Latterly, however, as all traces of the origin and meaning of these “Arms” have died out, or become removed from the understanding of publicans and brewers, the uses to which the word has been applied are most absurd and ridiculous. Not only do we meet constantly with arms of families nobody ever heard of, nor cares to hear about, but all sorts of impossible “Arms” are invented, as JUNCTION ARMS, GRIFFIN’S ARMS, CHAFFCUTTER’S ARMS, UNION ARMS,[177] GENERAL’S ARMS, ANTIGALLICAN ARMS, FARMERS’ ARMS, DROVERS’ ARMS, &c., (_see_ Introduction.)
In tavern heraldry the ADAM’S ARMS ought certainly to have the precedence: the publicans generally represent these by a pewter pot and a couple of crossed tobacco pipes, differing in this from Sylvanus Morgan, a writer on heraldry, who says that Adam’s arms were “Paly Tranchy divided every way and tinctured of every colour,”[178] The shield was in the shape of a spade, which was used
whilst from the spindle of our first mother the female lozenge-shaped shield is said to be derived.
One of the most popular heraldic signs is the BEAR AND RAGGED STAFF, the crest of the Warwick family:--
“_War._ Now, by my father’s badge, old Nevil’s crest, The rampant bear chain’d to the ragged staff, This day I’ll wear aloft my burgonet.”
Arthgal, the first Earl of Warwick, in the time of King Arthur, was called by the ancient British the Bear, for having strangled such an animal in his arms; and Morvidius, another ancestor of this house, slew a giant with a club made out of a young tree; hence the family bore the Bear and Ragged Staff.
“When Robert Dudley was governor in the Low Countries with the high title of his Excellencie, disusing his own coat of the Green Lion[179] with two tails, he signed all instruments with the crest of the Bear and Ragged Staff. He was then suspected by many of his jealous adversaries to hatch an ambitious design to make himself absolute commander (as the lion is king of beasts) over the Low Countries. Whereupon some--foes to his faction and friends to the Dutch freedom--wrote under his crest set up in public places:--
‘Ursa caret cauda, non queat esse leo.’ ‘The Bear he never can prevail To lion it for lack of tail.’
Which gave rise to a Warwickshire proverb, in use at this day,--_The Bear wants a tail and cannot be a Lion._”[180]