The greater number of my Illustrations have been engraved only in outline, with the twofold object of my being thus enabled to increase the number of the examples, and to adapt the engravings themselves to the reception of colour. It will be very desirable for students to blazon the illustrations, or the majority of them, in their proper tinctures: and those who are thoroughly in earnest will not fail to form their own collections of additional examples, which, as a matter of course, they will seek to obtain from original authorities. With the exception of a few examples, my Illustrations, considerably over 400, have all been executed expressly for this work; and they all have been engraved by Mr. R. B. UTTING. The chief exceptions are thirteen admirable woodcuts of Scottish Seals, all of them good illustrations of Heraldry south of the Tweed, originally engraved for Laing’s noble quarto upon “The Ancient Seals of Scotland,” published in Edinburgh. Scottish Heraldry, I must add, as in any particulars of law and practice it may differ from our Heraldry on this side of the Tweed, I have left in the able hands of the Heralds of the North: at the same time, however, the Heraldry of which I have been treating has so much that is equally at home on either side of “the Border,” that I have never hesitated to look for my examples and authorities to both the fair realms which now form one Great Britain. C. B. [Signature] CONTENTS Page PREFACE TO PRESENT EDITION vii AUTHOR’S PREFACE ix LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY-- Early Popularity of Heraldry in England-- Origin of English Heraldry; Definition; Characteristics; Development; Early Uses; Not connected with Earlier Systems-- Ancient Heraldry-- Past and Present Treatment of the Subject 1 CHAPTER II EARLY HERALDIC AUTHORITIES-- Seals; Monumental Effigies, &c.; Rolls of Arms, Official Heraldic Records, &c.-- Earliest Heraldic Shields and Banners-- Allusive Quality of Early Armory-- Attributed Arms 10 CHAPTER III The English Heraldry that is now in existence-- First Debasement of Heraldry-- Later Debasement-- Revival of English Heraldry-- Heraldic Art 20 CHAPTER IV GRAMMAR OF HERALDRY: Section I.-- Language-- Nomenclature-- Style and Forms of Expression-- Blazon-- The Shield: its Parts, Points, Divisions, Dividing Lines, Varieties of Form, and Heraldic Treatment 29 CHAPTER V