The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-12-30
OUTLINES COLD STEEL
VICTORIA HAS WORN OUT THREE OF
ENGLAND's SOVEREIGN SEALS.
A Fourth That Is to Cost So 500 Is Now
Being Manufactured with Much
solemn Ceremony.


arch. She seems as firmly rooted as
the living rocks. She has outlasted her
lamented husband by many years; she
has seen her government practically
pass from her hands into those Of a
parliament elected by the people; she
has sent black-edged mourning notes to
the relatives OF no less than thirteen
other European rulers who have died
during her reign; she has seen the be-
ginning as well as the fruition of most
Of the big things Of modern civiliza-
ton: she has watched her own son, the
Prince Of Wales-born when she was by
no means young-change slowly into an
old man (and promises to outlive him
and keep him off the throne, tool; she
has made and watched more momentous
history than any living sovereign. and
now she has worn out her third great
seal.
The ordering of a new one Is very
solemn matter. and London is agape
over 1t. as London is agape over every
thing that concerns royalty. 1t must
be made of certain metal, by certain
maker. in a certain way. and its manu-
facture is watched with as much solicit
tude as Uncle Sam would show over the
turning out Of a 500. 900 issue of gov
eminent bonds.
The great seal of England is that
whereby all patents, warrants, commits
sions, ETC.. coming from the Queen are
sealed. In law every corporation must
make its contracts, etc., under seal, and
the Queen being. according to legal in
depreciation. a corporation, her acts are
done under seal. The great seal is
therefore the token of the public faith
of the kingdom expressed in the high
est and most solemn form. There is
also a minor seal. which is put upon
charters signed by the sovereign before
they come TO the great seal, and upon
some documents which do not pass the
great seal at all. The seal is applied
by stamping both sides of a wax disk,
which is appended to the official docu-
ment by two strings
THE LORD PRIvY SEAL.
The keeper of the minor or privy seal
is now called the lord privy seal. He is
Of the privy council. and is one of the
great officers of the kingdom. But the
guardian of the great seal is a still more
important parsonage. He is styled the
lord keeper. who now usually combines
his Office with that of lord chancellor.
The lord keeper or lord chancellor is
a functionary of the greatest weight and
power of any now subsisting in the
kingdom, and is superior in point of
precedence to every temporal lord. He
is a privy councillor by his Office, and
Speaker or President of the House of
Lords by prescription. Being form
erly a churchman (until Sir Thomas
More there had scarcely been any
lay chancellor) the Lord Chancellor pre-
sided over the Chapel Royal. and be-
came and is still keeper Of his SOW
ereign's conscience: So much for the
guardian Of the great seal.
The history of the great seals of Eng
land is remarkable. The first English
king, an impression Of whose seal has
come down to us, was Edward the Con-
lessor. We have impressions Of two of
his seals, and both Of them are about
two inches and three-quarters in diam
eter, which is great deal larger than
ring seal could be, but is much smaller
than any of those of his successors.
These seals of King Edward are among
the first in which a king is represented
seated on his throne. The inscription on
each of the seals is the same, and runs
thus:
"Sigillums Eduuardi Anglorum Ba-
silei."
In the great seal of William the Con-
queror the inscription round one side
is: "Hoc Normannorum MILLENNIUM
nosce patronum." and on the other side
is continued this: Hoo Anglis regem
signo fatearis cundem," which, being
translated, signifies: Know by this
William is chief of the Normans" and
Ilxy hi 1rv,n fhn 1fox 30
King of the English
Impressions of seals have mostly been
made in wax, and by squeezing a cake
of wax between two engraved seals,
and all state seals have been so made
ever since. The words ''dei gratia" were
not upon the first few seals of English
kings. The first who used them was
Henry /, but all the English sovereigns
have since then adopted them.
Richard rs great seal was four inches
in diameter. The first seal of Queen
Mary was not larger than four inches
in diameter. but on her marriage with
Philip of Spain she had new great
seal made, representing them both, and
this was made five inches and a half
I'm diameter. Since that time the size
Of the great seal has increased little.
that lately in use being but six inches
in diameter.
SEALS OF EARLY KINGS.
The seals of the early kings down to
the time of Henry III were rudely en-
graved, but that kings seals show
greater orpamentation of the throne on
which the king is seated. From his day
| till the time of Henry VIII the great
seals form a most beautiful and choice
| collection in the pure Gothic style, and
some Of them are exceedingly rich and
| elegant. The seal of Queen Elizabeth is
| curious. "Good Queen Bess" appears in
her starched ruff on a dress which re-
minds one of the crinoline so dear to
| the woman of the last generation Near
| her shoulders hover clouds, from which,
| on each side. an arm and hand project
| holding up the royal mantle.
The great seals of the commonwealth
| were out Of the regular course of seals
| On one side was a representation of the
| Parliament in solemn conclave assem-
| bled, with an inscription, I'm the frs,
| year Of freedome, by Gods blessing re-
stored. 164S." On the other side was 3
| map of England. In the year 1851 ?
| similar seal was made, but I'm the mar
| Ireland was included. Oliver Cromwell
| did not, however, permit this to lssi
/ long, for he dismissed the Parliament
| and their seal, too, and as Lord Pro.
/ tector had a new great seal engrave6
| having on the diverse his effipv n,
horseback and the inscription .oIi.
i Mt; 81