PALMERSTON ON BAD WRITING.

Evening Star, Issue 11676, 7 February 1902, Page 8

PALMERSTON ON BAD WRITING.

On one occasion, on receiving a batch of 'badly-written despatches from certain of H.M.’s consuls, Lord Palmerston wrote the following minute :—“These Consuls are too bad; there is hardly one of them that writes a decent hand, and with readable Ink. Write to each of the offenders that ’f tney do not write larger and more legibly, and with black Ink, I shall be obliged to send all their despatches back to them to be written over again; and if they do not pay more .attention to their Instructions other persons will be found who will do so. This is not to be a Circular, but special to those who deserve it. Life is not long enough to decipher their scribbling.” He had also the greatest objection to persons writing what is known as a back hand, and on one occasion when a letter was sent up to him for his signature written in that style he returned it with the following minute: “ Has the Writer of this Letter lost the use of his right band? If not, why does lie make all his letters slope backwards like the raking masts of an American schooner?” Another strong objection of Lord Palmerston’s was to the use of pins for the purpose of fastening papers together, and having on one occasion pricked himself severely when unfastening a bundle he wrote ;be following minute :—“ I desire that all the Pins in this Office be immediately made over to the Eemale Branch of this Establishment.”