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 Divisions, or Denominations, of all the Letters of the Alphabet, declaring the severall sorts thereof by their names.

THe Letters of this Character are divided two manner of wayes, some thereof bee Capitals, and some not: the Capitall letters bee of two sortes, the one called Beginning Ca∣pitals, because they are commonlie used at the beginning of Bookes and Evidences, whereof in this Alphabet there is but one; to wit, the first Capitall A, placed heere not for it selfe abso∣lutelie, but in name and behalfe of all beginning Capitals of the whole remnant Letters of the Alphabet: as also in place of whatsoever plaine or curious sort of beginning Capitals can just∣lie belong unto this Character.

And although I haue spent (yea, rather mispent) much precious time, not onelie upon olde Capitall letters, both curiouslie made, and filled up, with Portraites, and all sortes of small Draughtes; but upon painting and inventing of new Capitall Letters, diverse formes of cu∣rious Writ and Comparthementes: likewise, in writing of Testificates, with Golde, Silver, diverse coloures of Inke, and sortes of Writ; and both of Great Evidences and Small, belonging unto Clerkeship and Notarie, with one fayre and legeable Hand: as also in writing often∣times

both of Compts of great Revenewes, and of extraordinarie small and compact writ, (to the great prejudice now of my sight, as in con∣taining of the LORDES PRAYER at length in lesse boundes than the scale of an Hairing) and manie other such needelesse curiosities: yet not∣withstanding, (to my simple judgement) plaine Capitals swiftlie done, and ordinarie, or easie writing, and drawing; bee as much more com∣mendable, as they are more readie than all these: even as sutes of gorgeous apparell, im∣brodered, passemented, and decored, be often∣times so much uncomelier, than fine plaine cloathing, as they are costlier. But indeede ei∣ther in rare employments at ordinarie times, or in ordinarie employments at extraordinarie oc∣casions, any that haue inclination, and corres∣pondent gifts to exercise themselues therea∣nent, shall haue my consent; yet not absolute∣lie, but conditionallie, that they protract not so much time as I haue done in so doing, though they haue never so much alloted unto them for that effect; for I know (by dolefull experience, I meane, by neglecting of better exercises and other learning) that those conceates are oftentimes more deceiueable, than profitable: and doubtlesse the travels thereof would bee infinite, were not the doers are finite; and for a finite person, to enterpryse anie infinite la∣bour, except the praysing of GOD, and turmoyle

himselfe therewith excessiuelie, and tediouslie, and then for little use, is (as testifieth the most wise, mightie, and experimented King that ever was, except our gracious Saviour) no∣thing else, but vanitie, and vexation of spirite.

The other sort of Capitall letters, are called middle Capitals, because they are frequentlie written within lines of writ alreadie begun, and that at the beginning of sentences and proper names; which be ofter different from the for∣mer sort, in quantitie and situation, than in qua∣litie and proportion: whereof in this Alphabet there be 3. to wit, the remnant Capitall sorts of A; which bee not placed heere for themselues onely, but both as so manie Attourneyes for the whole middle Capitals of all the remnant letters of the Alphabet; and for all plaine and curious sorts of middle Capitals, (of whatso∣ever proportion) which can anywise pertaine unto this Character.

These which bee not Capitals, are called Single and Double letters, (which stand in or∣der immediatelie after the Capitals throughout all the Alphabet to the ende) being 143. who list to number them.

Of the which there bee 121. Single letters, easie to bee knowne: and 22. Double, to wit, The 4. c in the Alphabet; (for hencefoorth I ••ust needes speake of them all according to their names and order, and not any more, by

demonstration of their forme, but directing by other letters to the Alphabet where they are) 5. 6. 8. 9. e, 4. f, 4. 5. i, 4. l, 4. m, 4. n, 4. o, 4. p, 5. s, 4. t, and all the 7. sorts of w.

As for the dividing of letters in vowels and consonants, and the subdividing thereof, I in∣sist not therein; because these divisions doe be∣long more to the nature of letters, than to their proportion: and therefore they are plainely enough divided in the Latine Grammar. Only heere, for knowing of them by their propor∣tion, I will distinguish the vowell sorts of i, and u, from the consonant sortes thereof, in this manner; to wit, the 1, 2, and 5 sortes of i, be vowels: the 3 sort of j, is a consonant: the 4 sort of ii, is a double vowel, or two conjuct vowels: and the 5 ji, is both a consonant and a vowel, conjoyned in one. Likewise the 1, 2, 3, and 5 single sorts of u, be vowels: & the first uu, is 2 vowels conjoyned: and the 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 sortes of v, be con∣sonantes; whereof 5 be single, and 6 double.

The which single and double sortes of let∣ters, before specified, bee first compared, or de∣scribed conjunctlie, (for the Rules cause) and then the double sortes severallie: both follo∣wing immediatelie in order.