230 



On the Seals of the Bishops of Salisbury. 



seem to be a very early example, since it seems to represent the 

 moment of coronation, as Mrs. Jameson, in discussing this subject 

 in her Legends of the Madonna, puts next to the mosaic of S. 

 Maria ; in Trasteveie, another mosaic from the tribune of S. Maria 

 Maggiore at Rome, of the date 1290, close upon the date of our 

 own example, when painters had, I suppose, already begun to make 

 the subject popular. The mosaic in S. Maria Maggiore is ascribed 

 to Jacopo della Turrita, a Franciscan friar, and this may, perhaps, 

 in some measure confirm my suggestion that the subject was specially 

 popularised by that order. 



Class II. Seals from 1291 — 1330, answering roughly to the 

 Decorated period of English architecture, since one Bishop fills the 

 long period from 1330 to 1375. This class contains the seals of 

 the following four Bishops : — 



16. Nicholas Longespee, 1291 — 97, fourth son of William and Ela. 



17. Simon de Gandavo, 1297—1315, Archdeacon of Oxford. 



18. Roger de Mortival, 1350—1330, Dean of Lincoln. 

 19 * Robert Wyville, 1330—75. 



The seals of this period still continue to represent a Bishop vested 

 as before, but more richly, standing either in a niche, or on a 

 diapered and ornamented background into which arms in some form 

 or other are introduced. The pastoral staff appears now to be 

 regularly turned with the crook away from the Bishop, holding it 

 as is usual in modern times. The legend, in contrast to the previous 

 class, is S', for Sigillum, followed by the genitive case, with the 

 exception of the principal seal of Roger de Mortival, which has the 

 legend : — 



ROGERwS : DEI \ GRA : SABBES&mENSIS : EPS i 



though his seal as Bishop-elect (which I found in Mr. Osmond's 

 collection uncatalogued) has apparently the legend :— 



S.' BOgeri dei gra ELECTI SARESBIRIENSIS. 



The latter represents the Blessed Virgin with the infant Saviour 

 looking tenderly into her face. Beneath is a Church, and again, 

 beneath a canopy, is a priest in prayer, to show that he was not 

 yet consecrated. 



