Frazer—On an Early Ecclesiastical Silver Seal. 447 
bearing close resemblance to the seal of Maurice Hollachan, in the 
character of the design, in the manner in which it is carried out—that 
is its art execution—and also in the style of letters used in the inscrip- 
tion itself, so that at the least we may fairly say that the special 
School which produced these Flemish seals must have trained the 
artist who designed and cut the seal we are now considering. 
Thus, No. 5849.—The seal of an Archbishop of Cambrai, a.p. 1398, 
is a good example of Gothic architectural design; and though the 
lettering is of an earlier type, still the M (Sl) used in mavr is identi- 
eal with that found on this seal. 
No. 6057.—Chapter of Notre Dame of Laon, a.p. 1403, which re- 
sembles in design and inscription the last. 
No. 7166.—The Abbé of Saint Ghislain, a.p. 1427, which is also 
a Gothic architectural design, and has the lettering similar to that on 
Maurice Hollachan’s seal. 
Again, in the great work of Mr. Henry Laing—his Supplemental 
Catalogue of Ancient Scottish Seals, Edinburgh, 1886—we haye— 
No. 1019.—The seal of Nicholas, Bishop of Dunkeld, a.p. 1408- 
1411 (see plate x., fig. 6). In this the Gothic architectural design is 
earried out, and the style of letters is similar to that of Hollachan. 
The engraved surface is divided into three distinct tiers or super- 
imposed compartments rising successively above each other, of which 
the middle and upper tiers appear more strictly to carry out the idea 
of a church window or possibly a screen. The ornamental part 
occupies the entire field of the seal from top to bottom, leav- 
ing two separate detached portions, one on either side, extending 
laterally, on which the inscription is placed. Filling the upper com- 
partments of the window are two adjacent niches less elevated in 
height than those which constitute the middle tier. Contained in one of 
these little cells we have the Almighty represented with raised hands 
in the act of blessing the Virgin, who occupies the other compartment, 
and is seated, holding her Son on her knees opposite to the Father. 
Both these figures are represented seated, and rather more than half 
length. 
Underneath these seated figures, and occupying the centre of the 
seal, are three narrow niches or elongated divisions ranged parallel to 
each other, the recesses arched above and ornamented, each of them 
filled with a full-length figure of its appropriate saint, with their dis- 
tinctive emblems. The cutting is so bold, sharp, and clear, that we 
have no difficulty in recognizing the features, appropriate dress, and 
special ecclesiastical ornaments of each of these little images. Figure 
No. 1 represents a bishop, who holds his crozier and presses a book to 
his breast. If the seal was the property of an ecclesiastic of the 
diocese of Ross, with which diocese several individuals of the sept or 
family of the Hollachans were connected, occupying the bishoprick 
and various other positions of importance, it was possibly intended to 
typify Saint Fachnan, who settled in Ross in the commencement of 
the 6th century, and around whose hermitage grew up the great mo- 
