During the reign of Charles II. a letter was addressed to the Lyon-office, strictly prohibiting any grants of sup porters to persons under the degree of nobility. But many of the old barons of Scotland, (and particularly the chiefs of names,) who had always been in use to sit in parliament in their own right, and who with justice considered them selves as inferior in degree indeed, but as members of the same order with the titled Lords of Parliament, protested with great zeal against being obliged to discontinue the use of those supporters which had been borne by their an cestors for several centuries, and originally retained, either as the marks of the patriarchal superiority over their clans men, or in consequence of some feat of skill or valour in tournament or in battle. The matter was not pressed, and these families have continued their supporters ever since without any objection being made. Of later years, however, a much more questionable extension has been given to the use of supporters. From whatever cause the laxity may have arisen, the fact is certain, that we have seen supporters as sumed by persons who, so far from having any claim to being descended from the old barons who had power of Jut and gallows, and were in reality the nobles of Scotland, as much as either dukes, marquisses, or earls, are sprung from the very dregs of the people, and are in truth the very men, to guard against whose°presumption and insolence was one of the first great objects for which a college of he ralds was instituted in this country. The utmost latitude which can be given to the interpretation of the law on this head, either as it is expressed in the King's own words, or as it has been modified by the practice of the heralds, is, that those of the lesser barons, who can shew proofs, by old seals or otherwise, of their ancestors having borne sup porters previous to the passing of the act, 10th Septem ber, 1672, are excepted from the general rule, and permit ted to carry supporters. The letter above referred to was quoted by the Lord Lyon himself, as his authority for re fusing supporters to persons of rank very different from most of those who have of late procured these ornaments by the good offices of his successors.
No women have a right to bear supporters, except those who are peeresses by descent or by patent. If they are peeresses by patent, they have in consequence a grant of supporters to themselves and their heirs-male ; if by de scent, they retain the ancient supporters of the barony, to which they have an indisputable right, as much as they represent peers whose insignia and titles are all through them to descend to their posterity.
Of Crowns and Diadems.
43. Crowns or coronets may be used in armorial bear ings in four different ways.
1st. As essential or internal parts of arms, that is, when they are the chief figures of the escutcheon, as the three crowns in the shield of Sweden. Many families through out all the European kingdoms bear similar arms ; and crowns so worn are no marks of sovereignty or dignity, of whatever form they may be.
2dly. When they are used as additional charges, or orna ments within the shield, they are in like manner no marks of sovereignty or dignity.
idly. When crowns are placed upon helmets, which timbre coats of arms, they are then marks of dignity, being commonly so placed by sovereign princes. Yet many gen tlemen who have no pretensions to such rank bear crowns on this way in their helmets, a custom which, according to Menestrier, is derived from the tournaments, " especially those solemnized in Germany, where knights were allowed to adorn their helmets in that manner, in memory of their having been exercised in such disports." And though in deed there are many helmets placed over the German coats, according to the number of feus, whereby the bear ers voted in the circles of the empire ; yet we see but few of them adorned with crowns, which, according to our au thor, can only be explained by supposing that some of these feus are not privileged to carry a crown, the ancient possessors of them not having been present at the tourna ments.
4thly. Crowns placed immediately above the top of the escutcheon, are ensigns of sovereignty or nobility, whereof the degrees are set forth by their shapes. The arched crowns topped with monds were first introduced by the em perors, and from that circumstance are called imperial crowns, although now worn by all the kings in Europe, since Charles the Eighth of France assumed an imperial crown, in token probably of his pktensions to the empire of the East.
" The imperial crown of England is composed of four crosses pattee, and as many fleur•de-lys of gold placed on a rim or circlet of gold, embellished with precious stones. From these crosses arise four circular bars, ribs or arches, which meet at the top in form of a cross ; at the point of intersection whereof is a pedestal, whereon is a mound. On the top of the mound is a cross of gold, all embellished likewise with precious stones, and three very large oval pearls ; one of them being fixed in the top, and two pen dent at the transverse beams of the cross. The cap within this crown is of purple velvet, lined with white taffeta, turned up with ermine. See Plate CCXCIV. Fig. I.
The crown or coronet of the Prince of Wales resem bles the king's crown, save only that it bath not four arches, but two only. See Fig. 2.
The younger sons of the king bear coronets, composed of crosses pattee and fleur-de-lys.
A duke (not of the blood-royal) has a circle of gold, with eight leaves of equal height above the rim, commonly called strawberry leaves, the whole richly chased ; a crim son velvet cap, turned up with ermine of one row, and top ped with a golden tassel. See Fig. 3.
A marquis has a circle of gold, with four leaves placed between four pearls, raised on points of equal height with the leaves. See Fig. 4.
An earl has eight pearls raised on as many points, be tween every two points a strawberry leaf lower down. See ig. 5.
A viscount has pearls to the number of twelve or six teen, placed on the edge of the rim. See Fig. 6.
A baron has only six pearls placed on the rim of his gold en circle. See Fig. 7.