The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-06-16
The Handwriting of Sovereigns

How characteristic is handwriting may
he satisfactory proved by scanning thu
autographs even Of sovereicns. me
mind guides the pen in its mission OF
thong hi-fixing; therefore it is not at All
to be wondered at should the depth or
shallowness, nobility or commonalIty, a
intel ect and the passions be by such
means portrayed. Look at the signatur,
OF Queen Enthusiastically, tall and
queen like, commanding and imperious,
Dut dctaced with ignoble and trivial
tlourishes-a combination Of severity,
vanity and power AS her actions, 80 her
handwriting at different periods varied
considerably at one time clear, vigorous
and sensible; at another Haunting and
puerile. That of Henry VIII is cold and
formal--an attempt at stateiness,. but
with puerile aojuncts besp9aking great
feebleness. Henry VIII writes with
great strength and self-will, with conccn-
tratlon, but no display. His signature
Henry, : H. T." (Henry Tudor) shows
nim to have been explicit, not shrinking
from the slight trouble of the repetior,
and one who would have said, "Thcre
was no mistake, there is no mstak there
shall be no mistake" Strenuous to de.
gree in making thinge sure. apparent not
only in his treatment Of the MERRY
Wives of Windsor" but in all other at
fairs connected with his life The hand
writing of Richard LII. is like charge
OF cavalry, cutting write and left, with
an occasional strong thrust of lance
through his lines reckless, vigorous, and
dashng; fearless, headstrong, and un
scrupulous. Anne Boieyn wrote steady,
composed hand, with some force and ell
egance; while Pc 1antic and persistive,
with much cold, persevering energy, is
the writing of her more fortunate success
or, Catherine Pair. Clcarness of type
and unobtrusive tirmnesS does Mary
Queen of Scots display in her plain but
elegant signature That of Edward vi.
was one of pedantry, much resembling
the cary writing of James l. In later
years, however, after his succession to the
British throne, the penmanship of this
King expanded into an easier and more
gentleman like style In the erasures
and interlineations the indecision of his
character is shown, especially in that DIS
graceful letter TO the Duke of Bucking
ham, dated 1923 more like the epistle of
u lover to his mistress than the produc
ton of a King. To this letter he prays
The Duke for Gods sake never to res
fer, begging him in no way TO make it
public. Now, alas! in the British Mu.
scum, among the Lansdowne MSS, it may
be perused by all, Charles wrote like
a gentleman. and his son, Charles H., like
very fine gentlemen-such as he w s..
A perfect specimen of facility, with con-
siderable elegance, is the writing of the
latter the manner in winch he threatens
to put forth his whole regal authority,
with the direst hope of vengeance in an
other world entirely il the style of a
lady of the bed-chambcr), is a curious
portrait Of the man. james H. is cold
and gentleman-iik e-too good hand for
so bigoted prince. But, above all sig.
natures that we have scanned, is that of
Cromwell, for grand compo ure and
firmness of purpose, no hesitation being
visible, not even in the name affixed to
the death warrant of the Stuart king.
Motherly, commonplace is the writing of
Queen Anne. That of George /. is man
ly and firm, though somewhat coarse In
the other Georges it is similar in charac-
ter, but with more refinement.