The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-12
.5JOED BY CHANCE.
FADED and qIME-w ORN HTsToRf-
car PAPERS NEARLY LOST.
s.pt From the Archives OF The state 10
Paper Mil. They Were Rejeeted"nd
Thrown Out Of the window.

Some years ago gentleman ""V"'
brsinegs relations required him 70 pass
by the papcr-mm near the end Of the
r,ichmord ana Petersburg railroad
bridge frequently during the day made
a discovery which In due time proved OF
considerable historical interest. lie was q
man Of antiquarian tastes and had cult
waited habits OF observation. on the occa
sion now about 70 be cited. st seemed tc
be by a special inspiration that his vigil
liant eve caught sigat OF certain FACED
and time-woru papers. which he discover
ed lying scattered under n Wlndo" OF
the paper-mi.l. Curiosity Induced nm "
examine more closely these oid ooCu-
rnents. They were found 70 be VaIuaD'e
reig,s-rnanuscrirts belnglng to past
age many OF them bearing upon theH
faces evidences OF official importance ana
DIGNITY. Upon further inquiry our anu
ovarian discovered that they had lnteiy
hen the property Of the state; that they'
With q quantity OF like material, had Deeh
sold 10 the manufacturers 10 De Sfou"u
nm ana made into paper for more modeth
uses and that these found rrder 'He
a aforesaid window had been rejected as
unft FOR the manufacturers purposes. TO
their unworthiness in this respect was
due their subsequent historical value
The man whose duty II was 10 see 'i''
nothing but the proper stuff should go
into the pulp. had discovered upon these
old documents the impression Of seals
IN wax and other material which would
seriously impair the quality OF the new
paper AZ allowed 10 go into the watts. re
he'd. therefore. thrown them out Of the
window. The papers thus happily rescued
from destruction were at once eareiuiiS
gathered up. and restored 70 their places
I'm the Capitol. Some OF them were lhe
letters of gentlemen writing on public
and private affairs. and bore impressions
Of their seals in both black, as well as
red wax. A large proportion OF them
were official documents, decorated Win
the insignia OF kings, queens and royai
councils. and relating to matters or Ilbh
concern connected with the greatness anu
prosperity of the British realm.
II must not be- supposed that these are
the only representations OF the colonial
and other seals i'm the Capitol; others
are 10 be found as frOntispieces to MS
tories. and as Illustrations. but compared
20 the original impression 10 be seen IN
these ancient and original d0cums nts, are
OF insignificant value. Fortunate II IS
that they are now properly preserved
and viii ever remain venerable witnesses
OF fhe honor and dignities they represent.
A description OF some Of these seals may
interest the reader and perhaps throw
light upon a subject but recently under
discussion I'm the religious as well as the
secular papers. The Rev. Beverly y.
tucker. in his spirited and beautiful epic
delivered on Virginia Day at the World's
Fair. apostrophises the "Old Dominion
IN the use Of the ancient motto "En dat
Virginia ouintun. a difference Of opinion
he's therefore arisen az TO whether this
was the authorized motto Of the colony,
and whether the word "quartam" would
not have been more properly used.
The Authorized Senls
Before going further. let It be under
stood that we do not purpose 20 give here
a history Of the various and ever-chanGing
devices and seals used from time 10
time. by the Virginia authorities and by
the crown during her development from
n chartered company or companies TO the
conditions OF a separate autonomy This
would involve more study and time and
space than are required for our present
purpose. Ii is important. however, that
we should know what was the authorized
seal Immediately after the abrogation of
the Virginia Charter by the King IN 1924
IL Is proper TO gay. however that in 1919
the Virginia Company adopted a seal on
the esCutcheon Of which were quartered
the arms Of England. France, Scotland
and Ireland: surmounted by a crest, the
bust 81 maiden queen with crown and
flowing hair: the whole supported on
either side by men at arms. etc. This
seal bore the motto I'm dat Virginia
qulntum," thus designating the company's
L.. a..
kingdom I'm dominion Of the realm. This
seal had been suggested by a special COM
mittee appointed and approved by the
Council and Burgesses as well as the
Grown. In the absence Of any proof TO
the contrary we must conclude that this
seal continued 10 be the emblem Of au-
thOrity In the administration OF the af-
fears OF the company and Of the Burgesses
until after the abrogatiOn of the Virginia
Company's Charter in 1924. Indeed, II
does not appear that any other seal was
used In Virginia for these purposes untl
after the death of James. An impression
OF this seal may be seen in Neill's Vetus-
Ia. and as the frontspiece of Beverly's
History OF Virginia.
In a foot-note TO Neilrs History Of
the Virginia Company he describes this
seal; and although "A Writer far from
that IN the use OF the word "quintum,"
the King thereby intended 10 dignity the
colony as the F4fth Kingdom Of the Realm.
There is reason 10 believe that not long
after the death Of James I. some impor-
tant change was made In the devices Of
the seals authorized for the use OF the
great charter companies. These, with
all their vested rights. hopes and powers
had become things Of the past. The IN
sigma which represented these had also
vanished. or had as limited above, under
gone serious notifications. Descriptions
Of these will be found IN Hening's stat
utes at Laige volume ]. p. 81. II is there
fore unnecessary TO refer further to them
here except TO say that nothing appears
upon them. as described having refer
ence 20 the subject now under considera-
ton, and that nowhere among the ar
chives Of the state has an impression of
one OF them been found, except in the
case of that adopted by the Virginia Com.
pany IN 1919. and described by Nein. Sue
ceeding this we find an exceedingly inte-
resting and important impression Of a
seal dated and used in the time OF james
H.: hut evidently a relic OF the Charles.
but OF wfich cannot be accurately de-
termined for the reason that although
the dates Of the documents upon which
the seals appear, are always given, those
OF the latter never are The specimen
now under consideration displays a shield
upon which are Quartered the arms OF
England. France, Scotland and Ireland
enclosed by the order Of the Garter. With
its appropriate motto "Honi Soft qui nal y
pCnse," While in the eXergue appear the
words "En dat Virginia qpintum" thu
whole surmounted by the Grown prop
err" and fanked right and left respective
~ 10y the Royal Characters &C" ''R."
II Is plain. therefore. from this impression
that the government under one or both
OF the Charles intended that the Colony