Page:Archaeologia volume 38 part 1.djvu/98

 vo Notes on the Great Seals between 1648 and 1660. ordered by Cromwell it was not used by the Lords Commissioners, but that they continued to use the seal ordered by the Parliament of 1651. To prove this I exhibit from our own collections an impression of the seal of 1651, appended to an Inspeximus of proceedings under a Statute of Merchant Staple against Michael Chadwell of Chipping Norton, dated 25th February, 1655-6, a year after the order of Cromwell for his own seal. It is the only impression we possess, and, though somewhat injured by pressure, it affords us an opportunity of seeing a specimen of the finest of Symons' works. A sharper cast of the reverse has been lent to us by Mr. James Spence, F.S.A. I also exhibit f-om our own collections a Licence, dated 20th March, 1655-6, to Joseph Taylor, commander of the " Adventure " of London, Thomas Pott, com- mander of the u John and Thomas " of London, Captain Michael Dibbs, commander of the " Good Hope " of London, John Goswell, master of the " Lion " of London, Captain Francis Steward, commander of the " Phoenix " of London, to trade to India and Persia. The seal is wanting, but the document is curious as having a portrait of Cromwell in colours within the capital letter O. Again, the only original impression of the seal of 1051 in the MS. department of the British Museum is one which has been cut off from Sloano MS. 3243. This document is a patent, tested at Westminster, 8th September, 1656, granting the oflice of one of the four Tellers of the Exchequer to George Downing, at a salary of 100/. a year for himself and clerks, with certain fees specified in the schedule, and a dwelling-house, in the room of Edward Horsman, who had been appointed with the same salary, c., by letters patent, dated 31st August, 1654, and had surren- dered his patent on 27th August, 1656. This seal was therefore used after the removal by Cromwell of Whitelock and AVidrington, and tbe delivery of the Great Seal on 15th June, 1656, to Nathaniel Fiennes and John L'Isle. It is probable therefore that Cromwell's own Great Seal was not actually used till after the new settlement of the government on 25th May, 1057. It will have been noticed that by the amended order of Cromwell's Council, on 20th February, 1654-5, the name of " France " was added to the Lord Protector's title on his Privy Seal, and on that seal only. I have seen no impression of it, and it is not engraved by Vertue. During the eight months of Richard Cromwell's Protectorate he used a Great Seal in all respects similar to that in use by his father, except that the first seven letters of the name of " Richardus " are substituted for the seven letters " Olivari," and that the " Reip." on the obverse is lengthened into " Reipublicaj." The horse,