Many persons regard arms as nothing more than a set of uncouth and unintelligible emblems by which families are distinguished from one another; the language by which they are described as an antiquated "jargon;" and both as little worthy of an hour's examination as astrology, alchemy or palmistry. This is a mistake; and such individuals are guilty, however unintentionally, of a great injustice to a lordly, poetical, and useful science. That Heraldry is a _lordly_ science none will deny; that it is also a _poetical_ science I shall shortly attempt to prove; but there are some sour spirits who know not how to dissever the idea of lordliness from that of tyranny, and who "thank the gods for not having made them poetical." These, therefore, will be no recommendations of our subject to _such_ readers; but should I be able to show that it is a _useful_ science, what objections can those cavillers then raise? I purpose to give a short dissertation on the utility of Heraldry, but first let me say a few words on the _poetry_ of the subject. Do not the 'Lion of England,' the 'Red-Cross Banner,' the 'White and Red Roses,' the 'Shamrock of Ireland,' and 'Scotia's barbed Thistle' occupy a place in the breast of every patriot? and what are they but highly poetical expressions? Do not the poetry of Chaucer and Spenser and Shakspeare, not to mention our old heroic ballads and the pleasant legends of a Scott, abound with heraldrical allusions? Tasso is minute, though inaccurate, in the description of the banners of his Christian heroes; he was far from despising blazon as a poetical accessory. And, lastly, see how nobly the stately Drayton makes the 'jargon' of Heraldry chime in with his glorious numbers: "Upon his surcoat valiant _Neville_ bore A SILVER SALTIRE upon martial red; A LADIE'S SLEEVE high-spirited _Hastings_ wore; _Ferrers_ his tabard with rich VAIRY spred, Well known in many a warlike match before; A RAVEN sate on _Corbet's_ armed head; And _Culpeper_ in SILVER ARMS enrailed Bore thereupon a BLOODIE BEND ENGRAILED; The noble _Percie_ in that dreadful day With a BRIGHT CRESCENT in his guidhomme came; In his WHITE CORNET _Verdon_ doth display A FRET OF GULES," &c. _Barons' War_, B. 1, 22, 23.