Great Seal of the Realm

“ He can make men wonderfully knowing in all Liberal Sciences. He ruleth 40 Legions of Spirits. His Seal is this, which wear thou as a Lamen before thee, or else he will not appear nor yet obey thee, etc.
(30.) Forneus.—The Thirtieth Spirit is Forneus. He is a Mighty and Great Marquis, and appeareth in the Form of a Great Sea-Monster. He teacheth, and maketh men wonderfully knowing in the Art of Rhetoric. He causeth men to have a Good Name, and to have the knowledge and understanding of Tongues. He maketh one to be beloved of his Foes as well as of his Friends. ”

“ Some men have strange ambitions. I have one:
To make a naturalist without a gun.
"Pretty, i' faith."
The great seal is again asleep upon his rock (it seems to belong to him and the common one in turn) , and looking down upon him, now, from the tops of the cliffs, through the glasses, there does not appear to be any admixture of brown whatever in the shade of his fur. Wherever the light falls upon it, it is an absolute silver, and, where in shadow, tends to shade a little into the colouring of a very light-skinned mole. ”

“ THE GREAT SEAL OF THE EMPRESS. (See p. 116.)
There yet remains one point, in connection with this remarkable charter, perhaps the most striking, certainly the most novel, of all. This is that of the seal. According to the transcript in the Ashmole MSS., the legend "in circumferentia sigillo" was this: "Matildis Imperatrix Rom' et Regina Angliæ."
Now, that any such seal was designed for the Empress has never been suspected by any historian. We cannot, on a question of royal seals, appeal to a higher or more recognized authority than Mr. Walter de Gray Birch. ”

“ Under which of the seven seals does this day begin?
“And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake, ... for the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Rev. 6:12-17.
3. What signs were to appear under this seal?
“The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.” Verses 12, 13.
Note.—For dates and fulfilment of these signs, see readings on pages 311, 319. ”

“ The consideration of this objection at first gave my mind no small degree of anxiety. I was conscious to myself that I had no views of ambition to gratify. Those views, if I had entertained any such, would have been better consulted by accepting the Great Seal, and with it a highly efficient place in the public Councils—but which I had already refused—indeed every view of that kind has been long since more than satisfied. ”

“ They shall lay the seals reverently before the emperor or king, who shall immediately return them to the archbishops. The archchancellor of the kingdom in which the diet is held shall wear the great seal of the empire about his neck during the dinner and until he returns to his abode. The staff, which shall be of silver of the value of twelve marks, and the seals, shall be handed over to the chancellor of the court. ”

“ The most casual inspection of the famous Guildhall collection will show, stamped upon Seal after Seal through a long succession of Anglo-Norman kings, the same equestrian figure which, obviously of Norman origin, had appeared in England before the Conquest; and which centuries later was designed by an Anglo-Norman engraver upon the Great Seal of the American Confederate States. The artist was Wyon (engraver to the Queen) , and the original of the symbolic figure was that immortal Cavalier, George Washington—a man of Anglo-Norman blood. ”

“ Thus the eighteen figures of Henry the Fourth's great seal (I) have dwindled down to three; the back ground of the seal is diapered or powdered with fleurs-de-lis on the left half where the arms of France alone occupy the shield, and with roses on the right half, where France and England quarterly are on the shield. The canopies and their turrets are in a heavy late style, and the legend has "Francie et Anglie." ”

“ Casts of these seals were taken by the indefatigable Mr. Doubleday, to whom the Seal department of the British Museum, over which he presides, is so much indebted; and impressions were exhibited by Sir Henry Ellis at a meeting of the Society of Antiquaries, on the 12th of December, 1833. Engravings of them, accompanied by the following notice, were communicated by Sir Henry to the Archæologia, and will be found in that publication, vol. xxv. plate lxx. fig. 2, 3. page 616., and ibid. pp. 619, 620.:
"The great seal has an obverse and reverse. ”

“ It came from a carved block of clearest crystal quartz—an oblong tablet with a ramping Chinese lion-dog surmounting it as a handle. Through the clear depths of the crystal block the red-crusted involutions of ideographs on its stamping face could be seen. The great cardinal seal; royalty’s stamp of authority since Korea was born a nation from the mists of legend!
CHAPTER IV. A Fox Juggles With Destiny. Not until I came to reflect upon it in the light of subsequent events did I find full explanation of Yong’s curious conduct the minute of the great seal’s uncovering. ”

“ Fig. 2, the reverse of the Great Seal of Henry IV, a splendid example of the seal engraver’s art, is an interesting illustration of how armorials were borne by man and horse, as well as of their approximate proportion. An example of the influence of local considerations in modifying proportion is the group which occupies the middle of the canopy of the tomb, in Westminster Abbey, of Louis Robsart, Lord Bourchier, who was standard-bearer to Henry V. The shield is minimised as much as possible because its bearings appear large and bold on the carved banners at the sides ”

“ It is very difficult for us, especially for those of us who are not familiar with Eastern civilization, to realize the great importance that was attached to the seal by the peoples of the Ancient World. ”

“ Seal of the United States of America MDCCLXXVI.
On the other side of the said Great Seal should be the following Device. Pharaoh sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his head and a Sword in his hand passing through the divided Waters of the Red Sea in pursuit of the Israelites; Rays from a pillar of Fire in the Cloud, expressive of the divine Presence and Command, beaming on Moses who stands on the Shore and extending his hand over the Sea causes it to overwhelm Pharaoh.
Motto Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God. ”

“ It was also their view that the seal to be used by the King on a particular document of the kind referred to should be a seal struck, kept and released by the Government of the Irish Free State, on whose advice the document was issued by the King. ”

“ The Seal of Wm. de Wyndesor, No. 382, illustrates with no less happy effect the occasional use of birds instead of beasts, as Supporting Badges. Other examples exist in great numbers, and in abundant variety: the two that I add from Mr. Laing’s Volume, Nos. 408 and 409, are in every respect most characteristic; they are severally the Seals of Robert Graham, of Kinpont, and of Sir William Lindsay, of the Byres.
It is scarcely necessary for me to point out to students that Supporters always have a decided heraldic significance. ”

“ Lo here we have the King-es seal; What, lourdain, art thou wood?" The porter weened it had been so, And lightly did off his hood. "Welcome be my lord's seal," said he, "For that shall ye come in." He opened the gate right shortelie, An evil open-ing for him. "Now are we in," said Adam Bell, "Thereof we are full fain, But Christ he knoweth, that harrowed hell, How we shall come out again." "Had we the keys," said Clym of the Clough, "Right well then should we speed; Then might we come out well enough When we see time and need." ”

“ The same writer, in quoting a verse of this ballad, says, ‘Shöol Skerry means Seal’s Isle.’ The whole article is of great interest.
‘G. S. L.,’ the author of Shetland Fireside Tales, or the Hermit of Trosswickness (1877) , remarks: ‘The belief that witches and wizards came from the coast of Norway disguised as seals was entertained by many of the Shetland peasantry even so late as the beginning of the present century.’ He goes on to 64 prove the supernatural character of seals by relating an exploit of his own, in which a gun pointed at a seal refused to go off. ”

“ He then settles down to defend it; for more and more "old man" Seals come, all eager to own the best places. The roaring and fighting go on day and night. The gentle Seal is now a savage beast, covered with wounds. ”

“ On the opposite side of the house, sit those Peers who rank above Barons; the President of the King’s Council, and the Lord Privy Seal, if they are Barons, here sit above all Dukes, Marquises, and Earls; and the Marshal, Lord Steward, and Lord Chamberlain, sit above all others of the same degree of nobility with themselves.
Just before the throne are the woolpacks across the room, on which are seated the Dignitaries of the law. The Lord High Chancellor, or Keeper of the Great Seal, sits on that nearest the throne, with his great seal and mace by him; he is Speaker of the house of Lords. ”

“ What seal of Emperor or Gods is half so strong to keep a man entombed as that unturning process of the Universe that grinds life into being with pain and sorrow and grinds it out again at the last with sorrow and pain. Cæsar's seal to keep the dead dead! ”

“ In answering these questions, it can hardly be denied that if we are to look upon the seventh Seal as standing independent and alone, its contents have not the significance which we seem entitled to expect. ”

“ It was translated into French and English by Sir Thomas Wriothesley, Kt. then Garter King of Arms. The English Version annex’d here to this Treatise, is what hath since been deliver’d (instead of the former Statutes) to all succeeding Knights-Companions, according to the Injunction; but of late Times appointed to be sent to Foreign Princes and other elect Knights abroad, sealed with the Great Seal of the Order, affix’d to a Label of Blue Silk and Gold.
§ 3. There have been several Endeavours since the Reign of King Henry VIII. for reforming the Statutes. ”

“ Arms. Paleways of [25] thirteen pieces, Argent & Gules; a Chief Azure:—The Escutcheon placed on the Breast of an American (the bald-headed) Eagle, displayed, proper; holding in his Beak a Scroll, inscribed with this Motto, viz.
“E pluribus Unum”— And in his dexter Talon a Palm or an Olive Branch—in the other a Bundle of 13 Arrows; all proper.
For the Crest. Over the Head of the Eagle, which appears above the Escutcheon, a Glory, Or; breaking through a Cloud, proper, and surrounding thirteen Stars forming a Constellation, Argent, on an Azure Field.
In the Exergue of the Great Seal—
“Jul. ”

“ He opens the second Seal, and takes out a sword, and gives it to the next aged, and says, "Go, and destroy peace among the profane and wicked brethren, that they may never appear in our Council." He opens the third Seal, and takes a balance, and gives it to the next aged, and says, "Dispense rigid justice to the profane and wicked brethren." He opens the fourth Seal, and takes out a scull, and gives it to the next aged, and says, "Go, and endeavor to convince the wicked that death is the reward of their guilt." ”

“ And now, O God, I see that Thou hast for ever marked me with Thy seal, that awful seal, pregnant with blessings, which sets a man apart from other men, and whose mark is so ineffaceable that, sooner or later, it makes itself manifest even upon those who sin. ”

“ Is not all power on earth bestow'd on us? And therefore, though we would, we cannot err. Behold this silver belt, whereto is fix'd Seven golden seals, fast sealed with seven seals, In token of our seven-fold power from heaven, To bind or loose, lock fast, condemn or judge, Resign or seal, or what so pleaseth us: Then he and thou, and all the world, shall stoop, Or be assured of our dreadful curse, To light as heavy as the pains of hell. ”

“ The great royal seals of more than one king were their handiwork, and it should be observed that the seals of England, not only of the thirteenth century but almost throughout the mediaeval period, were far the most beautiful in the world, both for splendour and elaboration of design, and for exquisite minuteness of detail. ”

“ These seals are chiefly designed to show that during the period in which Christ is carrying forward his conquest unto [pg 130] victory, both trial and suffering in this world form part of the divine purpose of discipline for his people which cannot be escaped from but should be endured with patience and hope. The last three seals relate to the things of the spiritual life, of which three is the symbol, and point forward to the future and great reward in the world to come which is about to be realized by those who are faithful. ”

“ They spin and shoot about, slap each other with their fins or tails, and, every now and again, one hears a curious burst of sound, like subaqueous thunder; whether caused by the swirl, as they go down, or being a growl, half-choked under the water, I do not know. Seals seem to lead a most happy life. I have mentioned one leaping out of the water, as it went along, in pure enjoyment—for what else could it have been? But how different is all this to the lonely sleep of that great thing yonder!—Falstaff—Proteus—Bottle-nose—but that last is a calumny on a very respectable feature. ”

“ Whose was the hidden master brain behind them, controlling this evil power that struck in the dark; that lately, though unseen, was permeating the underworld with its presence; that intuitively he had felt was reaching out, feeling its way, to grapple with and, if it could, to strangle him—the Gray Seal! He had felt the menace, known that it existed, and the slogan ringing always in his ears, the Whispered "Death to the Gray Seal" had taken on a deeper significance, had brought him a more acute and imminent sense of peril than ever before ”