The First Century of the Court of Chancery.   xxxix

     recorded elsewhere in the Council Proceedings under date of December 15,
     1668 (Arch. Md., v, 41), and also to be found in manuscript among the Calvert
     Papers (No. 205, p. 6), which is as follows:

       “The Oathe of the Chancellor or Keeper of the Greate Seale of the Province
     of Maryland.

     I A :B: Doe Sweare that I will faythfully Serve the Right honoble Caecilius
     Lord Barron of Baltimore the true and absolute Lord and Proprietary of the
     Province of Maryland and his heires, as his Chancellor and Keeper of his Greate
     Seale of this Province Cothitted to my Charge and Custody by his said Lops
     Comon to me to the best of my Skill and understanding I will cause the Impres-
     sion in Wax of the said Seale to be affixed to all such things as I have or shall
     from tyme to tyme receive Comission or Warrant for soe doeing from his said
     Lop under his hand and Seale at Armes And tht itt shall not be affixed to any
     other wryting or thing whatsoever directly or indirectly with my privity Consent
     or knowledge I will doe my best Endeavor carefully to preserve the said Great
     Seale in my Custody Soe long as it shall please his said Lordship to Continue
     me in the Charge and keepeing thereof to the End that it may not be lost Stollen
     or unlawfully taken from me And whereby any other person may affixe the
     Impression thereof unto any Wryting or thing whatsoever, without authority
     for soe doeing Lawfully derived or to be derived from by or under a Commis-
     sion or Warrant under his said Lops hand and Seale at Armes And that I will
     truely and faythfully deliver up againe the said Greate Seale into the hands of
     such person or persons as his said Lop or his heires shall appoynte when his or
     their pleasures for that purpose shall be signifyed unto me under his or their
     hand and Seale at Armes—Soe helpe me God and by the Contents of this
     Booke.”

       Of interest as indicating the importance attached to dress and the other
     insignia of office was the request by Cecilius to his son, Charles, February 16,
     1665/6 “That you seriously take into your Consideration to finde and speedily
     to propose unto us some Convenient way of and for the making of some visible
     distinction and Distinctions betweene you our Leieutennant Generall our
     Chancelor Principall Secretary, Generall Officers Councellors Judges and Justices
     and the Rest of the people of our said Province Either by wearing of habbits
     Meddalls or otherwise” (Arch. Md., xv, 16). The Council at its meeting June
     12, 1666, ordered “that every Justice of this Provinall Court doe appeare in
     Court at the dayes appointed for theire setting in Court his ribbon and
     meddle upon paine of a Noble for every default to the Lord Prop” (Arch. Md.,
     iii, 547). That these same Justices sitting as a Chancery Court used a different
     “ribon and meddle” is unlikely, but that the Governor and Chancellor used
     distinctive ribbons and medals is most probable.

       On February 15, 1677/8, Thomas Notley, then Governor during the absence
     of Charles, the Lord Proprietary, in England, authorized Philip Calvert, who
     had pending a number of suits at law and equity in which he was personally
     interested, to seal with the Great Seal any writs or processes in his own behalf
     issued out of the Court of Chancery, and to have them recorded in the office of