45 
Royal and Noble Autographs. (London, 1829.) It exactly 
resembles that now exhibited. The wax has been removed 
from the seal appended to the weavers’ warrant, but the small 
ring of platted straw, called the hanaper, which had encircled 
it, still remains. It was the practice in the 15th century to 
surround the seal with a braid of twisted string or straw, which 
was fixed when the wax was warm. For myself I confess that 
I feel a peculiar pleasure in seeing with my own eyes and 
touching with my own hand a document, which was un¬ 
doubtedly handled and inscribed nearly four centuries ago, 
within a few hundred yards from the place where we are now 
assembled, by one of the most remarkable personages in the 
whole range of English history. It seems to impart to the 
mind the power of realising more distinctly the actual occur¬ 
rence in our venerable city of those striking events, in which 
the last of our Plantagenet kings was a principal actor. The 
document now upon the table is dated about three weeks 
after the King and Queen, with their son Edward, the heir 
apparent to the throne, and a brilliant cortege of nobles, had 
made their public entry into the city of York with royal pomp 
and magnificence. A week later, they honoured the Lord 
Mayor and citizens of York by their presence in the Guildhall 
to witness the representation of the religious drama called the 
Creed Play. The next day, being the festival of the nativity 
of the B. V. Mary, they assisted at the celebration of High Mass, 
which was performed in the high choir of our noble Minster 
with more than ordinary splendour and solemnity. In the 
evening of the same day they were entertained at a grand 
banquet in the Archbishop’s Palace, when the whole court 
witnessed the ceremony of conferring upon the young Prince 
Edward the honourable rank of knighthood, and investing him 
with the symbols of the higher dignity of Prince of Wales. 
Two days before the date of the privy seal an imposing scene 
was exhibited in the Chapter House of the Minster. By the 
king’s command the Lord Mayor, accompanied by all the 
members of the corporation and the civic officers, appeared in 
full state within the walls of that beautiful apartment, in 
which the king and his court were assembled to receive them. 
