Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1904-06-25
BRITISH GREAT SEAL
STRANGE ADVENTURES OF THIS EN-
BLEM OF SOVEREIGNTY.
Fished From the Bottom of the River
Thames, Buried In "a Garden, Used
asa Frying Pan and Broken 90
Pieces In the House of Lords.

II
sible that the great seal of England
should have ever been made to serve
the humble purpose of a frying pan;
and yet this is only one OF many equal
w strange episodes in the romantic
story Of the seal which Is the SPECIFIC
emblem of British sovereignty"
Lord Chancellor Eldon was so fearful
that the seal would be lost or stolen
while in his custody that he never
went to sleep without first satisfying
himself that it was safe in his bedroom
One night-it was in the year lSl2-he
was reused from his SAUNDERS ny CRIES
of "Firew Jumping out OF pea he
snatched up the great seal and, rush
ing into the garden. buried it deep In
the middle Of flower bed. His house
might be burned to the ground, but at
least he would not prove unworthy Of
the great trust which had been reposed
In him.
Next morning, however-so exciting
had been the experiences of the night
he had completely forgotten in what
part of the garden the emblem Of SOW
ereignty had been hidden, and 1t was
only after his entire household had
hunted for hours that it was at last
run TO earth. You never saw anything
so ridiculous" he wrote later, las see
ing the whole family down the walks
dibbling with bits of sticks until we
found it,
Once at least the great seal has been
at the bottom of the Thames ana
would be there today but for a lucky
accident. 1t was in 1858, when the
second James was fleeing from Eng
land and the Prince of Orange to
France, in company with Sir Edward
Hales. He had intended TO take the
great seal with him, but as he was
being rowed from Lambeth TO Naux-
hall. where horses were awaiting him.
another and better idea occurred to
him. He would fling the seal into the
river. and that would place it once for
all out of reach of his enemy. SO over
hoard the seal went and for some
weeks it lay there until by a curious
chance it was picked up In Usher
mans net and restored to the proper
custOdians.
The ludicrous frying pan adventure
befell II when in the custody OF LORD
Brougham. The chancellor had gone
10 Scotland for short holiday-seeing
that he could not take the seal on the
Rhine trip he longed for without put
ting 1t I'm commission at great cost 10
himself-and he was a guest of the
dowager Duchess of Bedford at Rothle-
murchus. where he kept his precious
charge I'm his bedroom. One day the
Young ladies Of the house party look
the seal from the bedroom and hid 1t.
Rrougham was desperate when he dls-
covered his loss and did not recover
his peace of mind until the pretty
thieves promised TO lead him to it If he
would consent to be blindfolded.
With his eyes bandaged he was con
ducted to the drawing room, and there
he discovered the seal hidden in tea
chest. So overjoyed was he at its re-
covery that he consented to the young
ladies' suggestion that they should ad-
iourn to the kitchen and celebrate the
JOYOUS event by making pancakes IN
the seal. and thus, amid much laughter
the greatest emblem Of sovereignty III
the whole world was actually used as a
nan in which to fry pancakes. Inc
seal. it should perhaps be mentioned
consists of two silver disks hinged TO-
gether, so that when they are CLOSED
they form q mold, into which the wax
green. red or yellow, as the case may
be. is poured. Thus it would make not
at all a bad substitute for the common
or kitchen frying pan.
Many a time has the great seal Deel
taken to the house of lords and broker
to pieces at the bar by the hammer oi
a sturdy blacksmith, amid the 1ranu'
cheering of unlocking members. ms
was the fate of the seal which fell ln'C
the hands of the parliamentary army
on the capitulation Of Oxford III l04O
Three years later the old pariamentar!
seal. which represented Charles ell
tbroned on one side and riding on horse
hack on the other, was similarly de
stroyed to make way for the new sea
with IFS view of the house of commons
in Mace of the depOsed sovereign
Richard Cromwelrs seal was broker
bv the hammer in 1863, and in the fol
lowing year the great seal Of the com
monwealth itself was destroyed In I'M
same way.
Once the seal was lost, by Charles ii
in his flight from the fatal field OF W or
cester and once it was stolen by bur
glars from Lord ThurlOw's house Il
Great Ormond street, but it was re
placed by replica in the wonderfully
short time of thirtysiX hours. III
seal that was in use when George "
died was divided between Lord Lynd
hurst and Lord Brougham, King WI
liam ". presenting one side to eac
chancellor, mounted in a magnlnceh
salyer and a similar present was mao
I'm later years to Lords Chelmsford an
Camnbell and to Lords Selborne an
Cairns. OF the handsome satchels o
nurses in which the seal is supposed |
he kept-exquisite specimens OF al
needlework in white and gold-so man
fell to the lot Of Lord Thurlow as pei
ouisites that his good lady was able
make several sumptuOus counterpart
and bed hangings from them.-fea
sons Weekly.
woefuI Lack OF Confidence.
A prominent actor tells about On
oo,,o fhoofricol woman 1DOut TO We