, 1875-02-28
ANEW SCIE1CE-slGMLOGRAPHY.


invests it, 10 matter how insignificant, With
something OF his own dignity, By the importance
his investigation gires it. In earlier times, Sci
ence disdzined to conceIn itself with tho small
md inaignifcant~ In our day. it has been dis
covered that nothing is too diuainutire to engage
ita care The existence Of such = ecieoce ~
Eigilogr Apply, or tho ecieuce Of Seals. 1s pfoot
Of this 6igillography is. science auxiliary 10
History. The same skll that, from 10" stone
axes and other implements, from pieces OF
bronze and iron, urung the story OF prehistoric
man, has, from the seals used By ou io1e1aso-
exs, thrown food Of light Oh their ideas, ne-
Iefa. institutions, and nan1ers,-a 1snt "Mca
iila1niues the whole field OF history. Archaeology
a,as been enriched By the new science; and there
axe antiqua1ians who, from tho impression
on niece of wax, IRE able to read OF to the nn-
iritiatod vtole pages Of contouporaaeoCs his
tory
At FIRST antiqun1ians busted themselves only
vy;tb the seals in metal or in WAX attached to d.
plouas, charters, etc. But, during the Last quar-
ter Of century, the Impressions Of Q vast num-
Der OF scale have been obtuined and the colloc-
ton thus made has af1orded antiquarians an op-
4>ortun;ty to compare and classify them, As well
a. to determine the age to wlichthey respective
IL belong, and to decipher their legends. By
comparing the figures and inscriptions on seals
with other weu-known dates, many obscure
points OF chronology, heraldry, ecclesiastical hit-
tory, the history OF municipalities, and Of tho IN
shtuiions Of the Middle Ages, have been eluci-
dated. Eeals have been found of much more
esryice to the historian than either numismatics
OF statuaxy, 80 rich is tho information they
Lave afforded to him. There are eevcra works
descriptive Of seals already in existence among
which mny be especially mentioned II. Douet's
Collection de Scea,u, aud Demay's 1nce1atdare <les
6ceatn Those already Published are an earnest
Of Whist may yet be done in this department Of
investigation.
For the origin OF the use Of seals on docu-
snents Of great persona1 importance, or on let
tars, We must ascend to very remote antiquity.
There are instances Of their use recorded IN the
Bible. Jezabel sealed her letters with the Kings
ring, to make the people Of Raboth believe that
they had emanated from him Their Use was
known in AssyrlA- Tho impressions cut in small
precious stones OF oon;cal form, found among
tho relics OF its inhabitants prove that they can
have been used for no other purpose. lbs au-
Gent peoples OF Asia all used them. In the
Book Of Daniel thers is mention OF doors sealed
with tho seal OF tho King. Their uae
WINS well known IN Egypt. Herodotus meg
tions them as hRving been placed Oh the Royal
Egypti2n Treasury; and the remains Of broken
seals have been found On ancient Egyptian
papyrus. The Greeks used rinss in aealing. The
Romans sealed their letters, their sctnoTledg-
ment Of debts, deposits made by them, and tbs
chests in which they kept their valuables. The
edicts Of the Roman Emperors received their
authority from tho Imperial seal attached to
them. Tho barbarians learned their use from
the Romans. The Church employed them in
her official acts- In the first days Of the French
monarchy, the custom Of sealing With
gems WIS general. For time the
custom fell into desuetude, but be-
came general again at the Ren-
aissance. One Of the seals Of Pepin the Short
contains the head OF Baechus or OF silenus.
That ct Charlemagne Was the image Of Jupiter
Betnpia. Charles Y. sealed his letters with an
Eastern ruby, with the head ct bearaless King
On it. II. Many furnishes nunberless other
examples OF their use. The employment OF
seal did not always exclude the signature ct tho
owner but, when the accomplishment Of wit
Ing became rare, the seal begins to rnake 1ts hp~
pearance On Ill important documents, without
any accompanying signature. The seal played
very important part in the Middle Ages. The
great feudal lords, like their Kings. cont1ded the
care Of their seal to Chancellor Chapters, ab-
beys, and universities, gave them in charge OF an
official Who bore the same title. Ch2ncellors
never vent without the keys OF tho chest IN
which the seal was lodged. When Roger, Vice
Chancellor Of King Richard L OF England. was
silipwrecked, the Royal seal was found suspend
ed about his neck The Mayors Of cities carried
the municipal seal pendent from = girdlo which
they wore.
In He N1ddla Ages. the use Of the seal is
found even among the peasantry- The seal "as
voucher OF position change OF fortune
necassitated change in ones seal. Hence the
infinite variety which collections Of seals present,
varieties Of form, type, dimensions, etc., etc.
Tha examination OF seals has been ct Eroat
beryica to studen1s- The study Of the figures
engraved upon them has enabled US to follow
tho vicissitudes OF the arts OF design especially
Of the art Of engraving on stone The e1amna-
tion of .seal has been found sufficient some
Times, to fx date, to elucidate the career OF
distinguished parsonage, to sho" much OF the
"details Of the everyday lite OF our ancestors.
Points in the history Of noble families,
Ind the time Of the foundation o1
certain institutions, hare beon established by
this means The features Of celebrated persons
hare been very faithfully preserved On Heals.
The pictures Of the early Kings Of France have
been reproduced from their scala. They have
also furnished suggestions for the history OF
military art, xnd ct srms. The costumes OF
mobiles Of tho Middle Ages arc found here, il
nowhere else. n injury has very long and
minute descriptions Of the military style OF
dressing in those times which, but for tia sci-
enee of SigiNography, it would have been IN
possible to write. Saws he: "Neither co1lec-