Page:The Ancestor Number 1.djvu/82

42 THE ANCESTOR putting the Cup in Benjamin's Sack. And here you may see how the variety of Arms are incredible, being a fit recreation worthy the speculation of the Generous and Noble : while the single Escocheon is an entire Heart, and the Orle is perforated and open, that those that saw through the windows of his bosom that his heart was open to receive them that sold him. His Escocheon of Pretence declared his sound wisdom, though he might bear it also, for that he married the Daughter and Heir of Pothipar. In this humour Torquatus the knight sits at the feet of Paradinus the herald, hearing the sage boast his knowledge of the ' coatarmours of the feminine sex, more auncient than Rome, yea, before the foundations of Old Troy ' ; and hungry for such learning Torquatus says that if they be not shown him ' then farewell all friendship.' His zeal, needless to say, is rewarded on the spot, but the ' coatarmours ' are but interest- ing as examples of the euphuistic gabble of the Elizabethan day, of which our degenerate stomachs, as we sit at those over- loaded tables, grow easily wearied. The writing of such a book, as its author confesses, was ' an intermissive delectation ' to the writer, but the reading of it has become, if a delectation to a few curious, a very intermissive one indeed. It is not to be wondered at that under this midden of Latinisms the art of heraldry was smothered. The mere artist who, with a simple tradition in his mind, had been wont to paint shields of arms guided by a native sense of balance and proportion which books could not teach him, did not wait to hear the last lesson of Honour Dative which may be derived from Joseph's Coat. His place is taken by the ancestor of the respectable mechanic who fills it to-day, one whose subordinate brush could construct uninspired diagrams from standard patterns, which, although commonplace and spiritless, should be in strict accordance with the Book of the Thousand Rules. Until this book flare in the fiery dustbin, which, as we may piously hope, awaits all bad books, the artist and craftsman will do well to leave heraldry out of their day's work. But with the Book of the Thousand Rules once rejected their way will be cleared of the oppressive lumber which hindered them in the use of a beautiful art, and the most interesting motive of decoration will be given back to the cabinet-makers and the weavers, to the engravers, the enamellers and the jewellers. Overboard then must go the ' sealed pattern ' of the achieve- ment of arms, the supporters, it may be of elephants or prancing hussars, treading delicately upon ribbon edges, the mantles