IV.—Seals in the Public Record Office

Extract

Perhaps the first thing to remark about these seals is that they have suffered serious damage. Of course, anywhere seals are liable to damage. The chalky composition used in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries becomes very friable with age, and sometimes seems only to be held together by the varnish; various chemical preservatives have been suggested, but it is doubtful whether they are effective. The wax of the next three centuries is very much better, and a seal free from pressure and left undisturbed should be quite perfect to-day. These conditions may often be found in the muniment boxes of corporations or old manor houses, but the public records, until their arrangement in the last century, had lain for many years in such vast piles that seals among them had a poor chance. Every one knows that the wax of seals is brittle, but it is often forgotten that it is also a liquid and will yield to any pressure, however small, if continued long enough; just as we see a block of pitch in the street sinking under its own weight, though hard to the touch. Deformation of seals is quite common, and occasionally two or more have coalesced. Cotton-wool is a good protection against concussion, but it is harder than wax and will penetrate it under pressure; while, on the other hand, the cases of wood or metal known as skippets are protection against deformation, but not so much against concussion.