The large majority of the stamps illustrated herewith are in the British Museum, but I have included a few in private ownership, and to these owners my sincere thanks are due for their kindness in allowing me to copy the various coats. I have in every case mentioned this private ownership, and where such mention is not found the book from which the drawing has been made is in the British Museum, either in the Department of Printed Books or in the Department of Manuscripts. Heraldry is of military origin, but its decorative side, and the various exact rules which govern it, were probably brought into use during the Middle Ages, in connection with the frequent Tournaments which were governed by strict rules. The ceremonies to be followed at the Tournaments were very closely laid down; heralds as well as their assistants of all sorts came into much prominence, and personal insignia acquired an importance they have never had since. Even now there are a few signs of ancient personal heraldry existing in our army; crests and tartans of private families may be found among the Highland regiments, but the modern tendency, especially since the late war in South Africa, has been to abolish such peculiarities. To Blazon is to describe the different divisions and bearings on a coat-of-arms in proper sequence and in heraldic language, so that an heraldic artist can, from the description, draw and colour the coat correctly. The colours of shields and bearings ought to be given in every case, either of blazon or illustration; but as this is not always convenient, two methods of indicating colours have been adopted. The first is known as Trick, and in this manner colours were marked until the seventeenth century. In Trick the colours or tinctures are indicated by letters, and they are described in Gerard Legh's _Accedens of Armory_, London, 1562, as follows:-- O. Or. Yelowe. A. Argent. Whyghte. G. Geules, betweene Red and Tenne. B. Azure, bright Blewe. V. Vert. Grene. P. Purpure. Purple. E. Ermyn. White poudred wt Black. Es. Ermines. Black powdred whight. T. Tenne. Orynge coloure. M. Sangwyne. Murreye. Pr. Proper coloure. Naturall. BB. Blewe. Sad Blewe. The letters are put either in the spaces or on the charges to which they refer, or they may be found in the margin with a directing line drawn to the proper place. Several other methods of indicating colour by means of black and white lines laid in certain directions have been tried, but they have all failed to stand the test of time except that invented by an Italian Jesuit Father, Silvestro Petra Sancta, who lived in the seventeenth century. His method is figured and described in a book he wrote and illustrated on Italian coats-of-arms. It is a very useful book, because the coats are arranged according to the devices upon them. It is in fact an illustrated ordinary of Italian arms, _Tesserae Gentilitiae_, Romae, 1638.