Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-08-01
THE MACE.
The English Reverence for that symbol OF
Authority.
uondon Telegraphl


The Object called mace and the
store that is set by ii may be considered ~
conspicuous among the curioSities OF pub
lie hfe in England. The swords Of justice
and OF mercy, the sceptre. the orb. the
crown itself, are all easily comprehensive
symbols OF foyal Justice or royal authority
and prerogatye. But why mace should
be b. vi 10 be and jealoIlsly preserved as an
emblem OF corporate jurisdiction and sway
Las puzzled many Of the longest-headed
students OF the past, and may equally per-
pick those Of the present day. What Isl
mace; It was originally weapon Of war.
and one Of very formidable nature, which
was used, i'm European warfare rs late a.
the sixteenth century. The weapon. how
ever. from which our parliamentary mnni-
Clpal and acsdemical maces spTang was,
without doubt. a staff of wood about Eve
feet long. with heavy metal head fire.
Cucutly in the form Of a spiked ball. IL was
a fayoritc instrument with mcdi9yal priests
Uf a bellicoso turn Of mind; for, although
canon oi the church specially forbade 10
ccrleS the use OF the sword, nothing was
said 10 prevent an ecclesiastical person
VIII n Of militant mood from smiling hi,
antagonist over the sccnce with his iron
beaded cudcel. But when and why the
mace OF civil and legislative life lost its OIL
fcnSiye spikes and became m Ornlmentsd
St:G Of silver or gildrd copper to be borne
before magistrates and other persons in
authority has never been with precision
aSccrtaincd. II is sufficiently Y demonstrated
that the normal use Of mace was 10 knock
somebody down with il. The Italian for
mace is "mazza." and H. function is signit-
cantly pointed out in the verb "ammaz-
are 10 fell or ''mace" any one. II was
with the mace which hung at his saddle-bOw
that WalTorth. Lord Mayor OF London. hit
Wat Tyler over the mazzard in Smithlield,
after which the cautious FiShmonger, dis
mounting. dispatched the prostrgte rebel
with his dagger. From this historic TACT
| the deduction has lccn made that, as there
was not room in the city cscutchcon for n
mace as well as a dagger. to the pOnilrd
| culy was given heardic distinction, while
! the mace was ever thereafter carried by one
Of the officers Of the Lord Mayors house
/ hold, not only as an emblem OF authority.
| hut as a memorial OF Waworth's proves
/ against the ,cditiOus Tyler. This aSsump-
| ton. however. is not borne out by the cir
| cumstancc that at least a century before the
/ time Of our Richard III. continental kings
! and prices were not only preceded
| but surrounded by macc-bearers, and
that the reason given for their being
attended by such q special guard was the
| widely spread fear OF the assassinS dis-
patched from Syria by the Old Man OF the
| Mountain To murder conspicuous Franks
| who had been marked down for destruc-
! ton When the sect Of the assasSins died
out. the military mace-bearers, as guards
| 10 crowned heads, were superseded by hal
! bordicrs. Of whom we may see the modern
! suryiyals in our quGintly-clad Beef-eaters
/ and Tower Wardens. and in the partisan
! tearing kOyal BOdy-gu8d. formerly known
| aS Gentlemen.at-arms and Gentlemen
! Pensioners; - while, instead OF the mace
! bearers, who formerly accompanied the
/ Judges when riding circuit, they were e.
I corted by "iayelin men," officers who still
/ form a part Of a well-Ordered Judicial cOrtbg'
! on its entrance TO an aSsiZe town, and fOi
/ neglecting 10 provide sufficient contingent
/ Of such javelin-men a high Sherifhas within
| our own generation, have been heavily
fined by Judge. As for the mace, the
list Vestige II it a' a militant weapon was
( observable in the long slaves at the end ol
/ which iron or lcaden balls armed with
spikes. were suspended. which were car
J ricd until late in the last century by the
! pioneer company Of the traln-baudS or city
/ militia. IL is curious to note that the
1 older II the two gigantic figures in Guild
| hall. crroneously called Cog and Aag0g
/ instead Of GomgagOg and COrinIus, which
were carved in the reign OF Queen Anne
I carries q stan with spiked ball suspended
from chain. precisely answering To thu
description Of the modified kind O
maces formerly borne " trainband pI0
I nesrs.