these is the splendid "Pearl" sword of the city of London. Other good examples are the London "Old Bailey" sword, the Lynn sword, and Sir Martin Bowes's sword at York.
We need pay no particular attention to the five early XVIIth century state swords to be seen respectively at Canterbury, Gloucester, Carlisle (2), and Kingston-on-Hull; though it is but fair to allow that the Canterbury and Gloucester swords are excellent examples of their kind. Of state swords of the second half of this century there are a dozen examples, of which no fewer than nine all follow the same pattern, that of the London "Sunday" sword. They vary in date from 1669, in which year the Shrewsbury one was bought, to 1684, the date of the Yarmouth sword. The Norwich sword is an example of the same style, but has received a new guard.
The later swords call for no special remark.
The oldest sword of ceremony in England is the earliest of the four swords at Bristol known as the "Mourning" sword; there is very good reason for supposing that it was the actual sword given to, or obtained by, that city on the occasion of the granting of Edward III's charter of 1373 (Fig. 692). Its hilt is plated with silver and gilded. It has the depressed wheel-shaped pommel with a sunk panel surrounded by raised roping on either side. One of these bears the device of the city, the ship and water-*gate; the other presents two shields side by side, the dexter bearing the Cross of St. George on a diapered field, the sinister showing the arms of England. These sunk panels were originally enamelled. The broad edge of the pommel is chased with foliage. The quillons are straight, drooping at their extreme ends; but after having been repaired they have been put on upside down. The central portion is also a restoration of later date. The grip wrapped with wire is comparatively modern. The blade is double edged and impressed with an armourer's mark.
The next processional sword in date is the earliest of the three at Lincoln (Fig. 693). It is said to have been given on the occasion of the visit of Richard II to the city in 1386, at which time he conferred upon the mayor the privilege of having a sword carried before him on all civic occasions and processions. The pommel and quillons are overlaid with silver, with remains of gilding on the latter. The pommel, the edge of which is engraved with roses and fleurs-de-lis, is of wheel formation, with a secondary, small raised disk on each side, encircled by a hollow groove. The groove is enriched with rays similar to those engraved on the monumental effigy of Richard II; while on the small disk are the royal arms between two ostrich feathers. The
