By the Rev. JE. E. Goddard. 



45 



head is divided by conventional caryatides into four compartments, 

 f in winch are cartouches of St. George's cross, and the Irish harp 

 alternating with the town arms. The cresting is composed of olive- 

 leaf wreaths enclosing St. Greorge's cross and the Irish harp. The 

 cap is raised above the cresting, and bears now the royal arms of 

 Charles II., the garter motto reading " HON I SOET QVI IVSALY 

 PENSY," and the royal motto, "DIEV ET MON DROT" (sic) 

 J ust below the cresting an inscription in raised letters runs round 

 the head, " THE FREEDOM OF ENGLAND BY GOD'S BLESSING 

 RESTORED 1660." Four open arches worked with oak leaves 

 surmount the head, and support a large orb and cross. Below the 

 bowl are four ornamental projecting corbels, ending in dolphins. 

 The bosses of the shaft have gadrooned ornament, and the shaft 

 itself is covered with engraved oak branches and a spiral ribbon. 

 The foot knop is of considerable size, with an inscription running 

 round under the rim : — " This mace was made jor the Corporation 

 of Marlebrough Mr Robert Clements then Mayor 1652." On the 

 edge above is added, " Made by Tobias Coleman of London Gouldsmith." 



These maces are very little altered from their original condition. 

 The orb and cross at the top have taken the place of the nondescript 

 ornament in which the Commonwealth maces terminated, but the 

 open arches are original. The royal arms on the cap have taken 

 the place of the "State's arms" — and in the inscription "The 

 Freedom of England by Grod's blessing restored," the original date, 

 1652, has been changed to 1660 — the Eoyalists neatly appropriating 

 the Parliamentarian motto. 



The Seals. No 1. The oldest of the existing seals is of silver, 

 2in. in diameter, with lignum vitse handle, bearing a shield of the 

 town arms, Per saltire gules and azure two cocks in f ess between a 

 lull statant in chief and three greyhounds courant in pale in base ; on 

 a chief or a castle between two roses gules" with helm, crest, and 

 mantling, with the legend : — 



"SIGILLUM MAIORIS & BURGENS BURGI VILL/E DE 

 MARLEBERG 1714-" 



On the butt of the handle is a silver plate with the arms of Charles, 



