Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-17
TIE GREAT SEAL or ENGLAND
What IT, Fortunate Custodian Receives -
Rssk sEd sieasy.

"
Rank sEd sie~sy.
The New York ObserrsT says; Tho
mere holding OF the great sea- OF hog-
land entities It's fortunate custodisn 70
some 100000 q year. TO immenss pa
trcuage in Church and State, 70 -
Speaker OF me House Of Lords, Privy
Councillor, and the head Of all judicial
authority in the kingdom, 10 be dss'g-
mated Lord High Chancsllor Of treat
Britain, and Keeper of the Royal Coo
science, and to rank (nsxt 70 ths
royal family the second subject In
the realm. IL is very diiicnl,. II not
impossible, 70 say when England iirst
had great seal. Seals were not much
used by our AnglO-saxon ancestors.
but came largely into fashion during
the Norman reigns. The gilt crosses
or marks of Edward the Ccufessor and
other Saxon kings can scarcely be
called seals, and psrt0ok morn
Of the character OF signatures OF an
illiterate age but a grand and per-
feet sea Of William the Conaueror ex-
lists. having the monarch crowned and
throned on the one side and mounted
on horseback on the other--attitades
which have been invariably observed TO
the present day. One remarkable CIR
cumstance connected with the great
seal is its progressive growth IN size -
time advanced. Originally, eight hun
bred years since. not larger than the
top OF al ordinary modern tea-cup, IL
has been gradually enlarged from age TO
age. till il offers now the size and
appearance OF q muffin. and requires 70
be enclosed In TIN box for protection.
Indeed. so cumbrous and upwieldy had
the great seal become that some three
or four wears since al act Of ParliA-
ment passed, containing very exraor-
binary Notwithstanding that all the
minor, and many even OF the more i'm
portant documents passing under Il,
| should tor the future be authenticated
by q paper wafer Of moderate size,
which should be gummed on the in
strumeut, and be deemed and taken to
be the great sea- itself,
The great seal has only three times
been lOst-twice temporarily and once
permanently. james H., on leaving
the kingdom on his abdicatson, threw
the sea into the Thames, whence how
ever, it was next morning hshed uP
and brought 10 Whitehall. Lord Eldon
buried II IN bis garden n Queen Square
during onc night when his house caught
fire and be thought IN the confusion II
might be stolen - And, writes the
Chancellor III hls diary, when the tire
was extinguished ! quite forgot IN the
morning where | had buried II. and while
the carriage waited to take me 70 court
-~v lady and J and all the household
49,. 90 s;,,... with piece. OF stick til
W. ~ ir Lii fond j. Lord Thurlow
who always held it dur,-s th' nlsh' u
his bedroom, had il actually ca. Nv "
by burglars, from whom Il was ie:er
recovered. 4 priyy council was called
the next days new sea- was rapidly
made, and during tn remainder Of his
continuance In office Lord Thurlow m
vsriably deposited it Of a night under
hIs pillow.
Down 70 1915 the grea; sea- itself
was made Of copper since then silver
has been the metal employed. Ii Is IN
two halves, somewhat like two very
thick bright tin saucep&n-lids fitting
closely together, their inner surfaces
deeply sculptuTed with the royal de-
vices intended 70 be formed on the
wax when squeezed between them.
Instruments having a limited duration
are sealed with yellow WAX. Others,
supposed 10 exist IN perpetuity, such
a. patents Of peerage, etc. are exempli-
he'd under green wax and IN the case
Of some letters patent, likely TO be ex-
posed 10 a good deal Of knocking about
or journeying from place 70 place, such
as were the assize commissions, the
wax seal was stamped after being inge-
nIously iRclosed IL eream-oolored
/ leather,