Once more, returning to the southern side of the Scottish border, of RICHARD DE NEVILLE, the renowned “King-maker,” we find it to be recorded that, so great was his popularity at Calais, of which city he was governor, that his Badges were universally adopted,--“no man esteeming himself gallant whose head was not adorned with his _silver ragged staff_ (No. 294); nor was any door frequented, that had not his _white cross_ (silver saltire, No. 121) painted thereon.” This was an extravagant application of the earlier usage in denoting feudal alliance, such as was in keeping with the heraldic sentiment of the second half of the fourteenth century. Those good citizens of Calais, however, who were Neville-worshippers four hundred years ago, were not singular in exhibiting an armorial ensign at the entrance to their houses. Numerous, indeed, are the doorways in various parts of England, and particularly in the counties of Surrey, Sussex, and Norfolk, which in the “sign of the chequers” still display the insignia (_chequée or and az._, No. 68) of the once mighty Earls of WARRENNE and SURREY; and thus show that relics of the old feudal influence are endowed with a tenacious vitality, which prolongs their existence for ages after the feudal system itself has passed away. But no doubt some cases must be referred to the less romantic explanation of the reckoning board of the Steward. Differencing adopted, so far as now is apparent, _simply for the sake of distinction_, lays open before the student of Heraldry a wide and a diversified field of inquiry. All the miscellaneous charges that are associated in blazon with the Ordinaries, and also with the Subordinaries, thus are brought under consideration; and, without a doubt, it was for the express purpose of Differencing that many of these charges were introduced into English Heraldry. How far some remote degree of relationship, or some subordinate feudal motive now lost to sight and forgotten, may originally have affected the choice of Charges “for difference,” it is not possible now to determine; nor can we always follow the rebus-loving search for a “Difference,” that might speak through that allusive quality which is a primary element of the Herald’s science. We do know that the act of bearing the same arms by different families, without some heraldic Difference, was of very rare occurrence; and that, when it did occur, it was regarded with marked surprise, and on more than one occasion led to a memorable controversy: and, further, we find great numbers of early differenced Shields, which illustrate in a very effective manner the growth and development of English Heraldry. Shields of this order have strong claims on our attention. The examples that I am able here to place before students are to be regarded simply as specimens, few in number, and yet sufficient to show some of the varied forms under which early Differencing was effected.