Show I ADAM AXD HIS COAT OP ARMS From the CornMll Magazine Although heraldic authorities have made no direct attempt to solve the vexed question When Adam delved and Eve span Wno was then the gentleman yet they have assigned to Adam two cqats of arms The first which was borne in Eden before the fall when ne needed neither coat for covering nor arms for defenseconsisted of a shield gules upon which the arms of Eve a shield argent were quartered as an escutcheon of pretense she booing an heiress The second coat horie after the expulsion from the garden was ply tranche divided every way and tinctured of every color The use of furs in blazonry is it has been solemnly asserted a relic of the garments of skins worn by our first parents The second man who lived upon the earth Abel was we are tote a true gentlemana proof that it does not necessarily take three generations to manufacture the article Cain was no gentleman by behavior but he was the first man who desired to have his arms changed so God set His mark upon him V Nearly all the principal characters in the Old Testament have been accredited with coats of arms These are as a rule highly appropriate except in the case of Josephs heraldic coat which was merely mere-ly black tinctured with whitechequy sable and argentwhereas something after the pattern of Adams second coat would surely have been more in keeping with the youthful Josephs favorite attire at-tire Gideon bore arms sable a fleece argent a chief azure gutte deau David a harp or in a field argent and Samson Sam-son gules a lion couchant or within an orle argent semee of bees sable Armoniai ensigns are supposed to have received divine sanction for God when prescribing unto Moses the form of conducting con-ducting the Israelites in their Journey through the wilderness expressly commanded com-manded the use of armonial signs sayIng say-ing The children Israel shall pitch their tents every man by his own camp and every man by his ovin standard |