The work opens with an extensive inquiry into the origin of armory, distinguishing between the symbolic emblems of ancient civilizations and the true hereditary armorial bearings that emerged during the Crusades and the subsequent introduction of the closed helmet. The author demonstrates that armory is not a dead science, but a living reality that developed alongside the changing manners and customs of successive centuries. Successive chapters examine the social meaning of a coat of arms in Great Britain, noting its inseparable connection with the feudal system, the status of the upper class, and the royal prerogative as the sole fountain of honour. The functions, history, and official regalia of the various Kings of Arms, Heralds, and Pursuivants are detailed at length, followed by a technical analysis of monumental brasses and the component parts of an armorial achievement.
The core of the volume is devoted to the systematic exposition of the shield, the heraldic tinctures, metals, furs, and the rules of blazon. The author minutely describes the various partitions of the field, the partition lines, and the honourable ordinaries, including the bend, pale, fess, chevron, pile, cross, saltire, chief, quarter, canton, and bordure. Each ordinary is analyzed with its diminutives and variations, addressing common misconceptions and correcting historical errors found in older treatises. The text concludes with an exhaustive examination of marshalling, cadency, and armorial insignia.
