Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 8.djvu/345

UEMARKS ON ONE OF THE GREAT SEALS (>F EUWAKD 111. -Zb'.i anv, assistance for clearing ii}) the ol)scurity. Tlicrc, after stating that the bishops and prelates had advised that the king, for the reasons shown, could of right, and with good conscience, resume and use the name of King of ?' ranee, and mentioning that the parliament concurred, the record is as follows : " Quelc noun de Koi de France, le Roi reprist, et le xj jour de Juyn le grant seal le Roi, quel il usa a devant, mys en garde, et un autre seal emprente de noun de France repris, et furent chartres, patentes, et briefs ensealez, et toutz les autres sealx eu les autres places le Roi en mesme la inanere chaungez le dit jour."^ It will be observed that this speaks of only one seal with the name of France on it having been taken into use again ; which must be under- stood of a great seal, for the other seals were changed in the same manner ; but it is evidently a very brief notice of the matter, not purporting to give the particulars of what took place. There is, however, a memorandum occurring later in Rymer, which may help to solve the difficulty, and would seem to aflbrd strong proof that the seal E did not difier in its circumscription from F. The latter having been always used in England during the presence of the king, there can be little reason for doubting that it was this seal (f) which was taken again into use when Edward resumed the title of King of France. The seal G, on which the words '" et Francie " did not occur, was on that occasion deposited, ias we have seen, in the Treasury, where the seal E still was; |or, at least, there is no record of its having been at that [time removed thence, unless the memorandum of 13G9 be isucli, though we shall presently find that both G and E were not long after in the custody of the liishop of Winchester. Xow, on Monday, the 24th "^ March, 1371, the bishop having resigned the office of Chancellor, delivered the great feeal to the king, and Sir Robert de Thorpe having been appointed his successor, the great seal was on the 2Gth given to him, who, in due form, sealed certain writs with it, and on the 28th of the same month the bishop delivered to the king two great seals which the king had lately used, ' Rolls of Pari., ii., p. 300. same Muiiiorandiiin has, and no doubt Prof. Willis says the 14th (follow- correctly, " die Luiie,viz. vicesimoquario." 11); Rynu-r, iii.. p. JMl), where the words Hence it appears tlie Seals given up on iiv, '• die [auw, viz. decinio (piarto ;"' the •Jiltii of March had not been retained but the Uth of Marcii that year was on so long as liitherto sui)posed. jFriday. An examined MS. copy of the