Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/339

 REMARKS ON ONE OF TIIi; ClIEAT SEALS OF EDWAIM) 111. 'Ill used not less tlhan seven dilterent grecat seals, vliicli tor facility of reference are designated by the letters, a, b, c, d, E, F, G. It is not a little remarkable that inipi-essions of the whole series of the known great seals of our ^Monarchs have been preserved, with the single exception of one of the most important of those used by this king. It is the one designa- ted by Professor Willis by the letter E ; and is a seal oi" absence,^ i c. a seal left in England by the king during his absence abroad, " pro regiminc rcgni Anglic." We have now the pleasure of laying before our readers an engra^'ing of a great seal of Edward III., which has never been published, and which wc hope to show can be no other than the desired seal. The drawing has been made from two impressions, each partly imperfect, found in the muniment room of Winchester College. We take this opj)ortunity of expressing our great obligations to the Warden of that society for the ready kindness, with which he permitted these documents to be laid before the Institute, and for many other favours of the same kind. They arc both 2)ardons granted, one to John Makehayt, the other to Agnes, widow of Simon le Peke, for acquiring land in Meonstoke,^ Hants, without the royal license previously obtained. They are both attested by Prince Lionel, then guardian of the realm, and dated at Worcester, October 5th, An. Reg. Ang. 21mo, Fran. 8vo, a.d. 1347. On comparing this engraving with seal f (see Rymer,
 * vol. iii. p. .596), it will be found to be almost identical in

I general design. The principal points of difference arc, 1st. 1 that in seal f, the platform on which the throne is placed ', is extended from pillar to pillar, affording room for the lions i also to stand on it, whilst in this seal, it is only large enough to receive the throne, and the lions appear to stand on the base of the arcade behind the throne ; 2nd. instead of the nondescript figures which surmount the canopies on which the I shields are suspended in seal P, there are two small figures j of men at arms, standing on the battlements, in which the canopies terminate. We have now to show that the seal here engraved is the seal E ; and in doing so, we shall, though at the risk of ^ For the distinction between the seal the king in ati'ilc, hy tlie service of two '>f absence an<l seal of presence, the knif,'lits' fees. It is now the property of reader is referred to Prof. Willis's pajier. Winchester College. • The manor of Meonstoke was held of