The new invention, intituled, calligraphia: or, the arte of faire writing vvherein is comprehended the whole necessarie rules thereof; by which anie who is capable and carefull to learne, may without the helpe of any other teacher, under God, both bee informed concerning the right writing of the most usuall characters in the world; and perfectly instructed how to write one of the most frequent in Europe, called the secretarie. ... By His Majesties scribe, Master David Browne.

The nearest remedie how to bring irregulare Lines in order againe.

IF thou chance either through ignorance, or negligence, to write out of lineall order, (which thou wilt readily doe, and much more, if thou bee inclined to anie of the two) that is, to make lines up or downe at the begin∣nings, endings, or midst; take here the next re∣medie for each one of those faults, being 6. in number: which if thou wilt use, (as thou mayest easilie) the overthrow of that thy la∣bour, will be intercepted through timous care: and that in the line immediatelie ensuing anie wrong line; lest by delay, thou not only anger thy selfe, and others, lose time and travell: but likewise bring thy selfe in so evill a custome of irregulare writing, that thou wilt wearie to write anie at all; if thou bee such a one, as hast others at command to supplie thy place.

First, if thy fault bee in making any line too high in the beginning, then begin the next line so much the lower, and proceede therein the more carefullie, both to the ende, and in the ende.

Secundarilie, if thy fault bee in making anie line over low in the beginning, then begin the ensuing line so much the higher, and proceede therein the more attentiuelie.

Thirdlie, if thy fault be in making anie line to mount over high in the ending, then let the line next following thereafter bee begunne so much the lower: the amendement of the one, and enormitie of the other, beginning and pro∣ceeding by equall proportions: and so foorth, by contraries, using the like remedies for the remnant of the former absurdities, and that not of lines onelie, but of written wordes, syllables, and letters also.

Moreover, if diverse lines shall happen to goe wrong, before thou perceiue thine owne errour therein, then presume not to amende the same altogether in one line; lest thereby the blanke bee so great, that it bee more unseemelie than the fault it selfe; and so the last errour bee worse than the first. But if thou wouldest extri∣cate & unwind thy self out of that snare, that is, haue thy fault obscured, at least, not so readilie perceived; then amende the same by little and little, in such measure, and number of lines fol∣lowing after, as the errour contained which went before.