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 Preambles, and Introduction, to Letters.

A Letter is a simple voyce, meete either to represent, or to bee a part of the literall significa∣tion of one or moe written words.

The maine and principall scope of this Speciall part, is the aiming at the Alphabet, like as it will shew it selfe anone, containing all usuall Single and Double Letters, belonging unto the Secretarie Character: but albeit thou haue once all enrol∣led together (for the Rules cause of Numera∣tion

and Division) yet if thou intendest not to teach others, but learne for thine owne use; I haue heere also prepared for thee, an easier and brieffer Rew, comprehending the most usuall and necessarie Letters thereof, and two Verses conforme thereunto, with ten compendious Preceptes, directing howe to followe the same: all collected, and composed together, in forme of Abridgement: which if thou diligentlie haunt, and in anie reasonable measure resemble, although thou knewest no more in writing, (saue some of the most necessarie Rules of Pre∣paration) it may suffice to further thee in thine Effaires.

But not to write at all, is both shame, and Skaithe: Shame for two causes: first, because whosoever seeth that thou canst not write, kno∣weth thee to bee ignorant of all kinde of Lear∣ning: and why? because Writing is the Key or beginning of all Learning: and if thou want the Key or beginning of a thing, howe canst thou haue entrance thereunto, or begin the same? for God hath put farre moe differences (bles∣sed bee Hee) betwixt a Man and a Beast, than Reason and Speach. And secondlie, it is shame both to employ a Notar to subscribe for thee, in anie Securitie, and to want that good Token of Education, which perhaps thine Inferiour hath: for wheresoever anie Man of Honest Ranke re∣sorteth who cannot write, (chiefelie where hee

is not knowne) he is incontinent esteemed ei∣ther to bee base borne, or to haue beene basely brought up, in a base or Moore-land Desert, that is, farre from any Citie, where there bee Schooles of Learning, Discipline, Policie, and Civilitie. And skaith, not only in attending & paying a Notar for the former cause, and in ne∣glecting thy urgent businesse, through want thereof, chiefely which concerneth Compts, & Messives; but in discovering and revealing both of thy minde and estate, unto these whom thou employest thereanent. And though at that time, they conciliate friendship, and bee sociall with thee; yet it is incident often times, (as there is little soliditie here, in things beneath) that a friende to night, will become an enemie to morrowe, and so publish of thee what hee knoweth: and suppose constancie doe even continue, thou wilt stand in awe both to say and doe before him as thou wouldest; because a great part of thy secrecie lyeth on the tongue of thy Secretarie: and perhaps sleepeth as un∣soundly there, as on the Top-Mast of a Ship, in a stormie night. Therefore, if thou be such a one, whether the negligence hath beene in thy Parents, Friends, or in thy selfe, striue thou yet to amende the same, if thine age bee within 40. yeares, whether thou canst reade or not; because the dint thereof now striketh on thee: for, some aboue that age, haue learned to

write, that never of before knewe a Letter, (no, not of Print, let bee of Writ,) but such as they had latelie learned of their owne Domestickes, as it is both better, and more commendable, to learne late, nor never; and of Inferiours, rather than want the benefite there∣of altogether: but immediatelie after they haue learned somewhat to reade, they haue begun al∣so to write, and then in short time haue known how to reade other Mens writ, by the like Let∣ters in their owne writ, and so haue proceeded, from one Degree to another, till they both could write and reade, Comptes and Messiues sufficientlie: for oftentimes one that wanteth all, neglecteth all; and those who haue some be∣ginning of a thing, seeke to a farther growth thereof: there would bee no Harvest, if there were no Seede-time: and if a Merchand would never use Merchandize hencefoorth untill hee got a great Summe, wherof to make his Stocke, there would bee scarcelie one then, for tenne now. So, how ignorant soever thou bee, if thou canst apprehende thine owne wantes, and haue anie disposition to learne, the reading of this Booke will (with the helpe of God) furnish thee Skill to write, and diligence will soone bring foorth habite thereof: for if it please God to blesse but one graine of Seede, it will increase an hundreth folde: then despise never a meane beginning, if it bee good, suppose it bee hard.

But whether thou make choyse of the great Alphabet, which comprehendeth the small; or the small alone: presume never to learne anie Capitall Letters, till thou (in some measure) be perfect of the Single and Double; both by wri∣ting of them severallie in Alphabet, and joynt∣lie in writ: and that not onelie because they are easier to learne; but because all writ standeth more by them, than by the Capitals, and so the more needfull to bee had: for in anie matter, eyther written or Printed, thou wilst finde aye ten Single and Double Letters, (at the least) for one Capitall.

Heere may arise a Question: Howe can the Capitals bee learned by the ensuing Alphabet, seeing it containeth none but the sortes of A? To the which I answere, They may bee learned thereby for two causes: first, who will not con∣fesse, but any judicious person (though he shold never travell out of his Natiue Countrey) may sufficienthe understand the Situation and forms of all the Empires, and Kingdomes of the Worlde, by diligent consideration, and often perusing, of the Vniversall Carde? and yet it containeth not so much as one of the least, but is contained it selfe, in little rowme. Then, why may not they farre better consider one thing suppressed, by another which is expressed.

Secondlie, it is not mine intention eyther to set downe Patternes of diverse sortes of Cha∣racters

heere, (how beit I haue manie prepared) nor yet all the Capitals of this same Character, but rather holde mee by the Arte it selfe, and that for foure respectes:

First, because there bee so manie Printed Bookes, both alreadie extant, and daylie setting foorth, which doe containe all sortes of Chara∣cters, Capitals, and fayre Writ; that it were litle more needfull, than to carrie water to the Sea, if Expences should be bestowed on the Founding & Ingraving of Yrons for them, or anie others, but such as cannot bee wanted, nor omitted: for the drift of this Discourse requireth onelie the exhibition and demonstration of some, for the better consideration and practising of all. And therefore, and for the reasons immediatelie pre∣ceeding, I speake in the Variations and Degres∣sions of Letters, and other places of this Booke heereafter, as plainlie of all Capitals under∣stoode, by the 4. onelie which bee exprest; as if they were all expressed together in one Cata∣logue.

Secondlie, because this Booke serveth as a Grammar to all writing; and consequentlie, to the right following of all the sortes of Exem∣plares which bee comprehended in such as the aforesaide Bookes: and so i•• of another nature than they bee: for it containeth no moe sortes of Letters, nor Exemplares than may sufficient∣lie explaine and prooue the Rules thereof: even

as DISPVTERS Grammar, being a perfect Abridgement of the whole Latine Language, (since thereby, as one of the best, all Poesies, and other Workes in Latine, bee both concei∣ved, and followed) demonstrateth no moe Ex∣emples nor authorities, than may explicate and interprete the Rules thereof: for if Grammars did comprehende all the matter of thinges at length, wherof they briefelie treate, they would cease to be Grammars, (I meane concerning the use of them) and that for too great prolixitie, in stead of compendiositie: because then each one of them would bee of so hudge a Volume, that the understanding of the whole Language, and Treatises of the Bookes whereat they aime, would bee assoone apprehended, by the capa∣citie of Students, as the Grammar it selfe; and so then both alike tedious to learne and consider.

Thirdlie, because anie who intende not to instruct others, haue store of Exemples in this selfe same Booke, containing also diverse Capi∣tals; which Exemples may serve for Exemplares both of Capitals and Writ: and therefore, if they rightlie peruse these Exemples, and the Abridgement of this Arte following hereafter, they will neede no Exemplare-Booke at all. But as for those who desire to bee better groun∣ded, they must proceede more formally in using of the meanes: that is, first, striue to understand the former part of this Booke, before they come

to these Exemples: next, endevour to conceiue them, and the Rules whereof they arise, seve∣rallie, when they come thereunto: and in the third rowme, employ some faire writer to ex∣tract all the Exemples of this Booke on a sheete of cleane paper, and make one Exemplar of them al, to resemble: for it has these rules which other Copies want. And though it be not all of one Matter, because the sentences thereof are di∣verse; yet it is so much the better, for resem∣blance of the Letters whereof it is composed; because it is so much the worse both to bee got∣ten, and kept in memorie: for while as a student learneth to write, it is the Letter, and not the Matter, to follow; but having or being learned, it is the Matter, and not so much the Letter, whereunto hee must haue regarde.

And fourthlie, for shortnesse, and avoyding of prolixitie: for if all the Capitals, which be∣long unto the Secretarie, were insert heere in such manner as I first intended, it would make the Alphabet so great, and seeme so difficult, that it would affray (at the least hinder) manie, at the first sight, from esseying thereof, who had not some reasonable beginning before. Hee is not a wise Instructor, or eyther hath little to instruct, or desireth fewe to profite by that which he hath, who showeth foorth the whole secrecie, and curiositie of his Skill, unto his Dis∣ciples at the first, (thinking then to teach

them the same) but by little and little, as they are in anie measure perfect in one thing, to de∣monstrate and adde thereunto another: and so foorth, daylie (as it were to beguile them) by drawing and leading them aye farther and far∣ther on) till they eyther learne all, or the moste necessarie Documents and Experiments which hee hath to teach. It is true, Capitall Letters are more difficill to imitate, than the Single and Double: but having first learned the Single and Double, the Capitals then become easie to re∣semble. It would bee verie hard to cause a Rudimenter make a Right Theame, or Latine Verse: but having learned the Rudimentes, and proceeded orderlie thorowe all the Grammar, Theame, (yea, Verse, if hee haue the Poeticall Veine) will become as easie then to make, as Litera was of before to decline. So there bee manie thinges which seeme unto Gazers ve∣rie admirable, and wonderfull, thorow appea∣rance of curiositie, beeing completed; which if they had seen eyther in the beginning, or in the midst of the doing, or before the accompli∣shing; they would haue beene so farre from ad∣miring the same, that they could haue holpen, and beene partakers of the action therof them∣selues. And though there cannot (nor nee∣deth not) bee such Rules prescribed for Capi∣tall Letters, as for Single and Double; yet there be sufficiencie of Rules heere concerning them:

and what is pretermitted in the one, is remit∣ted to the other: and that not by direction of Precept, but by due consideration, and diligent attention, of the peruser. Thus much concer∣ning the Preambles, and introduction to Let∣ters, and the absence or retaining of Capitals foorth of thy sight, so long as thou art weake, untill a more convenient time, that thou bee readier for them, as for stronger Foode.