Discretion

The relief over the door to the Secretary’s Office (Secretarie) shows a reclining woman with her finger to her lips. She is leaning against a dolphin. Behind her is a goose taking off with a stone in its beak.

Additional information:
The first six letters of the word Secretary spell ‘secret’. All the elements in the relief underline the town clerk’s duty of confidentiality and silence. The woman’s gesture is a reminder to keep silent. The goose has a stone in its beak so that it will make no sound and will not attract the attention of birds of prey. In the 17th century the dolphin was believed to be mute.