1886.] 441 [Frazer. 



and the beginning of "h," but be does not appear to have moved 

 the elbow. All but the second signature are consistent with this 

 view, and in the 1st, 3d and 5th it is plainly indicated. In the others, 

 as in the flourish above the sixth signature, the pen may not have 

 marked.] The fourth separate act of the penman was the formation ot 

 the "ton " after a movement of the arm. The breadth of the space occu- 

 pied by these three letters is from | to J of an inch, or considerably within 

 the range of coincidence of the curve and straight line before referred to ; 

 and owing to this fact there is only a moderate degree of re-enforcement 

 of the letters in the composite, because these letters might fall into the 

 first or last parts of the 2-inch space which was the limit of movement 

 with a fixed elbow. It is worthy of note that even in this case the middle 

 letter of the three is darker in the composite than either of the outside let- 

 ters. The fifth and last movement was the flourish which dots the '• i " 

 and crosses the "t" by one stroke. This was done in the freest of free 

 hands — often, as it seems probable, without resting hand or arm on the 

 table at all. Therefore there is no coincidence of the lines in this part of 

 the composite and the region of variation is wider than that of any other 

 part of the signature. 



All the signatures used in the accompanying plate (seven in number) 

 are unquestionably genuine. With the exception nf one, which is the 

 property of the writer, they were carefully chosen from a number of au- 

 thenticated signatures in the possession of the Historical Society of Penn- 

 sylvania. 



No. 1 is on a letter, dated December 18, 1776, from near the Falls of 

 Trenton, and addressed to Washington's brother Samuel. 



No. 2 is on a letter dated Headquarters, November 4, 1777, and is ad- 

 dressed to the writer's great-grandfather, Lt.-Col. Persifor Frazer, then 

 a prisoner of war in Philadelphia. 



No. 3 is on a letter dated September 27, 1777, and is to Wni. Henry, of 

 Lancaster. 



No. 4 is the Composite of all the rest. 



No. 5 is on a letter dated Headquarters in Morristown, February 22, 

 1777. The person to whom the letter was addressed is not stated. 



No. 6, dated September 26, 1793, is affixed to the commission of David 

 Lenox. 



No. 7, of the same date, is affixed to David Lenox's appointment 

 as agent for the relief and protection of American Seamen. 



No. 8, dated May 24, 1799, closes a letter to Thomson Mason. 



PROC. AMEK. PHILOS. SOC. XXIIT. 123. 3d. PRINTED AtJG. 7, 1886. 



