The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-11-12
SIGNATURES OF ENGLISH
MONARCHS.
How Those Who Couldn't Write Made
Their Mark in the World.

The signature of Richard H., who
| reigned in the latter part of the four
teenth century, is the earliest auto
graph of an English king extant
| Most of the others simply made their
mark" Richard Ceur de Leon,
| though he made verses could not set
them down in writing.
On the 18th of June, 1915. John
Plantagauet, successor to Richard
C9ar de Leon. being sorely beset by
MS barons at place still called Run
nymede. granted and executed the
document known as Magma Charta,"
| which was the basis of English liber-
ties. This document, though profess
sing to have been given under the
''hand and seal'' of King John, was
| merely "sealed and delivered by him
| as the ''act and deed" The reason
why it was not signed is that King
John could not write his name. Magma
Charta has been preserved, and is to
be seen in the British Museum. Its
| preservation was in this wise: An an
| tiquarian, who had business with a
| tailor in London, went into his shop
| at the moment when he was about cut
ting up large sheet of parchment in
to measures of his trade. Seeing that
the writing was antique, he gave a
small sum for it, and on examination
found it one of the duplicates of Magma
| Charta.
William the Conqueror used cross
| as Ibis mark, instead of a signature.
One of his sons who could read and
write, had the title Beau Clerc, TO de-
note what a good clerk he was.
The signature of Richard H., as also
the royal signatures down to that of
| Henry VI, in the middle of the fif-
| teenth century, are very rude.
Henry VI. wrote an exceedingly
clear, bold and good hand. The let
ters are upright and well formed,
partly in the Saxon, partly in what is
we'll known as the old English style.
Edward ". merely signed ''R. E. !"
| (the initial letters of Rex. Edvardus),
which are hieroglyphics not at ali un-
derstood in the present day.
Richard Ill, the felon hero of one
of Shakspeare's best-known plays, was
! an educated man, an encourager of
letters and a patron of the then new
art OF printing, which William Caxton
had introduced into England. Rich
ards signature is well cut and very
legible.
Henry VII, the Richmond of
Shakspeare's play, merely signed the
initials H. r." which were both done
in "a dashing style, without taxing the
pen Off At that time, some four CEN
| turies ago, very few could read or write.
Some of the mobiles gave large sums for
instruction in these accomplishments
aud professional scrlbes who could
give that instruction were much made
of. Many of them were churchmen or
monks, To whom, as scholars, the
greatest respect was paid, by royalty
itself.
Each scribe had his own peculiar
and nniaus sofa sty4f a ct eadugEt g5'o to initiate
so that no difference could be detected
on the manuscript that had taken two
or three hands to complete. Queen
Eiizabeth's signature was embellished,
or garnished, by two great and COM
pleX tlourishes over the top and three
underneath. Catherine of AragOn,
Anne Boleyn (Elizabeth's mother),
Mary l., Mary OF Scotland, Mary IL,
(wife OF William ILL.,, and Anne wrote
very legibly. The signature of Vic
toria is graceful, even beautiful. Near
ly all of the royal family of England,
since the accession OF George l., have
written very leglbly.