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 The Great Seal.

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and by him the Seal was openly defaced and it are of interest. . . . The first thing that must broken, amidst much cheering from the members strike any one on looking at it is the enormous of the two Houses. The fragments were equally number of names, all of which are distinctly divided between the Speakers of the Lords and given in such small compass without confusion." Commons." — [Wyon, from " Lord's Journals," [The actual Seal measures 5.75 inches diameter.] "There are other points of interest in the list [of vol. viii.] This account of Charles's Great Seal being names], amongst which may be noticed the old "openly defaced and broken " reminds one spelling of familiar names, such as Lesard Point Lychfeld, IVirkint{on), Ganesbura; old names of the King's own fate, in the same place, now changed, Bromisham for Birmingham, Blacksome three years later. rock (Isle of Wight) for Blackgang, Greta for For the first time in the history of the Grantham; places now no longer reckoned of Great Seal, it now appears without the pre importance, as Cause, Hilpok, Meales; the names sentment of a sovereign (see No. 13). The of places now of note, such as Sheffield, Barrowtwo seals of the Commonwealth show on in-Furness, Wolverhampton, Yarmouth, which we look for in vain. Some one side a map of Eng of these, of course, were land, Wales, and Ire not in existence then, land, and on the reverse but some appear to have a view of the House of been omitted on account Commons in session of the Royalist tendency" with the Speaker in of their inhabitants, as the chair. The legend for example the Cinque on the coiuiterseal of Ports, not one of which No. 13 was: "IN. is mentioned, although THE. THIRD. YEARE places of far less impor OK. FREEDOME. BY. tance, even in those days, in their immediate neigh GOD'S. BLESSING. RE bourhood are inserted." STORED . 1651." In » • the upper part of No. 13 is an oval shield The Wafer Great charged with the Cross Seal, mentioned early of St. George; in the in this paper, is pic no. it. lower field, towards tured in No. 14. It has The "Wafer" Great Seal now in use. Actual the left, is another been used, since the diameter 3V2 indies to the outside of the points of the Wafer. [Shown by permission of Lord Herschcll, shield bearing the Crown Office Act of Chancellor in the last adfunist ration .] Legend : arms of Ireland, and 1877, for most docu VICTORIA. DEI. (1RATIA . BRITANNI ARl IM . REGINA . FIDEI . DEFENSOR. a little above this ments formerly pass appears a compass ing under the Great (or Silver) Seal, which is now used [with dial. The ships of the fleet are shown in the lower part of this seal, which was green wax] chiefly for Contracts for Royal engraved by T. Simon, at a cost of about Marriages, the Patents of Peers and Baron two hundred pounds, and of which Vertue, ets; with yellow wax for Foreign Office in his " Simon's Medals," says : " it is the Treaties, Judges' Patents, those of Queen's most curious and extraordinary work that Counsel and Knights, and for Admiralty The Wafer was ever performed." Wyon remarks about and Treasury Commissions. Great Seal is used chiefly for commis this seal : — "Apart from its technical merit as a piece of sions to open or prorogue Parliament, for Royal Assent Commissions, Royal Char engraving, the names of the places mentioned in