Part 7

This proposed well-illustrated book would not only be most valuable and instructive to the Antiquary, it would also possess a far wider and general interest, because these are the highest specimens of Art remaining to us of the early times in which they were made. Seals at all dates are the results of the greatest skill and care to be procured, according to the owner's means; and many of them are masterpieces, both of design and execution. They display the whole career of Art: the simplicity of early times, gradually developing and culminating in the perfection of the fourteenth century; to be followed by overloaded designs, beautified by exquisite workmanship, at the end of the fifteenth.

Such a pictured History of Art could not fail to be interesting and attractive to many who would not care to study the subject from a strictly antiquarian point of view.

This large collection of engravings would be accompanied by explanations giving an account of most of the seals, the origin of their decorations, and other particulars involving a considerable amount of genealogical research; which, even when epitomised, must form a bulky volume; and it would require a large body of Subscribers at 30_s._ to cover the expense; but the author trusts he may be encouraged by such extended support that he may be able somewhat to _increase_ the number of illustrations--many of which must be reproduced from the copper plates in old and rare works, thus involving considerable expense.

Subscriptions payable when the work is completed.

Gentlemen who would be willing to subscribe will please write to that effect to GEORGE GRAZEBROOK, F.S.A., Oak Hill Park, near Liverpool.

Any suggestions for the improvement of the work would be esteemed. The author will confine himself strictly to

The Art History of those seals whose dates are accurately known;

The Characteristic Styles prevailing at each period; and

The various Signs of Date as they are developed.

FOOTNOTES

[1] I have to acknowledge the kind permission to use the following illustrations--by Messrs. Virtue and Co., four blocks from Cutts' _Scenes and Characters of the Middle Ages_, 1872; by Messrs. Mitchell and Hughes, six blocks from Dr. Jackson Howard's _Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica_; by Messrs. Nichols and Son, sixteen blocks from _The Herald and Genealogist_, _Collectanea Genealogica et Heraldica_, _The Topographer and Genealogist_, and _The Visitation of Huntingdon_, 1613 [Camden Society]; by Messrs. Parker, eight blocks from Hewitt's _Ancient Arms and Armour_ and _The Archæological Journal_, vol. iv; by the Society of Antiquaries, eight blocks published in their _Proceedings_; and by the Royal Archæological Institute, one block from _The Archæological Journal_, vol. xi.

[2] Randle Holme's _Academy of Armoury_, book i. p. 9, tells us how Froissart, describing the battle of Poictiers, says that the Black Prince commanded the body of the Lord Richard Duras to be laid on a shield, and that five men should bear the same to the Cardinal of Peregorth for a present, &c. Also, that towards the end of the reign of Edward III, the Frenchmen, to save themselves from the liberal shot of the English archers, had shields made of elme-wood, seven feet in length and three in breadth and an inch in thickness, which were made sharp at the foot to pitch into the ground.

[3] It would be curious to ascertain, if we could, how long the die sinkers in early times required to make these large and splendid seals. I have only noted a few instances which throw light upon it, but, no doubt, a careful search might show the earliest dates after their succession when the several kings used their new great seals. Rymer's _Fœdera_ contains many orderings and surrenderings of such seals; the great difficulty is to connect the impression with the thing ordered or dealt with. Blackstone [_The Great Charter and the Charter of the Forest_, 4to, 1759, pp. xxix and xliii] informs us that the great Charter of Henry III, dated 12th November, 1216 (he was crowned at Gloucester, 28th October, 1216), was sealed--as declared in the document--with the seals of Gualo the Legate and William Earl of Pembroke; King John's seal having been lost in passing the Washes of Lincolnshire, and no new seal being made for King Henry till two years after. About 6th November, 1218, a new great seal was made for King Henry III, and then began to be used in sealing writs, of course, but was forbidden to be put to anything which might tend to perpetuity till the king should arrive to full age; and a footnote is added, "It has not even in later times been altogether unusual for the successor to defer for a while the making of a new great seal,--and in the interim to use his predecessor's:--The Editor has met with a patent of Rich^d Cromwell, dated 18 Nov. 1658, [11 weeks after his protectorship commenced] which was sealed with Oliver's seal." Roger de Hoveden notes, under the year 1194, that Richard I. ordered a new great seal to be made, but the earliest deed to which it is known to be attached bears date 18th May, 1198--that is, four years afterwards. (M. Deville's _Treatise on the Seals of Richard I._, and _Archæological Journal_, vol. iii, p. 372.) Among the Standish Deeds, which I had lately the honour to lay before this Society, was one--a licence to found a chantry at Standish--granted by Edward III. on 12th February, 1328, and with apparently an unfinished seal. The impression is a bad one, but the lions afterwards on the horse clothing seem to be wanting. He only ascended the throne 25th January, 1327. On the fourth day of his reign, viz., 28th January, 1327, he delivered his great seal to the Bishop of Ely as Chancellor, two fleur-de-lys having been engraved on the under side thereof (Rymer's _Fœdera_, vol. ii, p. 683). This was his father's seal, thus slightly altered on one side. In October of the same year Edward III. stated by proclamation that he had a new great seal, different on both sides from the seal hitherto used; which great seal was to have authority from 4th October, 1327. Rymer, vol. ii, p. 718, records that the previous seal was broken up in the king's presence, in his chamber in the Castle of Nottingham. See Professor Willis on the great seals of Edward III., a learned paper printed in the _Archæological Journal_, vol. ii, p. 14.

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Transcriber's Notes:

The caret character is used to represent superscripts, e.g. "Rich^d." Both "torse" and "torce" were used in this book. Both "scroll work" and "scroll-work" where used in this book. Both "wood-cut" and "woodcut" were used in this book. Page 24, "p." changed to "pp." Page 26, closing square bracket added after "p. 187." Page 39, "15" changed to "by" ("He was beheaded by Edward II."). Page 51, period added after "sett to my hand." Page 53, "II" changed to "II." Page 60, closing parenthesis added. Page 67, "cornucopiaœ" changed to "cornucopiæ." Page 69, closing parenthesis added after "p. 211." Page 74, closing parenthesis added. Page 86, "indroduced" changed to "introduced." Page 94, period added after "considerable expense."