THE ANCESTOR 217 elaborate shield unchallengedj as do other patriarchs of like authority. Even the heralds are abandoning that nineteenth century abomination of the shield with the top corners jutting into little angles. Here they appear in nearly every case. The heralds are learning that crests should only be borne on helmets. Here the crests balance themselves on straight length of twisted cords to whose ends draggled snippets of mantle have been attached as by an afterthought. The tiny crest bears no relation to the size of the shield, which by comparison has generally the air of an armorial hoarding. The marshalling of these quarterings follows no known custom, quarterings being regarded as single quarterings or portions of wandering ' grand- quarters ' at the taste of the spectator, although in the shield of Lord Winchelsea the ' grand-quarters ' take to themselves unauthorized white borders in order to stem the confusion created by their higgledy piggledy occurrence. Lord Win- chelsea's two crests, a doe and a griffon, meet each other in surprise in their walk along a wreath which resembles a ' cat's-cradle ' of string ending in holly-leaves. Not one of these illustrations compares with the stock engravings of the familiar Burke's Peerage type, which were at least produced by artists, although of a humble sort and following the stiff convention of the decadence. Quality of line and form may be sought in vain amongst these disappointing ^ atchievements.' Not one of them shows the legitimate influence of that medieval art in which Mr. Foster would have us believe that he has steeped himself for many years. He has probably seen all that he claims to have seen, but it has left no mark and he has learned no lesson. That one whose earlier work was enriched by the cunning hand of Mr. Forbes-Nixon, the most distinguished of English heraldic artists, should declare his preference for these bungling en- deavours at line and ornament, argues that he remains un- teachable. As a last word at the launching of this book, Mr. Foster has the assurance to tell us that unless it be another volume of pictures no further work upon the subject will be needed ; and, evidently in view of the fact that a corpus of the rolls of arms has for some time been in preparation for the press, he adds a warning to the public that the rolls of arms have
- all been edited and printed.' The first statement is in ques-
