The Grand Union of the Five Counties is a city within the Southern Kingdom whose population is 7,200; its motto is "Si quaeris terram amoenam, circumspice", and its king is Gorm III (The Face in the Frost, ix, 47).
The significance of the Latin motto ("If you're looking for a pleasant land, look around") is Bellairs based it on the motto of his home state, Michigan, adopted in 1835: "Si Quæris Peninsulam Amœnam Circumspice" ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you") [1].
"Whoever composed the motto for Michigan seems to have been inspired by Sir Christopher Wren's epitaph, attributed to his son: Si monumentum requiris, circumspice. The great seventeenth-century architect was responsible for many of London's most notable public buildings - the fire of 1666 cleared the field and gave Wren more opportunities than most architects ever see. I think Saint Paul's Cathedral and the Royal Naval buildings at Greenwich are considered his greatest achievements. Anyway, the epitaph says, 'If you want to see a monument, look around.' Nobody could have looked very far in London in 1723 without taking in several of Wren's buildings. [2]"
References
- [1] Wikipedia: Seal of Michigan
- [2] Correspondence with Charles Bowen.
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