The weekly union record., 1864-11-26
Neglected Penmanship.

II any foolish lad, or still rnore silly teacher,
shoald imagine that i is the siEn OF a vulgar
and menial education 10 write good hand the
: sooner schooiboy aud peisrague dissbnsc
/ themselves Of this mistaken lea the better
The highest circles OF English society cultivate
penmanShip with care aud success The
Queens handwriting is heautiia, -aovir- ard
elegant, and feminine. PrIace 4 .beris bog
/ rspher compares the Prince 10 GH'be who
'woud take inordina.e pains, even ~ writing
a short note thai il shoeld be admirably wis.
ten. He did not understand the merit cf
second best. but everything that was 10 he
done must be done perfectly" The Prince
Consort took the greatest iateres. in the cali
graphy Of his children, and few Young people.
we are assured, write more elegantly. ard a;
the same time more distinctly, than ihe Princes
and P.ineesses Of England. Oar highest
statesmen have not thought il beneath them 10
cultivate clear and distinct pcnmanshir.
Lord Palmcrs,on's handwriting is free Gru.
and, considering his great age. by 20 means
obscure. Lord Derby writes capital hand
u, once elegant aud lecibls-an aris,ocraiic
hand, If there be such a thing. Earl Russelrs
is smaller ard more femiaiue tarS. vet clsa-
as his eApositoss Of constitutional law. and as
incisive in its ST e as some Of bis dispatches
f =
Chancellor writes A beautiful hand firm. 81
aud legal such hand as should have drawn
up the Bill Of Rights. Sir Hueh Cairns IS
smaller and, perhaps more elegant ceLte-
manly and clear hand. Mr.. Cs5d,ns hand
writing is round, bold and comncgciai-'hc
hand Of one who began life as junior clerk 10
days when good penmanshlp was perhaps h
rule rather than the exception. sm0a- school
H.. g 49, e..
what smaller hand, rapid and flowing. vet lcgi.
bic. Mr.. Gladstoues is hurried and mpeiu-
( ous hand the writing OF 4 man WHOSE thoughts
flow SO thick and iasi that they oa's.Fp tic
pen. Yet lie holds the Quill IN q Can grasp.
aud his letters are large aid Wei formed. Lord
Stauley's writing is by no uleaus elegant. vet it
is as distinct as large Vrat. Iue nuke oi
Newcastes louE, well formed. aad very distiact
letters, would perhaps gain him tie Yfz- ior
caiigraphy among living Statesmen yet Bis
pesmanship is inferior 10 that q The late Mar.
quiS OF Wellesley. who wrote perhaps ihe htst
hand Of his day. Considering how much
writing the Governor General OF India, daring
the last half century had it d. it has been
fortunate for East India Directors, Boards C..
Control and Indian Secretaries. that the vice.
regal penmanship has been 80 uniformly good.
Lord W. Bentiuck's words and letters some
times ran a little INTO each other. yet his hand
was fairly iegible. Lod Mintos was firm.
good hand. Lord Hastings and Lord Amherst
each wrote somewhat picturesque band. yet
every letter Of both was as clear as print
Lord AuckIauds hand was singularly round
and egible. Lord Eilenborough's was too
ladyiike and tinical to be very distinct but
his successor, Lord Daihouse, wrote an admir-.
able model hand. and Lord Cauring's was also
an example Of good penmanship Every one
remembers how rlatn and distinct were the
notes beginning f. NJ. the DuSe Of yelling
ton presents his compliments" although every
one may not be aware that many OF The con
municalions SO highly priced by autograph
collectors were written by the Dukes Secretary.
Mr.. Greville, who learned to initiate bis hand
In all these instances land We might bring
fifty others, ouT present race Of schoOlboys can
find no sanction or encouragement for indolent
neglect Of their penmanship. ip.-London PaFsi.