Laurel for Christoforo Alfonso Pallavincino da Firenze
My BFF is the Parchment Herald in Meridies (their head scribe, kind of). She mostly does gothic-style illumination, but was asked to do something norse-ish for a peerage scroll. This is the text I came up with for her project. Drottvaett style off the Karlevi stone.
Written in December 2017
Commendations and greetings from Kaydian and Cassandra, Stellar Sovereigns of the Kingdom of Northshield.
Whereas our faithful Christoforo Alfondo Pallavincino da Firenze, a Baron by Arms and vitrue, and by merit of great and extreme efforts for a long time, as well as innumerable hours of labor, in order to acquire the principal knowledge or, rather, true art of calligraphy and illumination of both these, our western lands, as well as those to the far east, has showed himself to be a teacher of much esteem, and understanding that knowledge is not a gift but gained with diligence, and whereas many abandon such works, despairing of so high an enterprise, callously allowing this knowledge to be lost, having rejected the studies which make men wise, yet rot in torpid leisure;
and whereas some others harbor deeper integrity, and strive towards virtue, and reflect on higher things, and steady themselves with trials of wit and weapon, and curb their tongues, open their ears, compose their thoughts in wakeful hours, their minds in contemplation to letters and arts, and in all things comport themselves with great solemnity and dignity;
and whereas, knowing that our well-beloved Christoforo, through many years of learning of books and texts, and journeying to seek and, indeed, share and spread joyous knowledge, in such a way that within the briefest stretch of time any pupil may comprehend the fundamentals of both Eastern and Western diverse arts, and whereas he has long stood for excellence by creating, with marvelous diligence and correctness, which is praised by everyone; we, Kaydian and Cassandra, aforementioned Sovereigns, do affirm by these, our letters patent, our presents set by our hands and the will of our predecessors, Yehudah and Hrodir, and do therefore invite, induct, include, and establish our trusty and steadfast Christoforo into the Order of the Laurel, with all the rights and responsibilities inherent therein.
And with these presents he shall be entitled to bear, with all due grace and courtesy, the badge of the order, whether on his person as regalia or in other such matters, which is written: (fieldless) a Laurel wreath.
And furthermore, we ratify and confirm, without let or hindrance, that he shall forever more, in perpetuity, bear the arms: Per chevron argent and sable, two roses gules and a cobra affornty erect argent within a bourdure counterchanged. By our will, this 13th day of January at Twelfth Night, upon the first anniversary of this initial recognition,
Kaydian Rex
Cassandra Regina
Source:
And this, because I wanted to use some of the phrasing, specifically “torpid leisure”
