New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-25
CRESTS IN AMERICA.
ONLY TWENTY-FOCR FAMILIES REGIS
TERED.
TO USE TnEM-THE FASHIONABLE MOTTO
pRErIY sIcCESTINE

4 PRETTY AND SUGGESTIVE FAD.
Only twenty-four American families figure in The
recent Issue OF Falrburns Book % Crests. wLoh Is
much @. Official guide With regard 10 the people
:itcd 20 bear cress Burkcs Pccrage" Is with
gard the iirsl nobility Il Is evident that there
Is much larger number Of Americans whose i.aeal
descent from Old English families entities them 70
Tie o; ;Ae ia,!crs crest and Their omission can
Only be accounted Cor BY lie fact that they have
ia.od TO take steps 10 have their registered
a, the lierald's College In London. Forty thousand
names rather crcsts fgarc Ia this book which has
been compiled and edited up TO date by the Hcralds
College In LordOn. which Is Government Institution.
The OF crcsts dates back TO the thirteenth CEN
turv. and the right OF bearing considered even
more honorable than that OF coat arm0r. The crest
was at first worn the helmet but subsequently.
with The abandonment OF the heavy iron headdrcss OF
medieval Zines, was transferred 10 the shield on
which emblazoncd the coat oarms which II sur.
mounts. Many people nowadays dispense with the
| use 0. The coatofarms and merely retain the crest
fer use or no.epapcr. plate. harness. carriage
panels. etc.
People I'm Europe accustomed to rldlcule what
they pleased 10 describe the craze OF wealthy
Americans for heraldc bearings. and TO allude TO the
fact that they frequently adopt crcss TO which they
are In no wise entitled They might. however, find
quite much subject for rdiculc nj home, where the
taste for armorla bearings prevails TO far greater
extent than Ia the United States and where cases OF
Illegal assumption far more frequent
In Europe. and especially In England, rs soon ms
ever pcrstn of plcbcian origin has succeeded In
amasslng a sufficient amount of money 10 enable him
to assume a position I'm socety-by which he
means society as distinct from the tradesmen,
the farmer and the working classci-hc immc-
diatcly proceeds TO adopt crest as an
outward and visible manifestation OF the fact that
he belongs TO the gentry. Sometimes he applies
TO the lcrald's College I'm London. where IN return
for fee Of S1O0 he is able 10 obtain Government
grant OF In due form, which thenceforth remains
the property OF himself and OF his legitimate do
sceIdans. In most cases, however. the nouveau
ricllr dspenscs with The costly assistance OF The
crald's College coolly adopts whichever hcraldic
device strikes his fancy among those submitted Tor
his approval Icy the staioncr where he purchases his
notcpaper the silvcrsmh who cngraves his plate or
| the tailor who builds his servants livery. Accord
Ing TO essay by the famous gcncaloGst, Cough, In
recent number Of The Scottish Review" there are
tens, and hundreds Of thousands OF persons III
Great Britain who guilty Of the Unauthorized as
sumption of the arms and crcsts Of gentle families.
fondy lima ginning that by paying the annual tax oil
80 for the OF arnoria bearings they have con
formed with all the legal requirements OF the case.
In France. Italy, switzerland. Belgium and Holland
| indeed, cvcrywhcrc on the Continent except In Ger
MANY aud Austria where the unlawful assumption OF
crest or coat -ofarms Is regarded an offence So
| Nerey punl>bable 10y Inc 'our-i SlfnHhT A'h'' VI
| affairs TO that which exists IN England prevails.
Many OF the great ladies o! Europe-among Others
such leaders Of society the French DuchcNSc de- la
Rochcfoucauld. DoudcauVc-hav altogether aban-
doncd the OF crc-ts arnorial bearings on th"i
notcpapcr Instead thereof they merely Use for such
purpose, their motto. which 1, Inscribed on scroll
| beneath their cOrOnct. Thus that OF the DUE -
above mentioned /, "C'',t mon ilai-ir" III Is my
pleasure. Very characteristic aud significant Is
the motto adopted 10y the tomc d" Paris. the conscrt
Of the chief al the ancient lious" Of Bourbon II Is
| In Latin and |, follows "Lilla ncnt aiIue
| Lal,Orant' 1dc HES spin and TOLL. lilies pla'
an important role IN The Bourbon coat ofarms. In
deed they constitute The hcrIldc emblem OF that
rnval famlly the altered and Sldden'd condition oi
the latter being Indicated 10y the Countess para
phrn,e OF the >chp,urnl 10 the effect that lilies
neither toll spin. The Confess" d" Mar"'' who
has achieved such brilliant success In the literary
world under the pscudonym Of "Gyp." which has
bccnm" synonymous for every thing That j. sparkling
and bright In French literature. has selected Tor her
motto q" FL puIs. Aprcs 80 tW,ll. aud what then :?
American women might with advantage adopt tbs
| pretty fad. 4 motto has far more meaning ANA more
| rason dctrc than armoral bearings. The latter
especially adopted instead Of granted. have no true
significance. whereas n motto always conveys some
| Indication Of lis bearers character