EXETER AND TORQUAY MEETING. xlv. 



used as a sword of state. The cross hilt bore the Tudor rose at each end, and the 

 initials " J.R." were added in the reign of James I. The scabbard was a fine 

 specimen of needlework of the time of James. It was of velvet, richly em- 

 broidered in gold and silver. The summit and crown at the top of the scabbard 

 were added in the reign of George II. Mr. Shorto next referred to the four 

 maces. By Eoyal charter the Corporation of Exeter were entitled to four 

 sergeants -at -mace instead of the more usual one or two. Thus the four maces 

 were borne before the Mayor by four mace-bearers on occasions of state. They 

 were silver-gilt, of the time of George II. The hat was presented by Henry VII., 

 together with the sword. It was richly and beautifully embroidered. Inside it 

 was the original King's hat, a plain black felt hat not of so exaggerated a 

 shape. When King Henry gave this hat, he commanded that it should be borne 

 before the Mayor for ever. For a hundred years the word borne was interpreted 

 as meaning worn, and the hat was worn by the sword bearer ; but then it 

 occurred to the city dignitaries that it was improper for the King's hat to cover 

 the head of a subordinate official, and so from that time forth the hat had been 

 borne on a cushion before the Mayor. There had been Mayors of Exeter from 

 the year 1200 onward, and he pointed to a comer where could be seen the Arms 

 of the Mayor of 1217. Speaking of the exceptional remoteness of the date, he 

 reminded the company that the title of Mayor, from the French maire, was not 

 known in England before the end of the twelfth century. But Exeter was a 

 walled city before the birth of Christ, and was besieged by the Emperor 

 Vespasian, who, failing to take it, as an old document in their possession stated, 

 afterwards proceeded to Jerusalem with better success. The records of Exeter 

 were said to be among the oldest and best in the kingdom. They had no less 

 than forty -eight royal charters and over 2,000 old deeds dating from the time of 

 William the Norman. They had the records of the Mayor's Court and receiver's 

 accounts from the reign of Edward I. Altogether they had a wonderful collec- 

 tion of documents, which, fortunately for them now, they were obliged to have 

 put in order about forty years ago, when they were engaged in extensive legal 

 proceedings, which, principally by the help given by these documents, they were 

 successful in. The old High- street of Exeter was the border land of Celt and 

 Saxon. For 200 years both races lived side by side within the same walls, 

 divided from one another only by the High-street. Mr. Shorto here exhibited 

 some of the most interesting old documents, including a deed of the reign of 

 William the Conqueror and the seal of Osbome, the second Bishop of Exeter (the 

 first was Leofric). He produced the corporate seal with which documents were 

 sealed by the Corporation to-day, and side by side with this he showed a wax 

 impression made with it 620 years ago. He also produced the Mayor's seal, 

 which he said he had used that day, and he showed how it still fitted precisely 

 into an impression made by it 600 years ago. Persons caring for anthropometry 

 would be interested to observe in the back of the wax seals the impression of the 

 creases in the fingers of the ancient men who, six centuries ago, when no handles 

 were fixed to seals, pressed the plastic wax down upon the metal die. He read a 



