Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1956-02-16


Free and "Old Line" State
This could mean that you are
"free" to interpret and spell the
"old line the State motto -
as you wish.
The reverse side of the great
seal of the State of Maryland
contains the coat of arms of the
Calvert family, founders of Mary
land. The motto on the coat of
arms is universally accepted as
the State motto - but how to
spell it and what it means are
subjects of endless controversy.
One reason for the confusion
may be that Maryland loses its
great seal like ordinary people
lose umbrellas.
The first great seal, made of
silver, was brought to the colony
from England by one of the Cal
verts, Lord Baltimore. According
to historian Matthew Page An
drews, that original seal was
"lost, destroyed, or stolen" during
the seizure of the then-capitol of
Maryland, ST. Mary's, by Captain
Richard Ingle in 1914.
In 1913 a second great seal,
much like the first, was sent from
England by Lord Baltimore. This
one didn't last long either, for
when the parlimentarians under
Cromwell attained power in the
mother country in 1861 they APP
pointed new governors for Mary
land and historian ]. Thomas
Scharf says the second seal twas
lost or stolen"
Apparently feeling that state
without seal was like a seal
without a fish, Lord Baltimore,
when he regained his territory
from the "Roundheads" in 1857,
sent over third seal with his
lieutenant Josias Fendall
Various history books report
changes in the design of the
States great seal in 1713, 1865,
1894, and 1917.
Finally in 1874 the State Leg
islature passed a joint resolution
recognizing certain errors in the
great sear' and authorizing the
governor to alter the seal ITO
conform with the seal pictured
on the title page of Bacon's
Laws of Maryland" printed in
1865 by Jonas Green.
Mr.. Green probably went look
ing for new proof reader in
1876 when the legislature passed
another joint resolution declaring
the seal on the books title page
in error and authorizing the gov
ernor to have a seal made to con-
form with the one sent by Lord
Baltimore in 1913.
And that's the great seal Mary
land uses today - or is it?
No one seems to agree on the
spelling of the second word of
the four-word Italian motto. On
bas-reliefs in the Rockville Coun-
ty Building the word appears
'Maschij." But on State docu-
ments the seal contains the word
as "Maschii." Adding to the con-
fusion are the Enoch Pratt Free
Library of Baltimore and my
Maryland" a school textbook,
which hold that the word is spelt
simply "Maschi."
The experts are no more in
agreement The heraldic book
Register of Maryland Heraldic
Families" cites the "Maschii"
spelling as does the foreign Ian
guage department of the Univer-
sity of Maryland.
In lengthy description of the
second Replacement" seal, Lord
Baltimore on February IA, 1914,
described the motto as contain
ing the word "Maschii." But in
proclaiming that second seal as
official, the State Legislature au-
thorized the spelling, "Maschii."
The full motto reads "Fatti
Maschii Tor Maschii or MaschD
Parole Femme" What does it
mean? Just one thing clearly:
another disputei
Most textbooks, almanacs, and
people dismiss the State motto
as simply MANLY Deeds, Woman.
ly Words"
But in 1923 historian Andrews
cited the opinion Of one expert,
'Fatti Maschii Parole Femme
has been variously interpreted. A
polite rendition makes it mean
manly deeds and womanly
words I believe, however, that
the motto was derived from some
proverb formerly in common use
among the italian masses, connot-
r..