Chapter VII: Appendix: I

THE PRIORY SEALS

_Fig. A._ Twelfth century. Sulphur cast from fine impression, the edge chipped. About 3-1/8 × 2 in. when perfect.

Pointed oval: St. Bartholomew standing, with nimbus, lifting up the right hand in benediction, in the left hand a long cross.

... HOSPITALIS SANCTI ... HOLOME ...
(3487. lxviii. 45.)

_Fig. B._ Twelfth century. Sulphur cast from imperfect impression. About 2½ × 2¼ in. when perfect.

Oval: St. Bartholomew, with nimbus, lifting up the right hand in benediction, in the left hand a long cross. The saint is half length on the section of a church, with round-headed arches, and two circular side-towers.

[Symbol: Maltese Cross] SIGILL' CONVENTUS ECC ... HOLO ... I.
DE. L[=V]DON.
(3488. lxviii. 22.)

_Fig. C._ _A Counterseal._ Twelfth century. Sulphur cast, 1¾ in. A church, with central tower, a cross at each gable end, and two tall round-headed arches in the wall, standing on a ship of antique shape, with curved prow and stern, each terminating in a bird's head, on the sea. In a field over the tower, the inscription: NAVIS ECCL'IE. On the left a wavy estoile of six points, on the right a crescent.

SIGILL' : PRIORIS : ECCLESIE : S[=C]I:BARTOLOMEI.
(3489. lxviii. 23.)

_Fig. D._ _Later Seal._ Thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Sulphur cast from imperfect impression. About 3 × 1-7/8 in.

Pointed oval: St. Bartholomew standing on a lion _couchant guardant_, in the right hand a knife, his emblem, in the left hand a book. Overhead, a trefoil canopy pinacled and crocketed. On each side in the field a tree on which is slung by the strap a shield of arms: England.

S'C ... E. HOSPITAL ... SANCTI : BARTH'I.
LONDON'.
(3490. lxviii. 46.)

_Fig. E._ _A Counterseal._ Thirteenth century. Sulphur cast from chipped impression. 1-1/4 × 7/8 in.

Pointed oval: the impression of an antique oval intaglio gem. An eagle displayed.

[Symbol: Maltese Cross] SI ... HOSPITAL'. S. BARTHOL'.
(3491. lxviii. 47.)

_Fig. F._ _Common Seal of the Prior and Convent._ A.D. 1533. Bronze-green: fine, showing marks of the pins or studs employed to keep the two sides of the matrix in proper position, 2-1/8 in.

_Obverse._ St. Bartholomew, seated on a carved throne (somewhat resembling the throne on the _obv._ of the great seal of Edward I), in the right hand a book, in the left hand a knife. In the field, on the left a crescent, on the right an estoile, each between two groups of three small spots (the whole representing the heavens). Thirteenth century style of work.

[Symbol: Six-petals] SIGILLVM : COMMVNE : PRIOR' : ET : C[=O]V[=E]TV[S :
S[=C]I : BA]RTHOLOMEI : LONDON'.
(3492 and _Harl. Ch._ 83 A. 43.)

_Fig. G._ _Reverse of the same seal._ A church, with central spire, a cross at each gable end, masoned walls imitating ashlar-work, and traceried windows, standing on a ship with a castle at each end, that on the left pointed, that on the right square, on the sea.

In the field at the sides, the inscription:

NAVIS ECCL'E. CREDIMVS : ANTE : DEVM :
PROVEHI : PER : BARTHOLOMEVM.

Beaded borders. ("Vetusta Monumenta," vol. ii, pl. xxxvi.)

_Fig. H. Seal ad Causas._ Fourteenth century. Sulphur cast from imperfect impression. 2-3/8 × 1-1/2 in.

Pointed oval: St. Bartholomew standing on a corbel, in the right hand a knife, in the left hand a long cross.

... ET CONV ... THOL'I LOND' AD CAVS ...
(3495. lxviii. 26.)

_Fig. I._ _Seal of the New Foundation for Preaching Friars, by Queen Mary._ A.D. 1556-1558. 2-1/2 x 1-5/8 in.

Pointed oval: St. Bartholomew, standing, with nimbus, in the right hand a knife, in the left hand a book, under a dome-shaped baldachin or canopy in the style of the Renaissance, supported on two pilasters. In the exergue a floral ornament.

SIGILL[=V]. C[=O]V[=E]T' SCTI : BARTHOLOMEI : ORDINIS
FRATR[=V] PREDICATOR[=V] : L[=O]D[=O].

Inner border beaded.

(From an impression taken direct from the matrix in the Church. There is an example on red sealing-wax in the British Museum.--3496. XXV. 88; see also "Archaeologia," vol. XV, p. 400.)

_Later Seal of the Hospital._
A.D. 1695. Red, covered with paper before impression. 3 in.
(3498, and Add. Ch. 1685.)

_Fig. K._ _Obverse._ St. Bartholomew, full-length, surrounded with radiance, lifting up the right hand in benediction, in the left hand a long cross.

[Symbol: Maltese Cross] COMM ... SIGILL[=V] HOSPITAL'
APOSTOLI.

_Fig. L._ _Reverse._ A shield of arms: City of London.

In the field, the inscriptions: 1[66]1 (?). INSIGNIA LONDO.

Background diapered with wavy branches of foliage.

... EST SMITHFIELD [Symbol: Fleur] ET [Symbol: Fleur] HOSPITALI ...

With the exception of the Marian seal (Fig. _I_), the illustrations come from the impressions in the British Museum, whose catalogue numbers are given in every case for convenient reference.