Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-05-05
Mary Queen of Scots Writing

Not long after Elizabeth signed the
letter to Catherine de Medici, the
most romantic of queens, Mary,
Queen of Scots, wrote one to the
King of France. The whole letter
is in her own hand, a somewhat
childish appearing script. The first
lines run uphill, then go straight
across and by the time the conclud-
ing line: Votre bien affectionne ct
bonnie" was written it was running
downhill across the page. The letter
and the signature, merely a dainty
Marie, are in a slanting S~pencerian
script, n of the earliest examples,
all of the earlier writing, French,
English and Spanish, being straight
up and down like ramrods.
OF absorbing interest are the writ
ings and signatures in the collection
which the hands of Henry the
Eighth and several of his wives in
dited. 1t seems almost incredible
that these fiimsy, yellowed sheets of
paper were once held in the great,
rough hands of King Henry the
Eighth; in the dainty fingers of
Catherine of Aragon!
There is a deed of land to Sir
Anthony Browns, dated October %,
1543, signed by Henry. The sigma
ture is not at all clear and indicates
that the monarch was not familiar
with letters. The text of the docu-
ment was beautifully lettered in an
Gent black letter old English. 1t
starts off: Henry, by the Grace of
God, King of England and of France,
Defender of the Faith, Lord of Ire
land and the Supreme Head of the
Church of England. 1t is signed, as
nos of the early documents were,
not at the bottom, but at the top.
There is a letter signed by Cathe-
rine Of Aragon, Henry's first queen.
1t vas written to the Duchess of
Savoy in French, in 1900. There is a
signature of Jane Seymour, third
wife of Henry. 1t reads, in prim,
digniied letters: Jane the Quene".
The sixth wife of Henry, Katherine
Parr, is represented in the collection
by an order to the Lord Commission
er, written June 81, 1916. 1t is sign
ed in the left margin. toward the
top: katherine, the Quene *. P"
The letters X. p, the initials Of her
maiden name, are printed together
in a crude sort of monogram.
Henry was succeeded by Bloody
Mary, who is represented by a docu-
ment, dated September 1857, and
signed in an old English and rather
Scrawly hand: "Mary, the Quene".
The famous Richard the Third has
his signature in the collection. This
famous hunchback king of England
who vas born with teeth In his
mouth and whose reputation for
wickedness has been emphasized by
Shakespear.
a fascinating document of an
especially personal sort is a request
for a passport addressed to King
Henry V of England. There are two
signatures of Oliver Cromwell who
overthrow the kings. OF interest to
Americans is an initiated signature
Of George the Third, King Of Eng
land during the American Revolu-
ton. 1t is affixed to some military
instructions and the letters: &C II"
are in letters nearly two inches high,
and in a very graceful, flowing script.
There are many others of almost
equal interest. Among them are sig
natures Of Queen Anne of England,
Anne of Austria, Queen of France,
Napoleon and Josephine, his wife,
and the father, mother and brother
Joseph of Napoleon, the latter being
King of Spain. A 1880 signature of
Pope Clement the Seventh and sever
al lines and the signature of Pope
Paul Second are included as well as
signatures of Catherine of Russia
and Peter the Great.