6 9 - C o u n t e e . 1574 ?
Two-headed eagle.
Rev. Rose, crowned. Leg. b e g i n a b e a t i .
•8. Smith, Cat. of London Antiquities, p. 160. No. 782.
MB. lead.
Cast. Found in London. From the Roach Smith collection.
70. P h c e n ix B a d g e . 1574.
Bust of Elizabeth, I., hair elegantly arranged, decorated
with pearls, small ruff, dress less rich than usual. Leg.
ELIZABETHA . D . G . ANG . FB . ET HIB . BEGINA. Around,
+ HEI MIHI QVOD TANTO VIBTVS PEBFVSA DEOOEE.
NON HABET ETEBNOS INVIOLATA DIES.
(Alas! that virtue endued with so much beauty, should not
uninjured enjoy perpetual life.)
Rev. Phcenix amid flames; above, the monogram of Elizabeth,
crowned, between 1574 roughly engraved. Around,
FELICES ABABES MVNDI QVTBVS YNICA PHCENIX
PHCENICEH EEPABAT DEPEBEVNDO NOVAM.
0 MISEEOS ANGLOS MVNDI QVTBVS VNICA PHCENIX
VLTIMA FIT NOSTEO TEISTIA FATA SOLO.
(Happy Arabs whose only Phcenix reproduces by its death a new
Phoenix. Wretched English whose only Phcenix becomes, un-
happy fate, the last in our country.)
l -75. Med. Hist. vii. 8. Perry, v. 3. Yan Loon,
I. 558. Kohler, XXI. 225. Luckius, 255. Evelyn
93.
MB. At. Hunter, At. Munich, At.
This medal is more rare than generally supposed. It is
always cast and often chased. Modem chasings in silver, well
executed, sometimes occur. The date on the reverse of the
British Museum specimen appears to have been subsequently
added; but Evelyn, who figures one without a date, also assigns,
without stating any reason, this piece to 1574. The dress
of Elizabeth is less decorated than usual, and in this year
she issued a proclamation condemning excess of ornament.
The legends intimate apprehension for the Queen’s life/and
at this time the plague raged with some violence in London.
Van Loon supposes it to commemorate the Queen’s death, hut
the legend is as applicable to mortality as to death. It was
probably worn as an ornament or badge by those who were
personally attached to the Queen.
There is a modern imitation of this medal of the last century,
also cast and chased, and with a deep ornamental border. On
the truncation it is signed, Nicholls.
71. P h c e n ix B a d g e . 1574.
A singularly beautiful ornament has been formed by cutting
out of a gold impression of the medal last described so much as
contains the portrait on one side and the device on the other,
and enclosing it in an enamelled border, of red, white, and
variegated roses, symbolizing the union of the Houses of York
and Lancaster. It is evidently contemporary and came from
the Sloane collection.
1. Med. Hist. vii. 4. Perry, iv. 2.
MB. N . Unique.
72. S ib R i c h a e d S h e l l e y . 1577.
Half-length figure of Shelley, r., hair short, heard pointed,
ruff small, in armour with Maltese cross on the breast, and
scarf tied round right arm. Leg. b i c a b d v s . s c e l l e i v s . p e io b .
a n g l i a e . AN . a . l x h i i . (Richard Shelley, Prior of England,
aged 64.)
Rev. Shield and crest of Shelley borne. upon an arm issuing
from clouds : the shield is oval and has six quarterings, viz.,
Shelley, Michelgrove, Belknap, Boteler, Sudeley and Montfort ;
over all a chief of the Order of St. John : crest, a griffln’s
head erased, dueally gorged. Leg. s p o l i a t i . c l y p e v s . o b s e s .