When Severus and his elder son were subduing the north, Geta, the younger, the model of youthful beauty, the popular idol of the day, the Apollo in fact of young Britain, was appointed to govern the western provinces. He is supposed to have founded colonies at Chester and Bath. His presence at Aqua Solis would render this a fashionable resort for those who loved to luxuriate in the sulphur baths and the "dolce far niente" of Apollo Aponus.

The scene changes-the youthful Geta, who was to reign together with his half-brother Bassianus (Caracalla), departed for Rome, and was murdered by his jealous brother's orders, as it is said, in the arms of his mother, Julia, who was trying to defend him. He was worshipped as a god.

"Sit Divus dum non sit vivus," said his cruel half-brother. The bust of Caracalla in the British Museum portrays his character better than any description.

Julia Domna retires into private life, but puts forward her grandson, who is a priest of the Sun at Emesa, and he is raised to the imperial throne. He ascribed his elevation, not without reason, says Gibbon, to the protecting god whose name he assumed (Elagabalus, the forming or plastic god, from two Syriac words-Ela and Gabel).

The degradation of religion could go no lower than in this fanatic's reign; and it is not my purpose to pursue the subject further, or even until Christianity mounted the throne of the Caesars, which did not happen till nearly a hundred years after Elagabalus; but the spirit of old Rome and of her "Di majorum gentium" had fallen away together, though it could still breathe forth in a Claudian as late as the time of Honorius.

The subject deserves further elucidation; and in the meantime I shall be fortunate if I escape the censure bestowed by Martial on a writer who badly interpreted a difficult subject.

"Non lectore tuis opus est sed Apolline libris."

(Mart., x, 21.)

347

ON SEALS OF THE CORPORATION OF
CANTERBURY,

AND OF THE FREE GRAMMAR SCHOOLS OF SOUTHAMPTON
AND CREWKERNE.

BY H. SYER CUMING, ESQ, F.S.A. SCOT., V.P.

THROUGH the kindness of our valued associate, the Rev. S. M. Mayhew, I was enabled a few months since to bring to notice some impressions of highly interesting signets belonging to the Corporation of Dover; and now, by the kind assistance of another friend, I submit for inspection impressions of three curious matrices in the possession of the Corporation of Canterbury. These several seals are those of the Major or Custos of the city, the Statute-Merchant, and, in all probability, the Hospital of St. John the Baptist. A very few remarks on each is all that is needful to accompany their exhibition. We will take first the signet of the Major of the city, evidently a work of the fourteenth century (see Pl. 18, fig. 1). The matrix is of brass, measuring 13 ins. in diameter, and displays in its field a castle, with three towers above its embattled portal, and one on either side, with waves beneath the ground-line, the whole being enclosed in a trefoil, with a lion passant guardant in each cusp. Legend: + SIGILLVM. MAIORIS The artist made a mistake in cutting the legend, and scraped away several letters where the dots are placed.

CIVITATIS. CANTVARIE.

The Corporation is (or ought to be) in possession of another matrix, about 5 ins. diameter, bearing on one side the same device as the above, but with the legend, ISTVD. EST. SIGILLVM. COMMVNE. CIVIVM. CIVITATIS. CANTVARIE; and on the other the civic arms, viz., three Cornish choughs, two and one, on a chief, a lion passant guardant. It is engraved in Lewis's Topographical Dictionary, p. 340. The city seal now in use at Canterbury was made subsequent to the passing of the Municipal Reform Bill in Sept., 1835.

Hasted, in his History of Kent (ed. 1801, xii, pp. 612, 621, 642), makes the following mention of the seals of Canterbury. He states, sub anno 1317-"King Edward II

grants to the city one seal, in two parts; the greater part to be kept by the Major or Custos of the city, and the lesser by a person of the king's appointment." And in 1338 it is recorded that Edmund de Staplegate was the custos or keeper of the king's half of the city's seal. In 1471, "the king's messenger carries away the greater seal, which, on the succeeding year, is returned by a herald." And in 1607, "the king's engraver makes a new seal of silver in two pieces, cost four guineas, that the statute-merchant may be acknowledged in Canterbury, agreeable to charter."

The next seal to notice is the ancient one for the statutemerchant or recognizance of debtors (see Pl. 18, fig. 2). The matrix is of silver, 13 ins. diameter, and has in the centre of the field a large full-faced bust of Edward II, his brow encircled by an open crown like that seen on the money of the period; his hair spreading in a great lock on each side the visage; his tunic having a jewelled hem, and before the breast is a lion couchant, and on either side the bust a single-towered castle, the badge of his mother Eleanor of Castile, which appears in like way upon this king's great scal. Legend: +s'. EDWARDI. REG. ANGL. AD. RECOGN.

DEBITOR. APVT. CANT.

66

In the thirty-third chapter of Ordinances, 5 Ed. II, 1312, which refers to statute of merchants, 11 Ed. I, 1283, is the following clause :-" Morcover, we do ordain that the seals of the king which he assigned to testify the said recognizances be delivered to the most rich and the most sage in the undermentioned towns, that is to say, Newcastle-uponTyne, York, and Nottingham, for the counties beyond Trent, and the merchants there coming and abiding, at Exeter,1 Bristol, and Southampton for the merchants coming to and abiding in parts of the south and west; at Lincoln and Northampton for merchants there coming and abiding, at London and at Canterbury for the merchants coming to and abiding in those parts, at Shrewsbury for the merchants coming to and abiding in those parts, at Norwich for the merchants coming to and abiding in those parts; and recognizances made elsewhere than in the said towns shall not hold place from henceforth."

The seals for the recognizance of debtors seem to have

1 The Exeter seal for the recognisance of debtors is engraved in this Journal, xviii, p. 257. It strongly resembles the one at Canterbury.