Pierre de Chaignon la Rose

“Heraldry, or to use the more precise term, armoury, is susceptible of scientific study and research just as is language; and has been subject to an even greater number, proportionally, of variations of usage, mutations of forms, and developments of laws than has language itself, and in a seemingly more irresponsible fashion. It is only from the written and spoken records of a language, only from actual painted, carven, and engraved shields of arms that we can determine what has been linguistic or armorial "good use" at a given period.”