Holograph notes on possible subjects and mottoes for George I's Coronation medal
Astyages did nothing glorious. Of all the kings of the Medes Cyaxeres was the greatest warrior Herodotus tells us that he was much more warlike then his ancestors & that he was the first who reduced the irregular & undisciplined forces of the Medes into discipline & therefore by the testimony of Herodotu{s} he was that king of the Medes whom Æschylus makes the first conqueror & founder of the Empire {illeg} saying {illeg} He that first led the army was a Mede. Darius according to Daniel was the son of Achsuerus of that seed of the Medes, that is the son of Cyaxeres of the seed royal. He reigned by the laws of the Medes & Persians (Dan 0.8, 12, 15 & 8.20) & therefore he reigned over the Medes & Persians as well as over Babylon, & the Medes being set first were uppermost in his reign, for afterwards when the Persians were uppermost they were set before the Medes Esther 1.3, 14, 18, 19. You may know also by the number of provinces in the kingdom of Darius that he was king of the Medes & Persians For upon the conquest of Babylon he set over the whole kingdom 120 Princes & afterwards when Egypt Thebais & Lybica were added by Cambyses the whole continued but 127 Provinces Esther 1. {illeg}. So then Cyaxeres, Darius & Cyrus were the three first kings mentioned by Æschylus the oldest greek author who writes of these things. Herodotus has incerted the order of the kings Astyages & Cyaxeres, putting Astyages after Cyaxeres Xenophon has restored the right order & Daniel has added Darius after them both, a man of the same age with Cyrus the grandson of Astyages.
Astyages did nothing glorious. In his reign a great body of Scythians commanded by Madyes
– – – – Darius into a very great Monarchy. This Monarchy rose up by the fall of Nineveh & about 69 or 70 years after by the fall of Babylon grew to its full greatness excepting that Cambyses enlarged it into Egypt.
The great slaughters which Cyaxeres made of the nations in erecting this Empire of the Medes
– – – – – which was about 70 years.
It is to be conceived therefore – – – before Cyrus as above.
When Cyrus had conquered Babylon – – – committed a mistake in the time & name of the king.
King James the 1st to signify that he would unite the two kingdoms of England & Scotland stiled himself Magna Britanniæ Rex & on the Reverse of his broad pieces & xxs pieces put this Motto Faciam eos in Gentem unam, I will make them one nation Ezek 37. 22. In reference to this inscription & thereby to signify that her Majesty has finished a great & difficult work an undertaking of an 100 years standing I propose the following Medal.
On the first side her Majesties effigies with the inscription ANNA. D. G. MAGNÆ. BRITANNIÆ. F. et. H. REGINA. On the second her Majesty in royal apparel, in the posture of Britannia sitting on a Globe with a speare in her hand & a shield by her side to represent both her self & her mystical body Britannia. The sheild to be charged with the new arms of great Britain, In her left hand a Rose & a Thistle grow upon one stalk; the Rose towards her right hand. In the prospect {below} two revers (Tamesis & Boderia) unite into one common stream Over her head two hands to signify that this is the work of heaven come out of the clouds holding a single crown to crown her, The motto, FECI. EOS. IN. GENTUM. UNAM. And in the Exergue I. MAII. MD{C}VII.
In this designe the union is represented by the single crowns in two hands by the Rose & Thistle upon one stalk, by the new arms of great Britain upon the shield, & by the two Rivers Thames & Forth uniting: for rivers were anciently the emblemes of Kingdom. By The Motto, the union is {refered} to the Queen as the minister of heaven in this work, & although this motto yet may at first seem flat, being compared with that on the gold coynes of King James I, & with the Prophesy of Ezekiel it will appear very significant comprehensive, lively, pious & majestick, & perhaps the most apposite of any that can be thought of. A poetical Motto is not so grave for such an occasion.
Two weoman hand in hand to represent England & Scotland united, sum to signify only a federal union, or only such an union as is represent by the Motto on the money of King Charles I, Floreal concordia regna. After3 the union4, England1 & Scotland2 should be remembered no more, & therefore in the Medal they should be only glanced at & nat made too conspicuous. However for variety I have caused two draughts of weoman to be made together with two other draughts on the next pages, but prefer that above. The Draughts were made in hast & when the designe in general is resolved upon the Graver will be more exact.
<31v>How Cyrus dethroned his predecesoor Herodotus tells at large excepting that he errs in the name of the king. Cyaxeres according to Herodotus reigned 40 years & his successor 35 & therefore Astyages the grandfather of Cyrus & father of Cyaxeres was dead 75 years before the reign of Cyrus of Nineveh.
In the sacred commentary of the Persian rites, these words are ascribed to Zoroaster: Deus est accipitris capite. Hei est primus – – inventor But as mankind is naturally prone to folly & superstition & the ancient Egyptians, Syrians & Chaldæans declined from the workshop of the omnipresent invisible Gold whom o eye hath seen nor can see to worship finite corporeal visible substances, so the Persians in a short time declined from the re{illeg} of the {illeg} to worship the sun & the fire & dead men & images.
As the Priests of the Persians were called Ma{g}e Magicians to the the Persian rel{i}gion the sacred hymns, invocations & {ceremonies} used by the Priests in their worship & their skill in divinations were called Magia Magic; & so all superstition in al religions is of the same nature with Magic & deserves to be called by that name.
