Costume -- Great Britain -- History; Great Britain -- History; Great Britain -- History -- Pictorial works
There were two types of seals--_Plaqué_ seals, those impressed in
wax direct on the document, and _Pendant_ seals, in which the wax
impression was suspended by cords, or a ribbon, or strip of parchment
from the document. (Figs. 1, 2, 3). Great precautions were taken with
regard to the Royal Seals, or the Great Seals, as they were called.
Seals may be classed as: (_a_) _Lay Seals_--(1) Royal Seal, (2) Personal
Seals, (3) Official Seals, (4) Common Seals of Corporate bodies.
(_b_) _Ecclesiastical Seals_--(1) Official Seals (Bishops, Abbots,
etc.), (2) Corporate Seals (chapters, religious houses, etc.), (3)
Personal Seals.
Many of the Royal Seals are very beautiful. The _Great Seal_, or the
chief Royal Seal, was, and is still, in the keeping of the Chancellor,
who has to keep it in his personal custody wherever he goes.
[Illustration: PLATE 23.
(Figs. 1, 2, 3): Pendant Seals. (Figs. 4, 5): Obverse and
reverse of silver penny of Stephen. (Fig. 6): Seal of Anselm.
(Fig. 7): Reverse of Seal of Henry I. The obverse of Royal
Seals bears a picture of the King seated on the throne in
robes of peace, and the reverse the King on horseback armed
for war. (Figs. 8 and 9): Obverse and reverse of a silver
penny of William I. At the Conquest there was no change in the
monetary system of England, and a coinage of silver pennies
only, continued to be issued of the same character as under
the Saxon Kings, and the silver penny continued to be the
only coin until the end of the reign of Henry III. The weight
was about 21 grains. (Fig. 10): Reverse of the Royal Seal of
William I. He is represented on horseback, armed in a hauberk
of leather on which metal rings are sewn. A conical helmet is
on his head. He carries a typical kite-shaped Norman shield
on his left arm, and bears a long lance with pennon in his
right hand. The motto or “legend,” when translated, reads:
“Know ye this William, Patron of the Normans, and by this seal
recognise him King of the Angles.”]
THE JOUST AND TOURNAMENT.
It was natural that men whose profession it was to bear arms should
engage in friendly contests with one another, and in this way acquire
skill in arms as well as indulge in a manly pastime. When only two
combatants fought, it was called _jousting_. If a friendly trial of
skill only were intended, the lances were blunt, and if swords were
used it was only with the edge which could not inflict a wound on a
well-armed man. This was the _joute à plaisance_.
If the combatants fought with sharp weapons and put forth all their
skill and force, it was the _joute à l’outrance_.
When a number of knights were engaged on each side, it was called a
_tournament_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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