Not voice but vow,
Not harp-string, but heart-string,
Not loudness but love,
Sound in the ear of God.
The motto of George Washington,—Exitus acta probat, is not given in the accepted lists as the family motto of his ancestors, but it may have been such. The meaning of it has brought out criticism recently because of its Jesuitical sound,—“The end shows the deed.” But this may also be taken as a patriotic utterance in view of the part of the illustrious owner of this plate in the Revolution.
On the plate of William Penn we see a motto most fitting for the character he sustained, Dum clavum rectum teneam—“While I hold to glory, let me hold to right.” In the plate the third word is omitted, as the engraver found the motto too long for the space reserved, and through some
blunder the r in clarum is changed to a v, which makes no sense at all.
On the plate of George Bancroft, the late historian, a chubby cherub bears a panel on which is the motto, Sursum corda. Another plate was also used by Mr. Bancroft which was in all respects like the above, except that the motto was changed to ΕΙΣ ΦΑΟΣ.