Considerable difficulty prevails concerning the right to use supporters, for there can be no question, that the chief mark of heraldic dignity now lies in possessing them. All the five gradations of peers are entitled to bear supporters. But a similar right in their eldest sons, seems to us extremely dubious ; especially on re flecting, that arms can be obtained only by special grant or inheritance. It is said that the baronets of Nova Scotia may use supporters, but that those of England may not. Here also we incline to challenge the right of both adopting them, merely in virtue of their title of honour. Our opinion, perhaps, receives some corrobo ration from the practice of the Lyon King at Arms in Scotland ; for in a recent instance, we believe, that a gentleman, newly decorated with a title, had to pay dou ble fees of office, as a kind of compensation for obscure and defective pedigree. Commoners, the chiefs of fa milies, have an undoubted right to supporters ; but we are decidedly of opinion that their eldest sons have none.
Arms being once established in a family, may be used by all the males in it, with proper distinctions : the label by the oldest son, during his father's life-time ; the cres cent by the second ; the mullet by the third ; and so on with the rest. There are other marks of cadency, such as a change of the tinctures in the shield, surrounding it with a border, or the like. The right to use coats ar morial passes like a title, jurc sanguinis, and without formalities of assumption, or taking possession. It is thought that every successor may take a new crest. This, though general in other countries, has not been commonly received in Scotland ; and the crest of many families is at this day esteemed as distinctive as the fi gures contained in the shield, and has for centuries, in succession, been transmitted from one generation to an other. The same may be said of mottos.
Widows have a right to bear the arms which were used by their husbands, retaining the marks of heredi tary dignity. TLus dowager peercsses by marriage,
bear coronets ; and the widows of baronets of Nova Scotia may encircle their arms with the ribbon, and r.ppend the badge of the order. Instead of an o•di nary shield, a lozenge is adopted by widows, and is pe culiar to the arms of women. Many heralds arc of opinion, that the crest and supporters should be laid aside by widows, and they go so far as to question the rights of all women to bear arms. Universal custom sanctions the reeerse ; and considering that a woman may inherit a title, and represent a family, under special grants of the crown. we do not see any inconsistency in her hear ing the arms of her family, now that they are recognised solely as marks of distinction. If ever there was a pro hibition in this respect, its strictness was relaxed many centuries ago, when women were accustomed to use he raldic coats armorial ; nay, it is not unlikely that men adopted on their shields and helmets, colours and de vices exhibited by women.
We are now less tenacious than our ancestors respect ing the right of bearing arms : but anciently, when once bestowed, they were retained as the most valuable characteristic of dignity. At tournaments no one was permitted to enter the lists, unless he could shew his right to a coat armorial, and prove his gentility by seve ral descents : and they were an indispensible requisite in elevation to knighthood ; an honour which even so vereigns aspired to. One part of the punishment of traitors, was rending their arms asunder on a scaffold, and declaring them degraded and ignominious for ever.
See Menestrie•, Le Veritable Art de Blazon. Favinc, Theatre of Honour. Guillim's Display of Heraldry. Dugdale, The ancient usage in bearing Arms. Nisbet's Heraldry, vol. i. Edmonson, Complete Body of Heral dry. Segar, Honour, Military and Civil. Crests and Mottos of the Families of Great Britain and Ireland, Edin. 1805. (c)