Plate 2:  Mongoose head guardant, study number 1
(This plate added DEC 2004)

'VE just finished reading a novel, and it's given me an idea for our next project," said the Artist to the Pedant, as the two gentlemen were sitting at their leisure in the library of The Scholasticmen's Club, of which the Pedant is a member and trustee. "What was the novel, and what is the idea which was suggested by the novel?" queried the Pedant.
"The novel was Lair of the White Worm", by Bram Stoker, and it gave me the idea for painting the arms of Adam Salton, the hero of the novel." "By the phrase "painting the arms of Adam Salton", I presume that you mean you wish to paint the heraldic arms to which the personage Adam Salton is entitled, and not that you wish to paint a likeness of the anterior limbs of Adam Salton, or, alternatively, that you might wish to apply paint, in some manner, to the anterior limbs of Adam Salton," replied the Pedant, in his normal fulsome manner. "Your presumption is entirly correct," said the Artist. "I wish to paint the heraldic arms of Adam Salton. Both the Artist and the Pedant were using the term heraldic arms in place of the more precise term armorial bearings. Armorial bearings are the devices and symbols which are painted upon the shield of the person who is entitled to wear, or to display, that particular shield as a personal emblem. --more--
"Did the author of Lair of the White Worm provide any descriptive material that was pertinent to the constitution of the heraldic arms to which his hero might be entitled?" queried the Pedant. "None whatsoever," replied the Artist. "The subject of heraldic arms with respect to Adam Salton did not arise at all within the pages of Lair of the White Worm. The reason I am contemplating the existence of such arms is that I was inspired by the nobility of the character of Adam Salton as implied by the novel." "In other words, you seem to be suggesting that if Adam Salton, the presumably fictitious hero of Lair of the White Worm were to be granted arms by the College of Arms, the composition of such arms might be an interesting subject for artistic endeavor," summarized the Pedant. "That is precisely correct," said the Artist. "To anticipate a possible question, I am contemplating that a mongoose might serve as a component of the arms of Adam Salton." "When you say mongoose, I presume you are referring to various species of small carnivores belonging to the genus Herpestes, especially, I would imagine, H. edwardsi, the Indian mongoose, and H. ichneumon, the Egyptian mongoose," said the Pedant. "That is correct," replied the Artist. "The legendary courage and ferocity attributed to these small, winsome animals is brought forth in the pages of Lair of the White Worm. The close association of mongooses with Adam Salton, the hero of the novel, suggests to me that a mongoose might be a leading candidate for inclusion in the arms of Adam Salton, were such arms to be granted." "Are you contemplating the inclusion of the mongoose as a device upon the shield, or as a supporter for the shield within the totality of the heraldic achievement?" queried the Pedant. "As you can see from this preliminary study, which, incidentally, depicts the animal in the guardant as opposed to the affrontee (sometimes called confrontee) posture, possibly as a device as well as a supporter," replied the Artist, proffering a pen-and-ink sketch which is reproduced above. The exact meaning of the terms... affrontee confrontee device upon the shield guardant supporter heraldic achievement ...which appear in the above colloquy will be explained in subsequent plates. Go to top of page