.

Probably by far the most important alteration that has taken place since the previous edition was published has been the authorisation of arms for Wales, which is presumably a consequence of the Royal Warrant declaring the arms of the Prince of Wales, which has substituted the arms attributed to Llewellyn, and borne by Owen Glendower, for the inescutcheon of Saxony, which most of the descendants of the late Prince Consort bear upon their arms.

In addition to the arms of Colonies which are assigned by Royal Warrant, this method of calling arms into being has been followed in the cases of the County of Norfolk, the County of Londou, the City of Cardiff, the Port of London Authority, and several others. The reason is usually, if not always, to be found in the desire to include the whole or some part of the Royal Arms.

The years which followed the publication of the original edition of my book contributed, muchly to my everlasting amusement, to the showers of abuse which fell upon me for calling attention to the bogus character of many impersonal coats of arms. Many towns which 1 then criticised are now pursuing the paths of heraldic

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