THE GREAT SEAL OF MARYLAND.

The Great Seal of Maryland presents a marked contrast to
those of the other States of the American Union, in that its
device consists of armorial bearings of a strictly heraldic
character, being in fact the family arms of the Lords Balti-
more, which were placed by the first Proprietary upon the
Seal of the Province.

THE FIRST SEAL.

The First Great Seal of Maryland was lost or stolen in
1644, during the rebellion of Richard Ingle. No description
of this seal remains.

THE SECOND SEAL.

The second Great Seal was sent to the Province by Lord
Baltimore to replace the lost or stolen seal, and was
described by Lord Baltimore as differing but little from the
first one. A minute description of the second seal is found
in Lord Baltimore's letter of commission to Governor Stone,
Angust 12, 1648. On the obverse of this seal was the
equestrian figure of the Lord Proprietary, symbolizing his
personal authority. He was represented arrayed in com-
plete armor, and bearing a drawn sword in his hand. The
caparisons of his horse were adorned with the family coat-
of-arms. On the ground below were represented some flowers
and grass growing. The entire figure was admirably designed
and full of life. On the circle surrounding this side of the
seal was this inscription: Caecilius Absolutus Dominus Terrae
Mariae et Avaloniae Baro de' Baltemore. On the reverse was
Lord Baltimore's hereditary coat-of-arms. The first and
fourth quarters represented the arms of the Calvert family,
described in heraldic language as a paly of six pieces, or and
sable, a bend counter-changed. The second and third quar-
ters showed the arms of the Crossland family, which Caecilius
inherited from his grandmother, Alicia, daughter of John
Crossland, Esquire, of Crossland, Yorkshire, and wife of
Leonard Calvert, the father of George, first Lord Baltimore.

The coat is quarterly, argent and gules, a cross bottony
counter-changed. Above the shield was placed an earl's
coronet; above that a helmet set full-faced; and over that the
Calvert crest, two pennons, the dexter or the other sable,
staves gules, issuing from a ducal coronet. The supporters
upon this seal were a plowman and a fisherman, designated
respectively by a spade and a fish held in the hand. The
motto was that adopted by the Calvert family, Fatti maschii
parole femine. Two interpretations exist of this motto—
"Womanly (Courteous) words and manly deeds," and "A