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 Comparations, or Descriptions, of Double Let∣ters severallie: shewing how they are made Double, and united.

SOme Double Letters of the former Alpha∣bet bee separable, and some unseparable: the separable bee 16 in number; to wit, the 4 c, 5, 6, 8, 9 e, 4 f, 4, 5 i, 4 l, 4 m, 4 n, 4 o, 4 p, 5 long s, 4 t, and the 1 double uu: and the inseparable, be 6; to wit, the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 double w. The separable are likewise of 2 sortes: some whereof are natural, or plaine; and other some artificiall, or curious: (artificiall, I say, in respect of their names or sound, as the same is pronounced in syllabica∣tion: for according to their externall fashion, they are more naturallie, at the least more close∣lie doubled, and conjoyned, than the other sort.) Naturall, or pla••ne, because they are dou∣bled, and united, with letters of one name, in the most common and easie manner: and arti∣ficiall, or curious, since they are composed of letters having 2 names, after a rare, compact, and obscure manner; notwithstanding their pronunciation bee of one at length. These that bee naturallie double, are 13, to wit, the 4 c, 4 f, 4, 5 i, 4 l, 4 m, 4 n, 4 o, 4 p, 5 s,

4 t, and the 1 uu. And these which bee ar∣tificiallie double bee 4. the 5, 6, 8 and 9 e; the composition whereof consiste••h most constant∣lie of these 2 sortes of one letter, the 2 and 7 e: the first whereof beeing composed with the 2 a (as ae, according to the fashion of the 5 e in the Alphabet) hath nothing changed in the composition, but the two letters united, the last part of the first, and the first part of the last, beeing set aboue others. Next, with the 2 o, as oe; and that by joyning of them like∣wise together. The last of the two sortes of e, is also componed with the seconde a, and that two wayes (as, beholde the 8 and 9 e in the Alphabet) each one whereof, signifying no lesse in Current Writ, than the former sorte of Diphthong 5 e, doeth in Set and Common: yet the letter a, is not exprest in anie of them, but understood in both for speeds cause; and these two sorts of conclusions, (l••ke tailes) which they haue, are put in place of the a; for making some difference betwixt them, and the other sortes: to wit, the remnant sorts of vowell e: for they beeing thus formed, are much spee∣dier to write; because each one of them is casten with one stroke, than being composed at length with the a, since then there must needes bee two.

And thus farre concerning the Variations, or Degressions; Divisions, or Denominations;

and Comparations, or Descriptions, of all the Letters comprehended in the former Alpha∣bet: which serveth both for a Table Characte∣ricall, by representing of the diversitie of most usuall Characters; and Syllabicall, by sounding of the Syllables comprehended in the names, or varietie of Letters.