▁an ▁office ▁or ▁by ▁marriage . ▁The ▁descent ▁of ▁arms ▁follow ▁strongly ▁the ▁Law ▁of ▁her ald ic ▁arms , ▁which ▁is ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁English ▁law , ▁interpreted ▁by ▁civil ▁law y ers ▁in ▁the ▁Court ▁of ▁Ch ival ry . ▁Sir ▁Edward ▁Co ke ▁in ▁his ▁Comment ary ▁upon ▁Little ton ▁( 1 6 2 8 ) ▁wrote ▁that ▁" gent ry ▁and ▁ar mes ▁is ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁g avel kin de , ▁for ▁they ▁descend ▁to ▁all ▁the ▁son nes ." ▁Ar ms ▁in ▁England , ▁therefore ▁descend ▁to ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁male ▁lines , ▁and ▁not ▁just ▁the ▁most ▁senior ▁alone ▁( un like ▁in ▁Scotland ). ▁ ▁When ▁a ▁new ▁grant ▁of ▁arms ▁is ▁to ▁be ▁made , ▁it ▁is ▁granted ▁through ▁a ▁Let ters ▁Pat ent . ▁The ▁Crown ▁deleg ates ▁all ▁of ▁this ▁authority ▁to ▁the ▁King ▁of ▁Ar ms , ▁however ▁before ▁any ▁letters ▁can ▁be ▁issued ▁they ▁must ▁have ▁a ▁war rant ▁from ▁the ▁Earl ▁Marsh al ▁agree ing ▁to ▁the ▁grant ing ▁of ▁arms . ▁This ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁case ▁since ▁ 1 6 7 3 , ▁when ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁Earl ▁Marsh al , ▁which ▁the ▁her ald s ▁had ▁challeng ed , ▁was ▁established ▁by ▁a ▁royal ▁declaration ▁stating , ▁among ▁other ▁things , ▁that ▁no ▁pat ents ▁of ▁arms ▁should ▁be ▁granted ▁without ▁his ▁consent . ▁This ▁established ▁the ▁present ▁system ▁where by ▁royal ▁authority ▁to ▁appro ve ▁candidates ▁for ▁gr ants ▁of ▁arms ▁is ▁exerc ised ▁by