92 EPISCOPAL SEALS. 
Episcopal Seals may be divided into five classes— 
(1) Seals of dignity, with 
(2) their Counter Seals, with which must at times be in- 
cluded ; 
(3) Private Seals or Secreta; 
(4) Seals ad Causas ; 
(5) Seals for special purposes, such as Palatinate Seals of 
Bishops of Durham. 
As we have no special seals belonging to Coventry and 
Lichfield, we shall not have to treat with this latter class. 
The Bishop’s seal of dignity, or his great seal, was used 
for charters, or other documents, authenticate copies of 
important documents, and all deeds relating to the property 
and rights of the See. 
The Counter seal, so called from being impressed on the 
back of the great seal, most likely to prevent the Great 
seal being tampered with, or fraudulently used, is often 
identical with the “sigillum privatum” or “secretum,” used 
by the Bishop for deeds concerning his private estate. 
The seal ‘‘Ad Causas’’ was the ordinary business seal 
appended to copies of Acts of Court, Letters of Orders, 
Marriage Licenses, &c. The Bishop’s Signet was not 
necessarily an episcopal seal, it was used for sealing the 
Bishop’s private correspondence; it is sometimes found 
used as a counter seal to the seal of Dignity. 
Seals, Episcopal, as well as others, may be said to consist 
of two parts. The device or subject, and marginal legend 
on inscription. 
The usual shape of seals of Dignity is the pointed oval, 
some few examples are round, the former seems to have 
been found the most convenient shape for a standing figure. 
The pre-Reformation seals of Dignity are devisable into 
two classes. (1) Those in which the device is formed by 
the effigy of the Bishop. (2) Those in which the device 
consists mainly of tabernacle work with figures of Saints 
