This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized

by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the

information in books and make it universally accessible.

https://books.google.com
 NYPL RESEARCH LIBRARIES

3 3433 08213073 7
O
 THE

ROYAL LEWISIAN SYSTEM

OF

PENMANSHIP ;
15017 OR Guia

NEW METHOD OF RAPID WRITING ,

Whereby a proper business hand may be acquired with ease and certainty in a few short and
interesting lessons, and its principles and practice are rendered familiar to the meanest
capacity ; clearly demonstrating the superiority of the New PRINCIPLES OF
PENMANSHIP ; by which any person, though but little acquainted with
the subject, can detect and easily remove the various
impediments which retard his progress in
the Art of Writing.

INVENTED AND PERFECTED

BY JAMES HENRY LEWIS

(OF EBLEY, NEAR STROUD, GLOUCESTERSHIRE ),
Original Teacher of the New Method of Writing and Arithmetic ; Author of various Works on
Short-Hand, Arithmetic, Book -keeping, Elocution , fc. fc.

• Ignorance is the curse of heaven - Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to it.'

THIRTY-NINTH EDITION.

LONDON :
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, AND SOLD AT HIS ONLY INSTITUTION , 113 STRAND .
t - /
401
 LONDON
PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO .
NEW - STREET SQUARE
 TO

SIR WALTER SCOTT, BART.

HONOURED by your permission to dedicate to you this work

on the ‘Art of Writing,' I shall endeavour, in expressing my gratitude,
to prove myself not unworthy of your patronage, by avoiding the
fulsome panegyrics which are too frequently employed on similar
occasions ; satisfied , that if your reputation required the flimsy aid of
flattery , I should not derive honour from this inscription, nor yourself
credit from such eulogium .
I feel proud in being allowed to offer this production to the
public under the auspices of one whose honourable exertions in pro
moting the diffusion of useful knowledge are so well known throughout
the empire . .
With the hope that its utility may be appreciated by a patron I
so much esteem ,

I subscribe myself, with great respect,

Honoured Sir,
Your most obliged and obedient servant,
JAMES HENRY LEWIS,
84
X37
7
 PREFACE.

Since that period of our history when the arts of reading and writing
were social phenomena, how great and wonderful have been the improve
ments and discoveries by which the communication and acquirement of
knowledge have been facilitated . The moral effects produced by the
Reformation, gave the first general excitement to the public mind ; and
the necessity of supporting that great change of religion by enlightening
the mass of the people , made it part of the policy of the State to
establish national schools. Thence arose the various Royal foundations,
which , beginning with Christ's Hospital, were established, during the
reign of Elizabeth , in every district of the empire. Thence, also, that
general amelioration of manners, and that augmentation of the public
intelligence, which raised the character of the nation above the semi
barbarism of former times ; producing, in succession , the comparatively
polished epochs of the Stuarts, the Augustan age of Anne, and the
present glorious era , in which , under the house of Brunswick , the
extension of civil and religious liberty, and the general diffusion of
knowledge, have placed Great Britain on the highest pinnacle of glory
and prosperity.
And here we may observe, how inseparably these circumstances are
identified with the art of WRITING, and the power of the PRESS.
Through the agency of that art, and the events which have naturally
followed its diffusion , have arisen those fortunate results in the destiny
of a people, which could not possibly have occurred by any other means.
In that period of intellectual darkness when even our Bishops could
only subscribe their marks, and seals were generally affixed to deeds as
substitutes for the hand-writing of the parties , a manuscript book was
deemed more valuable than a landed estate , or the annual income of a
nobleman . It is evident, therefore, that without a more extensive
diffusion of the means by which the discovery and improvement of the
arts and sciences, and the communication and acquirement of knowledge,
have been facilitated - in short, without the agency of the PEN — but little
progress could havebeen made in the greatwork of national improvement.
Those who are familiar with the history of the arts and sciences , and
have observed the slow progress of discovery, and the almost impercep
tible increments of improvement which have been added by successive
ages, in perfecting the various sciences, will not be surprised at the long
period during which the battledore or horn -book constituted the chief
learning of our schools ; nor at the fact, that the dead languages were ,
for nearly two centuries, deemed the only desirable subjects of scholastic
pursuit. And though the objects of education have, of late years, kept
pace with the progress of knowledge itself ; and though it is now
generally admitted that all the practical, and many of the speculative,
sciences, come within the scope of a modern course of liberal education ;
yet, in ascending the scale of society , we do not find that progressive
improvement in information , which we might naturally expect as we
mount to the top. On the contrary, the ignorance of the higher classes
has long been proverbial.
Few who claim the dignity of thinking beings, require to be informed,
that it is only by facilitating and encouraging the general education of a
people, that any great and beneficial effects can be produced ; and to
promote so desirable an object, the benevolent part of the community
seem anxiously disposed . So great, indeed , has been the progress of
manly curiosity , of rational investigation, and the dissemination of
knowledge, during the last half century , that a dread of the imputation
of ignorance is now beginning to operate where nobler incitements are
unfelt; and every day makes it more apparent, that even those to whom
knowledge appears to be of no great advantage, look down upon igno
rance as an intolerable mark of degradation.
 vii

And yet, under all these circumstances, that branch of education

(the noble art of WRITING ) which has contributed more than any other
to the intellectual movement,' has languished in the shade of neglect ;
and , so far from having been brought to any tolerable degree of perfec
tion , the generalmode of teaching it is yet of such a nature, that, after
many years shall have been squandered in its practice , even the most
assiduous pupil will only attain a slow , formal,copy hand ; of no practical
utility either to the tradesman or the gentleman .
If the subject be considered in its true light, it will not, perhaps,be
difficult to account for the present state of this invaluable art; the cause
is simply this : teachers are paid for time, and not for improvement ! If
it were customary to charge for the progress of pupils, instead of the
time they are under their care, it would become the interest of teachers ,
as well as their duty ,to study every means of shortening the paths of
science, and to make improvement in education an object of constant
solicitude and encouragement. But, at present, their interest and their
duty are at variance ; and so frail is human nature , that interest too often
predominates !
Upon a moderate calculation , the expense of educating a youth , at
any respectable boarding-school, seldom amounts to less than three or
four hundred pounds ; but, if the principle before stated was generally
adopted , it would not amount to a third of that sum ; besides, the
immense saving of time would enable the pupil to proceed much farther
in his studies, and acquire a greater degree of perfection .
The art of WRITING being the first object of a pupil's attention, I have
made it my particular study to compose a system that shall require
neither the labour nor the time that is consumed by the tedious method
of the schools ; and I am happy to say that my invention has been
crowned with the greatest success.
Instructors of youth are now furnished with a system that will
enable them to complete their pupils (without the protracted drudgery of
merely copying ) in a manner suitable to the transactions of the counting
house, and the busy scenes of trade and commerce. At this period,
therefore, when truth and reason are said to triumph over all prejudice,
 viii

we may readily conclude that the guardians of the rising generation will
appreciate the importance of my invention, and unitedly endeavour to
promote its general diffusion . This step is, indeed , highly requisite to
render the modern system of education complete .
The vast success that has accompanied myexertions, proves that my
system will be approved as far as the knowledge of it shall be diffused.
Instances have frequently occurred of persons who were unable to acquire
a good hand by the old tedious method, though they had devoted many
years to its practice , even under the instruction of the most eminent
teachers ; and yet,such has been the effect of my lessons, that, after a few
hours 'exercise, they have been enabled to write an elegant expeditious
hand, and have publicly expressed their approbation and astonishment at
the superiority of the new method.
The simplicity and the efficacy of mysystem are not less conspicuous
than the ease and the certainty with which it may be attained . It is these
which have excited the admiration of the scientific , and procured me so
great a portion of the confidence and patronage of the public. And yet
that confidence and patronage have been the means of raising up a host
of opponents, and have created that rancorousmalignity which arises from
envy and prejudice, in those who, by their paltry imitations of my system ,
have contributed to retard the progress of principles which they so vaunt
ingly pretend to teach .
Reposing on the reader's indulgence, I shall make a few brief obser
vations (merely extracts from my public lectures) on the origin and
progress of the new system of writing ; whereby those who were not
present at my lectures, may be enabled to form a just opinion of the
conduct of persons who are continually poaching on my property , and
are picking up a subsistence by the infringement ofmy inventions.
From my earliest recollection the art of writing had attracted my
attention, perhaps more than any other subject. But, though the
specimens of a masterly hand would , oftentimes, excite those sensations
of pleasure and anxiety which naturally arise from an ardent desire to
excel in any favourite pursuit ; they would , also, overwhelm me with
despair,when I contrasted the mediocrity of my own performance, and
considered that, without system or rule, I had still to grapple with an
art which had hitherto baffled all my endeavours. But there is ' a fate
in the affairs of men ;' a kind of mysterious influence presiding over our
earthly destiny ; and a writing-master I must, of course ,be.
From the persevering attention I had given the subject, and the
knowledge I had gained of the principles and practice of penmanship , I
became fully convinced of the impossibility of acquiring that freedom and
rapidity so desirable in the art of writing,by the imperfect method of the
schools ; and, as I felt the necessity of these, I laboured to ascertain both
the cause of failure and its remedy ; until, at length, I began to entertain
some hopes that a more easy and efficacious method of teaching that art
was, in reality, practicable. It was in the early part of the year 1801,
that the idea of simplifying the common method first presented itself to my
imagination ; and it arose , principally, from the following circumstance:
I had frequently noticed that expert writers made use of a continual
motion of the hand and arm , in conjunction with that of the fingers ;
and I plainly perceived that a system combining the freedom and
rapidity of a proper mercantile style could be built on no other
foundation.
In attempting the accomplishment of this object, I had recourse to a
great variety of experiments. Every schemethat industry, necessity, and
perseverance, could suggest, was repeatedly tried ; but the difficulties
appeared so many and so formidable, that, for a considerable time, I could
perceive but little or no prospect of success, and I was frequently upon
the point of desisting from any further attempt : for I found, that though
it was easy enough to conceive in theory what a good system of writing
ought to be, yet, to reduce that theory to practice , to reconcile such jarring
properties as those which require the principles to be contracted , and yet
the influence and application of them to be extended beyond the usual
bounds, was not, indeed , an easy task ; in short, that it was not possible
to combine rapidity of motion and correctness of style, by the principles
taught in the schools.
Being, however, much excited by the novelty of my conceptions,
and by an ardent desire to facilitate the improvement of my pupils, I
continued my investigation with much assiduity ; and, having given the
subject the most minute examination with respect to its principles, the
construction of the alphabet, and the analysis of the various letters ; after
these dissections,and arrangements of their component parts (singly and
combined ) as connected with the manual and scapulary movements, in
a complete developement of the graphic powers of the hand and arm ,
both anatomically and mechanically considered ; and in a scientific
application of those powers to the various exercises of the learner ; I was
gratified to find that I had made considerable progress towards the com
pletion of a new and interesting system ; greatly at variance, indeed , with
all pre -conceived notions on the subject, but which seemed, nevertheless,
to embrace that excellence ofwhich I had so long been in pursuit.
In offering my new system to your notice, it is necessary to make a
few observations on its general principles. The alphabet being composed
of two sorts of characters— the long ones,or such as go above, or below ,the
lines; as b , d , f, g, h , j, k , l, p , q, ſ, t, y ; and the short ones, or such as are
kept within the lines ; as a , c, e, i, m , n , o , r , s, U , V , W , X , 2 - it is utterly
impossible to make them with correctness and facility by one kind of
movement: for if the fingers be extended above, or contracted below , the
prescribed bounds of the short letters, their position must, by the varied
motion, be altered ; and again , if the movement of the arm alone were
made use of, the small letters could not be formed with sufficient steadi
ness and accuracy by the extent of motion . These, together with the
practice of frequently taking off the pen, which occasions a continual
shifting of the arm , and an alteration of its position, are the chief causes
of the irregularity of the writing of those who attempt to write rapidly by
the principles taught in the schools; for the system there taught is
confined to one movement, that of the fingers ; and is, therefore , only
applicable to slow and deliberate exercise, rather than to rapidity of
motion . .
To produce freedom , facility, and accuracy — those indispensable
qualities of good writing - it appeared evident that the scapularymotion
was as requisite as the manual motion ; and,therefore, in defiance of all
pre-conceived prejudice in favour of the common practice, I have founded
a series of lessons on those principles, and embodied them into a regular
system ; and I have been the first to introduce that systein to the notice
of the public. This combination of movement produces an astonishing
effect, even on the most indifferent hand. A moment's consideration, I
should imagine, would be sufficient to convince the most sceptical, that,
by writing rapidly with so contracted a movement as that of the fingers
only , they soon become fatigued and cramped ; and, when we find that
that process allows the fore-part of the arm to rest upon the desk , and
to be pressed down by the body inclining heavily upon it — (which , from
the anatomical structure of the arm , greatly distresses the nerves of the
fingers) — it is no wonder that the writer should lose all freedom and
command of the pen , and produce a stiff, irregular, style of writing :
whereas, in my method, these defects are entirely removed , and the
exertions of the fingers are effectually relieved by the combined motion ,
and by dispensing entirely with the pressure on the arm . To make this
combination perfect, it is applied to all the various operations of the
pen ; so that, by a little practice, the learner may acquire those modifi
cations, and regular clock-work movements, which will, infallibly, produce
that ease and freedom which is so desirable in the art of writing.
I shall not, in this address, attempt to describe the method of
acquiring that movement, as it can be better explained by examples than
by precept ; half-an -hour's description would not convey so good an idea
of the operations, as seeing them once performed . Nor is it of any
material consequence , that the reader should be made acquainted with
the various alterations and amendments which were engrafted on my
system , before it attained its present state of perfection . It is sufficient
to observe, that those who shall become acquainted with my invention
will be perfectly satisfied that I have removed every difficulty from the
art, and rendered its attainment both easy and interesting ; that the
principles on which it is founded are truly scientific and infallible ; and
that the classification of the letters, and the arrangement of my lessons,
are the fittest and best that can possibly be devised for imparting a
practical knowledge of the art. It is inconceivable, indeed, what pains
I have taken to combine whatever has a tendency to facilitate the
a 2
 xii

attainment of freedom and elegance of style, and to arrange the whole in

that simple, yet comprehensive, form , which is best calculated to suit the
capacity of every individual.
During my residence in the city of Worcester, in the latter part of
the year 1802,an opportunity presented itself,which enabled meto prove,
in the most complete and satisfactory manner, the superiority of my new
invention. Being employed by several gentlemen of. considerable
influence in that city , to instruct their families in writing, I succeeded
beyond my most sanguine expectations : so great and rapid was their
improvement in the course of a few lessons, that, to use the words of one
of my patrons, “ it seemed like the effects of magic, or the operation of
some supernatural cause . And no wonder ; for how could he have
anticipated so extraordinary a transition, in so short a period ? From the
pleasing effects of these lessons, the astonished parents determined by
every means in their power to promote the extension of my system ; and
recommended me to their friends and acquaintance, in the most zealous
and warm -hearted manner.
Warranted by the success which had thus attended my invention ,
pressed by the solicitations of those who had witnessed the extraordinary
effects it had produced, and urged by a sense of duty , the new system of
penmanship was first publicly announced (through the medium of printed
bills, circulars, & c.) on the 2nd of February 1803. Public approbation
soon followed private recommendation ; and, on the solid basis of desert,
it has now risen to a celebrity, and acquired a reputation, hitherto
unknown in the annals of penmanship .
At the request of many of my patrons in Worcester, I drew up a
statement of the advantages of my invention, an analysis of the various
letters of the alphabet, and a sketch of my progressive lessons ; which
were submitted to the inspection of many skilful persons, who highly
approved of my system , declaring it to be a perfect novelty in the art,
and honoured mewith their friendship and support.
Having, at length , brought my system to so great a degree of
perfection , I was anxious to secure the pecuniary advantages which it
seemed to promise ; and to enjoy, uninterruptedly, the fruits of my
 xiii

labour. I, therefore, determined to procure the protecting aid of a

PATENT, as the best means of obtaining that object ; but, on applying at
the Patent Office for that purpose , I was surprised to find that no patent
could be granted for improvements in any branch of education. This
information totally disconcerted me; and,whilst I was deliberating what
other course to take for securing my invention, it pleased Providence to
afflict me with a severe and protracted visitation which prevented my
attention to business, and I continued for many a weary day, often
beguiling the tedious hours in ruminating on my system , and in pre
paring it for the press ; for I resolved , as soon as my health would permit,
to print and publish it, as the best means, at least, of extending the
system , and proving its superiority. It was not, however, until the early
part of 1806 that I found myself enabled to carry this project into
execution.*
Considering the eagerness which those persons who have a pro
pensity for seizing on the inventions of others sometimes exhibit, it is
rather singular, that although I had so extensively propagated my system
in various places, and although hundreds had, doubtless, been made
acquainted with its general principles by those who had previously been
under my superintendence — yet it was not until the latter part of 1810
that a single instance occurred of any other person professing publicly to
TEACH the system . This must have arisen , as I imagine, from timidity
and scepticism on the one hand ; and, on the other, from a certain
probationary ordeal which new systems are ever destined to experience,
before they are received by the public with any degree of confidence.
At the period alluded to, my system had triumphantly passed that
ordeal, and excited considerable attention throughout the country .
Then it was that some persons, availing themselves of these favourable
circumstances, became“ professors ’ and teachers' of the art ; and though ,
at first, they had some regard for truth,yet deception and falsehood have,
at length , supplanted it ; and these second-hand performers (I speak it
* The work was entitled , “ The Flying Pen, or New and Universal Method of Teaching
the Art of Writing, by a System of Lines and Angles.'
 xiv

with astonishment) are now endeavouring, by every mean and paltry

stratagem , to palm themselves on the public as the “ inventors' of my
new system . Some of these · professors ’ have carried their audacity so
far as to copy, in almost every particular, the arrangement of my lessons,
and even the very words in which I had explained them . Others have
adopted the general principles, and purloined some of the more important
parts of my invention , but have put these parts together in such a
foolish and bungling manner , as betrays their profound ignorance of the
art ; and, having thus deviated from my plan merely to evade the direct
charge of plagiarism , they have palmed an absurd medley upon the world ,
which can answer no other purpose than to deceive the public, and injure
the reputation ofmy system , by marring, with their unskilfulmutilations,
that elegant and expeditious style of penmanship which my arrangement
has invariably produced . These gentlemen have, therefore, taken the
liberty of treating my system in the same manner that Gypsies treat the
children they have stolen — they disfigure them so much that the parents
can scarcely recognize them !
Had these unprincipled ' teachers ' been content with their depreda
tions on my invention , however it might have affected my own private
interest, I would have passed over this part of the subject in silent
contempt, without raising the cry of ' stop thief ' — or, even, condescend
ing to remind them of the eighth commandment.' But,as the ungrateful
copyists have taken the liberty of applying to themselves the titles of
originals ' and ' inventors' of what they have, in reality, stolen from my
invention, and have adopted every mean and unworthy stratagem to mis
lead the public on this particular point, I will no longer endure that a
system , to the invention and perfection of which I have devoted the
greater part ofmy life, shall be laid claim to by every ignorant blockhead
who may choose to pay a compliment to his own vanity , or find advantage
in styling himself an 'original ’ ! ! !
In these puffing times, when “ inventors ' — ' finishing writing
masters ’ — and ' celebrated teachers ' (as these plagiarists unblushingly
call themselves) are, like an infectious pest, spreading through every part
of the kingdom , and assuming to themselves the merit of this invention ,
 XV

I deem it a duty I owe to society to expose their invidious falsehoods;

and, while I awaken the reflection of those who might otherwise be
affected by the knavery and deception which they are continually
practising on them , I would appeal with confidence to the judgment of
an enlightened British Public, before whom I most solemnly certify my
ENTIRE CLAIM to the INVENTION of this invaluable system of writing : and I
would further observe, that I am perfectly content to restmy claim on the
decision of that impartial tribunal,
Though I am well aware of the various stratagems which persons of
the lowest intellect, from the most selfish motives, have, formany years,
practised against me, yet I have endeavoured to return them 'good for
evil' by exemplary patience and forbearance ; hoping that truth and
equity would , at length , convince them of the baseness of their conduct ;
but, finding that my forbearance is of no avail, I am determined to act a
more decided part ; and, in future, I will take every opportunity of
exposing those tricks by which the unsuspicious are too frequently
allured ; and I will avail myself of all just and honourable means of
protecting my own property from the depredations of those pretenders
to literature — the puffing professors ’ ! ! !
I could dilate much on the envy and illiberality I have experienced
from those unprincipled scribblers, who, taking advantage of the celebrity
of my system , and the high estimation in which it is held by all ranks of
society, are constantly in the habit of copying my bills and advertise
ments ; and who, having no just claims themselves on the patronage of
the public,have resorted to the pitiful expedient of palming spurious
systems upon the world , under fictitious names and titles ; a plan which
is, indeed , frequently adopted by impostors of every description , for in
terested purposes.
These cunning professors ' appear to have strange notions about
the term “ inventor.' They seem to know just asmuch about principles
and systems, causes and effects, as these things know about them !
Common sense has not yet taught them that there are but two distinct
methods of writing — the one, performed by the motions of the hand, or
manual movements ; which is the old method : the other,by the united
 xvi

motions of the hand and arm , or manual and scapulary movements ;

which is the new system . But these are subjects which our sagacious
penmen have troubled themselves very little about. A royal road, with
out such tedious discipline, suits their precocious genius best; and so ,
with daring audacity , one has dubbed himself an “ inventor ' by making a
trifling alteration in the form of some of the letters ! Another has added ,
or diminished, a little in the size or strength ofmy copies, and then he has
become an “ inventor !' The turns of the letters made a little more, or
less,angular ; or a trifling difference in the inclination of the writing,
however insignificant it may appear, has given title to many a vain
" inventor !' While other boasting noodles have shown their skill by
carving from my system , ‘ here a little, and there a little ' – and putting
the mutilated fragments together in a most bungling and incongruous
manner ; or, mistaking change for improvement, have so distorted the
arrangement ofmy lessons, and injured their beneficial effects, that they
have not been able, by such a medley, to accomplish the reasonable
expectations of those who have placed themselves under their tuition :
and this arises from the folly of these would -be ' inventors,' in gratifying
their vanity at the expense of truth and honesty . Various, however, as
may have been the motives which have actuated their conduct, there can
be no doubt but the majority of these chattering ' professors' who have
been dressing themselves in borrowed plumes — and exhibiting the
beauties ofmy feathers,as the production oftheir own goose-heads,havebeen
guided by the base purpose of injuring the person to whom they are, one
and all, indebted , either directly or indirectly, for whatever knowledge
they have of the new method of writing. Under the circumstances I
have mentioned, is it any wonder that those who have sought the
assistance of such teachers have generally found themselves disappointed ?
Perplexed and discouraged by such absurd mutilations, they have regarded -
the pursuit as unattainable : and have, consequently, been prevented
from making any further attempts at improvement in an art of such real
utility, and for which they might, otherwise, have had the strongest
propensity.
I was taught in early life to despise the base passions of narrow
 xvii

minded selfishness and illiberality, and I most solemnly disclaim all

sentiments of envy or prejudice against any of these teachers : yet, I shall,
at all times, consider it a duty I owe both to the public and to myself,to
investigate and trace the progress of error through the mazes in which it
is involved by practice or habit ; I will expose and combat, at every step,
the artful pretensions of intriguers who shut their eyes to truth ; and will,
if possible, prevent the public being deluded by the subtlety and falsehood
of those persons who arewont to claim what they haveno just pretensions
to, and who endeavour by every dishonest means to deprive me of themerit
that belongs to my invention.
With what pity and contempt have I witnessed the proceedings of
unprincipled upstarts ; and, especially, of one who has pilfered from my
works more extensively than any other of his fraternity . The delusion
and falsehood which practice has made familiar in his ' school for
scandal,' will show to what absurd and paltry subterfuges this ' teacher,
who, by a sort of centrifugal impetus, has leaped from the ' shop-board '
into the teaching room , is reduced !
It is of some importance to the elucidation of truth , that I
should direct your attention to the proceedings of this vain calumniator ;
who, with character so well fitted to his talents (those of low
cunning and deception ) is equally undeserving of public patronage and
attention .
What would be the astonishment of any discerning person , were he
to discover that his “ teacher ' was extremely ignorant of what he
professed to teach ? and yet, without the least shadow of detraction , I
may venture to pronounce this said professor precisely in that state with
respect to the art of writing: of the proportion of the letters, and that
of their component parts ; of the analogy they bear to each other, singly
and combined ; of their proper height, depth , parallelism and distance;
of the rules and order of any of the different hands, he has not
imparted the least shadow of information, and is altogether ignorant !
Nay more ; never having given the subject that analytical and scientific
research which, as a ' teacher,' he ought to have done, he is un
acquainted with the nature of those anatomical and mathematical
 xviii

combinations on which the principles of the new system ’ are founded ;

and incapable, as might easily be proved , of applying that system
with that beneficial effect which would , otherwise, accompany his
exertions.
It has been gravely asserted , by this teacher,' that an indifferent
writer can instruct others as effectually as a good one ; but I believe
there are few persons, except himself, who would not blush to
entertain so absurd a notion. To say nothing of his engraved copies
(for no engraving can convey so good an idea of the effect of the pen as
its own production ), how is he to make the strokes accurately, or teach
others to do it ? How can he correct what is wrong in his pupils ; or
show them , by practical examples, what is right ? — which is the only
mode of teaching an imitative art properly . Every person who
understands the principles of penmanship must be aware that the
elements of this art consist in execution as well as design : and, therefore ,
it is impossible that any teacher can point out the defects of a piece
of writing, the beauties of which he wants taste to discover ! That many
of the self-styled ' celebrated teachers ' of the present day, who have
been so suddenly and miraculously metamorphosed into “ teachers
and 'professors,' write badly enough themselves, no person who has
seen their performances will be at all disposed to doubt ; but, that
these worthies can teach the art of writing as effectually as those
who have devoted their whole life to the subject, I will take leave most
positively to deny.
Believe me, my reader, I mention not this subject invidiously ; I
introduce it, in painful retrospect, to show how wretchedly a good system
may be caricatured, and its reputation be injured , by the ignorance of
any puffing penman , who has neither taste nor talent in penmanship .
Instead of obtruding his various bandages, to prevent the flexion of the
fingers and destroy their plastic powers, and giving us (surely he has done
it without reflection ) his “ perpendicular drop' and' invisible loop' — which ,
though they may be ominous of the professor’s fate, and well enough as
a type ofwhat he may richly deserve, can form no part of a good system ,
nor be allowed as a guide to the pupil in the execution of his task !
 xix

instead, I repeat, of trifling with learners in such unprofitable speculation

as that which excludes the most necessary and importantmovements that
nature has given us — the formative motions of the fingers — surely the
first object of this ill-starred teacher should be that of giving them asmuch
freedom as the united latitude of the hand and arm will admit. By so
doing, it would be impossible for a pupil to write a stiff, cramped hand,
or fall into a weak and wiry style; for the pen would then perform its
operations with all the natural freedom and command that is requisite, or
could possibly be produced . And I am enabled , from practical experience ,
to declare that these principles, if properly understood, are capable of
reforming any person's writing, however imperfect it may be ; and even
those who write well would experience considerable advantage in
adopting a system which harmonizes the various operations of the pen ,
and communicates that ease and freedom which renders writing an
agreeable and delightful employment.
‘ No art or science ( says Lord Chesterfield ) is so necessary and
useful as writing. It ought, therefore, to be taught by skilful persons, in
order that it may be taught well, and be properly understood even by the
dullest capacity. Yet, however whimsical it may appear, it is a notorious
fact that my system has fallen into the hands of those whose avocations
but ill befit them for the art of teaching ; and who, after receiving a few
lessons for the improvement of their own scrawl, have assumed all the
importance of first-rate penmen : and it is their inability to teach an art
so diametrically opposite to their former employment, that for some time
retarded the progress of a system which has now , from its intrinsic merit
alone, become universal.
It was likewise an observation of his Lordship, and a very just one,
that — ‘ Nothing is so ungentlemanly as a school-boy scrawl: I would not
recommend (he says) a stiff, formal hand, like that of a schoolmaster ;
but a genteel, legible, and liberal character, and to be able to write with
freedom and rapidity. Now these important objects may be completely
accomplished by my process in a few short and easy lessons ; and,
consequently , those persons who may have been deprived of advantageous
situations through their inability to write a good hand, have now an
e MOV

b 2
 XX

opportunity of regaining lost time,by an easy and immediate attainment

of an elegant style of penmanship, in every respect such as his Lordship
has described.
It is, indeed, to me a proud triumph, that notwithstanding the most
violent opposition of interested individuals, and all the obstacles which
' envy, hatred , and malice,' have thrown in my way, I can boast of the
most extensive and prosperous establishment in my profession , that was
ever known in this or any other country in the whole civilized world .
Not only in the metropolis, but throughout the United Kingdom , and
many other parts of Europe, in all the States of America, in Canada, in
the East and West Indies, in Australia , and in New Zealand, is my
system extensively taught, and decidedly preferred.
The rapid progress of those who have placed themselves under my
superintendence, has given them the greatest satisfaction , and commanded
the astonishment of their friends. And, though it has not been my
custom , nor is it my intention, to publish the names of those persons who
have honoured me with their patronage, yet, were I so disposed, a
numerous list of exalted characters in society, merchants and tradesmen
of the greatest respectability , and persons eminent for their talent and
virtue, might be mentioned , who would bear ample testimony to the
invaluable properties of my invention , and of the benefit themselves and
their families have derived from my instructions.
From my numerous pupils (and numerous indeed they are ), as well
as from others who are allowed to be excellent judges of the art, I have
received the most honourable and valuable testimonials of approbation.
Nor is it without peculiar pleasure that, amongst the number of those
persons who have honoured me with their patronage and approbation, I
am enabled to record the names of many TEACHERS of distinguished ability ;
who have not only introduced my system into their academies, under the
fullest conviction of its superiority, but have candidly given the most
honourable testimony of its efficacy and importance. These are tributes
that make me wealthy, though they shine not with silver or gold . To
serve my fellow creatures — to assist the rising generation — to shorten
the paths of literature, yet strew them with more abundant flowers, is the
 xxi

proud acme of my hopes, the goal of my reward . Selfish motives are

not those which impel me to the propagation of my system ; the public
good is the acting spring. Sanctioned by testimonials so respectable as
those I possess, and guided by the spontaneous impulse of benevolence, I
have thus stepped forward to recommend to the guardians of the rising
generation, a new means of more eminently uniting the powers of the
PEN with the business of tuition — its general adoption in our schools
would multiply their usefulness, and add to their fame, by the salvation
of much timewhich would be spared to their pupils for the acquisition of
the sciences, whose splendid flame reflects the rays of happiness on every
land ; so true it is that · knowledge alone is bliss.'
 NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC.

As many vile stratagems have frequently been tried by an interested com

petitor to mislead the public , respecting the ' new system of writing '-- an inven
tion which has cost me many years of anxious study and experiment - I have
determined to re-publish the following AFFIDAVITS, in order that the public may
not be deceived by those IMITATORS, who endeavour to divert public patronage
from the proper channel ; but, though I feel the necessity of adopting this mode
of securing my property from the rapacious grasp of an ungrateful impostor, I
would rather invite direct and personal examination of the merits of my system ;
as I aim at no other preference than that which I may be really found to deserve.

AFFIDAVIT.
London ) I, JAMES HENRY LEWIS , of No. 104, High Holborn , in the parish
to W it. ) of Saint Andrew , in the county of Middlesex, the inventor and first
teacher of the new method of writing,' solemnly declare and affirm on
my oath , as follows:
That the genuine system of improving writing, which practically and scientifi
cally combines the various motions and operations of the hand and arm in perfect
unison with each other, is wholly and altogether my own invention .
That I am thoroughly convinced there can be but two principles of penman
ship - the old and the NEW — the one performed by the MANUAL movement only ;
- the other by the united MANUAL aud SCAPULARY operations, which is introduced
into , and forms the basis of the LEWISIAN SYSTEM , — and that all the recent
modifications of writing have arisen from these principles.
That I firmly believe, and can prove from undoubted authority , that all those
persons who have taught, or who are teaching the new system of writing,' have
derived their knowledge of such invention, and the idea of regulating the various
motions of the hand and arm in performing the same, either directly or indirectly,
from me, and my original invention .
 xxiv

That I furthermore believe, and solemnly declare, that the person named
JOSEPH CARSTAIRS is not the inventor of any new principles of penmanship ; but,
that he first obtained his knowledge thereof by lessons which he received from a
person named JAMES Mowat, writing-master, formerly of Edinburgh ; as I have
frequently heard the said JAMES MOWAT publicly declare that he taught the said
JOSEPH ČARSTAIRS the aforesaid " new system of writing ' at Sunderland (where
the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS was then carrying on the business of a tailor ), and that
he charged him the sum of two guineas for the course of lessons. And this the
said JAMES Mowat has solemnly affirmed by an AFFIDAVIT which he has made on
the subject.
That I have frequently heard the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS acknowledge that he
had taken lessons of the said JAMES Mowat at Sunderland aforesaid . And that I
can, moreover , produce those who are ready to attest this fact on oath. To confirm
and corroborate which, I have,also, in mypossession a certain document in the hand
writing of the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, unequivocally avowing and acknowledging
that at the time of his writing the aforesaid document (March 1812 ), he then
taught the " new system of improving writing ' precisely as it was communicated to
him by his tutor, the said JAMES MOWAT ; which document has been for many
months publicly exhibited in my window , and is at all times open to the inspection
of the public.
That the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS afterwards became a PUPIL of mine, under
the fictitious name of ROBERT DRURY, and commenced a course of lessons with me
in London, on the 28th of July, 1812, for which he paid me the sum of 21. 158. Od .
And that, at the time I discovered this trick (which was not till after he had taken
his 5th lesson ), I exposed his conduct to the public, although he offered me fifty
pounds to suppress that exposition .
That I have frequently heard the said JAMES Mowar declare that he fir
VA

obtained a knowledge of the said .new system of writing ' from a person named
CHARLES LISTER , who was first a pupil and afterwards an assistant of mine.
That the said CHARLES LISTER has frequently assured me that he did teach the
said JAMES Mowat. That he, the said JAMES Mowat, likewise received a course of
lessons from me; and afterwards was engaged asmy assistant, and finally became
a partner in my establishment.
That the ridiculous expedient of writing downward in perpendicular columns
from the top to the bottom of the page, and that of fettering the hand and fingers
with a bandage as adopted by the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, forms no part whatever
of my system , but is altogether useless and preposterous, tending to produce the
most vicious habits, cramped and unnatural motions, CROOKED writing, and other
erroneous practices ; all of which it is the chief object of the ' LEWISIAN SYSTEM
to eradicate and correct.
Witness my hand,
Sworn at the MANSION HOUSE , JAMES HENRY LEWIS.
this 29th day of April, 1816 ,
before me,
MATTHEW WOOD , Mayor.
 XXV

MR. HEWSON CLARKE'S AFFIDAVIT.

London ) I, HEWSON CLARKE, late of Emanuel College, Cambridge ; Author
to Wit. } of The Saunterer ,' • The History of the late War,' The co
tion of Hume's History of England,' and various other popular works;
declare and solemnly affirm on my oath , as follows: —
That I was employed by a person named JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, a teacher of a
new system of penmanship , to compose and write for him a work , which he first
published under the title of “ A new system of teaching the art of writing,' and ,
subsequently , under that of · Lectures on the art of writing . And, that I am the
REAL AUTHOR of the aforesaid work, notwithstanding he, the said JOSEPH CAR
STAIRS, has falsely affixed his name thereunto , as the author thereof.
That when, at first, I permitted the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS to publish the
aforesaid work under his name, it was with the express agreement (and this was
the chief remuneration for my labour ) that the following acknowledgement, which
was printed on the back of the title-page of the first edition , should also appear, in
the same position, in every subsequent edition of the aforesaid work : - J. CARSTAIRS
feels it his duty to acknowledge his obligations for the remarks and assistance of
MR. CLARKE .
That a second edition of the aforesaid work, under the title of Lectures on
the art of writing,' having been published without the said acknowledgement being
at all inserted , I remonstrated with the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS on this unjust and
foul breach of his contract. That I have not been able to obtain any redress for
the injuries I have thereby sustained, and am , therefore, induced to make this
solemn declaration of the facts connected with the aforesaid work , published under
the name of the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, and of which I am the real author.
That I furthermore declare, that I composed and wrote, for the said JOSEPH
CARSTAIRS, those highly coloured advertisements and paragraphs which have
frequently appeared
frequently PlAlso thinattheI daily e au
was thand other Lecturesforonthe
thor. papers, thepurpose writpuffing
art of of ing an him
d
into notice. Also , that I was the author of that anonymous letter under the
signature TACHYGRAPHUS ' — which , in the · Lectures on the art of writing ' afore
said , is addressed to the editor of the · Morning Chronicle relative to the Lancas
terian system . And likewise, that I was the author of many commendatory
notices, extracts, testimonials, letters, and puffs, which have been given in the
reviews, magazines, and other periodical publications, in favour of the aforesaid
work , which I had written for the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS.
That I have frequently heard the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS acknowledge that he
first became acquainted with the new principles of writing ' - or, free use of
 xxvi

the fingers, hand and arm — from lessons which he had taken of a person named
JAMES Mowat, who was a teacher of the said new method. And, that I can ,
moreover, prove by other conclusive and incontrovertible evidence, that the said
JOSEPH CARSTAIRS did obtain his knowledge of the new principles of penmanship
from the said JAMES Mowat; and that he also taught those principles, according to
the system he had obtained from his aforesaid teacher, until the year 1814 .
That I have been very intimately acquainted with the said JOSEPH CAR
STAIRS for many years ; and was, for a considerable time, in partnership with
him as a teacher . " That I always considered him a person of weak intellect, very
illiterate, and totally incapable of writing on any subject that required the least
degree of talent. Ånd, furthermore, I most solemnly declare and affirm that the
said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS has no pretensions whatever to the discovery of the new
principles of penmanship .
Witness my hand,
Sworn at the MANSION HOUSE, HEWSON CLARKE .
the 18th day of June, 1816 ,
before me,
MATTHEW WOOD , Mayor.
 xxvii

MR. JAMES MOWAT'S AFFIDAVIT.

London , I, JAMES MOWAT, of No. 104, High Holborn, in the parish of

to Wit. , Saint Andrew , in the county of Middlesex, solemnly declare and affirm
on my oath , as follows :
That I was formerly a writing-master in Edinburgh, and there became ac
quainted with a person named CHARLES LISTER, who was an itinerant teacher
of a system of writing, which he professed to be entirely new , and superior to
the common method , which method I was then in the habit of teaching. That in
consequence of his professions, I received a course of lessons in the said new
system from the said CHARLES LISTER , and practised those lessons under his
immediate superintendence.
That I was informed by the said CHARLES LISTER, that he was a native of
Birmingham , in the county of Warwick ; and that he had obtained his knowledge
of the aforesaid new principles of penmanship, by lessons which he had received
from a person named JAMES HENRY LEWIS, who had been teaching the said new
method of writing in that town .
That I derived great benefit from the lessons I obtained from the said
CHARLES LISTER, and from that circumstance I was induced to relinquish the old
method of teaching. That since that period I have had much experience in
teaching the said new system , in various places, especially in the northern
counties of England ; and that on every occasion I have found it decidedly
superior to the old tedious mode.
That I taught the said new system for a considerable time in Newcastle and
Sunderland ; and many persons, including one JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, became my
pupils, received and practised the lessons I set them , and then and there , and by
that means, obtained their first acquaintance with the new method of teaching
writing.
That I believe the aforesaid JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, at the time he received his
lessons from me, was engaged in the tailoring business; and that I charged him
the sum of two guineas for the said course of lessons. That he soon afterwards
left the country, and, as I believe, repaired to London .
That within the last month I have seen and conversed with a person named
JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, who is now professing to teach a new system of writing in
London , and who has also published a work on that subject . And I most
c2
 xxviii

solemnly declare and affirm that this person is none other than that self-same
JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, who was a pupil of mine, as before stated, and to whom I first
communicated the new system as aforesaid .
That the said JOSEPH CARSTAIRS, in the said conversation we had on this
subject, acknowledged that he had taken the lessons as aforesaid , and, at the same
time, he offered to give me the sum of twenty pounds to remain silent on the
subject.
Witness my hand,
Sworn at the Mansion HOUSE, JAMES MOWAT.
the 11th day of March, 1816 ,
before me,
MATTHEW WOOD, Mayor.
 AN EXACT REPORT
OF THE

“ PUBLIC EXAMINATION ”
OF WHAT

MR. CARSTAIRS CALLS HIS SYSTEM OF TEACHING THE ART OF WRITING.

ooom

MR. CARSTAIRS having been employed, in his professional capacity, by the late
MR. JOSEPH HUME, M . P . ; and having succeeded with those who had been placed
under his care, to the entire satisfaction of that gentleman , MR. HUME was
desirous of benefitting MR. CARSTAIRS by some public acknowledgement of the
beneficial property of the new system , its great importance to society, and the
meritorious claims of its founder ; who, from the most gross misrepresentations,
he had been led to believe was no other than the said MR. CARSTAIRS. Under
this delusion, therefore, MR. HUME, with the best intentions, prevailed upon his
friend the late DUKE OF KENT, with whom he was then in habits of the greatest
intimacy, to preside at a meeting on this subject, which it was proposed should be
held on the 9th of July , 1816 ; at the Freemasons' Tavern , Great Queen Street,
Lincoln 's-Inn Fields.
There can be no doubt whatever , that both his ROYAL HIGHNESS and MR.
HUME expected that the meeting would have been made a fair, open, honest,
appeal to the public ; and that, for that purpose, it would have been properly
advertised , in order that it might attract the attention of those who were
deeply interested in the subject, and who would naturally feel a desire to be
present on such an occasion . But MR. CARSTAIRS never intended that such a
meeting as this should take place ; he knew full well, that one of those little snug
congregations, which is generally termed a ' a hole and corner meeting ' — with as
few attendants as possible , would answer his purpose best; and, accordingly , the
means usually adopted for making such a circumstance generally known were
entirely omitted, lest a knowledge thereof might have induced me to intrude
myself on the meeting, and, in all probability, have materially disconcerted the
schemes of that arch -impostor, MR. CARSTAIRS.
 XXX

On the 9th of July, 1816 , however, the meeting (such a meeting as it was)
did take place; and I have been informed that both the DUKE OF KENT and MR.
HUME were much astonished to perceive so meagre an attendance ; for there were
not, at any time during the said meeting, above thirty persons in the room . No
doubt they expected a very different affair ; — that hundreds, if not thousands,
would have been present, as was always the case, on every other occasion, when
his Royal HIGHNESS presided . But had they known the trick , they would have
ceased to wonder at so singular a phenomenon ! Yes, MR. CARSTAIRS knew full
well that I had in my possession such documents — such damning evidence of his
knavery and falsehood, with respect to his claims to the invention of the new
principles of penmanship , as would have decided the point against him in one
minute ; and have overwhelmed him with shame and confusion : - and knowing
this, he, with the serpent's cunning, contrived that I should not know that the
said meeting was about to take place. And, so effectually did he manage the
concern to his own advantage, that it was not until the 11th of July ( two days
after it had occurred ) that I first heard anything about it ; and then, indeed ,
through the agency of the self-same MR. CARSTAIRS, who, very kindly , sent his
own ASSISTANT to inform me of the circumstance.
Supposing, however, I had been so fortunate as to have known of the
intended meeting before it took place, what would it have availed me, when there
was a determination ( and this can be proved on oath ) that I should not be
admitted ? for MR. CARSTAIRS had given the most positive orders to the door
keeper, and to his assistant - who for that purpose was stationed with them on
the top of the stairs, that if I came there they were not on any account to admit
me, but were to kick me down stairs. These were MR. CARSTAIRS' own words;
and he further added — ' if LEWIS should come, and he should be determined to.
get in , send for an officer, and give the fellow in charge, for here he shall not
be admitted .”
• The reader will now see pretty clearly the why and the wherefore (as MR.
COBBETT has it ) there are but fourteen names, besides that of the DUKE OF KENT,
attached to the two resolutions . unanimously resolved,' and resolved unanimously ,'
which were moved and carried, at that numerous meeting of ladies and
gentlemen ;' when indeed they were so miserably straightened for signatures of
approval, that even one of the prodigious number who did sign the said
resolutions ' was his own ASSISTANT ! Heavens, what a laughable affair ! Thirty
persons present ! conjured by MR. CARSTAIRS into a numerous meeting of
ladies and gentlemen ! ' Fourteen persons only, and his assistant, could be found ,
in this great metropolis, to sign the certificate of the deceiver ! Is there, I
would ask, any such circumstance on record ? anything so puerile and abortive ?
If this affair does not realize the tales of the mountain in labour,' and the
three black crows,' I know not what can ! And then to see the celebrated
teacher,' as he calls himself, stand up and attempt to address that numerous
meeting,' with the white of his eyes turned up in his peculiar manner, and with
his usual egotism , tautology, and bombast, were surely a sufficient apology for
those who thought of him as APELLES did of the ignoramus who ventured to
criticise his paintings ; and who, therefore, so impatiently coughed and sneezed the
6 celebrated teacher ' into his seat !
 xxxi

AsMR. HUME could have no othermotive in this affair than the public good, and
must, therefore, be desirous that truth and justice should characterize his pro
ceedings; I must readily conclude that he will give mean opportunity of meeting
MR. CARSTAIRS before a public assembly, in order that our claims to the discovery
of the new principles of penmanship ,' may be fairly investigated and decided .
I, therefore, most respectfully call upon MR. HUME to do me that justice which I
think, from his well-known character, I may venture to anticipate ; and I am
satisfied that such an appeal cannot be made in vain to any honest and honourable
man . I shall, indeed, feel grateful to him , if he will call a public meeting at my
expense, on this subject, and will preside on that occasion ; when I most solemnly
assure him that I will prove to his satisfaction , by the most incontrovertible
evidence, that he has been entirely deceived and imposed upon by the false repre
sentations of Mr. CARSTAIRS.
 AN HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF

THE INVENTION AND PROGRESS OF WRITING .

I am fully sensible that the subject I am going to treat upon, being only
a common mechanical art, and possessing no claims upon the passions,
requires all the powers of the Roman orator, or more illustrious Grecian ,
to enrich it with those irresistible colourings and graces that enchain
attention and conquer esteem . But should my feeble arguments, though
unadorned with the painted flowers of rhetoric, be sufficiently successful
to prove the various statements I shall advance , the indulgent reader will
pass over every other imperfection , and generously confess I have accom
plished the objects of my task .
It has frequently been observed, that those subjects which are most
familiar to us are often least understood. The aloe,that blooms once in
a century, stimulates our curiosity , and invites philosophical enquiry ;
but we take no notice of the blade of grass, which springs with self-reno
vation , after the scythe of the mower has passed across it twice, perhaps,
in the year ; which , after it has been trodden down by the accidental
pressure of multitudinous feet, again ,with that self-renovating power,
springs forth , even with increased luxuriance . And we may apply the
same observations to any art or science when its principles and practice
have been widely diffused,and become familiar to every class of society ;
140
curiosity as to its origin then loses her charms; and enquiry , except
in the breast of the philosopher , languishes like the plant which, after
having spread its beauteous flowers to the sun, falls and withers upon the
humid ground. It is this most excellent ornament, and benefactor to
society (the experienced sage), who, whilst tasting the golden fruit of
knowledge , alone reflects upon its incipient germ , the changes it has
undergone, the dangers it encountered from the blasts of ignorance, the
fogs of superstition ,and the keen destructive frosts of envious criticism ,
ere the culture of civilization, and the solar blaze of science,expanded and
perfected its maturity .
Learning and wisdom are very different qualities, though often con
founded as synonymous. Learning is taught by the schools ; — wisdom is
the offspring of experience, whose simple apartments in the palace of the
brain are the porches of reflection. By comparisons the God -like mind
is strengthened ; these rouse its sublimest energies, which kindle a focus
of reflection whose ardent flame dissolves thematerial disguises of objects,
and discovers those secret springs by which nature governs the physical
and moral worlds.
In this sketch I shall endeavour to throw into one perspective the
invention and progress of the art of writing : nor do I doubt, but so in
teresting a retrospect will repay with delight the patience of the learned ,
and attract with its novelty the attention of the inexperienced.
Ere the art of writing had acquired a sufficient perfection to register
the passing events of the world , and preserve them from the destruction
of time, tradition (like a ship leaving the land, which sinks, by degrees,
its shape beneath the cloudy horizon ) in time confounded the original
form of things, and left it to the wildness of conjecture to supply the lost
substance with the romantic images of her own creation .
Previously to the era of the building of Rome (when the knowledge
of letters was generally diffused among the Greeks of Europe and of
lesser Asia ) history may be styled a compilation of fables. Even Hero
dotus, the first elegant prose writer and historian of the pagan world ,
mostly compiled his volumes from hearsay stories ; and scarcely do they
contain any truths but the names of countries, and those of their rulers.
 And in my history of writing, for want of authentic documents of the
birth of the art, and the various stages of its progress towards perfection ,
I must be content to re -echo the opinions of other writers, rather than
record data or facts.
It was not until that proud period of history, the invention of
letters , that we can date the commencement of civilization and truth :
from that period, the laws of states no longer fluctuated in the minds of
legislators, but received a visible form which could not be effaced ; great
events could now be faithfully recorded ; and men of heroic sentiments
were inspired by new motives, when the history of their actions could be
transmitted pure to posterity . The vague and inconsistent stories of
oral tradition gave way to a just communication of transactions, as they
really happened . The researches of the learned, the maxims of the sage,
and the lectures of the philosopher, assumed a visible form ; and con
tinued to instruct when their authors were no more, and the hand that
gave them being had mouldered into dust.
Many authors consider hieroglyphics as the primeval invention of
the art of writing, and the first rude effort of expressing the images of
the mind without the aid of speech . In arranging the materials of my
sketch in their regular order, I will, therefore, class the various inventions
of writing according to the sentiments of these early authors. From
these authorities, it appears, that simple hieroglyphics, or the art of repre
senting by pictures the images of the mind, was the first rude essay of
the art of writing ; and that Hermes Trismegistus first communicated
it to the Egyptians. In time, characters were added ; and this formed
the second stage, or improvement of the art. These curious attainments
were confined to the priests and nobility, and kept from the vulgar, who
were deemed incapable of understanding the sublime truths of religion
and state policy .
The invention of arbitrary characters soon followed these absurd and
unintelligible symbols. We have sufficient authority to say they were
known in Egypt some centuries before the time of Moses. But, though
the learned Sanchiognatho, Philo, Pliny, Porphyry, Lucan ,and the wisest
of them all, Plato,yield the palm of the invention of hieroglyphicaland
B 2
alphabetical characters to the Egyptians ; yet, others have differed from
these great authorities, and have concluded, from the names of the con
stellations of the zodiac used in their astronomy, that the Egyptians
borrowed this, and some others of their arts and sciences, from the
Assyrians ; because in the sign Virgo,' which represents the time of
reaping, Egypt is an ocean of water, from the overflowing of the Nile,
the mother of her fertile harvests.
It is deducible from the sacred writings (the most ancienthistory
allowed by the nations of Europe) that in Egypt, in the earliest ages,
man forsook the scanty dependence of the forest, and assembled into
society for mutual defence and subsistence. The consequence was an
incredible increase of the human species, and an equal augmentation of
their wants ; — these spurred on the active mind to the invention of
agriculture , architecture,and all the numerous arts and sciences necessary
for their support, and the security of their welfare.
The thinly scattered tribes of North-American Indians still wander
in the same unsocialmanner as they did thousands of years ago, without
a single improvement butwhat the Europeans have brought among them .
But the Mexicans and Peruvians of the new world ,who,at the time of
the Spanish invasion, had congregated into societies, were acquainted with
picture writing, and many other arts, and used in their chronology the
solar year ; though Clavigero , Las Casas, and others of the best authority ,
have supposed the dates of their respective empires did not exceed four
hundred years. From this conclusion it is more than probable that Egypt
was the inventress of writing, and the bountiful parent of all the arts and
sciences westward of her majestic empire. But that other nations, from
the force of their own peculiar genius, invented letters, is manifest from
the combinations and number of the characters of their alphabets. The
Sanscrit,which has fifty letters, and numerous accents — the Æthiopic,
and Tartarian, two hundred and two each — the dialects of Pegu, and
Sumatra ,are so utterly insufficient for the notation of the languages of
Europe, that they destroy the hypothesis of the schools, which supposes
the Egyptian letter to be the general root of all the living alphabets.
The Chinese , whose writing, in the present day, is purely hiero
glyphical, but of a character totally different from that of the Egyptian,
as it consists wholly of lines and curves, excites a curiosity in the breast
of the man of letters to become acquainted with their literature, which
carries a stamp of antiquity entitled to veneration and respect.
But, to return to the subject of the history of the art of writing :
I think there can be but little doubt that the crown for the invention of
letters belongs to the Egyptians, in defiance of those advocates who
would ravish this trophy to adorn Assyrian science
About the time the Israelites broke their bondage in the land of
Ham , Cadmus introduced the Phænician alphabet into Greece ; — it con
sisted then of but sixteen characters. At this period the manners and
habits of the Grecians were wild and savage in the extreme; the sacred
rites of marriage (that golden bond in the social welfare) were unknown ;
the only law was that of force ; and each family , or city , was in continual
hostility with its neighbour. The institutions of Inachus, and Ogyges,
had vanished like the coruscation of a meteor in a dark night ; the wan
dering multitudes had no other guides than superstition and arbitrary
passion ; when the gift of letters suddenly diffused enquiry, softened their
ferocious habits, and exchanged sensuality for refinement. Then cities
arose, the temples of their gods smiled upon man, and the arts and
sciences broke the spear of perpetual discord. The Amphictyonic council,
or assembly of the states of Greece, followed (about the fifteenth century
before Christ) ; and, from that date , this divine soil bore a harvest of
legislators, heroes, and philosophers, that outnumbered the splendid
creation of all the mighty empires of the world . Here flourished a
Socrates, who unclasped the volume of the golden dicta of heaven :
here Plato, in his academic shades, revealed truths of morality and
wisdom , that will immortalize his name, and cause a tribute of tears
to flow upon his urn , whilst matter and memory exist : - here a Solon ,
and the stern Lycurgus, inspired sons of Astrea , with impartial scales
weighed the obligations and duties of man ; the former of whom , from
the god-like powers of his mind, enacted laws so mild and just, that they
appeared more like the edicts of heaven than the inventions of a feeble
mortal: and the rigid Spartan enacted ordinances whose bases remained
unchanged through many ages,until his sons had exhibited all the bright
perfections of humanity in the sage, the hero , and the philosopher. In
fact, in this polished country, this garden of the human virtues, liberty,
the child of heaven, taught her beloved children all that could exalt their
character ; and themonuments of their renown will live until the expira
tion of time.
From Greece, the knowledge of letters soon spread over Europe; but
each nation varied the forms of the alphabet according to the refinement
of its civilization. The dark Gothic stroke of the northern nations
exhibited the muscular strength of their bodies, and the sanguinary
temper of their minds. The manly Romans, whose language originated
from the Æolic dialect of the Greek, gave an elegance to the Phoenician
letter that bespoke the grandeur of their power, the simplicity and
perfection of their knowledge, and the complete refinement of their
civilization ;— and this finished character, with some trifling improve
ments, still maintains her regent throne in the illustrious republic of
letters ; though the monuments of Rome, her statues of brass, her proud
arches, that seemed (like Atlas) to bear the heavens on their shoulders,
the public ways of her triumphal cars, that extended to the confines of
the world, and the sceptre of her Cæsars,are all now mouldered into dust.
I will just recapitulate, that the era of letters was also the era of
civilization , or of man surrendering up his personal talents to the welfare
of society ; that learned authors have (for the distance of time has erased
the facts) supposed Egypt to be themother of letters ; — that Phoenicia ,
the most remarkable nation of the ancient world for commerce, carried
the invention into Greece ; - Egypt spread the intellectual light over the
vast continent of Europe ; but it feebly shone, often obscured by monkish
ignorance, till the intrepid Luther broke the ecclesiastical night, and the
bright genius of the press (like a cherub descending from the skies)
scattered the rays of truth amongst men , and taught them the wise
lessons of happiness and prosperity .
It is needless to dwell upon the various methods adopted by the
ancients, of writing from the left to the right, or vice versâ : but I will
impress upon your minds that the modern method is not an invention of
the Europeans; but, like many discoveries rifled from other countries,
only a resurrection of ancient improvement.
It might likewise be tedious and unprofitable to trace the progress of
English penmanship through all those ages of ignorance and barbarism
which succeeded the departure of the Romans from the shores of
Britain (in the fifth century after Christ ), till the splendid reign of an
Alfred , that most perfect of princes ; so divinely represented by tradition
and monkish legends, that Hume (the Livy of Britain ), the brightest of
his panegyrists, wished he had been less perfect, to have made him a
mortal. This wise legislator, the father of the common law of England
— the most equitable code of human jurisprudence ever communicated
to man — was indebted for his knowledge and eminent talents to his
education at the court of Rome. Wise from reflection, that refiner of
mortal wisdom , he hated pleasure, and the trappings of greatness had
no charms for his superior mind. In the garb of a minstrel, dignity
emanated from his features, and the rays of true majesty never glittered
so brightly on the brow of a mortal as when this truly great monarch
was an outcast on the island of Sheppey , dividing his last loaf with the
famished beggar. This magnanimous prince, appreciating themerits of
human learning, founded, in the ninth century , the University of Oxford ;
- a magnificent pile, whose illuminations have reached the confines of
the world , and whose learned philosophers have eclipsed, in splendid
discoveries, the sages of all the nations of the earth .
War and conquest, those terrible scourges to human happiness,
sometimes in their sanguinary courses spread an oil, like the healing
balsams extracted from poisonous herbs. The different invasions of
England, though their temporary scourges were dreadful, contributed to
the erection of that mighty edifice of human glory, whose foundations
seem to defy the destruction of time, and will ever pour an illustrious
splendour as landmarks to other nations, to find the trusty paths of
freedom , and prosperity.
The invasion, or rather assistance, of the Saxons, taught England
many arts. The Danes impressed her with the value of a navy — her
natural bulwark . The Normans, the parents of our regular dynasty,
enriched the conquered soil with luxuries and improvements she was
previously unacquainted with . Literature, from this epoch , made hasty
strides : trade made Britain acquainted with the whole world ; and
knowledge from a thousand sources enlightened the land. The dark
uncouth character of the Saxon letter soon yielded her empire to her fair
sister the Roman ; which , for elegance and beauty, appears a perfect model
of invention , and ever will prevail.
In that proud period of our annals, the times of our illustrious Henries
IV. and V ., learning, in England, was at the lowest ebb to which it could
possibly descend. Writing was so little known, that scarcely a bishop or
an archbishop could subscribe his name (as the public records in our
archives unhappily prove ), and very few of the rest of the clergy . The
repeating their breviary by rote constituted almost all their knowledge ;
and, in several preceding reigns, the clergy had procured a grant, as a
protection to their body, that any one convicted of a felony should be
acquitted if he could read ; which, being afterwards extended to laymen,
was called ' benefit of clergy .'
W

The long wars between the houses of York and Lancaster had almost
eradicated letters from the land ; and, at that time, the possession of
a book , or manuscript, was deemed so valuable a treasure, that it was left
by will with the same pomp as a large estate. Yet some scintillations of
enquiry illumined even those days. The Wicklivites, or followers of the
celebrated John Wickliffe,who lived in the reign ofEdward III.,and who
was the first opposer of the papal thunder, very much increased , though
pursued by the clergy, and misled kings, with sanguinary vengeance .
This midnight of ignorance continued till the reign of Henry VII. ;
when the celebrated , but ill-treated , Columbus discovered the new
world ; the curiosity of adventure increased so much the spirit of mental
enquiry , that a faint dawn appeared , which spread , in the days of
Elizabeth , into a glittering morning — happy beams, never again to set
and whose lustre sprang from the reformation in the church. Reason
now dared to call the banished sciences from their hiding places ; and
philosophy, with her illustrious pupil the immortal Bacon , crushed the
edifices of hypothesis, and marked the eternal basis of the temple of
truth . Happy transition - blest reflection ! had not the chains of
bigotry that attached us to the church of Rome been broken , Britain , the
instructress of the world, had still beheld her now glorious sons the
melancholy slaves of despotism ; — that cruel spoiler of human happiness,
that drives the virtues from the towering mind, and leaves those
destroying demons, base fear and superstition .
It is a political axiom , that the vices of a people are in proportion to
the tyranny of the government. When I behold themanly countenances
of my countrymen, I see the liberal principles of the British constitution
impressed on every feature ; honour and fortitude are the guardians of the
temple of their breasts, where charity ever burns her celestial censer, and
assassination and treachery (those scorpions in arbitrary states) are
trodden under foot, even by the dregs of the nation .
As the folly and depravity of the higher orders has always had a
contaminating influence on society , it is no wonder that the basest
prejudice should have been imbibed , by the selfish and the ignorant of all
ages, against persons of colour. The despised character in which they
have been held , has no doubt been the means of teaching them the
defensive arts of fraud and cunning: yet, by the adoption of a wise
discipline, these vile weeds might easily be extracted , and these victims
of prejudice rendered tractable, docile, and faithful. Though physical
experience has demonstrated that there is no other distinction between
the black and the white but the colour of his skin — a distinction arising
solely from climate and habit — yet, unhappily , both statesmen and
generals have viewed, degradingly, people of colour ; scarcely exalting
them above instinct.
When the great western continent was first discovered , nature, as
foreboding the dreadful cruelties that would be inflicted on her simple
children, rolled her vast world of waves in terrible commotion against
the intrepid bark . The thunder raised its awful voice , convulsing heaven
and earth ; — the sun shrank into the firmament ; — and the hurricane
scooped with his black wings the ocean of waters, and showed its terrible
abyss. The loadstone, wandering from the poles, marked no certain
track on the unbounded deep ; and, as deprived of its powers, seemed
 10

giddy in the compass : but nothing could dismay Columbus; and, guided
by Providence, he reached in safety the shores of the new world .
Though humane and innocent himself, what a freight of evils, worse
than those of Pandora's box (for even hope was extinguished !) did he
not pour upon their then happy, and verdant shores ! His rapacious
countrymen, after emptying their houses, stripping their temples, and
spoiling their palaces, of their gems and precious metals, defiling
humanity with cruelties that even devils were unacquainted with , endea
voured to extract the cankering ores from human bones ; and millions
were cruelly tortured , and, at length ,massacred , to discover more gold ;
which the rapacious monsters knew could only be concealed in the bowels
of the undisturbed earth. In this barbarous and superstitious age, O
reason, how wert thou humbled ! The Pope and his learned cardinals
issued , from the inspired chair of St. Peter, a bull, or manifesto,
denouncing the Indians of the new world , and the negroes of swarthy
Africa , to be unendued with souls or human intellect ; but recommending
them to gentle and merciful treatment. Ah, self-interest, thou monster
of man 's happiness! thy infernal catechism inspires this caution - ' If you
slay your beast, you lose the value of his labour. Unhappily , the un
thinking Roman Catholic multitude are so deluded by the authority of
the conclave of Rome, that I believe this bull of ignorance, issued in the
monkish ages , is considered, by many of that persuasion, as an absolution
for this most impious violation of justice which debased natures can be
guilty of.
Having thus, briefly, investigated the origin and progress of the art
of writing, we will turn our attention to the various materials our rude
and inexperienced ancestors made use of, as tablets for the memory,
until the curious discoveries of cotton and linen rags ; the latter of
which will, probably , for ever, be the regnant article in the manufacture
of that noble substance, whose volumes eternize the transitory thoughts
of man, and record the improvements in the arts and sciences of every
age. The conjecture, perhaps, is vain in an individual, to fix limits to
human ingenuity. The mind is a faculty so powerful and irresistible,
that all attempts to govern it with mandates must prove as vain and
 11 -

impotent as the command of Canute to the raging tides of the ocean,

not to approach his regal chair.
Perhaps it may be necessary to observe, that, in my detail of the
improvements our ancestors made in their various materials of writing,
I follow the writers of Greece, and other countries of Europe, as my
historical guides. In Asia , flourishing kingdoms had arisen — had passed
through the eras of the arts and sciences — decayed — and the bones of
their people lay concealed by the leaves of the forest. In Tartary , that
vast tract of north -eastern Asia , vestiges of grandeur have lately been
discovered , which tell that those silent deserts were once the habitations
of busy men ; not man in a savage, but in a highly cultivated state.
China, the most ancient civilized nation of the world (whose primitive
sense means the middle of the earth ') enjoyed the luxuries of the arts,
and was acquainted with the sciences, according to its annals, when the
chill forests of Europe dripped the wintry shower upon her naked
children, who, like the wolf, hunted for their existence, and, like that
prowling savage, felt only hunger and wretchedness. These facts prove
to the reflecting portion of mankind, with what diffidence they ought to
receive scholastic authorities ; which are chiefly vague traditions handed
down by men who wrote from hearsay.
The first rude material in writing which the nations of Egypt, and
those bordering on the coasts of the Mediterranean, made use of, was
stone ; on this stubborn substance the hieroglyphics of Egypt were
painted ; but, in succeeding periods, when the characters only were
expressed, they were engraved with a stylus. The sacred writings inform
us that the ten commandments were written on two tables of stone.
As civilization extended her social flame, and the rapid intercourse of
man brought together the families of the earth, tablets of wood , metals,
and gems, became the ordinary materials in writing. But, in some
nations of Asia better cultivated, leaves and the bark of trees, and
skins of beasts and other creatures,were substituted at a very early period.
Liber , which is the latin for the pellicle or inner bark of a tree, and
also for a book , proves the early adoption of these materials. Gem
books, which were called abraxas, were worn by celebrated characters,
C 2
 12

as amulets, or charms against invisible mischiefs. The theogony of

Hesiod was written upon lead ; and, though much defaced , was pre
served by the inhabitants of the plain near Helicon, until the time of
Pausanias. The prophecies of the ancient sybils were written upon the
leaves of trees ; probably, the althæa ; and Diodorus Siculus relates, that
the order of banishment by the judges of Syracuse, in Sicily, was usually
punctured upon the leaf of the olive. The laws of the wise Solon , that
great father of jurisprudence, which, in the time of the Decemviri, were
imported into Rome as guides to that just but fierce people, were,
according to Plutarch and others, written upon tablets of wood . As
science and enquiry became more diffused, these tabulæ were waxed
over ; and, if a new subject was wanted to be engraved , it was simply
by warming the wax by fire, and smoothing it over with the hand, and
a new book was created ! But these imperfect materials rather retarded
than advanced the progress of letters. The style they engraved with
was so formidable a weapon, and the tabulæ were so ponderous, that
many a serious massacre occurred from their use .
About the time of the building of Alexandria, in the fourth century
before Christ, a materialwas discovered in Egypt which quickly removed
this cumbrous apparatus from the desk : I mean the Papyrus — a plant
of the species gramina, which grows in abundance upon the shores, and
in the marshes, of the Nile. So divine an herb , that it served for food,
composed articles of dress, and for culinary purposes, and produced the
noble substance of paper , which was to record the greatness of kings,
and the wisdom of their states. It grew so luxuriantly, that, to use
the words of Cassiodorus, it seemed a floating forest. Prosper Alpin
coincides in the majesty of Cassiodorus's description, declaring the
height of the plant to be many cubits. It is imbricated at the bottom
of the stem , and tapers to a point, crowned with a thyrsus of silken
filaments. We are informed by Lucan,that paper was firstmanufactured
from the papyrus at Memphis,and was extremely simple in its prepara
tion : the pellicles, or inner bark of the plant, being saturated with
water, and reduced to a paste , which was drawn out, when a little dried ,
into long leaves.
 13

Charta , and biblos, the latin and greek for paper, were names given
to this plant. The magnificent library of Ptolemy Philadelphus was
composed of books written upon papyrus paper. The obstinacy of
Ptolemy, in forbidding this article to be exported from Egypt to prevent
Eumenes, the wise king of Pergamus, from rivalling him in the splendour
of his literary treasures, caused the discovery of parchment, from sheep
and calves' skins (through the subtilty of the artists of Pergamus) ; an
article of durability and service, and on which our laws are written to
the present day.
It is lamentable to relate , that, either from barbarism , or the con
tracted state of the manufactories of papyrus and parchment, which
could not furnish the requisite quantities, avaricious people destroyed
many valuable books; such as those of Polybius, Diodorus Siculus,
and others, by extracting the ink, in order to dispose of the vellum .
Alas ! the reflection is impressive,but true ; - it seems almost a miracle
that any vestige of learning descended to the present generation ,through
those tides of blood and direful conflagrations with which barbarism
and superstition desolated the earth . The Alexandrian library, that
splendid monument of the wisdom of the Ptolemies, the cruel Saracens
consumed in lighting their ovens, and heating their baths; what data
were then destroyed ! — the landmarks of science perishing in the flames,
and leaving in their place but the visions of conjecture ! Wherever those
cruel spoilers, those demons under the human figure, impressed their
gory footsteps, the piles of learning, and the treasures of knowledge,
were the first sacrifices of their fury. Thank God ! those terrific comets
are passed away ; never again to terrify the haunts of civilized society .
The ingenuity of man has fettered the hoof of savagism ; never again
shall Gaulish multitudes, terrible as the locust swarms, destroy the vines
and the olives of Rome; or, in the figurative language of poetry , the
domes of the arts, and the temples of the sciences.
The next epoch in thematerials of writing, and which banished the
famed papyrus to blossom and wither ingloriously, like a lethean weed ,
upon the shores of the majestic Nile, is the introduction of cotton
paper, called charta bombacyna , from the coasts of Syria ,where it still
 14

maintains its pre-eminence. This paper, which , no doubt, was originally

made in China, from whence the secret descended to Syria , is made from
cotton rags. According to the erudite authorities of Fathers Monfauçon
and Mabillon,this paper was first known in France in the year 1070.
Linen rags, according to the same and other authorities, soon followed .
There is every reason , indeed, from a philosophical analysis of the
subject (since cotton and linen rags are used or manufactured into paper
in a similar way ) , to suppose that those countries which were acquainted
with themaking of cotton paper, and abounded in linen,were compelled
to adopt the latter as a substitute for the former. And there remains
not a doubt that the Valencians (Valencia being a province of Spain , on
the borders of the Mediterranean, and which must have had intercourse
with Syria , and received its paper), from the abundance of their linen ,
adopted the latter as their principalmaterial, when they commenced the
manufacture of paper. Manuscripts written upon paper made from linen
rags, are of the date of the eleventh century ; almost contemporaneous
with that of cotton .
The Chinese paper is totally different from the European, and
cannot be used until dipped in a solution of alumen ; the bases are sup
posed to be the pellicles of shrubs and trees, rags of various materials,
and the webs of silk -worms. The Japanese paper, which differs from the
Chinese, is supposed to bemanufactured from the threads of the inside of
the bamboo, and other reeds.
The asbestos paper, which possesses the peculiar property of being
indestructible by fire, is a composition from the stone, or mineral,
asbestos. This species does not answer for commercial purposes, and is
rather an article of curiosity than of use .
So scarce , during the war, was the article of rags, that various
persons, with patriotic intentions, engaged in partnerships tomanufacture
paper from its own dead body,or what had been printed on, and rendered
useless ; but all their praiseworthy efforts, after the expenditure of
thousands, fell to the ground. That there are many vegetable produc
tions that would make paper, perhaps superior to the present article ,
there is no doubt ; but these arcana are to be found only by the diligent
 15

toils of science and experiment,and may long sleep in embryo in their

own verdant shades.
It may not prove tedious to relate the different instruments used in
engraving, or writing, upon the various materials that composed the
tablets of memory. An iron pin , or chisel, was certainly the first pen.
The diamond engraved the precious stones ; iron and ivory styli, the
waxen tablets ; a slender bodkin of ivory , or a brush , the papyrus.
The quill of the peacock, raven, turkey , and goose, according to St.
Isidore, of Spain , was not known till the seventh century ; at which
time the papyrus paper was falling into disuse . The Persians, and many
nations of the interior of Asia , write with calami, or reed pens. The
Chinese mark all their characters with a camel's-hair pencil. The
Brahmins of Hindostan — priests of the Gentoo nations — the most mono
tonous and stationary of any class of human society, still write as they
did many centuries ago, with a sharp reed or bodkin , upon the palm leaf :.
though it is a very ancient custom with them to teach the art of writing
upon sand.
It will not be irrelative to my subject, or intrusive on the learned ,
for me to remark upon the inconvenience of the books of the ancients ,
composed of the papyrus paper ; they were made in a large roll, and
called Volumen , from the Latin verb volvere, which signifies to turn .
Its greatest disadvantage consisted in the labour requisite in searching
for a particular sentence ; which, if near the latter end, the whole volume
had to be unrolled . In the present day this inconvenience is obviated,
and the reader is prevented from enduring this great toil; a task almost
as great, in a large volume, as the angry Juno caused the hero Hercules.
Many of these rolls were discovered at Herculaneum and Pompeii, cities
of Italy overwhelmed by the lava of Mount Vesuvius in the first century
of Christianity, at the
on
time when Pliny the great Roman naturalist
perished in the eruption.
The inks the ancients wrote with were of various compositions,both
as to colour and quality . The Romans generally made their ink of soot,
or wrote with the liquor taken from the Sepia , or Cuttle -fish . Vegetable
and mineral inks of all colours were used, in the monkish ages, by those
 16

who wrote upon vellum . We have no ascertained dates when the galls
of Asia were first used : but these form the principal ingredient in the
composition of our modern inks. With the Chinese ink, except as to
its uses, we are totally unacquainted ,but suppose the bases to be oil and
, soot .
When the oriental languages are more generally understood by our
illustrious countrymen who now make them a prominent part of their
studies, to qualify them for civil situations in our Eastern empire, what
riches of knowledge will they not import from that ancient storehouse
of science. Its hoary records will fix dates and epochs to various inven
tions, and details of histories, which now only partially glimmer through
the mist of tradition ; and will, like the orient beams of Sol that scatter
the fogs of the rising day , show clearly the forms of things which the
vain hypotheses of the schools have so long disguised . From Asia, the
chamber of the morning, science first glittered on the old western world ;
from thence the tree with the golden fruit burnished the soil of Europe.
Thence Sesostris, the Bacchus of Grecian mythology , whose triumphal
car was drawn by kings, ravished the vine, whose purple cluster
contains the juice, the strengthener of man's heart ; and whose fruitful
branches now shade,and tinge with a purple tide, the southern mountains
of Europe.
The knowledge of gunpowder — that important discovery which
defends civilized nations from ferocious barbarism , and, like the electric
fire of heaven , consumes the desolating savage, or drives him to the fast
nesses of the forest ; - and the art of printing — that divine invention
which snatches from all devouring time the monuments of human
wisdom and glory ; — were both known in China thousands of years
before the gifts of Triptolemus had won, by cultivation, bearded harvests
from the sterile soil of Italy, or art had reared an hospitable temple in
the dark Scythian forest, that extended from the Bosphorus to the
Baltic. Hail, civilization ! thou friend to man ; in whose bright train
are order, religion, and philosophy : without thee, man had been the
most wretched of all living creatures — the victim of want and misery .
In this plain and simple narrative of the art of writing, I meant not
 17

to exhaust,with a vain display of erudition, the patience of the scholar, to

whom the subject can be no novelty : my principal aim has been to
inform that class of society whose avocations prevent them , but, as I
may say, by vivâ voce, from gaining intelligence. By these , instruction
is received with gratitude ; and pleasure dances in the footsteps of
curiosity , as they listen to the causes of things, and become acquainted
with the struggles of the barbarous mind : until, like the larva first feel
ing animation, science, from her bright censer, pours a flood of light and
intelligence upon their bosoms, and awakens into action all her godlike
powers: for so perfect are the works of the Creator, that every one of his
creatures hath a sufficient portion of endowment. Jacob's ladder, if I
may so express it, is fixed in the mind ; and, by the aid of wisdom , we
may ascend unto the top. Like large bodies of water, which continually
chafe and purify each other, the congregations of men cause, in their in
tercourse , collisions that light up the fanes of science, and shed a lustre
on the paths that lead to the temple of the arts. I am persuaded, were
a hundred infants, possessed of no idea, but bare as the rasâ tabulâ of
Locke, transported to a vast uninhabited but fruitful island in the
southern sea , and they could receive nourishment, and be protected to
maturity, nations would rise from their loins, which , in a few ages, would
be possessed of nearly all the arts and sciences of Europe, and exhibit
finer talents, should the climate , that great influencer of the human habit,
be more genial : — for climate and government are almost second
creators, or new moulders of the images of God. This is not a presump
tuous vision ; the extraordinary maturity of civilization which the
Mexicans and Peruvians ( children of nature, assembled from the forests )
arrived at, in the course of four centuries, is a confirmation of my
theorem .
The fervid sun , which causes a more rapid course of the blood, is the
physical cause of the ingenuity and quick thought of the inhabitants of .
southern climes,which degenerate into active and malignant weapons of
mischief in the unlettered breast. The serene and sunny regions of Italy
have inspired that softness and delicacy in the Italian muse,which the
poets of cloudier skies have never felt ; the beauties of her landscapes,
 18

enriched with the noblest ruins of the Roman empire, have given that
magic to the Ausonian pencil, no other school of painting ever has seized.
But, though the buds of genius will appear, they soon wither, unless
warmed to maturity by the cheering smiles of patronage. When Leo,
the sovereign Pontiff, died , ignorance took possession of the Vatican, the
arts wept and departed in mourning from Rome. And when the great
Cosmo ceased to breathe, Florence lost her splendour and her arts, in the
ravages of luxury and dissipation .
But though the southern climes can boast of quickness and ingenuity
in their offspring, the children of the rude north possess more solid
qualities — deep thinking, patience, and industry — which, like her firm
rooted oaks, are not to be shaken by every blast. Almost amid the ices
of the pole, the illustrious Kepler discovered one of the grandest
problems of the heavens ; — “ That the square of the time of a planet's
revolution is equal to the cube of its distance from the solar orb.” The
cold climate of Sweden has been enlightened with a constellation of
philosophers : among the brightest stood the learned Linnæus. And our
foggy island, as foreigners contemptuously style it, has given to the world
a Newton , nature 's choice favourite ; — who has won from her some ofher
deepest secrets,and will be ever remembered by the world , as the greatest
legislator of science. .
“ The time has been , when , sunk in midnight gloom ,
The mind of man display'd a living tomb ;
No light to guide, nor hope of coming day ,
But folly grop'd as darkness led the way.
How chang'd from that, the features of this age ;
Now science beams, now ardent souls engage,
'Till knowledge, pure, exalted, and refined,
Ascends, and, in ascending, lifts mankind.”

To the utmost of my power I have now accomplished my task ; and

have explained in a clear and concise manner the invention and progress
of letters,and the various materials which , in every period of the art,
have been made use of in writing. I have no doubt but the exhibition of
the efforts of the human mind, struggling with difficulties till perfection
 19

has crowned its labours, must have afforded you satisfaction . The
pleasures of philosophy are to analyse the principles of things ; - the
inactive mind hates the toil of reflection, and, satisfied with grasping the
treasure, troubles not itself from whence it sprang ; — how many ages
were requisite for its perfection ; and what dangers and difficulties assailed
its progress, through the destruction of data by barbarism and supersti
tion. The broken links of my discourse have been supplied by the
analogy of reason ; and I flatter myself that these stand on such high
ground, as to be sanctioned by your approbation.

D ?
 A BRIEF ACCOUNT
OF THE

NEW METHOD OF WRITING .

THERE is not, perhaps, a greater disproportion between mere animal

and intellectual life ; - a more immeasurable distance between the human
mind encumbered with flesh , and the intelligences of heaven ; — than
exists between the grovelling sentiments of a contracted and wholly
uncultivated mind, and the luminous and enlarged sphere of soul ex
panded by a judicious course of intellectual discipline. Mankind is, at
length , sensible of these truths, and wheresoever the free use of the faculty
of thought can be exercised, the dark clouds of prejudice and ignorance
are rapidly dispersing before the fascinating allurements of science.
Mind is in a state of high excitement, conscious of its influence ; and in
this country especially, where every facility is given , I am fain to believe
that knowledge in her purity and her prowess is spreading her glorious
food of light in growing fullness through the land, asserting the supre
macy of principle and the behests of truth .
This illustrious kingdom , whose perfection in the arts and sciences
has absorbed in its flame of superior glory (like the sun that extinguishes
the twinkling stars of the firmament) the splendour of all the other
nations of the earth , is indebted for this proud pre -eminence to the
masculine character of the British mind, the excellence of the constitution ,
and that rapid diffusion of knowledge conveyed by means of public
lectures on the various sciences - the most demonstrative of all human
modes of instruction . But, whilst the encouraged arts are fast towering
 21

to the proud acme of human ability , and the heavenly sciences expand
daily a more fervid blaze, the art of WRITING, which is of the first advan
tage to mankind — which spreads the deep intercourse from pole to
pole' — still sleepsin its first theory ; and languishes for a kindly sunbeam
that, like the pupa , it may burst from its imprisonment,and sport its
golden wings in the sapphire ether.
I am at a loss to conjecture how an attainment absolutely necessary
to every individual in the social chain , and on which the interest and'
happiness of life so much depend, could have remained so long neglected ,
ever creeping on with a dull sluggish monotony at the footstool of the
other arts, but that the unreflecting mass of mankind considered
it as arrived at its perfection ; and theman of letters, who, though he is .
sensible that atoms are the constituent parts of the shining planets, rarely
condescends to examine the minutiæ of things, viewed writing as a
branch of mechanism so servile and imitative, as to be unworthy the
consideration of towering genius. He might, with the same justice, say
“ beauty is beauty , whether clothed in coarse or gay habiliments.” But
how much more enchanting her angelic contour,when grace has studied
the shape, and art lent unto nature hermagic irresistibility ! So a letter,
the language of the immortal mind, which when written in an elegant
character gives dignity to the sentiments , loses its impression if disgraced
by a worthless illegible scrawl.
This inestimable invention, which gives eternity to thought, and
durability to the improvement of every age, ought, in truth , to claim our
highest admiration and esteem . It is one of the richest blessings which
the great plastic hand thatmoulded His glorious image with the dust,and
breathed therein His own eternal spirit, has bestowed upon His creatures ;
it is a knowledge as useful to the man who treads the humble paths of
life, as to the man of learning ascending and vaulting upon the lofty
summit of the sciences ; it is the best gift to the poet ; it is the hand
maid of the historian ; the councillor of the sage ; and the genius of the
counting-house. And you will readily allow , that every individual effort
towards the improvement of this most useful art is praiseworthy, and
entitled to the public attention and encouragement.
 22

The free agency of the pen is alike necessary to the literary ,as to the
commercial, character ; — its magic powers adorn equally the manuscript
of learning, as the ledger of business. Dispatch , freedom , and elegance
are the perfect requisites sought for in writing ; and convinced that my
improvements include these grand desiderata of the art, motives of duty
are my apologists for myboldness and confidence in recommending my
system . You will allow , when writing is well executed , it commands
admiration ; the effect is the same upon the eye as the master-strokes
of a well-finished painting. A good writer is an artist eagerly sought
after by the man of business. The pride of this most worthy class of
society is to see the monuments of their industry inscribed in perfect
and unfading characters : — fair and well impressed libraries of commerce
are, to them , invaluable treasures. Nor can a letter of science be less
pleasing or instructive for being written in a free and elegant character,
which imparts its knowledge like the ready speaker , whose electric
utterance at once charms the heart, enraptures the fancy , and convinces
the head. Blest art ! the eye and the hand are the ready executors of
thy curious mechanism ;— the eye directs the height and proportions of
the letters ; and the variousmovements of the hand and arm stamp them
with those fine and bold strokes which perfect the picture. But, ere a
pupil can acquire these finished graces, hemust be initiated in the fixed
rules and principles of the art, and bestow both labour and attention in
his practice, to imprint the living model (through the agency of the
active nerves, its messengers ) upon his brain . It is this sensorium ,
whose faculties are indescribable , that gives laws to the muscles,which
are guided implicitly by its perceptions, whether perfect or imperfect,
with the rapidity of lightning.
A free and elegant style of writing cannot be acquired by the
old system , with the contracted motions of the fingers. My invention,
on the contrary, gives the utmost latitude of movement, and without the
necessity of lifting the pen, it accomplishes, with facility, the impres
sion of the most lengthened words. It is a practice so easy, that, in a
short time, the most ignorant may become masters of writing ; an art
on which, in every commercial country , the great mass of society depends
 23

for a livelihood. He who wrote before ever so distortedly and illegibly,

after a few lessons in my improved system , creates a new character, and
acquires a free and easy habitude of writing : nor is it possible for
him afterwards, however negligent he may be, to deviate from those
rules of freedom and beauty which constitute the true perfection of the
art — an art that marks in everlasting characters our fleeting thoughts,
and gives substance and life to those sublime conceptions, or pro
phecies of the mind, which scintillate as the sparks of the ardent
furnace, and would perish upon the treacherousmemory, as quickly as the
cineritious particles fade and dissolve in the ambient air, but for this
divine invention ! Her mystic power preserves the shapes of by - gone
ages, and reflects to us, as in a mirror, all their defects and glories !
She registers in imperishable characters, on the shrine of the sciences,
the experiments of the philosopher,and lends the wings of the lightning to
the anxious lover, to convey the pangs of his bosom to the most distant
shores of the earth ; her voice is shriller than the loudest trumpet, and
friends as familiarly discourse from opposite climes, as in their most
retired closets !

“ Heav'n first taught letters for some wretch's aid ,

Some banish'd lover, or some captive maid ;
They live, they speak , they breathe what love inspires,
Warm from the soul, and faithful to its fires ;
The virgin 's wish , without her fears, impart ,
Excuse the blush , and pour out all the heart ;
Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul,
And waft a sigh from Indus to the pole."

It is not only the absolute utility of this art to all classes of society,
in their ordinary concerns of life , that merits our praise and encourage
ment ; — but she claims our highest veneration , as being the sacred
parent of PRINTING — the guardian angel that protects our civil and
religious liberty. History will convince you that this happy island, like the
greater part of the earth , would now have groaned beneath the iron rod
of despotism , and the god-like mind, fettered by superstition , would still
have mourned in midnight darkness, but for this deathless witness, this
 24

hallowed art, which racks the tyrant more keenly than the blood-stained
dagger, and often deters him from his cruel purposes. It is this white
robed virgin , invulnerable to the wrath of ignorance and superstition ,
that roots up the thorns and briars from the human path , plants it
with roses, and presents to the thirsty mind that cup of knowledge
whose potent virtues seem to transform the mortal into immortality .
Folly shrinks before her smiles of joy , and vice skulks to the shades
of darkness, to escape her penetrating eye. The triumphant virgin daily
increases her votaries ; her temples spread over every plain ,adorn every
land, and the canopy of heaven , purified from the clouds of prejudice
and bigotry which obscured its lustre, pours its holy light upon their
modest and unadorned spires. Man, taught his own dignity , diverges
from the narrow selfish circle, thorny and obscure, and finds his happi
ness in the broad unbounded orbit of social welfare ; — considers nothing
estimable but what is virtuous, and believes the only honest trophies of
renown are those which emanate from the deserving services performed
to increase the sum of human bliss.
In Britain, the gloryofthe world,and generalmagazine of commerce,
that branch of human accomplishments (the art of writing) is absolutely
necessary to every individual. Trade is the nation 's prosperity, and
nearly the whole of her population are, in some way or other, connected
with it. Her fleets visit every shore , and her correspondence is so
universal, that “ a good hand is necessary , to make a fortune,” has
become the language of the world. Who then would neglect those
golden fruits of industry , which are so speedily obtained by a proficiency
in penmanship ? and which, by my new method, is, in a few lessons
only, accomplished. It is from the honest conviction of its great facility
in teaching the art,and the felicity I enjoy of seeing it,by the aid of the
friends of science , generally adopted throughout the nation, that I
have dared to condemn the old tedious method.
The art of writing, according to the common mode of instruction, is
a toilsome and indefinite task — the study has nothing inviting in it -
the path is rugged - no flowers to allure — nothing to cheer, but its
utility. It is a dull tedious method, requiring many years' labour to
 25

become a proficient in it, and thousands who have, naturally , a taste for
fine writing, after all their pains and loss of time write but miserably .
This failure arises, not from want of capacity , nor from any natural defect
in their organs; but from the want of such a system as would awaken their
curiosity and interest their feelings ; such a system as would ensure them
some visible improvement at every step - excite their emulation —
produce patience and perseverance — and speedily enable them to write
with facility and elegance. Such a system , I am convinced , is the one I
have discovered , and teach ; - a system which has completely removed
the difficulties that before existed , and saves both time and expense . This ,
it will be perceived, is a public interest, deserving of patronage, without
which it might have been its fate (as hath been the fate of many other
useful discoveries) to wither and perish like the fallen blossom , in the vale
of obscurity.
As the sunbeams expand the painted petals of the flower, so sympathy
and kindness nourish and call forth the energies of the mind. Experience
teaches usmany physical truths, and I will select one as a recommen
dation for the diffusion of my expert system of penmanship . He who
reflects upon the capacity of the human intellect,must be convinced that
that path of instruction which is the smoothest and shortest to the garden
of knowledge is the one that all would prefer. There is scarcely an
individual, however humble his situation , but admires and covets
learning ; but, as the operations of reason , under the control of ignorance ,
are feeble, the tediousness and difficulties of the road to knowledge soon
abate his ardour, his diligence languishes under the toil, and he retraces
his ignoble steps to the wilderness of folly, ashamed and vexed, but
without a resolution to begin the journey again . Had brevity con
tracted the prospect, and the reward been nearer to his view , emulation
would have conquered his fears, and this now useless idler amongst men
would have attained a fruition of knowledge necessary to his happiness,
and of utility to society . When I repeat, therefore, that a child (by my
new method) can become an able penman in a few weeks ; and an adult
who has first learned the art, though but rudely , be freed from all defects,
and become a masterly writer in a few lessons, the opinion of every
 26

intelligent person must be in unison with mine,that the extension of this

speedy and elegant method is a nationalobject, and deserves the patron
age and encouragement of society . I blame not that stiffness of opinion
or devotion (resembling the cement of the fabrics of antiquity , that defies
the ravages of time) to old systems, which should never be wantonly
overturned until a basis is created of greater strength and usefulness ; but
when these advantages are sufficiently proved , this obstinacy must then
be construed into pride, which would condemn the arts to a perpetual
monotony, and render the now glittering fanes of science the altars of
dust and corruption.
There is no man so presumptuous as to dare to fix limits to the
human mind ; it is a flame that reaches from earth to heaven , it is im
mortal and indefinite. New discoveries shoot daily their comet-like
blazes o'er the astonished world ; the genius of man has discovered , by
the aid of the talismanic lens, depths of the universe concealed for ages
from the feeble eye ; and counted hosts of suns, temples of light, that
warm and cherish thousands of worlds ! It has won from the silver queen
of night the secret by which she governs the tides ; — can foretell when ,
in angry mood , she'll cast a sable veil upon the mournful earth , to blot
the sun's bright rays ; and can suspend the loadstone (whose electric
beam transfixes the poles) , in the compass, to guide the frail-built bark
through worlds of waters, on which no beaten road is seen, to the desired
haven. I am not, however, such a visionary as to advocate the per
fectibility of the human intellect — nor am I so blind and vain as to pro
nounce its limits. Man is a wonderful being ; he bears now a scroll in
his hand , on which is inscribed the improvements of many ages ; he daily
adds to the list, and these wise records will conduct him to the abysses
of the earth and sea, the remote chambers of the universe, in search of
those other arcana of nature which are, as yet, wisely concealed from him .
The art of writing will ever record his discoveries ; and time, that insatiate
devourer of human labours, no more shall gorge the fruits of science and
of knowledge. But, as these excursive flights, prompted by enthusiasm
and love of the arts (like the vertical circles of the playful swallow ,
which increase his labour, but shorten not the distance to his nest) , lead
 27

me astray from my principal subject, I will return to the consideration of

those circumstances which drew me to the discovery ofmy system .
As I before mentioned, the spring of the human mind is ever in
action ; new discoveries are daily elicited to the world , but the panacea
of invention is public support ; — necessity may dictate , or, in the fervid
soil of imagination, germs may spring up, but the blasts of opposition or
unkindness (like the freezing breath of the north wind, which destroys the
bloom of our orchards and gardens) will crush their prosperous growth,
and prevent their maturity , unless aided by the genial smile and en
couragement of society. Had it been only in my power to descant on the
common principles of penmanship generally taught, and which seldom
capacitate a boy, after a lapse of years, to write any other than a stiff,
formal, hand, I would not have presumed to have obtruded my pro
fessional studies upon the notice of the public ; but patiently have
remained in obscurity , quietly following my predecessors in the beaten
paths of tuition , and discharging with fidelity and diligence the various
duties of my profession. But having, fortunately, in the course of my
labours, been led to the invention and perfection of a new system of
penmanship , which facilitates, in an almost incredible degree , this most
useful art ; and communicates, in a short period, all the accomplishments
of writing which have ever been considered as the desiderata of the art,
and which often defy the toil and industry of the ablest master ;
I am not without hope that this system — which involves so greatly the
interest of society ,and which I have been prompted by gratitude to my
numerous pupils, and an honest zeal for the welfare of the rising genera
tion , to publish — will be candidly encouraged ,and made known as its
invaluable merit deserves.
I am perfectly conscious how difficult it is to render an art so
unadorned , attractive. Unlike her gaudy sisters, she boasts no painted
robe, or polished graces, or glittering crown that honours the brow of
science , and wins the applause of the multitude ; she depends solely upon
her own intrinsic qualities to gain advocates from the discerning, and
patrons of mankind. And I am gratified to know that their ardour in
the diffusion of knowledge — the real happiness of man - has rendered
E 2
 28

triumphant a system that abridges so much of the usual toil, and renders
the pupil more accomplished in this noble art, that gives immortality
to his thoughts , and eternity to the improvements of the human intellect.
All men , the learned and the unlearned , are hourly convinced of the
strong dominion of prejudice over the feeble mind ; nor is this gloomy
enemy to reason confined to illiterate individuals, but often obscures with
her ebon sceptre the splendid edifices of learning. Though I honour the
vast powers of the Stagyrite's mind, I lament to say his philosophy
(which is a system of erroneous conceptions) retained proudly its throne
in the universities of Europe, after the great Copernicus had measured the
heavens with his golden compasses, fixed the central palace of the sun,
marked the paths of his wandering attendants, and published their laws
to every corner of the earth ; nor was it expelled till almost expiring in
the blaze of his celestial truths !
After such an illustrious topic , I blush to repeat the humble subject I
am treating upon ; but, as analogies are the best weapons of argument, if
I have chosen one of the most splendid it is not to embellish my own
obscurity,but to prove that every fresh invention ,humble or sublime,has
to combat the same enemy, that ill-begotten monster of error — prejudice !
And many a hard buffeting my new system of penmanship must still
endure, ere the pride of someteachers ( though its superior advantages are
o self -evident) will suffer them to introduce it into their schools, to

supersede their dull and tedious method , that robs the pupil of so large a
portion of his time,and confines the unimproved mind for years to toil on
a barren and almost inaccessible road , which , had it been spent in the
flowery meads of literature, would have filled his mind with that manna of
wisdom which diffuses happiness and instruction in every circle of society .
I was initiated myself in the old system of writing, and, for many
years,reverenced the same ; and I candidly confess, like any other person ,
without proofs of a better invention, I should have ridiculed innovations
as impediments thrown in the paths of knowledge. These proofsmy own
diligence happily has supplied . The art of penmanship has been the
principal study of my life ; I beheld , with grief and sorrow , the slow
progress made in this useful acquirement, by the old method ; and,
 29

prompted by enthusiasm , after deep reflection , and many a trial by the

midnight oil, fortunately perfected an invention which (as I before
mentioned ) has no parallel for speedy instruction, combining at the same
time all the beauty and symmetry of the art — a system which accom
plishes the pupil in the time that another, by the common method,
scarcely learns to form his letters ; and surely such an improvement, in
an art so necessary to every individual in the busy scenes of life , ought to
secure the approbation of the lovers of knowledge, and a patienthearing
from those who thoughtlessly despise it.
A graceful manuscript has frequently been the means of introducing
persons of indigent circumstances into business, which has procured them
support and affluence. On the contrary , many individuals with whom I
am acquainted have candidly confessed that their prospects in life had
been clouded through their incapacity to write a fair legible hand.
Experience in the world presents us with frequent instances of the
disappointment of aspiring young men , who, though surrounded by
splendid connections, have lost the chances of succeeding to excellent and
lucrative situations, through their defects in writing a legible or mercan
tile hand. How pitiable their lot: with hearts endued with every virtue,
and swelling with emulation — with minds irradiated by the more
splendid features of education — yet compelled, through a deficiency in
this art, to feelmisfortune's blighting blast — to wither like the drooping
flower in the shade of obscurity, and be trodden in the dust by the rude
footsteps of the passer by, heedless of its bruised head and faded lustre .
To the feeling man and the philosopher (who calculate the chances
of life, and view with wonder the trifling accidents that often lift the
ignorant and insolent from indigence to splendour) ,how severe the distress
to see their fellow -creatures pining beneath the iron hand of brutal
arrogance and power ; though, had they possessed the necessary qualifi
cations for business, they might have sat in those elevated seats too
often occupied by blockheads the most vicious and contemptible that
ever nature suffered to disgrace the name ofman .
In the various concerns of life, the qualities which constitute the
true perfection of penmanship may be classed under those of freedom ,
 30

rapidity, and elegance . With respect to freedom (a word dear to my

countrymen ) no person can be so ignorant as not to appreciate its
value — nor so insensible to the interest of the art, but he must exult in
the invention of any method of promoting this superior excellence.
Rapidity in writing is most essential in many of the professions,
particularly the law ; and in business it cannot be dispensed with .
Whoever reflects what abundance of matter must be written on many
occasions, almost instantaneously , by gentlemen of the law , can em
phatically say, that “ a quick pen is a lawyer's fortune.” The bustle of
a counting-house, and the various other departments of commerce, are
too well understood by all, to require any arguments in favour of the
necessity of dispatch, to those engaged in business.
Elegance, one would think , is too amiable an attribute to require
much recommendation : it is an enchantment, as we may style it, in
nature ; yet there are those who pretend to despise elegance in writing,
as savouring toomuch ofthe tradesman :and they persist in the fashionable
foible of disguising their hand in such a manner that their sentiments are
scarcely to be understood : yet, in defiance of this prejudice, taste is an
essence, which , like volatile substances, bursts spontaneously from its
confinement; - no person can behold a piece of well-executed penmanship
without pleasure.
Fashionable people , who, with few exceptions, rise in the morning to
do nothing, and retire to bed exhausted and fatigued (when honest
labour is rising from its pillow ) without the ennobling reflection of having
served a fellow -creature, or added a single mite to the interests of
society, affect to despise the accomplishments of penmanship as a
common mechanical art, beneath the attention of gentlemen . A system
of lines and curves as easily learnt, say they, by the chimney-sweeper
as by the philosopher. “ O tempora ! O mores ! ” - - in this luxurious
age, when the apathised and inglorious mind sickens at reflection ,
and can only entertain , through the medium of the senses, fantastical
images which but vitiate and corrupt it, an unintelligible scrawl is the
certain mark of superior breeding. And the scholar, or man of letters,
who ought to think correctly, suffers himself to be dragged into this
 31

current of prejudice , delighting in scribbling characters which require an

interpreter to decypher them . The clerical class, those useful teachers
of morality , are not exempt from this charge ; so great indeed is their
negligence in this useful art, that to write an exceedingly bad hand is,
as the proverb says, “ writing like a parson !" The fop — that most
despicable member in the social chain — a papilio , who sports in the
sunbeams of pleasure , to exhibit his own vanity and folly — execrates
the art, and his billets-doux, and his sentiments, are equally unin
telligible to a woman of common sense. The virtuoso, whose talents
are as useless as the old coins that rust in his cabinet — whose raptures
are poured over verdigrised farthings — whose courage is spent in tor
turing insects — whose public virtue is exhibited in the wasteful extra
vagance of his patrimony in foreign countries, to procure a nail from
Herculaneum , or the copper -head of a Cæsar from the ruins of Rome -
whose daily exercise is the hunting of a Trojan or Agamemnon
butterfly — who never considers his fellow -creatures, or renders them
a benefit — this glorious philosopher, this man of excellent science and
tender sympathy, disdains writing as a servile and imitative art !
I will reply to these connoisseurs of human taste – is not a column,
or an arch , a piece of mechanism erected by patient labour ? But who
can behold the Corinthian pillar, the queen of Grecian architecture —
its polished but massive base — its graceful shaft — the elegant foliage
that adorns its capital — or view the elastic arch, which springing into
the air, seems to rest upon the clouds — without admiration ? and why
should not a finely -executed piece of penmanship , which cannot be
performed but by one versed in the art, be entitled to its share of praise ?
especially as writing is an art without which the improvements of the
other arts and sciences would perish , and the necessary business of life
be toil and confusion . In all other branches of knowledge, a bungler is
treated with contempt ; but the worse the specimens of this art are
executed by men of letters (like the rust on antique pieces ), the more
their merits are valued. But these learned men — who ought to be
the promoters of the improvement of the art — should reflect, that as a
painting executed by Raphael (the Homer of the pencil) contains within
 32
itself its intrinsic merits, the colour, the light, the shade, when in an
unadorned frame — yet it will appear much more beautiful to the eye
(that vehicle of prejudice) when surrounded by a rich gilding ; so good
writing in their manuscripts and letters would give an additional grace
and splendour to their sentiments, as the glitter of the frame does to
the painter's art. It is a saying of the sages — if a thing be worth
learning at all, it ought to be learned well.'
What gratification, indeed ,can it be to the idle, the ignorant, or even
the self-important classes of mankind , to oblige their friends to sit poring
over an unintelligible scrawl, with difficulty reading one part,and guessing
at the other ; which robs them of that pleasure and satisfaction that
naturally arises in the mind while reading the letter of a friend , wherein a
good style and refined execution are eminently combined ; this at once
charms and feasts the eye, and, with good sentiments, gratifies the mind .
Whilst the uncouth characters and awkward formality of the negligent
are always regarded, by the wiser portion of society , as a decisive proof of
dullness and vulgarity .
Would parents and guardians, those trustees of the rising generation ,
reflect on the great portion of time consumed by their children and wards
in the public seminaries, in acquiring such a slightknowledge of writing
as will scarcely qualify them for the counting-house, and which , by my
system , would be more perfectly attained in a hundredth part of the period,
they would drop tears upon the tomb of time, and mourn the dissipation
of the most valuable of human treasures. Facts have proved — and
there are thousands of witnesses who can attest the truths I before
advanced — that any person, by my method, can be qualified, in a few
lessons, to write an elegant, free , and rapid hand, fit for any department
in life. The philosopher should then become the advocate of a system
which is capable of diffusing such benefit to his species -- and allow me to
participate in his god -like flame, which breathes but the human welfare.
How speedily and extensively this necessary branch of knowledge
might be diffused, if parents, initiated in the art, would communicate it
to those under their care ; which might be accomplished in a timeso short
as would scarcely interfere with their daily avocations.
 33

It is a harsh , but merited , reflection upon the systems of learning in

general, that the valuable art of writing is almost excluded from the pale
of a liberal education . Before a child is properly instructed to shape his
letters, he loses all formsof their construction in scribbling Latin exercises.
From the school he enters the university , where the same degradation
attends this useful acquirement ; and , when he appears upon the great
theatre of the world , though he shine as a Tully in the senate, or as a
Newton in his closet, so deficient is he in penmanship , that his absent
friends toil to decipher (sometimes in vain ) the distorted characters and
sentiments of his epistle.
The ladies' seminaries of education are still more defective in the
instruction of this most useful art. Music, drawing, fancy work , French,
and Italian, occupy the whole of their literary hours. Bright accom
plishments to the fair sex, if others,as valuable ,were added ; — but, when
these terrestrial Venuses forsake the fragrantbowers of the muses for the
busy world , though their lips breathe magic , and their eyes beam all the
eloquence of sense , if they commit their thoughts to writing, the messenger
is so scrawled and blotted , that the trembling lover, who can scarcely
interpret his fair one's sentiments , is at a loss to conjecture whether these
blots are symbols of the drops that fall from hermoistened eyes,or whether
they are the gloomy presages of her disgust !
It is a physical truth , that the welfare of nations depends upon the
education of their women ; they are the priestesses of civilization ; their
softness mitigates the ferocity of man , and bends his counsels. The
grave Cato majestically said , “ Rome governed the world , but her women
governed Rome.' How necessary , then , is the proper education of the
sex, to make their wisdom equal to their influence ; that their smiles
(like sun -beams on the stormy ocean ) may tranquillize society with peace
and love.
Reposing upon the reader's indulgence, I would observe that many
gentlemen whom I have perfected in my new system of penmanship , have
been so delighted with the prompt method by which it may be communi
cated , and the freedom and elegant turn of the characters, that they have
declared they will become tutors to their own families, especially to their
 34

girls — those fair flowers in Britain 's soil, who, to obtain education , are
often, at the risk of their lustre, exposed to the infecting breath of the
world . A vast number of persons of intelligence and exalted position
from various parts of Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia ,
New Zealand, and the East and West Indies, have, after learning
the art, gratefully thanked me for the possession of a treasure which they
hoped beneficially to diffuse among their unlettered countrymen , upon
their arrival at their homes. These are the pleasing gratifications which
have sufficiently rewarded me for the great labour I have undergone in
the arduous duty of perfecting my system . And though, unlike the
Hesperian bough, the laurel boasts not of apples of gold ,yet its fair
verdure sheds that fragrance and wealth more refreshing and delightful
on my brow — the applause of the wise, and that sweet frankincense with
which the peaceful conscience ever rewards diligence and virtue. I am
proud to say I can repeat this sentence with sincerity ; - - I have only
toiled for the welfare ofmy fellow -creatures, by bestowing facilities on an
art essentially necessary for them to acquire in this empire of commerce,
if they desire to obtain prosperity and independence .
But, as nothing human is perfect, and as every attempt at improve
ment in education has to combat the same enemies — prejudice and
illiberality — the author of the present system does not anticipate an
exemption from this ordeal. Some characters, through the passions of
obstinacy and pride, are ever determined to oppose the improvements of
the systems of science , and exhaust their critical powers in the perversion
of truth . It seems almost incredible, but there are such men, and those
who style themselves the champions of literature ,who assemble in hordes,
like the roving Vandals, to abuse the temples of knowledge,and massacre
languishing genius. There are others,who mechanically tread the beaten
paths of their forefathers, without reflection or investigation ; who decry ,
with the barbarous yell of the savage, every improvement, as the evil of
innovation , but who, when challenged to state its defects, prove them
selves to be entirely ignorant of the system . Such characters are happily
described in the following energetic language of that Achilles in the
republic of letters, the famous Dr. Johnson : - " There are somemen ( says
the Doctor) of narrow views, and grovelling conceptions, who, without
the instigation of personal malice, treat every new attempt as wild and
chimerical; and look upon every endeavour to depart from the beaten
track, as the rash effort of a warm imagination,or the glittering speculation
of an exalted mind — may please and dazzle for a time, but which can pro
duce no real or lasting advantages. These men value themselves upon
a perpetual scepticism , upon believing nothing but their own senses ;
upon calling for demonstration where it cannot possibly be obtained ;
and, sometimes, proudly resisting the evidence of their senses, when the
subject is fully delineated to them ; upon inventing arguments against
the success of any new undertaking ; and, when arguments cannot be
found, treating it with contempt and ridicule. Such have ever been the
most formidable opposers of the diffusion of knowledge , for their notions
and discourses are so agreeable to the lazy, the envious, and the timorous,
that they seldom fail of becoming popular,and directing the opinions of
mankind.
And now, the short space I would fain dedicate to gratitude will not,
I am persuaded, be deemed irrelevant. The sound of those names I shall
introduce ,may awaken associations and feelings which will vibrate on the
chords of your hearts, and their tones will respond in unison with mine ;
Imean the names of the magnanimous Alexander, and the unconquerable
Frederick , heroes whose prowess and persevering fortitude contributed to
break the disgraceful chains of Europe. To these heroic monarchs I
presented my improved system ;* — and, though a simple individual, and
unendued with splendour and power, I proved that pomp was not
necessary to secure me an audience ; — they accepted my present — and
offered me a most liberal remuneration — but the urbanity of these
monarchs, and the interest they expressed in the cause of science , and of
* On Sunday June 26 , 1814 , I had an interview with His Majesty the KING OF Prussia ,
to whom , at the York Hotel, Dover, I presented a book,magnificently bound in morocco , con
taining my new system , which His Majesty most graciously accepted .
On the following day Sir JAMES WHYLIE introduced me to His Imperial Majesty the
EMPEROR OF RUSSIA, to whom ,at the house of MR. FECTOR, Banker, Dover ,I presented a book in
every respect similar to the above, which His Imperial Majesty most graciously accepted.
F 2
 36

my system , were brighter rewards to me than their glittering gold ; and

could not but tend to heighten my veneration — for that verdant meed ,
which the gratitude of nations has so deservedly entwined around their
brows.
But, to resume the web of my discourse: - it was not egotism which
prompted me, through the medium of a public appeal, to make known
my invention ; it was the honest conviction of its utility, and the great
advantages it has bestowed upon the community , that induced the bold
effort. My reward has been sufficiently great in the approbation of men
of the highest rank in the republic of letters, and of many greatmercantile
characters in our opulent city ; who, from a practical knowledge of my
system , are so well convinced of its superiority , that they have urged me
to make it as public as possible, and have rendered their assistance in its
general diffusion. Patriotic, and not selfish motives , have been my guide;
and I have now the satisfaction of knowing that my system is spread like
the beam of day over the greater part of the world . There are few
persons so uncandid as to persist in error when convinced by truth ; but
some there are, whom nature, in her variety of humanity, has stamped as
sceptics. Such beings are unworthy the attention of the wise ; for from
their flinty breasts arguments recoil, like the deadened ball that hits the
granite wall. There is no mystery in my system - it is all simplicity —
like a rectilineal line thatmoves from a point. It is impossible to impose
upon the understanding by puzzling delays ; for a few lessons will
convince, practically , the most ignorant, of the truths I have delivered.
Let him who doubts make the experiment ; if I deceive him , let mebe
exposed to ridicule and merited contempt. This candid declaration must
exonerate me from the imputation of mean subterfuges to impose upon
the public “an airy bubble.
To dwell more upon the advantages of the art of writing, especially
in this enlightened and commercial country, were altogether superfluous;
but a system for teaching it, which shall combine the greatest possible
freedom and rapidity, with taste and elegance, was for a long time an
acknowledged desideratum .
The chaste and scientific performances of a Tompkins, a Milne,
 37

and a Paton, command our admiration, and furnish us with specimens of

mathematical accuracy, which rarely, if ever, meet our eye. But how do
these performances sink in our estimation , when we consider the long
and laborious efforts that produced them ; and that all the excellence
they exhibit is the result of artificialmeans ! The same course is still
pursued amongst the masters of the old school — and the compasses,
the parallel ruler, the black lead pencil, the crow quill, and the
varied shades of India ink, display silent, but convincing proofs, to the
astonished multitude, of the masterly efforts of one, who, if called into
the scenes of real life and business,must soon sink to his proper level;
and would be found, perhaps, so far as a fine mercantile hand is con
cerned , something below our ordinary penmen !
I must confess that, though I have been a teacher of penmanship
more than half a century , and am personally acquainted with most of the
writing masters of the old school, of any eminence, I do not know one
who, with this artificial accuracy, can exhibit that freedom and rapidity
so highly important in business, and so universally admired ! Take one
of these gentlemen out of his study, and forbid him the use of mathe
matical instruments, and immediately you paralyze his efforts. His
highly finished , and perhaps publicly exhibited pieces, got up with
immense labour, by the aid of these instruments, and every other species
of trickery, would immediately sink into deserved insignificance, when
you find that his usual hand -writing is, perhaps, beneath mediocrity ;
and so formal and slow, as to be totally unfit for the general purposes of
life and business !
Freedom and rapidity in writing are so universally admired , and so
indispensably necessary, that the acquisition of it has, of late years,
excited the highest interest. Persons, the most unqualified and
unprincipled , availing themselves of a circumstance so propitious to their
designs, have assumed the character of “writing masters,' under the
pretence of teaching it !. A plausible, or boasting advertisement of
the astonishing improvement to be obtained under their tuition , has led
the unsuspecting to place themselves under their hands, and they have
only discovered (when too late ) that whatever other talents they might
 38

possess, they were totally ignorant of the principles of good writing.

This discovery, painful as it has proved to the adventurous pupil, has
not been confined within these boundaries. The loss of their time, and
the sacrifice of their property , to these unprincipled scribblers, have only
served to heighten their resentment, and, in many cases, to make them
withhold their support from those whom they might justly patronize.
It is a truth too obvious to admit of the least shadow of doubt, that
my system has sustained much injury from the unskilful attempts of
ignorant persons who are trying to teach it. Many of those who are
calling themselves " TEACHERS ' of the 'new system , have great
need of instruction themselves, instead of pretending to ' teach '
others ! And yet these said “teachers ' affect great things — and can
promise the public even more than men of real talent can perform !
How (by all that can excite the risible faculties ) is it possible that
persons who have been used all their lifetime to the baking, tailoring,
shoemaking, and such like handicraft, can, “ presto ! ’ — as if by magic
touch — possess that taste and talent, and all the necessary qualifications
to form a skilful ' teacher ? ' The very idea of such a metamorphosis
is preposterous and laughable ! Why, instead of attempting to improve
the education of youth , the situation of ‘ HOSTLER,' or of ‘ Boots '
to an inn, would be more upon a par with their acquirements ! As it is
not all gold that glitters, so neither are they all WISE “ teachers who
seem such . But unfortunately the majority of the public are either
careless on this point, or incapable of discernment; - and are therefore
frequently guided more by the teacher's charge than by any other
circumstance ! The question commonly asked is — What are the
LOWEST terms ? ' — or, in other words — “ How cheaply can you
teach me? ' (not how well) — and, with such an enquirer, a few shillings ,
nay, even a few pence , generally decides his choice ! Though experience
(the mother of wisdom ) may perhaps " TEACH ' him that the lowest
priced articles are not in the end either the cheapest or the best !
I cannot revert to these ignorant pretenders, without feelings of
indignation, when I consider the injury they have done to society in
general, and to the greater part of those who, in my visits to various
 39
places, have afterwards become my pupils. I would rather teach the
child of a peasant,who had never seen or known the use of pen and ink,
to write, than be pestered with a pupil of theirs. The awkward , and
almost incurably bad habits which the dupe of such a Teacher '
inevitably contracts through his unscientific efforts,have frequently cost
memore trouble and labour to remove, than that which would have been
requisite for ten other pupils, who had not fallen into their mercenary
hands.
Aggravating as this circumstance is, if it were the only grievance
which fell to my lot, I might summon up sufficient fortitude to bear it ;
but this is not all. There are not wanting those who have the audacity
to assumemyname — copymy bills and advertisements — and lay claim
to my invention ; that under these specious appearances, they may cloke
their deception, and more effectually impose upon those to whom my
name and profession are familiar. I therefore feel it a duty I owe to
myself, to disclaim all connexion with these 'puffing ' scribes, and to
hold them up as unprincipled impostors.
It is high time,my friends, that you, and the public at large , were
cautioned against ignorant and unqualified teachers of writing, of every
name, whatever may be their pretensions. It is a species of imposition
which is now becoming too general to be passed over unnoticed ; and
ought to be developed in its native colouring ! I feel convinced , that on
the subject before us, I could not render the public a more essential
service , than to point out an effectual and satisfactory TEST for trying
these Teachers ' before the commencement of the lessons. Let your
first, and main object be, not to ask for specimens' of his pupil's
• improvement,' but some practical assurance that the Teacher himself
is master of the pen ; and that, in his own hand, he can exhibit at
pleasure that elegance and rapidity in writing which he purposes to
effect in that of others. Such a TEST would be too severe for
ignorance, however unblushing, and, if generally enforced , would soon
end in the disgraceful exit of the impostor !
A free , elegant, and expeditious style of penmanship is not to be
attained by the mere superficial efforts of ignorance and effrontery — but
 40

is the result of a perfect unity in the adjustment and combination of its

theoretical and practical principles — a complete developement of the
graphic powers of the hand and arm — and a scientific adaptation of
those powers in the various exercises of the learner.
Whatever of correctness may be claimed by the masters of the old
school, that correctness, as I have before stated , is always the result of
artificial means ; and, with regard to that flying freedom and command
of hand, so indispensable to the purposes of business, it has certainly
neither to boast. If, on the other hand, we look for the union of these,
in that miserable and pitiful “ goose hand ' scribble, taught by the
unprincipled upstarts to whom I have been adverting, it is beneath the
attention of the merchant and the gentleman.
I am not so vain as to imagine that I am the only individual possessed
of this stone of the philosopher, nor do I as a penman wish to take
precedence of every other person ; - I shall merely state , that with
regard to my system , it is founded upon principles mathematically ,
anatomically , and mechanically studied, and so minutely and nicely
adjusted, that the whole forms an admirable and infallible mechanism ;
which , in its application, far surpasses anything on the art of writing ever
yet offered to the public, for simplicity, perspicuity, and general utility ;
and which,when understood, cannot fail to elicit the just admiration of
every lover of science, and of the beauty of the results of natural and well
defined rules.
Not only the principles of my system , but also my method of
teaching, differs essentially from that of the old school ; and I may
venture to assert, with all the confidence of truth, that it is a thousand
fold more rapid in its effects. Let a boy traverse the dull, formal,
lengthened, uninteresting circuit marked out by the old system — let
him begin with his diagonal strokes, his pot-hooks and hangers,
his text-hand, round-hand, small round -hand, and small-hand ; and
retrace the same monotonous course through several successive years,
and what, after all his attainments, is he fitted for, amidst the hurry
and despatch of business ? His slow , stiff, formal copy-hand, is quite
a burlesque upon his teacher, and often painfully mortifying to his
 41

own feelings. On the other hand, give me a pupil of the same age
and talents , and in the space of less than one month , I will engage
to produce a style of writing far better adapted to all the purposes of
life and business.
The plan I should pursue, in order to effect this, is not farther
removed from the old tedious system , than from that useless innovation
of ' perpendicular drop,' and ' invisible loop ’ notoriety ! I am inclined
to believe that a great proportion of those ignorant and unqualified
teachers ' to whom I have been adverting, are the disciples of this
pitiful scribe ! Fortunately, however, for the public, the worthless
imposition is now completely exploded , and is rapidly sinking, amidst
the voice of universal disapprobation .
That whimsical and ridiculous practice adopted by some of those
teachers, of placing a tight ligature over the fingers, in order to prevent
the bending of the joints, and that equally ridiculous practice of guiding
the hand and arm along the table, by means of a tape bridle, are as
contemptible as they are useless and unnatural. Nothing of this
kind enters into my peculiar mode of teaching ; nor anything but
what is perfectly natural, and in the highest degree pleasing to the
practitioner.
Whilst I am upon this subject, I cannot help reprobating, in
the severest terms, the custom of patching and painting a pupil's
writing ; which species of trickery, I am sorry to say, I have known
practised by those whose skill ought to have made them above
such a deception . It is a most complicated kind of fraud ; it deceives
the learner, deceives his friends, and, by exhibiting an apparent
progress without any real improvement, is of serious injury to those
who, disdaining such disingenuous arts, depend only on their talents and
industry .
Another imposition, and which is far more reprehensible than the
former, is the obsolete method of writing in a perpendicular direction ,
from the top to the bottom of the page ; revived and introduced by a
Mr. Jenkins, an American ; and since published in this country , and
taught by those unqualified teachers I have before described. But this
 42

bubble is now completely exploded , and is rapidly sinking into disrepute.

The scheme is totally inapplicable to anything that requires the least
accuracy, neatness, or grace ; it answers no other purpose than that of
teaching the pupil to write crookedly ; it is inimical to every principle of
English penmanship ; and does the hand -writing more injury in six
lessons, than can be repaired again in six weeks by a regular and well
constructed system , founded upon the horizontal movement of the hand
and arm .
If those persons who write a blind or illegible hand, only knew the
trouble and inconvenience it occasions, they would take pains to write in
such a manner that the most unskilful reader would not be liable to
mistake. Instead of this, many seem to labour to write obscurely , as if
they thought it fashionable, or the mark of a gentleman. A good hand
gives a zest to the same subject, and it is no exaggeration to say that an
essay, a familiar epistle, or any piece of composition of moderate merit,
would be read with more pleasure if given in a fair hand, than a specimen
of the finest genius written so blindly as to require much time and labour
in deciphering the words. So in print — themost entertaining narrative
will be passed over unread, if the paper or type is bad, and the words
blurred, when the samewould have been read with pleasure ,had the eye
been invited by a beautiful impression . The fault now complained of is
most obvious on writing Names, as there is nothing about them , as there
is about other words in a sentence, preceding or following, to explain the
sense or indicate the word. Many an important letter is left unanswered
- many a communication for the press is rejected — and many an
advertisement erroneously printed, through the fault I have just mentioned
-- an obscure hand.
From many years'experience in the theory and practice of writing,
and a diligent observance of the effects of my ' improving process ’ upon
persons of every age and capacity , I am led to assert, with unshaken
confidence, that every pupil who proceeds carefully through my lessons
must infallibly acquire a good hand. Such is the simplicity and efficacy
of my system , that I have never yet met with a hand -writing so bad,
which (in the attentive pupil) I have not been able to correct into a
 43

beautiful style ; nor habits, however awkward and ungraceful, in the use
of the pen ,which I could not effectually subdue. I make this fearless and
confident appeal to the numerous pupils who have placed themselves
under my care, whether, if there be a single instance in which the im
provement has not reached the climax of his expectations, the fault is not
fully and exclusively chargeable upon the pupil himself ?
Every professional man breathing has at times had occasion to
lament the pride, the ignorance, or the wanton negligence of some for
whose improvement he has felt every conceivable anxiety. That man
knows nothing, indeed, of teaching, who does not know that there are
some who attend a teacher with a previous determination not to improve
— or, if they assume a seeming attention , whilst under his immediate
inspection , effectually defeat his wishes,when absent,by the most studied
and puerile negligence. Those whose study-stricken countenances have
frowned over the midnight lamp, in devising schemes for the mental
improvement of their species, know with what tortured and almost
indescribable feelings their bosoms have sometimes been agitated by the
mulish obstinacy and folly of such a pupil.
To those, however, who have a desire to improve, a method is here
offered , so effective, that when their writing, after having received a few
lessons, shall be compared with their original specimens, the alteration
will be so striking as to excite their astonishment. At the same time, the
system is not confined, like that of others, to one peculiar hand, but
embraces every variety of style that is desirable, for the purposes of
business of every description. So that, instead of that common mechani
cal SAMENESS in all hands, which ignorance is endeavouring to
propagate, the writing may be VARIED as much as the human voice. I
can , therefore, recommend it to the attention of any who may feel
disposed to place themselves under my superintendence. I have a great
variety of specimens, for the inspection of the public, and to direct the
choice of every pupil as to the particular style of writing he may wish to
acquire.
I have invariably found that a few lessons are amply sufficient to
make a striking and satisfactory improvement, even in the worst hand
G 2
writing ; provided those lessons are practised with proper attention . I
require, likewise, very little sacrifice of time, on the part of the pupil —
one hour, in general, being quite sufficient for each succeeding lesson .
In all the places I have visited (and I have visited nearly every town
in Great Britain ) I havemet with extraordinary success, and have received
the most flattering encomiums on the excellence of my system , from
many who stand high in the estimation of their country — and whose
slightest praise would be sufficient to gratify the utmost ambition of any
teacher. Amongst the many exalted characters by whom I have been
patronized , I am convinced there is no one whose name you will listen
to with greater satisfaction and pleasure than that of the justly renowned
Sir Walter Scott. I am in possession of a letter written by that great
genius, expressive of his approbation of my system , which he generously
presented to me, during my last interview with him , at Edinburgh - and
he was so kind as to say that he wished me to make use of it in any way
most calculated to further my interest ; - I have, therefore, taken the
opportunity of publishing it.
MY DEAR SIR :
" The short duration of our last interview did not afford me the
pleasure of attesting the high opinion I entertain of your excellent
systems of Writing and Stenography — but I embrace the earliest oppor
tunity of assuring you that I shall continue to recommend them ;— and,
although I cannot sufficiently express my admiration of your ingenious
inventions for assisting the art of penmanship , yet I must say that I
consider you justly entitled to the “ Championship ” of the pen ; and
that your system will prove highly useful and beneficial to the com
munity.
' I remain , Dear Sir, Yours, & c.
· Walter Scott.
I shall now, in conformity with my intentions, proceed to a deve
lopement of the principles of my anti-angular system of writing ; and
likewise my method of teaching it ; — and this for several reasons. I am
 45

urged to it from the grateful sense I shall ever retain of the extra
ordinary patronage with which I have been favoured, and the respect and
kindness of a very numerous circle of friends. I am likewise urged to it
from another consideration, which is that of repeating my former de
clarations in the most public manner, of being the sole inventor and
original teacher of the new principles of penmanship ; and to guard you
against the unauthorized pretensions of those who are tempted to claim
it as their own , and basely endeavour to strip me of those honours which
a candid and impartial public have awarded to intrinsic merit.
Yes, some of those upstarts who are sailing (pirate like ) under false
colours have not hesitated to add ingratitude to falsehood — and,wishing
to be thought very clever in their borrowed plumes, they have had the
audacity to claim those principles of penmanship of which (they are all
conscious) I am the DISCOVERER, and the first who brought them into
practice — and the person from whom ALL OF THEM , either DIRECTLY
or INDIRECTLY, have obtained their knowledge of the new system :
others, who are grossly ignorant even of the common principles of
penmanship , mistaking their ignorance for ingenuity, and alteration for
improvement, have tried their fruitless efforts in mutilating those
principles which are immutable, and beyond their powers of compre
hension. I have no hesitation in declaring that the claims of the
former, and the performances of the latter, are alike founded on
deception --- and that both the one and the other are impostures. As
audacity is no proof of ability , so neither is alteration any proof of
improvement. Is there a man living, I would ask , who can come
forward and controvert the principles I have established , and the
truths I have asserted. I dare the most sanguine to the task ! In
the meantime I fear no contradiction, when I assert that the system
I have introduced is, in every respect, unequalled ; and I therefore
challenge the most eminent writers in Europe — First, — To discover
any DEFECT in my system . Secondly , — To produce any system EQUAL
to it. Thirdly, — To exhibit any other principle whereby a person can
write with such freedom and rapidity . Fourthly, — To show the pos
sibility of teaching with equal success on any other principles. Fifthly,
 46

- To disprove that this is the only system founded on correct principles.

Sixthly , - To refute my assertion that all others are erroneous : — And,
lastly, — To prove that any other person , living or dead, has, or had , the
least claim or share in the discovery and introduction of these principles
to the notice of the public .
These are the tests ' by which , for more than half a century ,
I have proposed to stand or fall ; — and, I would further observe that, as
I am always open to conviction , I invite the opposition of all whom it
may concern. At the same time I fear no opponent. I am quite
capable of maintaining my position against either the envious or the
knavish : and as I seek only the elucidation of the truth, I am ready at
all times to appeal to the test ’ of a public competition and examination,
either of my own talents or of the superiority of my system ; — when I
will engage to prove to the world , by documents in Mr. CARSTAIRS’s
OWN HAND-WRITING (wherein he ACKNOWLEDGES that he learnt the
new system of Mr. Mowat, who was an assistant of mine), and also
by other incontrovertible evidence, the facts I have here asserted . This
I pledge myself to — and I have therefore again thrown down the
gauntlet.'
Those who are well acquainted with the world , are best aware of the
many difficulties I have had to encounter — no sooner, indeed, is any new
plan projected , which has for its object the removal of old established
systems, for the introduction of better , than the projector is immediately
assailed by a formidable phalanx of interested competitors, who endeavour
to block up every conceivable avenue between him and the public. It
is but an act of justice, therefore, to my numerous patrons, that I should
call upon any such persons to prove the fallacy of mymethod of teaching
if they can, and to exhibit before the public a better and more effective
system . If these proofs, drawn, as they shall be, from what is considered
truly beautiful and desirable in penmanship , shall be submitted to the
public, I will cheerfully bow to the decision of that candid tribunal.
The advantages of an elegant and rapid style of writing will be
admitted not only by the merchant, and the man of business (to whom ,
indeed, it is absolutely indispensable), but also by every other person
 47

who may be called upon, by any emergency , to handle the pen. The
acquisition of such a style of penmanship has, at all times, been an
important desideratum — yet there was no system , either laid down in
the way of specimens, or taught by any individual, that could infallibly
ensure this desirable end. Much as the school method may be calcu
lated to produce a correct hand, it is entirely defective in communicating
that freedom and rapidity which is so highly important, and so generally
admired .
That the system which I have the honour of recommending to your
notice has a tendency to produce the union of those important requi
sites-- elegance and rapidity — I shall not hesitate , with all the confidence
of truth and integrity , to affirm ; since it has now stood the TEST
of upwards of half a century, has been sanctioned by the most enlightened
and scientific persons in the kingdom ; and by the approving voice of
more than sixty thousand pupils.
With respect to the qualification of other teachers, I would not
impose on them any ordeal which I would not willingly undergo. I
shall be happy, at any time, to submit my talents, as a writer, to the
test of impartial criticism , and to stand or fall by its decision .
 49

A SURE METHOD

IMPROVING IMPERFECT WRITERS.

BY NEW MOVEMENTS OF THE PEN, NEVER BEFORE INTRODUCED.

INVENTED AND TAUGHT BY JAMES HENRY LEWIS .

- oor .com

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS.
The course of lessons in the ROYAL LEWISIAN SYSTEM OF PENMAN
SHIP is intended , not only to instruct the pupil in the correct form and
analysis of the letters, and their various combinations ; but also in the
mechanism of the system , and the application of its principles to the
regulation of the size and proportion, the boldness and freedom , the
heights and distances, the motions of the joints, and the position of
the hand and arm ; these are so clearly explained, and scientifically
demonstrated , as to enable the writer to adapt his manuscript to any
business in which he may possibly be engaged . The learner will perceive
that the object of these principles and operations are to assimilate his
hand-writing as much as possible to that which he will find absolutely
necessary when he enters into the business of an active life ; and the
author can truly affirm that, by a strict attention to these rules, his system
will (without a long course of laborious practice ) infallibly produce this
 50

desirable effect, by correcting every bad habit of writing, and com

municating, in a few short and easy lessons, all the accomplishments
that constitute an elegant mercantile style ; but which neither time,
nor practice, can communicate on any other principle.
If long practice, or laborious imitation , could ENSURE even a tolerably
good hand, the performance of thousands, who are now pining in
poverty , obscurity , and wretchedness, would have placed them in a very
different situation to that which they now unfortunately occupy. But
neither the laborious exercise of the imitative faculties, nor the daily
practice of revolving years (usually devoted to the common mode of
writing) can avail aught, when the principle and the progress are so
decidedly opposed to each other. I assert (and I believe my assertion is
incontrovertible) that the principles of operation which constitute a
slow , formal, laborious copy-hand, such as is commonly taught at school,
are no more applicable to the flowing freedom , ease, and rapidity of a
mercantile style of penmanship, than the motions we make use of in the
act of walking are to the exercise of dancing.
Weknow that a pupil of the old method is taught to take his pen off
at the turn of almost every letter, merely from the idea that the letters
can be better shaped, and the writer be enabled , more perfectly, to
imitate the uniformity of the laboured example which is set before him .
And , although it is certain that those who depend entirely on the con
tracted motion of the fingers can only acquire that stiff and formal style
of execution which will not enable them to write even a word of one
syllable with correctness, freedom , or rapidity, yet we find that this
is the very basis on which the old system is founded ; but observe
the consequence — after going through the tedious process of what is
vulgarly designated pot-hooks and hangers, tar-bottles, shepherd's-crooks,
and all the sublime mystification of a slow , formal, copy-hand, the
pupil has gained a something, which , amidst the bustle of a counting
house, and the various departments of commercial activity, will not
pass as current coin ; for, like the base and worthless counterfeit, it
wants that sterling quality which alone can render it valuable ; and
so, after all his toil and trouble, the modification of this hand, or the
 51

substitution of another, more suitable to the purposes of business, or

general correspondence, is left entirely to himself.
• Many other objections might be stated , but I will omit them at
present, and proceed to explain a method, which , if faithfully pursued ,
is capable of producing a certain and satisfactory improvement in
the hand-writing of every individual who sits down with a disposition to
learn !
And, first, let me observe, that neither long practice, nor laborious
imitation, can, for a certainty , produce that freedom and elegance in the
hand-writing, which we are desirous to attain . This can only be
rendered certain , by the application of those grand principles of penman
ship , which combine a perfect union of the manual and scapulary
movements, with the formative and progressive motions of the pen .
To attain a good mercantile style of writing, it will, therefore, be
necessary that the right arm be perfectly at liberty , so that the writer may
be enabled to move the pen in every direction with equal ease and facility ,
as in the practice of dashing or command of hand. And I insist upon it
the more, because on the observance of this RULE all subsequent
excellence will depend.
Secondly — that the pen must not be taken from thepaper, in writing
any single word ; but must even remain on (whilst practising the progres
sive motion ) , from one word to another, through the whole line.
Thirdly — that a free and easy movement be habitually communi
cated to the hand and arm , equally applicable to all the letters of the
alphabet, and producing, by its own tendency, the same inclination of the
letters, and uniformity of style, throughout the performance.
Fourthly — that the pen (when in use ) must always retain its true
inclination — an angle of 45 degrees — and must be placed in the proper
position , so that the tip of the holder may always point to the right
shoulder. The greater part of the nail of the fore- finger of the right hand
must be constantly in sight, which is a sure criterion that the hand is in a
proper position .
And, lastly — that the pen be not only held extremely loose ; but
that the pressure of that instrument on the paper must be light and easy ,
1 2
 52

especially in the formative exercises, to impart a proper command of hand,

and uniformity of motion .
These are the principles on which a good mercantile style of
penmanship depends. And I am extremely anxious that my pupils
should (during the lessons) pay great attention to them ; otherwise it
would be impossible to obtain that ease, freedom , and rapidity which is so
desirable for the despatch of business, and so universally admired in the
commercial circles of society.
It is a common fault, to bear so heavily on the right arm , as to
prevent the necessary freedom ofmovement, and thereby force the hand
to turn over too much to the right; in this unnatural position , the
nerves are so strained and cramped, that the hand soon becomes fatigued
and unsteady, and the writer loses all command of his pen. This
accounts for the variation of style, the irregularity of the letters, and
the general deficiency in the performance of many, who fancy it proceeds
from habitual nervousness.
Those who find a difficulty in keeping their arm sufficiently light
upon the table, should take a small stick about a yard long, and force one
end of it into the barrel of the pen — the other end of the stick must rest
upon the shoulder, whilst writing, and be passed through a loop,made of
a small piece of tape, or paper, just large enough to admit it to run freely
within this loop, when pinned upon the shoulder. This simple contrivance
will, in a short time,effectually prevent too much pressure of the hand and
arm upon the table.
 53

LESSON 1.

In order to secure a free and graceful style of writing, great attention

must be paid to the proper movement of the hand and arm .
The easy movement of the arm is of no less importance than the
proper management of the hand. To attain this, due regard must be
had to the posture ofthe body — the best is an easy and graceful erection
of the head and shoulders. The body must not be under the slightest
restraint, nor must it be allowed to stoop forward. The pressure of the
chest against the table or desk invariably prevents that easy movement
of the arm so essential to free writing. The body being thus properly
adjusted , the arm in its movements must be made to touch the table as
lightly as possible ; or rather, it will be sufficiently supported if it merely
feel the table, without any pressure upon it whatever. The weight of
the arm itself, without any stress from the shoulder or body, is enough
to give steadiness to its motions ; any more pressure would produce those
stiff and awkward movements which tend to destroy that graceful ease
and freedom which would otherwise characterize the performance of the
writer.
To secure all the advantages of this regulation of the hand and arm ,
it is necessary to place the paper intended to be written on,quite parallel
with the edge of the table - but so far removed from it as that the arm
of the writer, while practising, shall extend over the table about half-way
between the knuckles and the elbow : being thus properly balanced, it
will perform its various evolutions with ease, steadiness, and certainty.
It may be added, that when the body of the writer and the paper
are placed according to these directions, the left edge of the page on
 54

which he is writing will form a straight line from his right side : and
after writing three or four lines, the paper must be removed higher
up, so that the arm may retain as nearly as possible the position above
described .
The pupil must sit close to the table ; and , before commencing
writing, his elbow must be placed near his right side, and, at the same
time, just parallel with the left edge of the paper ; or, in other words,
at right angles with the pen. In this direction the whole hand and arm
(though contrary to the common method) should move together, being
drawn along by the progressive motion of the pen ; so that when the
line is finished , his elbow having removed as much space from his side
as the pen has from the left edge of the paper, will still retain a similar
position with respect to the right edge of the paper. It must also be
observed that the wrist should lie nearly flat upon the table ! and that
the greater part of the nail of the fore-finger of the right hand should
always be in sight.
The pen must be held extremely loose , so as not to strain
and tire the nerves of the fingers ; and both sides of the nib should
have equal stress upon the paper. The point of the pen should
project about three-quarters of an inch beyond the end of the middle
finger.
Thus prepared , the first lesson .must be commenced by flourishing
loops, similar to the long l ; the pupil observing, whilst performing
this, that no pressurewhatever must be made on the arm ; that the whole
hand and arm mustmove with a slow and steady motion ; thatall the up
strokes and down-strokes must be made equally fine ; and that the pen
must remain on the paper throughout the line.
It will, in most cases, be advisable to write three or four pages
of each copy before beginning another, in order to exercise the arm
sufficiently.
This lesson is continued by uniting the small letters of the
alphabet with the looped flourishes, in order to combine the flexible
movement of the fingers with the flowing freedom of the hand and
arm .
 55
In the second copy the direct i is united to the loop ; the inverted i,
or first part of n , follows, in regular succession ; and also the curve i,
or last part of n . These are so extremely simple that no difficulty
can possibly occur in their formation, and therefore it will be only
necessary to observe that they must be made entirely by the motion
of the fingers ; whilst the loops with which they are united must
be formed exclusively by the movement of the whole arm . The
pen must never be taken off the paper, from the commencement to the
completion of each line.
The letter u is merely two i's united , as in the common mode of
making that letter. Each of the down -strokes must return about one
third the depth of the letter upon the preceding fine-stroke,before they
separate. The w is formed on the same principle, but the last fine
stroke of that letter must be carried up to the ledger-line, bent a little
inward , and finished with an inverted comma. Both sections of the
letter must be made of equal width .
The letters n and m are formed on the same principle, which differs
materially from the common mode of making them — the fine-strokes
being taken from the bottom of the down-strokes, instead of the top ;
which gives the writing a free and open appearance. Care must be
taken to make the second down-stroke of the m exactly in the middle.
The letter v is similar to the last part of n , but its fine stroke is
continued up to the ledger-line, bent a little inward , and finished with
an inverted comma.
The only difference between the letters e and c is, that the down
stroke of the former is curved over to the left in the shape of an oval,
and crosses the fine-stroke about midway, so as to form a clear open
loop ; whereas the latter commences with a dot, and the pen, instead of
turning to the left, is brought back a little on the fine-stroke, and finally
separated about one-third in the depth of the letter.
The letters o and a 'are partly alike, and require great attention to
shape them correctly. The only difficulty in their formation consists
in closing the oval part properly ;- for, if the pen goes too much either
to the right, or to the left, of that point where the letter commenced ,
DIT
 56

it gives what should be a complete oval the appearance of v, e, ci, u ,

or ei; this the learner must take particular care to avoid.
In making these letters the pen should return down upon the up
stroke of the preceding letter sufficiently to form the width of the oval,
the fine stroke of which should be taken up exactly to the point from
whence the pen commenced the retrograde movement. The top of the
down-stroke which finishes the a , should project a little above that point.
The r best adapted to a mercantile style, is formed of an up -stroke
and inverted comma, similar to the last part of v ; and finished with the
direct i.
The letter s is formed in the usual manner, and , in order to keep
the pen on , return from the dot, in a retrograde movement round the
bottom of the letter, and proceed to the next flourish .
The method of making the letter x is entirely new , and differs very
materially from the common mode of forming it. The first down -stroke
must be made in every respect like that of n , except that it must slant a
little more to the left ; the pen must then proceed about two-thirds
up the down-stroke, and branch off a little to the right; still con
tinuing it on the paper, the pen should return again lightly down the
same stroke to the point where it branched off, and the pupil must
immediately form the last curve of the x , similar to that of the i ; by
this means the letter can easily be made without taking the pen off the
paper.
 ‫هت‬

‫ےس‬

‫‪-----‬‬

‫د‬
‫سم حم‬

‫مس‬ ‫‪,‬‬ ‫ےس‬

‫‪-‬‬
‫‪7‬‬ ‫س اراس‬ ‫س‬ ‫‪777‬‬ ‫سكس‬
‫رک ر‬
‫ا ا‬
‫سس‬
‫سس س‬
‫س‬
‫سب ‪-- --‬‬
 ‫‪ ،‬ز‬ ‫۔ س۔‬
‫س سے‬ ‫‪. .‬‬

‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪---‬‬ ‫س یاسی‬

‫‪-‬‬‫‪-‬‬
‫‪- -‬‬
‫‪--- - -- --‬‬
‫ر‬
‫‪ .‬دس ‪-‬‬

‫ة ‪--- 7‬‬

‫‪---‬‬
‫‪- -‬‬

‫ے‬
‫ہے‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫ب‬
‫‪--‬‬ ‫۔۔۔۔۔‬
‫۔‬
‫۔ ۔۔‬

‫س‬ ‫‪----‬‬
‫ید‬ ‫س‬
‫س‬
‫)‬ ‫۔ رم‪-- --- -‬‬ ‫مره‬
‫‪-‬‬
‫‪--‬‬
‫‪-‬‬
‫‪--- --------------‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬
‫سسسس‬ ‫‪--‬‬ ‫‪--‬‬
‫سسسسس‬ ‫‪-- -‬‬
‫‪-‬‬
‫‪---‬‬ ‫سسسس‬ ‫‪----‬‬
‫‪----‬‬ ‫‪--‬‬
‫ے ‪- -‬‬
‫۔‬
‫س‬ ‫س‬
‫۔‬ ‫‪--‬‬ ‫‪. - -- -‬ح‬
‫‪. -‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬
‫۔۔‬ ‫۔۔‬
‫)‬
 57

LESSON II.

When the pupil has, in a considerable degree, attained the free and easy
movement ofthe arm by the practice of the preceding loops,and acquired
facility and correctness in the formation of the various letters attached to
them , hemay proceed to the second lesson . And, asthere can be no fixed
style, or regularity in the writing, unless the movement of the pen be
always equal, the pupilmust take particular care to avoid all those hasty ,
convulsive jerksand catches, which are generally the effects of irritableness
or impatience ; and which always produce an irregular scrawl. On the
contrary, the pupilmust endeavour to obtain a steady sameness of motion,
as though the hand and pen were regulated by clock -work ; this will
prod
oduce a natural inclination of the letters, and uniformity of style
throughout the performance.
In this lesson greater latitude ofmovement is allowed for the fingers,
in order to form the loops of those letters that ascend above the ledger -line.
Clear and open loops to the letters 1, h, b, k , and f, are indispensably
necessary ; these must be formed entirely by the motion of the fingers,
without the least movement of the arm ; and, in order to exercise the
fingers sufficiently , they should be made double the height given in the
copy. Those characters (the three undotted i’s) which serve to unite the
letters, being for the purpose of producing strength and steadiness of
execution ,must likewise be formed by the motion of the fingers, so far as
respects their down -strokes ; but the up-strokes must be made exclusively
by the movement of the arm . Here, as in the former lesson, the pen
must be kept on until the whole line is completed , and flourished back
again . And the pupil must be very careful not to put MORE letters in
each line than are in the copy, as it would tend to prevent that free and
 58

easy movement of the hand and arm which will otherwise be easily
acquired.
Some of those letters that descend below the ground line, viz. f, p , q,
and % , must be made by the motion of the fingers, and, as nearly as
possible, the size of the copy ; — but the letter j, and the tails of y and g ,
are formed entirely by themotion of the arm ; — and, during the practice
of the various lessons, wherever they occur,must be made at least thrice
the length of those in the copy, for the purpose of giving freedom and
command of hand . In making these tails or loops, the under fingers
must have full play upon the paper ; — that is, they must move at the
same time,and form an imaginary flourish , of the same description as
that which is actually performed by the pen . To obtain a free command
of hand, great attention must necessarily be paid to the various movements
of the arm ,hand, and fingers,because the grand principle of improvement,
as regards ease, freedom , and rapidity , chiefly depends on these through
out the whole of the learner's practice.
The first copy in this lesson consists of inclined strokes rising above
the ledger -line, plain at the top, and curved at the bottom , similar to the
direct i. The down-strokes of thesemust be formed entirely by the motion
of the fingers, with a firm , slow ,and steady pace; and the arm mustmove
forward to the right with each connecting fine stroke. The writer must
be careful to preserve an equal pressure on the pen , from the top of the
down-stroke to the commencement of the curve; and, likewise, to keep
the pen on throughout the line. A few pages of this copy will give
decision and firmness to the hand .
The direct is without dots, are part of the next copy; — these are
divided, at equal distance, by a plain stem ,similar to the first down -stroke
of the letter p, but with this difference, that it must be made by the
motion of the HAND, instead of the fingers, and must rise considerably
higher than that letter above the ledger -line. This is intended to prevent
the arm from resting so as to cramp the operations of the fingers. The
i's are formed entirely by the fingers, and the whole arm must move
forward , in making theup-strokes.
The letter t is made fine at the top, and gently increases in thickness
 59

to the ground-line. The pen , without being lifted, ust then return up
the down -stroke, to the height of u , at which place a small loop is
formed on the left side of the down-stroke. This is a more speedy and
elegant mode of forming the letter, than that of lifting the pen to draw a
stroke across it ; and admits of being joined readily with any other
letter.
The l is so simple that it merely requires an inspection ofthe copy ; and
the b is easily formed, by continuing the fine stroke of l up to the ledger
line, and adding thereto an inverted comma, similar to that which finishes
the letters v and w .
The letters h and k resemble each other, except that the last down
stroke of k is a little indented in the middle. The fine-strokes which go
from the looped stems of these letters should be taken from the bottom , in
order to give the letters a free and open appearance. If any difficulty
occurs in making the last part of k ,the learner must practice that sepa
rately , until facility in forming it is acquired.
The looped f is extremely difficult, and requires particular attention
and frequent inspection of the copy : the lower loop should bemade both
longer and wider than the upper one ; and the bow which crosses the
down -stroke must, to look well, be very small.
The letter p is so simple as to require but little explanation. If,
instead ofmaking the stem of equal strength , the pupil should commence
with a very fine stroke, and gradually increase its thickness as he
descends, it would impart a free and lively appearance to the letter.
The last part of p is exactly similar to that of m or n .
In making the letter d , continue the fine-stroke up from the oval, to
the intended height of the finishing down-stroke ; return again on the
same line, with a full thick -stroke close in contact with the oval part
of the letter, and finish it with a graceful curve. Learners are apt, in
making this down-stroke, to go too much to the right of the oval, and
in that case the d has the appearance of ol, which must be carefully
avoided .
The letter j, which of itself is extremely simple, forms the last part
of the letters y and g ; these loops must be made thrice the length of
1 2
 60

those in the copy, for the purpose of moving the arm whenever it may
happen to press too heavily upon the table. This must be particularly
observed by the learner throughout the whole of the lessons.
The letter q is, in every respect, like g , except that its stem , which is
much shorter, must be made of equal strength , and curved to the right,
instead of being formed into a loop, like those of the three last mentioned
letters. The learner must be very careful to close the oval part of the
letters g and q,before hemakes the down-strokes.
The first part of % is formed of an inverted comma, and a fine
down-stroke, shaped somewhat like r ; the last part is nothing more
than an inverted looped I, and must be made entirely by the motion
of the fingers.
The curved stem , in the last copy,must be formed by the motion of
the fingers, and is intended to exercise them to their utmost extent in
the turns of the letters, so as to form those curves in a bold and beautiful
manner, and with sufficient ease and freedom , without affecting the nerves
of the fingers.
 2x

Jumpinfenfiforffenfre ]

bucati de les hore Seeles Fone Pau

Torebeer bewohner bovala bohinh

hand daar how harde hon har haha

UGL

Tourbeu luctus food bio honeta

kurs forher be kind Kinke benki

att

four founding foutienpiregina

- --
fortifrufen for free for benefit

Creteptoejesepvitezetepkonferenzen

tracorrierefroitide 11: 11 -21

Fotoperzyday longado yung yang

du kt
144 rte

i Lilly

Fotogrado borgere

fufufufufufuf
 LESSON III.

AFTER the learner shall have carefully gone through the preceding
lessons, and acquired a correct and easy method of forming the letters
separately, the next object to be attained is an elegant method of uniting
them into words. To accomplish this with sufficient freedom to the hand,
a method of running the pen from one word to the other, in continuation ,
by means of an oval flourish , is introduced ; and the practice of these
copies will have a surprising effect in giving that proper command of the
pen , and that mechanical use of the fingers, which , after just ideas of the
letters are conceived, constitutes the whole art of writing.
It should be particularly observed, that each of the down-strokes in
this lesson must be made at once fully and boldly, by themotion of the
fingers, which should be performed rather deliberately than otherwise.
The up-strokes (on the contrary ) must be made exclusively by the
movement of the arm , and the turns of the letters should be free and easy ,
and as uniform as possible. The flourish which connects the words to
each other must also be performed by the movement of the whole arm ,
without the least motion of the fingers — and the pen , as in the other
lessons, should be kept on the paper throughout each line.
The learner must avoid all hasty, irregular movements of the
hand and arm , particularly in making the flourishes ; and perform
the various evolutions of the pen , by a steady regularity of motion, in
every letter.
The flourish which commences this lesson should be made as fine as
possible, exclusively by the motion of the arm ; and the writer must be
careful that each of the curves folds into the preceding one, with perfect
uniformity and freedom .
 62

The next copy is merely the curved d , and in making this letter the
writer should be careful to close the oval part, which must bemade by
the motion of the fingers ; and to throw the flourishes as neatly and
uniformly as possible, similar to the preceding copy.
The direct i, the e, and both those letters united, and repeated in
continuation by the connecting flourish , form the next three copies ;
these are followed by a set ofwords, in regular succession, according to
their simplicity of construction ; so as to lead the pupil progressively
forward , from the easiest to the more difficult combinations: these have
been selected and arranged with a great deal of care and experience.
In the practice of these words, due attention must be paid to the
pressure on the arm ; and care taken to place the letters, in each word ,
at a proper distance, according to the copy. The connecting hair
strokes should be taken out from the bottom of the letters m and n , to
assist the progressive movement, and give the writing a free and fluent
appearance.
The whole arm should move with ease and freedom in these
exercises, and the pen must not be squeezed too hard. The same position
of sitting, holding the pen , and keeping it on the paper, until the
whole line is finished (as was observed in the former lessons), must
invariably be pursued . The learner should practice several pages of each
copy .
 ‫سے‬‫اس‬

‫اساسا‬ ‫‪ -‬ااا‬ ‫م )‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫ا )‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا ا ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬

‫س س س سے‬

‫ا سے‬ ‫سے‬ ‫سا‬ ‫)‬ ‫مس‬ ‫(‬ ‫(‬ ‫(‬

‫برم‬ ‫د‬

‫‪- - - --‬‬
‫سر‬
‫نے س را‬ ‫‪ .‬اس‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪- -‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪ .‬م ‪- - -‬‬ ‫‪-- -‬‬ ‫م ) لر‬

‫‪--- ---- - - -‬‬

‫‪ - -‬سرا س ) ) ‪( 2‬‬ ‫‪--‬‬ ‫‪- - - -‬‬ ‫‪ -‬میز ‪- ---‬‬ ‫) )‬ ‫ا‬ ‫‪ .‬م‪-‬‬ ‫م م‬

‫‪.‬‬ ‫۔ اس سے‬

‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪. -‬‬ ‫‪- - . .. ...‬‬ ‫‪.‬‬ ‫‪.. .. . .‬‬ ‫‪... .....‬‬ ‫‪. .----- . . - . . -‬‬ ‫‪. .‬‬ ‫‪. .. .. .. - - - -- - ---‬‬

‫‪.‬‬ ‫‪-.‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪. .‬‬ ‫‪-.‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪- - - - -‬‬ ‫‪- - .‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬
‫سے مع‬ ‫اس‬ ‫) اسےسر‬ ‫اسسے‬ ‫‪/‬‬

‫اس کےسس‬ ‫احساس‬

‫عام سا‬ ‫‪22‬سر‬ ‫‪- -‬‬ ‫‪- -‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬

‫سمسم‬

‫اس‬ ‫سے سے ملنےسے‬ ‫)‬ ‫نے‬ ‫)‬ ‫اسرا‬ ‫)‬ ‫سے ہے‬

‫‪2 -‬‬ ‫)‬ ‫صح‬ ‫سے‬ ‫) مار)‬ ‫ص‬ ‫(‬

‫سے‬ ‫اس‬ ‫امس‬ ‫ا‬ ‫اس‬ ‫اس‬ ‫ام‬ ‫اس‬ ‫اس‬

‫‪--‬‬ ‫عمر مر‬ ‫۔‬ ‫مراس )‬

‫مر‬ ‫سر‬ ‫اسه ما‬ ‫م‬ ‫)‬ ‫سره‬ ‫مرا )‬ ‫ریار‬

‫م‬ ‫س‬ ‫م‪ -‬م م‬

‫سم ‪2‬س ‪-‬‬ ‫س ارا‬ ‫کا‬ ‫سے مرا‬ ‫م مر سرا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا ا‬
‫۔ ۔ ۔ ۔ ۔ ۔ ۔۔ ۔ ۔۔۔۔‬
 USE
STAFF
FOR
For:

aVerify
Room :

?Date
to ---

?Volume
- - - 315

?
Bound
change
Call
number
shelf
on
Not
use
,M.ROIn
R.D,use
InM
ed
SIE

Reserv
.RO,M
.O,RM
Reserv ed
bindery
DIn
Being
Dfilmed
Fill out before handing in slip
cole

Missing
Not
in
shelf
list
Please return as soon as possible
- - - -

Additional
volumes
 LESSON IV .

This lesson introduces the pupil to the practice of those letterswhich

go either above the ledger, or below the ground-line : being combined
with the small letters, they are formed into words, and are arranged
according to the simplicity of their construction, and the order best
calculated to exercise the learner in the various rules already stated.
The flourishes which commence and finish each of the lines must be
formed by a flexible movement of the fingers, whilst the whole arm
continues in progressive motion ; being intended to effect a more perfect
combination of the motions of the fingers with those of the hand and
arm , which ought to act in perfect unison with each other.

The flourish which commences this lesson nearly resembles the large
text e — with this difference, however, that there must be no extra thick
ness on the down stroke : every part should be equally fine ; and to this
end, the arm ought not to press upon the table. All the down-strokes
of this copy should be made by the motion of the fingers, and the up
strokes must be formed by the progressive motion of the whole arm .
Several pages of this flourish , on an enlarged scale,may be practised by
the learner to advantage.
The next copy is merely a contraction of the former, and must be
performed on the same principle. The letters em , in the third copy,
which embrace both the line and the curve, will also be found of great
service in exercising the fingers.
In practising the various words which form a part of this lesson , the
learner must observe to make an equal number of e’s on either side, so
as to place the word exactly in the middle of the line. These e's are
for the purpose of putting the arm into propermotion, and must be made
 64

slowly , on the principle just described : the loops of all the tall letters
must be made very large, in order to exercise the fingers ; and those of
j; y , and g, at least thrice the length they are in the copy, for the same
purpose with respect to the arm .
From the classification of these lessons a combination of the whole
alphabet is kept in constant practice, while a continued exercise of each
letter, separately, is properly observed : the true position of the hand
and arm is also inculcated by systematic training,and confirmed by habit :
freedom , regularity, and rapidity, are consequently the result.
 ‫‪- - -------- -- . - -- ------------‬‬ ‫‪-- -------- ----- . --- -------- -- - - -- -- ----- - - ------ --------‬‬

‫سکے ۔‬ ‫کر‬ ‫ک م‬ ‫انوار ک و‬ ‫کے راو‬ ‫س ند‬ ‫کے کی‬

‫‪------ ----‬‬ ‫‪-- .- -‬‬ ‫‪-- - -‬‬ ‫‪--‬‬ ‫‪----------------- ----‬‬

‫‪ / / /‬سرا‬ ‫‪/ / / /‬‬ ‫‪/ /‬‬ ‫‪/ / /‬‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/ / / /‬‬ ‫سرع ‪/ / /‬‬ ‫‪72‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪72 73‬‬ ‫‪7 2- 2‬‬ ‫س‬

‫۔ ۔۔‬ ‫)‬ ‫۔ س‬ ‫س م‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/ /‬‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/‬‬

‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬
‫‪---‬‬
‫‪- - -- - - - ---- - ---- ---------‬‬

‫‪/ /‬‬ ‫‪/ / /‬‬

‫س س س س سے‬ ‫س‬ ‫س‬ ‫س‬
‫‪ /‬ر ‪ //‬رم ‪ /‬ا ‪.،‬‬ ‫رسا سبره زمر‪/‬و‪/‬ر ‪ /‬ر‬ ‫ا‬ ‫کہ‬ ‫دیکھے‬

‫‪. . . ----‬‬
‫‪-‬‬

‫‪/ / // / / // . / / / / / /‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪.‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬

‫‪s‬‬ ‫‪e‬‬ ‫‪bavedomelupa‬‬
‫‪- -‬‬ ‫‪--‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪- - -‬‬ ‫‪- -‬‬

‫‪. -- -- -- -----‬‬ ‫‪.‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬

‫‪-- - . .‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫ا ئے ا‬ ‫ر رر ر‬ ‫ر‬ ‫‪.‬ر ر‬

‫‪ -‬اسکے‬

‫۔ ۔ ۔ ۔ ۔۔ ۔ ۔۔‬ ‫رہا۔‬ ‫‪ /‬امرا‬ ‫‪/‬‬ ‫‪/ /‬‬ ‫‪/ / -‬‬ ‫‪- -‬‬ ‫‪--‬‬ ‫‪-- -‬‬ ‫‪--‬‬
 ‫۔ اس‬ ‫کم ہ ۔‬
‫ے‬ ‫سے‬ ‫اس‬ ‫یا‬ ‫‪7 7‬‬ ‫‪7‬‬ ‫ساس ‪7 2‬‬ ‫کی‬ ‫کس‬ ‫کس کس‬

‫‪--‬‬ ‫‪---- --------‬‬ ‫‪- ----‬‬ ‫‪----- -------------- --‬‬

‫ع م صمصم مع‬ ‫م‬ ‫کے ‪ 27‬س‬ ‫‪ 22‬اس امر‬ ‫جمعه‬

‫کے‬ ‫کام‬ ‫اس‬ ‫۔‬ ‫‪7 /‬‬ ‫‪12‬‬ ‫‪/ 2‬‬ ‫‪2‬‬ ‫جمعه‬

‫ع‬ ‫م‬ ‫ہے ۔ اس کے‬ ‫ا ‪ /‬عام‬ ‫ا ا ) ‪:‬‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ص‬

‫صہ تھے۔‬ ‫ح‬ ‫کا‬ ‫‪22 2 2 2‬‬ ‫ما‬ ‫ما هم‬ ‫ه مه‬

‫‪- --‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪------- ---- -- - -‬‬

‫مع‬ ‫ا‬ ‫م‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫‪-‬‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ص ص‬ ‫ص‬ ‫م‬

‫‪|-‬‬ ‫‪----- - ------ -----------‬‬ ‫‪- . . - - ------- - -----‬‬

‫شخص‬ ‫سے‬ ‫‪ 1‬ماکے‬ ‫‪2 2‬‬ ‫اس اس ام اس ‪2‬‬ ‫ام‬ ‫مع‬

‫حصہ ہ ےسے‬
‫ا‬
‫س‬
‫‪-- --- -- -- -- ------ ---- ------‬‬

‫۔۔‬ ‫۔‬ ‫مسے‬ ‫ک‬ ‫درسراسر‬ ‫‪ 7 -‬را‬ ‫‪1- -‬‬ ‫م‬ ‫م‬ ‫م‬ ‫م م‬ ‫کے سے جسم‬ ‫ہے جس‬
 65

LESSON V.

The learner having sufficiently practised the various combinations of

the letters, so as to perform them with ease and facility without lifting
the pen throughout each line, may commence the fifth lesson.
This exercise embraces such words as end with the letter y ;
these are united to each other, by means of that looped letter, and
repeated along the whole line, without lifting the pen from the paper ; -
these copies are intended to close the writing, and fix it to a regular
style ; — likewise to PROVE whether or not the pupil has acquired a proper
command of hand in the descending letters. The benefit he will derive
from proceeding in this manner is inconceivable, if he does not lift the
pen from the paper through the whole line. Such words as consist of
long letters, that go alternately above and below the lines, will force him
to use his fingers properly --- give most freedom to the hand, and make
every other word consisting of short letters perfectly easy . But if the
pupil lifts his pen oftener than is advisable, he will never write a good
free current hand.
Joining words together, by means of the long S, is also extremely
useful ; — and for occasional practice, the alphabet of small letters written
progressively, with a long / between each letter, without lifting the pen ,
will be found of very great service. It will easily , indeed, be perceived
that the ‘ Lewisian System of mercantile penmanship is founded on the
LOOPING of letters and words together, by the free use of the fingers,
hand, and arm ; and that the principle of dashing, or command of hand,
is not only the leading feature, but the important object of his lessons.
The letters lj and hy, which form the first two copies in this lesson,
 66

must be carefully practised by the learner, before he proceeds with the

words which follow . In writing these words hemust observe to take the
fine strokes of h , k , m , and n , from the bottom ; and to carry those of u
and y, to the top of the down -strokes ; which will give the writing a free
and beautiful regularity of style.
GGGGGG
c 4 4 4 4 4

by hy by hy by hy by hy by by
-

May Ally lliy diy diy diyC diy diy tung

---- - - -
2
E117

They they theythen they theytheythey

>

roner Nozzer /rover Il02 21A2202 ro

honey havay bong

C hoog
c
" hoy hang

222 16 TUMYLIMM14 -

Gumay humghumz fumiy huming

Wt Vlu 2721 - MLM2 lourVAZI 7 11 72

Tenanty handy Aunty beauty haunting

* >

22101KeC22221 BE22 Lu1 - 7222: 21

barnslig huendy houby hunky hrady

- --
HpYS11NLIMLARZULTIVIUN ar 21 * 111 *
Typruns kepono kyonowa legmos lepnums lipomm
- - -- - - - -- - -- - -- - - --- ---- -- ------ - --- ----- - - - -- - -- -
12 zarozzaA22 lo ) U12, 122211
Uzunu deyusus ligons lequsus legumu deguonna
12721 VJ RUU 222 22221272 222 2 Viti 121 12121212. 22
Kam diparım hiperur ligaever lipuur bequem
2
27WT" 12YON 12 2
/ 1 12 ! 1iT ? ? ? po 1272 ? n .
Cowsheraen haar broerkeren
a
11221IID 12H2 ? 121 1277 ? 11P 114772121 12222111*
7 11
A2WX17111111111IUL 771111111112113210 72222111111
hans bumbum Aummm
F ? Z4ZW €2211212 12M121 121137112211 21d . 722121
-- -
izrozu2220are narrorrazo horror MAL
 67

LESSON VI.

When the MANUAL and SCAPULARY movements are properly understood

by the learner , and he has sufficiently practised the FORMATIVE and
PROGRESSIVE exercises in the foregoing lessons, so as to execute them with
ease and precision , he should commence writing as rapidly as possible ,
provided he makes his letters correctly — but if this be not particularly
attended to , he will soon run his hand into an illegible scrawl.
In order that the pupil may attain the greatest degree of freedom ,
and acquire, in the shortest period of time, that mechanical use of the
fingers so absolutely necessary for a current hand, he should be frequently
exercised in a BOLDER STYLE, with letters, words, and sentences united to
each other by a loop, a curve, an horizontal, or a diagonal-line. This
practice embraces a greater latitude of movement, tends to give con
fidence to the writer, and imparts that firmness and stamina to his style ,
for which the British manuscript is so much admired .
When words are introduced for practice in LARGE HAND, those that
are short and easy will be preferable at first ; because they must be written
without lifting the pen . Long words may afterwards be practised, but
still the pen must be kept on from beginning to end.
Having now obtained a complete command of the pen , and being
enabled to move it with equal ease and freedom in every direction,on the
principle of dashing, the pupil is introduced to the practice of SENTENCES.
These copies have cost the author more study and investigation than can
possibly be imagined ; and, although some of the sentences are not quite
so elegant as he could have wished , yet, such is the difficulty of the
undertaking, he would wager any person a hundred pounds to as many
pence, that with six months' labour and study he will not produce a set of
K 2
 68
copies containing equal advantages, or so well calculated to insure the
progress of the pupil, as does those that are here given.
The writer will observe that each word is finished with a long letter
for the purpose of keeping the arm in a regular and continual exercise
throughout the whole line ; while, from the peculiar construction of the
sentences, the hand and fingers preserve a correspondent motion in the
small letters,which flow so easily and admirably into each other, as to
fix most permanently those principles which combine freedom and
elegance, and crown the efforts of the pupil with the most complete
success.
 Jonasieristyslis
171 - 11A VIA errei
udyr ray Anzurore
ınejrove 227€ 127
ment
---- -

MOL UE2-221 LEMPLEMEZ .

Puntensyviojaqeverybombeson
- - - - -- - - - - -

Pulle 1107122767 12:111 - 1120124 710

Ceas bressly cenowy orosyadursities .

te zelo 2 7711' L ' ul 2112731 U122112211111111

Pertiremely imbidgerigaumbweid

71 / L21 10'
aria 1 / 11 / irte+ 22

Ceny hrung sensazioensky sibaidon

CA 120 1 -11 211221212

Theaterlag reng salatura direction

1012720111 MU821 27

Genevesty,venedigering requestin
-- -- --

TOY 246211 Z 2112077121 INA 227 LE IMMY

Heavenly liarmenyumsimly eterinis
 2021 102piIl4l CO27102011220V

Sapieha veq seromaly verbuncinetan

altolarz L 21 del 1272220221 -

piedereely Arrizereig inseriment"

errarse aversereira YIL 111

N R2207147
Kantyservey every inhegning kerana
-- -

2 AO 240 ledu ALELUUMLU l¢111elet

Long adversity perelaily peplume

221 222 altclone carro correnttorre

Hangmalively puolengemetention

1110211 212011 ) LUCY L011711111

Penalepujectuaceasy rusuptua
- - - --- --- -- --

penly deny intosivating revelrin -

Tel1 21 Noveu
A1221 220L12101 102le

Pepertyremedy onkoly inclinabrana

 Aracker untencourteous 2. 1 1 - 1721 MANUEL

Prackery univustovusly rusinnati

11elle L1117 1121111211110724

Piegatustegebogevery helpinpouchoo .

<

UNCL1' 1 MN021121' t nell1121

Paqueriendly swagen poopussity ."

CezUAT 220071 lu 2zrcar la froz

Fevererastiproting bilymeditations
2
-

o 1P2'61111 * LEI 21 AILACĆ ( len

Wedscoring severity merekpanc ha

uzz In LIV14220121011111

Veliseberityshinda vabındangrestane

zirrar '11uYZNA 1012

Wisely covereyinyjrering information

27 ' 10111240110111111111 20111111111

W teensiveleganvegeveryting metiro
 THE

CAPITAL LETTERS
AND

FIGURES .

With respect to the CAPITALS, they admit of much variation, both in

size and shape, according to the taste of the writer, or his own peculiarity
of style. Those which are here given for the practice of the learner
appear, however, to be the easiest and most applicable to business, and
consequently will be allowed to be the most proper for his imitation .
The capitals being classed , as much as possible, on the principles of
the long letters, may be combined together with loops, curves, or lines,
in various directions (similar to those given in the copy), without lifting
the pen from the paper, which will speedily give the learner great
facility and regularity in forming them .
In making the capitals,due regard must be had to the pressure on
the pen , in order to produce those rapid transitions from fine to thick
strokes, and that beautiful off-hand plumpness, which gives a more
masterly grace to a piece of writing than all the precise daubing and
patching within the compass of invention .
By writing whole lines of capitals and small-hand alternately by the
same movement, the learner will obtain much greater freedom in the
small-hand. Large letters require a more extensive movement, and, if
 70

the pen be continued on the paper, it is evident that the learner must
acquire more power and confidence in making the small letters.
There are several exercises for the capitals entirely distinct from
each other ; all of which the learner may practice with great advantage ;
and those who have a desire to excel in penmanship will not fail to give
this part of the subject proper attention.
It must be particularly observed that all the capital letters, and
every part or section thereof,must be formed by the action of the thumb
and fingers,without any motion whatever of the hand or arm .
The FIGURES may be practised on the same principle as the capital
letters, with as much freedom and command of hand as possible : and the
learner should frequently inspect, and endeavour to imitate to the
greatest nicety, those of the copy.
The methods here given will be found perfectly adapted to the
capacity of every student, unless he be destitute of the requisites necessary
to constitute a penman, or (what is equally bad) entirely deficient in
point of ATTENTION .
 1AĆPEMIK LM.

NOS QRSTWO

12

« K - 1 ohi jihim
- t . 2 . I

* * * * * w - umj

ubodofijhiq hamnopqfótuvway ;

Coquite ro
A101-
or12km
21LA NANTI LUULPA AMINAVZV2
anshují req uires amazing

dIMENT i verrasce bservation

pudgment and very careful observa

Wipe Malawr jutusentMeer compliment

Ketipos Bannerman 21. 722 2

and cozzztenren 7 -

they intend to accoonpany

Urimeroele2Nla 21 T116-122
them or
... . - 7146

etter022 lal72727272
cremervoon Senthamiles to
1 . 121 arpapie 1741 01
 e Oyal remonter
toner werttes after date 1 fren

to 22024
frame i iz 2ta 222
Hilleam bio212 JRTorrez
Thompson on ozled

.
arezzero 120 -11- 22
A LLA 1A ‫سر‬ ‫ م هم‬.
the sum of twelve prowende value seca

Linky Nhree darpımpler-date pay Mediu

S

Chapman Buthers the sum of Aurky

20221
serien founds staling on account of

Recente Minis 30 th day of August, 18!?!

2727
Luimington the fun
o'
'T4 26:27 12011A411701 , 7hlee 724122el . 2014 720A --
 71

PEN MAKING .

The character of writing depends so much on the formation of the PEN,

that the method of making a GOOD ONE ought to be thoroughly under
stood by all who are in the habit of using it. If persons were taught to
make and mend their own pens with economy, each would have an
opportunity of suiting his own peculiar taste and style of writing, which
would materially promote his advancement in this useful art.
In order to make a GOOD PEN, you must be provided with a clear,
well clarified , substantial quill. The best quill to make an elastic
serviceable pen , is that called a second, which , when ripe, falls from the
wing of the goose.
Strip off, from that side which has the longest feather, the whole
of it ; remove, also , the straggling hairs just above the barrel ; then cut,
from the top of the feather end, a sufficiency to leave the remainder of
the stem about five inches in length ; and scrape off the skin or film on
the outside of the barrel, with the back of your knife. See No. 1, Plate I.
Hold the quill firmly between the thumb and fore -finger of your left
hand, the feather end pointing from you ; and resting the barrel of the
quill (the back upwards) on the ball of your middle finger, enter the
knife sloping (the edge inclining towards you ), and take off about a
quarter of an inch in length , from the end of the quill where the split is
intended to be placed . See No. 2, Plate I.
Then turn the front of the quill upwards, and take off a large slice,
called the scoop, or cradle piece, nearly an inch and a quarter in length ;
this piece must be cut half-way through the depth of the barrel or pipe
 72

of the quill ; leaving the sides of the scoop of equal width , the split being
taken for the centre . See No. 3, Plate I.
Turn the quill again (the back upwards), and make a small incision
in the end of the scoop, exactly in the centre thereof ; so small as but
just sufficient to commence the split. In performing this operation , the
blade must not be inclined to either side, or the split will be made awry .
You must now press the end of the quill hard between the ball of
your left thumb and the tip of your fore-finger ; then insert the peg of
the knife within the scoop (or in preference to that, or anything else ,
the end of another quill) , and, with a quick motion, force up the split its
intended length. See No. 1, Plate II.
If this be not skilfully performed the split will gape or open, through
being ragged,and consequently the pen will be good for nothing. The
pressure of the quill between the thumb and fore -finger (as before
mentioned ) is to prevent the split from going too far, and which , when
the pen is completed , should remain about a quarter of an inch in length .
But, if the quill be thin and weak, the splitmay be shortened accordingly .
If it be very thick and hard , scrape it on the back (before you make the
split, but exactly where it is to run ) until a groove appears of a different
shade. You may also strengthen the nib ,by making the shoulders short
and wide ; and, by the same rule, you may weaken it, by cutting them
long and narrow ; this, however,must be suited to the writer, according
as he bears lightly or heavily upon his pen. Observe, also , that a long
split,and a fine nib , have nearly the same effect, in writing, as a short
split and a broad nib .
The quillmust still remain (with the back upwards) between the
fore -finger and thumb of your left hand, but it must be drawn a little
more forward, that the scoop may rest on the ball of your middle finger.
Then place the end of your right thumb against the side of the nail of
your left ; and let the side of the scoop rest against the side of your
right thumb, to keep the pen steady, and prevent cutting yourself. Thus
situated, enter the knife (the edge slanting towards you ) about one-third
of the way up the scoop , and form the right shoulder. See No. 2 ,
Plate II .
This side being first formed , will (when you turn the pen) be a
 73

guide for shaping the other, and thus the shoulders may be made exactly
alike : but this could not be so easily effected if the front of the pen were
placed upwards,and the left shoulder formed first; because that shoulder,
when reversed, could not be so distinctly seen .
In forming the left shoulder, the pen should be held as before, except
that the frontof it must be upwards, instead of the back . And each side
must be carefully shaved down from the shoulder to a fine even point, of
equal length and breadth . See No. 3 , Plate II.
Be very careful how you perform the above operation , as the goodness
of the pen depends upon it ; for, if one side be stronger than the other,
the action or elasticity will vary ; consequently the pen will not possess
that smooth and sprightly motion which produces a fine up-stroke and
an even down-stroke, which are the very essence of good penmanship .
In nibbing the pen , place the inside of the point flat upon the nail of
your left thumb, the whole length of the split ; and hold the quill as
firmly and steadily as possible, between the second and third joints of
the first and second fingers of your left hand ; or, if you prefer it, force
the end of another pen or quill into the barrel of the one you are
making, and nib it upon that.
The method of double nibbing, which renders the pen more elastic
and pleasant, is performed thus : - hold the blade of the knife obliquely,
and enter its edge in the back of the nib , so as to cut it sloping towards
the point, like the chamfered side of a chisel ; this cut should com
mence about as far again from the point as the width of the nib is
intended to be ; then , to complete the pen, place the knife exactly
square across the nib , and with a clean smooth cut, finish it the proper
width . See No. 1, Plate III.
If the knife be not exactly square in nibbing,one shoulder will be cut
shorter than the other, and consequently occasion the pen to make thick
up -strokes.
Some masters cut the sides of the pen into a serpentine shape,
similar to No. 2, Plate III. : but the form best adapted to a free and
elegant English style of penmanship, will be a concave one, which is, at
the same time, the most simple. See No. 3 , Plate III.
The best method of making a pen to suit the ' English and Italian
 74

current hands' being thus clearly explained , I shall proceed to point

out those particular modes of varying the form of the pen , which
some styles of writing render necessary. The difference of the pens
made use of in the various hands, consists chiefly in the breadth of the
nib, which must be guided by the width of the down-stroke of the
hand intended to be written ; and in the split, which must be made
longer or shorter, according to the weight which the writer bears or
presses upon his pen .
The round text, large text, and ornamental hand, require a
very elastic pen ; the split and shoulders should therefore be longer
than for the current hand , and the point of the pen must be
rather wider.
For old English ,German text, Hebrew , Greek, court-hand, chancery ,
and square text, the shoulders of the pen should be rather short than
otherwise ; the split must be clear,and of a moderate length ; and the nib
more or lessbroad as the writing requires ; — with this peculiarity , that the
left side of the nib (that which , when writing, is to the left) should be
rather shorter than the other.
The same shaped pen, when cut a little narrower at the point,
will serve for engrossing, secretary, running court, and German
current.
Forexchequer, pipe office,Gothic, modern Gothic,Saxon ,Samaritan,
and Chaldean the split and the shoulders must be long, the nib square and
rather wider than that for round text.'
The ancient church text requires a pen that has a long split, short
thick shoulders, and a very wide nib , the left side of which should be
considerably longer than the other.
For writing or engrossing on parchment, pensmade of Turkey quills
are generally preferred , for their strength and durability. Swan quills
are also much used in those hands which require a strong and substantial
pen, able to sustain the pressure of the writer's fingers, as well as to
bear an extraordinary width of the nib : for, if the quill be too weak,
the shoulders of the pen being also weak will yield too readily to the
pressure, and thereby cause the down -strokes of the writing to vary from
each other in breadth.
 er
Should
Savukle
r Scoop Barrel inStem

--
 The Lewisian System of Penmaking ,

2 .
 75

THE

NOCTURNAL TABLET
AND

GUIDE FOR THE BLIND.

Having given a new method for the universal improvement of bad

writing, it may also be advantageous to inform those, who by age or
accident have lost their sight, how they may be able nevertheless to write
very distinctly. Procure from any common joiner a flat board , about
fourteen inches long, and twelve wide, in the middle of which a place
should be sunk deep enough, when lined with cloth , to hold only two or
three sheets of foolscap paper, which must quite fill up the space ; over
this must be fixed a very thin false frame, which is to cover all but the
paper, and fastened on by four little pins, fixed into the lower board :
and across the lower frame, just over the paper, must be a little slider, an
inch and a half broad, which must slip down into several recesses made
in the upper frame, at proper distances for the lines, which should be
nearly an inch asunder ; and this ruler, on which the writer is to rest his
fourth and little fingers, must be made full of little notches, at a quarter
of an inch distance from each other ; and these notches will inform the
writer, by his little finger dropping from notch to notch , how to avoid
running one letter into another. When he comes to the end of the line,
 76

he must move the slider down to the next groove, which may easily be so
contrived with a spring, to give warning that it is properly removed to
the second line, and so on. It will be necessary for the writer to make
use of a “ FOUNTAIN PEN,' in order to prevent the necessity of taking
the pen off the paper in any line, for the purpose of procuring a supply
of ink .
By the simple method here given, any person (whether blind or
otherwise ) acquainted with the art of writing, may be enabled to inscribe
his nocturnal meditations in such indelible characters as will effectually
preserve them — for his own benefit, and , perhaps, for the good of others.
As these advantages, however, can only accompany a knowledge of
letters — it may be well to caution those who are deficient in that respect
from falling into an error similar to that of the man who enquired the
use of spectacles ; and, on being told they were to read with , was
surprised that he could not,by applying them to his nose, as others did,
make out a single word , till the optician's amazement produced the
following pertinent question — whether he ever could read without
spectacles ?
Persons who are blind may be taught the art of writing without
much difficulty , by the aid of letters engraven either on wood, or metallic
plates. For this purpose let the indented lines be frequently traced by
the learner, with a pen , or any other pointed instrument, which will
enable him to acquire the correct formation of the letters and to combine
them into words and sentences. But the best method of teaching the
blind to write, would be by substituting the simple characters made use of
in short-hand, for those of the common alphabetical letters,and exercising
the learner by lessons formed in such characters , raised above the surface
of the paper or other substances on which they may be prepared ; — this
method would enable him to feel his lessons with greater confidence ,
and give such facility in acquiring and practising the art (especially if
aided by short-hand orthography) as could not be communicated by any
other means.

PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO ., NEW - STREET SQUARE, LONDON .

NS
AUG 31 1959