The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-11-21
GREAT SEAL OF ENGLAND
How the Conscience Of
the King is
Guarded"
ROMANTIC HISTORY
The Present Great Seal a
Weighty and Por-
tentous Affair.

The departure of tire Lord Chan
cellor for Canada ana the necessary
provision Of sanctuary for so import
ant a weapon as the great seal recalls
much romantic history, many start
ling incidents, and the infinite posi-
bilities Of those who have attempted
to catch the conscience of the King"
as il is called.
From all time the great seal of
England has been regarded with al
most superstitious reverence and in
vested with the most extraordinary
powers, even though the FIRST known
was nothing moro imposing than a
small piece of lead attached by a
silk thread to charter Of Edward the
Confessor A rough kind Of wax
superseded the metal by the time Will
liam the Norman seized Britain, and
he and his successors down to the
present day sealed with green wax all
instruments purporting to have an
unlimited duration, such as charters
granted to certain towns, patents Of
peerages and the like. Other instru-
ments, such as letters patent or com
missions that pass under" the great
seal, have the seal in yellow wax,
which in certain circumstances is in
closed in case of buff-colored leath-
err, which case has the diverse and re-
verse of the seal stamped on 1t. Now
adays private document which yet
is of an official nature and Is en-
crossed on parchment Is first rolled
up and then tied with narrow gal
loon string. A small piece of wax is
then pressed on to the ends OF the
string, the official seal being consider
ed to be made If the little bit OF wax
is merely touched with one Of the
the halves of the great seal.
From the rough and ready seals OF
the Middle Ages the present weighty
and portentous affair has grown. The
great seal consists of two deep and
heavy plates Of silver. They fit close
| ly into one another and lie inbedded
in velvet in box about eight inches
royal arms in gold. Taken apart, the
silver plaques show the two sides OF
the seal. The diverse shows the
sovereign enthroned and surrounded
by figures symbolical Of the virtues;
the reverse displays the sovereign rid
ing in state on a wonderful trapped
horse, Although Kings have no longer
the autocratic power that once was
the keynote of monarchy the honors
that surrounded the privileged holder
of "the Kings conscience" are but lit
tie curtailed, though it is not possible
to acquire the custody of the great
seal by right of purchase, as was done
by certain Walter Gray in the days
of King John, who, being in want OF
ready money, sold the great seal and
all the profits that went with it for
5000 marks--a very good sum at that
time. But the endowment of man
with the small leather box wrapped in
the great embroidered purse that is
so well konwn to those who attend
the House of Lords still carries with il
great dignity and Unreasonable pa
tronage, both in church and state.
First, and even in these democratic
days most important, the custodian
of the great seal becomes the second
man in the kingdom. Without COM
mission, patent or appointment, he
constitutes himself the Supreme Judge
of the Court of Cnancery, Lord Chan
cellor and Speaker of ehe House o.
Lords, and enjoys innumerable per-
quisities of all kinds with salary OF
10000 pounds year. In earlier days
the power welded by the keeper OF
the great seal was SO great that not