Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 10.pdf/276

 The Great Seal. small addition of a quatrefoil was made to this golden seal, of the nature of a secret sign; and is, Mr. Wyon thinks, referred to in the following interesting entry in the Issue Rolls of the Exchequer of the second year of Henry VI. : — "18 October. To John Bernes of London, Goldsmith, in money paid to his own hands in discharge of 20s., which the Lord the King with

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Edward IV. used five Great Seals; the second [of his first reign] was of gold, and it seems to have been made, in 1461, to in troduce the new badge, the sun in splendour, which the King adopted after the battle of Mortimer's Cross, February 2, 1461, where, according to Holinshed, he " met with his enimies in a faire plaine neere to Mortimer's Crosse not far from Hereford east on Can-

Arc 8.

The Third Seal of Henry VIII.

Period of use, 1542-1547.

Diameter 4.8 inches.

Legend: iienric.

OCTAVS. DEI. GRATIA. ANGLIE. FRANCIE. ET. HIBERNIE. REX. FIDEI. DEFESOR. ET. I. TERA. ECCLESljE. AULICANE. ET. HIBERNICE. SVPREMV. CAPVT.

the advice and consent of his council, commanded to be paid to the said John for his labour, costs, and workmanship, in lately riding to the King's castle at Windsor, and there engraving the great seal of the said Lord the King with a seeret sign [' cum signo secreto' in the original], and also for newly engraving an inscription in the circumfer ence of the King's privy seal; by, writ of privy seal among the mandates of this term, j£i.o. o." Henry VI. also had four seals for French affairs.

dlemasse daie in the morning. At which time the sunne appeared to the earle of Marche [subsequently Edward IV.] like three sunnes and suddenlie joined altogether in one. Upon which sight he tooke such courage that he, fiercelie setting on his enimies, put them to flight; and for this cause men imagined that he gave the sunne in his full brightnesse for his badge or cog nizance."