SOME FINE WRITING.

Manawatu Herald, 29 October 1889, Page 4

SOME FINE WRITING.

Pliny's assertion tbat Cicero onre saw the "Hiiad' of H nier in a nut shell has always beer, regarded wi h mo edulifrj but soaie remarkable and undisputed facts about minute caligraphy favour 'be possibility ol Cicero being correct in bis sta ement. Both anci< nt and modern wi iters record the achievements of pen men whose writing was in ?o sma'.l a hand that it was invisible to the naked eye. One wrote a disicb in letttrs of gold which he enclose in the rind of a grain of wheat. Anotht r wrote » verse of Homer on a gia nof m<ilet ''* 'M^n^ge mentions" a pen- and ink sketch of the Uauphi ness undisceruib c ex* ept by the aid n^f^pj^co^pic, \tUe most . p'easinu J»si#il!y correct . resemb'ance In Harleian MSS* we have a narrative < f " a rare piece of work brought to pass by Peter Bales an Knj»li«h^jan^ and ;a. clerk of the Chancery. " It was a copy of the whole linle in an Engli&h walnut no bigger than a hen's egg. We are told " the not .-holdeth the book : there are as many leaves in the great Kble, and he hath written a? much in bis tiny 'eaves as great leaf of the Bible. Tlie writing was to small to be read by the naked eye. .<J#;#u? llbra^oXSt John's College, | Oxford, "w a drawaig of the head of Charles I, wholly com' os°d of minute writ 1 en characters which at a Bbo t di'tnnce resf lnl'les the )in<^ of an engraving. The lines of the head and roffare said to contain the "book of Pdalms, the Creel and the Gassel's Saturdays' • journal. "i . ./ THE KIND OF PREACHEB NEEDED. The Bey Mr Isit% preaching at Invercargill on the half-holiday questi o, related fln iucidentby way of iHiifJiiratihg the inconsistencies thflt -sonietimes mtrrk- precept andCf vm^the. .A gentleman in the • i.£»ortb.l6l«na, who had taken a prominent part in denouncing the "sweating* system, lately visi ed Christchurch, and whi c tjiere wem , into a slioj) to buy a" pair of shoot in,' bnois. 'he price asLed was 37s JT |fld-24-tliQ r customer demurred, ' and Wffeted^atffl.-'- Tbe 1 shopkeeper pointed out tbat, at that fi ure, he wou d have soarcely any profit, but , _ a'lv, he acce] ted, 355. This l; anti sweater, this phi anhropist, this 1-ader in the attack on a giant evil then huggled with the shopk- (p r to r-^ducp the pr'co to 32a C.I. This "Was not done, and the customer re»ftnn<] p>» id Jio 85s, bnt »s ■•• money, he i dded— uLU ! > ■f !< ? u »* : 4j ! y° v : S' ve 'd'lsco: nt ibi ' nsli ?*' " Ti l ol i! XX «as ro > nn c!j . for th° gravity o the crngre^a icn, a d tley laugLed, r-utv jthoy sob red t.uwji when iljo pro;i"e. er atk.'d • " Art thou the u.a>- ? lave von ever g otv. d "with indignation when reading ■y/tieff&tyf®^ ry yi Oft c^t Loiitloh. ' ji'iiu i!.6n njdic d whi! voti ln.d b 4 eato". a luandown a le\\ 'piico 'of s< nre commodity'? Whit we v.ant v alli*- ujin »m eos iy the extio.se o j \* iA&& )iv<jr itiiddfcfc-live spii-iv. __ :. :..-•. •-,•, -■■-. "&