Colin's Pelican

Another fine old friend was finally inducted into the Order of the Pelican on Saturday, after we spent a year smacking all the people who were sure he already had one.   I really wished I could have done this in mid 16th century spellings, but I'm told that makes it hard for people who aren't me to read the scroll and that I should share more.

A comment on the length of the text, since people never get tired of complaining about the lengths of my texts:  In this case, the scribe was trying to emulate a specific period example of an illuminated Grant of Arms.  The scribe asked me to produce as long a text as I could to make his product look like the period exemplar.  Also, the scribe wanted to start with a big illuminated A, which limited my options for text styles.


All and singular the below-written was done in the 53rd year of the Society, in the Shire of Quintavia, upon 8 December; and their gracious and most excellent Majesties, Wilhelm and Vienna, King and Queen of the East, have approved, ratified and confirmed for themselves and their heirs the said gift and endowment in all of its points, and in witness thereof they have set their ensigns manual below.

Upon the petition of the Order of the Pelican, the barons and other nobles, and the community of the Realm of the East, the good King Wilhelm and Vienna his lawful wife and Queen summoned into the court their faithful and ever-obedient subject Colin Ursell; whereupon their most excellent Majesties took testimony from honored persons of good repute concerning the said Colin, his great and infinite labours for the good weal of the Realm, his benign countenance and faultless, virtueful heart; and most especially they heard words of the said Colin’s diligence, industry and devotion to the practice of archery, the which exertions have been of great advantage to the realm;  and upon hearing the same testimony, Their most excellent Majesties commanded, instructed and ordained that the said Colin be invested and endowed with the Order of the Pelican, the said honor to be held and had by the same Colin freely, peacefully, fully, integrally and honourably, with all manner of liberties, profits, easements or lawful pertinents such as many member of the aforesaid Order possesses.  And further, on that same day and date, before the assembled court, the said Colin was gifted and endowed with Arms in the form following: Azure, a barrel fesswise Or and on a chief triangular argent a bear's head couped sable.  And so that the aforestated gift and grant remain forever lawful, stable and certain, their Majesties caused these present letters patents to be created, signed and read aloud to the body of their court upon the same day and date, and for a copy of the same to be remitted to the custody of the said Colin Ursell.