234 On the Seals of the Bishops of Salisbury. 



her Divine Son; the Trinity, or at least the Eternal Father holding 

 the crucifix, generally, if not always, with a clove to represent the 

 Holy Spirit; and the Blessed Virgin holding" the infant Saviour, 

 herself crowned and sceptred. The previous examples of this latter 

 subject are (with one exception, that of Herbert Poor) not crowned 

 or sceptred, and it is to be regretted, in my opinion, that the earlier 

 and simpler treatment has been set aside up to quite modern times. 



(20.*) In the first of this class the Blessed Virgin is seated side 

 by side with her Son on a throne. He is represented in the act of 

 blessing, and she with hands joined in prayer. This is the seal of 

 Ralph Erghum, 1375, with the legend &tgtllum raUttlpfU tStt 

 gratta gamm CptgCOpt, and is the first in black letter, which 

 continues to be the rule up to the Reformation. 



(21) A round seal of John de Waltham, 1388, with the central 

 group of the Trinity — the Eternal Father supporting the crucifix 

 between his knees. The dove appears to be issuing from his mouth, 

 and lighting upon the Saviour's head. The seal is a good deal worn 

 and the legend is incomplete, so that it is not clear to me whether 

 this was the Bishop's chief seal or only one ad causas, as seems most 

 probable, since the seal of dignity is almost always of the pointed 

 oval shape and of a larger size. Mr. Hope is convinced that it is a 

 secrettim, or private seal. 



(22) Richard Mitford's seal ad causas 1396 is so much like the 

 seals of dignity of this date that it may be mentioned here. It has 

 the Trinity above, the Blessed Virgin crowned with the infant J esus 

 in the centre, and the Bishop below ; on the dexter side the Royal 

 arms (France and England quarterly), and on the sinister those o£ 

 Mitford, barry of four indented, as on his tomb. 



(24) Bishop Hallam's seal has a similar representation of the 

 Trinity (much worn) at the top, under which is the Blessed Virgin 

 crowned and sceptred, holding the infant Saviour, with rays pro- 

 ceeding from the two figures. Two saints, apparently S. Peter and 

 S. Paul, stand one on each side. ^ Below is a Bishop praying, with, 

 on one side, the fragment of a shield showing the head of a key 

 saltire-wise ; on the other shield are his own arms, a cross engrailed 

 (with crescent in the first quarter). Unfortunately the legend is 



