_Angliae et Franciae_, the same title being borne by successive
kings down to the year 1801; and Henry VIII., in 1521, assumed the title
of _fidei defensor_. The formula _Dei gratia_ does not consistently
accompany the royal title until the reign of Henry II., who adopted it
in 1173 (see L. Delisle, _Memoire sur la chronologie des chartes de
Henri II._, in the _Bibl. de l'Ecole des Chartes_, lxvii. 361-401).

Private deeds.

The forms adopted in the royal chanceries were naturally imitated in the
composition of private deeds which in all countries form the mass of
material for historical and diplomatic research. The student of English
diplomatic will soon remark how readily the private charters, especially
conveyances of real property, fall into classes, and how stereotyped the
phraseology and formulae of each class become, only modified from time
to time by particular acts of legislation. The brevity of the early
conveyances is maintained through successive generations, with only
moderate growth as time progresses through the 12th, 13th and 14th
centuries. The different kinds of deeds which the requirements of
society have from time to time called into existence must be learned by
the student from the text-books. But a particular form of document which
was especially in favour in England should be mentioned. This was the
chirograph (Gr. [Greek: cheir], a hand, [Greek: graphein], to write),
which is found even in the Anglo-Saxon period, and which got its name
from the word _chirographum_, _cirographum_ or _cyrographum_ being
written in large letters at the head of the deed. At first the word was
written, presumably, at the head of each of the two authentic copies
which the two parties to a transaction would require. Then it became the
habit to use the word thus written as a tally, the two copies of the
deed being written on one sheet, head to head, with the word between
them, which was then cut through longitudinally in a straight, or more
commonly waved or indented (_in modum dentium_) line, each of the two
copies thus having half of the word at the head. Any other word, or a
series of letters, might thus be employed; and more than two copies of a
deed could thus be made to tally. The chirograph was the precursor of
the modern indenture, the commonest form of English deeds, though no
longer a tally. In other countries, the notarial instrument has
performed the functions which the chirograph and indenture have
dis