Burse ca. 1714-27 British This richly decorated burse was made to contain the kings Great Seal. It was part of the insignia of office of its custodian, the Keeper of the Great Seal (a post often contained within that of the Lord High Chancellor) and one of the most elaborate symbols associated with that high office. The kings Great Seal was attached to all writs, letters patent, charters, and royal proclamations and was the ultimate symbol of royal authority. Something of the aura that attached to the physical object may be seen in the sense of responsibility its keepers felt in its safekeeping. When a Thomas Sadler broke into the house of the chancellor, Lord Finch, and stole the mace and burse on February 7, 1677, he failed to take the Great Seal itself, as Lord Finch kept it under his pillow.The present example dates from the reign of the first Hanoverian king, George I, and although the coat of arms would be particular to each monarch, the general form and decoration had been est