A Most brief, easy and plain receipt for fair writing.  
Wherein the Author being well acquainted with the causes, which in these days hinders it, hath for the good of his Country, so distinguished and broken every particular letter for the true making thereof, and so perfectly and plainly showed the ready way of true joining the same.  
Both for the Roman and Secretary hands, as any one of ordinary years and capacity, not hindering any other business, may at his idle times by his own private practice, in short time attain to write, to serve very good uses either in office or otherwise.  
AT LONDON Printed by E. A. for john Perin, and are to be sold in Paul's Churchyard at the sign of the Angel.   

To the right Worshipful my singular good Master, M. Thomas paul Esquire, one of the six Clerks of her majesties most honourable Court of Chancery. W. P. wisheth all happiness with increase of spiritual blessings in the greatest measure.  
RIght worshipful I have here undertaken a work, how profitable, I refer to the event. And for that I had no better means then this to manifest my duty I have presumed to make your W. the patron of my travel: wherein if you shallbe pleased to allow me your ordinary favour, it will be of force sufficient not only to defend me from the greatest adversary, but also to arm and encourage me to a work of better effect. Thus as I have presumed to commit unto your W. this my first crop, so will I in my best exercises commend all your actions to be governed by the Lord.  
Your W. most bounden servant in the highest degree of his duty. W. Bank.   

To the Reader.  
GEntle Reader, in respect that many would willingly attain the perfection of writing, and cannot, either for that their abiding is too far off, or held back by occasion of business or otherwise (which is most like, 
Such as teach by great. ) that some newly sprung in that knowledge, have rated it so high as the greater sort that would, cannot, by reason of the price, and other better able for the same cause will not. This Author hath devised such plain, easy, & exact, rules for fair writing, 
Though they never handled pen.  as any one of ordinary years and capacity, (much more they of greater judgement) not subject to impediment, may in a short space, at idle times not hindering their other business, and by their own private practice attain, to write both the secretary, and roman hand, to serve very good uses either in office or otherwise.  
And to the end, that he would avoid all occasions that might hinder his honest meaning in this his profitable work: he promiseth to such as shall buy his book, that whatsoever either in the same, or otherwise belonging to writing shall seem hard, that he will gratis show it them by word of mouth, if they repair unto him. Vltimo Septembris. 1591.  
Quod ignoras, ne doceas. W. Panke.   

First I have thought good to begin with the breaking of every particular letter.  
FOr your _____ the plainest and easiest way is that you make the first part round thus _____ (for to make it otherwise will seem hard to a learner) then, from the uttermost part thereof, towards your right hand, make a small stroke thus _____ which done, set on your pen where you fastened your last stroke, and from thence draw down a strait stroke no lower than your first compass thus. _____  
your _____ is thus made. First make a slope stroke thus _____ at the upper end whereof set your pen, and turning it over a little towards your left hand thus _____ bring it strait down so far as your line that you writ upon thus _____ which done, set your pen a little behind the end thereof thus _____ and bringing it strait forward thus _____ than turn it up round in this manner _____  
Your _____ is easily made with a strait stroke thus _____ which done, set your pen on the top of it, and with the edge as small as you can draw a stroke from your right hand forward, half so long as your first strait stroke thus _____  
Your _____ is made with the half of the first part of your _____ thus _____ which done, make a strait slope stroke joining to the highest part of your former compass thus _____ and so at once close him round, so as it may still keep his compass as an _____ thus _____  
For your _____ make your first part of the _____ thus _____ which done, join to the head of it another like compass, half as big as the first thus _____  
For your _____ the plainest and easiest way for a learner, is to make it as you made the first part of your _____ thus _____ and than strike the same stroke somewhat longer thus _____  
Your _____ is made with the first stroke of your _____ thus _____ turned round at the foot just as high as the first stroke thus _____ which done, set your pen where you last took it off, and drawing it down as low as the head of your _____ is long thus _____ turn it quickly with the edge of your pen towards your left hand thus _____ and close it at the head in the same manner and with the same stroke as you made your _____ thus _____  
Your _____ is made with the first part of your _____ thus _____ which done, set your pen in the lowest part of it, and with the edge of your pen make a very small stroke, and carry it slope a little way thus _____ which done, turn it round thus _____ and in the turning it from the end of the compass, draw a slope stroke towards your left hand near the length of the body thus _____ then set your pen at the end thereof and turn it up round lightly towards the belly with a reasonable compass thus _____  
Your _____ is easily made, for it is simply the first part of your _____ or the last stroke of your _____  
Your _____ is made with the first part of your _____ thus _____ with the same foot that your _____ is before it is turned round thus _____ than make a small compass which is the eye, as near the midst as you can thus _____ and in the midst just between the eye and the foot make a stroke through thus _____  
Your _____ is likewise easily made, for it is only the first part of your _____ thus _____  
Your _____ is made with the first part of your _____ thus _____ then set your pen at the foot of the same stroke and carry up your hand a slope from the foot to the head with the edge of your pen thus _____ then from the top of the same stroke bring down such another stroke as your first and no lower, thus _____ then from the foot of the second strait stroke, carry up another slope stroke as you did before: and so from the head of that slope stroke bring down a third strait stroke thus _____ and your _____ is made.  
Your _____ I need not stand upon, for it is the two first strait strokes of your _____ thus _____  
Your _____ is simple the first part of your _____ thus _____  
Your _____ is made with the first part of your _____ or _____ saving that it must be somewhat slope towards the right hand, and turning back a very little towards the left hand thus _____ then at the foot thereof and a little behind it set your pen and make the same compass as you did to the belly of your _____ thus _____ then setting your pen where you took it of last and make a strait stroke as low as the first part of your _____ is long, thus _____  
Your _____ is simply your _____ saving that you must bring down the first stroke of your _____ as far below the proportion of your _____ as your _____ is long, thus _____  
Your _____ is easily made also, for if you mark it it is but the first part of your _____ thus _____ then setting your pen just in the midst of the lowest flat stroke thus _____ carry up your hand directly as high and no higher than your first stroke, and withal with the edge of your pen at the top of the same stroke, strike the like small stroke as you did to the head of your _____ thus _____  
Your _____ which we call the long _____ is best made as you make your _____ (till you be more perfect) except that the lowest part of the head must be somewhat further off from the body of it thus _____  
Your _____ which we call the round or little _____ is easiest made with your _____ thus _____ at the highest part whereof toward your right hand set your pen and draw a little slope stroke thus _____ which turned backward a very little towards the left hand makes your _____  
Your _____ is a strait full stroke, saving that the top of it is somewhat slope thus _____ and the stroke through the same must you make no nearer nor higher from the foot of it then that between the same stroke and the foot you may easily make an _____ thus _____  
Your _____ is already showed you, for it is the first whole part of your _____ thus _____  
Your _____ is likewise your _____ saving that the last part is your single _____ or the head of your _____ thus _____  
Your _____ is made with a slope stroke thus _____ turned up round from the foot to the head thus _____ then setting your pen where you last took it off, compass it round to your right hand thus _____  
your _____ is very easy, for it is but the first part of your _____ thus _____ with the tail of your _____ joined to it thus. _____  

NOw that I have showed you the breaking and making of every particular letter in the cross row, it is as necessary to show you how to join and set them in their order.  
first you must specially mark how many of your letters have whites or compasses.  
And every one of them in words as they fall out, must you as near as you can make of like bigness, as for example _____ and your blacks which is all the strokes in every letter also: must be of like fullness as near as you can: yet for your _____ and _____ it is tolerable that you make them fuller than the rest.  
All the letters in the cross row excepting _____ are to be joined to the foot of them thus _____  
There is no other letters to be joined but these that follow, and they must be joined thus _____ all the rest must stand as close as they that join, as thus _____ etc. saving the _____ which you may join thus _____  
Must you join all your letters alike as _____ and as you thus join your _____ to every of these particular letters, so must you do also all your other letters, excepting _____ which you may closely set by thus _____  
All your letters must stand close _____ not joining to the belly, as _____ &c. I set no more examples for that these letters are in effect the beginnings to all the rest of the letters in the cross row.  
It is sufficient that you set the usual letters that follows it in this manner _____ for you shall never have any other letter follow _____ besides _____  
You must set every letter that follows it, as near to the body of it, as the rest of your letters stand one from another thus _____ you must set all the letters thus _____  
FOr the setting of your words, the distance of them is usually known: viz. between every word the space of an _____ and as you keep equal distance between your words, the like care must you have for your letters, that they stand not one wider or closer, or one higher or lower than another.    

For the Roman hand.  

The Distinguishing of Letters.  
TO learn to make your letters speedily.  
First especially mark how many letters are made after one fashion, by noting whereof you shall very easily attain to the making of all your letters, as for example. Make the half of a compass somewhat longer than your secretary _____ thus _____ which makes the _____  
The next is a slope stroke towards your left hand thus _____ which is the first part of your _____ whereby you shall make your _____  
The next is this little stroke somewhat slope, and a little longer than your secretary _____ thus _____ which is a letter of itself called _____ whereby you make _____ and by drawing it somewhat longer thus _____ makes your _____ with the first stroke of your _____ turned backward thus _____  
The little _____ having their proportion of themselves. I will show how to make them afterward in the true making of letters.  
Now that I have thus distinguished every letter, I will likewise show you how every letter is made by himself.   

The making of the Letters.  
THe _____ is made with his first compass as before thus _____ which done, set your pen on the highest part thereof where you first began it, and from thence draw down a stroke like unto your _____ as low and no lower than your first compass thus _____  
The _____ is made with the first stroke as before thus _____ which done, set your pen just above the foot as high as you mean to make the rest of your letters in depth thus _____ and so carrying it round as I showed you in the head of your _____ close him just in the foot as round as you can thus _____  
The _____ is simply your first part of your _____ thus _____ saving that at the head you must make it somewhat full thus _____  
The _____ is also your _____ and till you grow somewhat perfect, when you should make a _____ make an _____ and than to the highest corner join cleanly the first part of your _____ thus _____  
The _____ is also your _____ turned in a little at the head thus _____  
The _____ is also the first part of your _____ being just in the midst turned backward like the foot of your _____ thus _____  
The _____ is also your _____ being brought down a little way with a slope stroke thus _____ then carry your pen with a small stroke somewhat compass toward your left hand thus _____ and from thence carry him with another slope stroke back towards your right hand and up to the head of your _____ thus _____  
The _____ is made as your _____ saving that you must leave it open only at the foot thus _____  
The _____ is made before _____  
The _____ is made with the first stroke of your _____ thus _____ then as high from the foot of the stroke as the top of the belly of your _____ or _____ make a little eye thus _____ at the lowest end whereof set your pen and make a slope struck no lower than the foot of the first stroke thus _____  
The _____ is only the first part of your _____ thus _____  
The _____ and _____ is thus made, first with your then from the midst thereof make a small slope stroke with the edge of your pen as high & no higher than your first stroke thus _____ that done, set your pen at the top of that last small stroke and make another little stroke as your first no lower than the same, nor wider nor closer at head then at foot thus _____ and so for the third stroke do in all respects as you did for the second thus _____  
The _____ is easily made for it is but the first part of your _____ turned round to the head thus _____  
The _____ is only the latter half of your _____ thus _____ with the belly of your _____ thus _____  
The _____ is only your _____ saving that your must make the last part of it somewhat longer thus _____  
The _____ is only the first part of your _____ thus _____  
The little _____ hath his proportion of himself and the easiest way for a learner is to make a little compass thus small _____ and so to make the like backward joining to the bottom of the first thus _____  
The _____ is simply your _____ saving that it must be a little longer upward thus _____  
The single _____ is but two strokes like your _____ joined together at the foot, and one no higher nor lower than another nor wider at head then at foot thus _____  
This _____ is also a single _____ and it is thus made. First make such a stroke as this _____ then set your pen at the end thereof, and with the edge of your pen make a slope struck up towards your left hand thus _____ and so at once carry it compass up as high and no higher than your first stroke thus _____  
The _____ is only two of those compasses joined together thus _____  
The _____ is made with the head of your _____ thus _____ and the first part of your _____ thus _____ joined together _____  
TOuching the joining of this hand, I take it, that there is no necessity therein, for it is most usually written unjoined & commendable. Therefore in my opinion when you have attained the perfection of the letter, if you will observe but a reasonable distance in the setting of your letters & likewise in your words you shall find it more easy and best. For joining of the letters willbe (in a learner) a cause of close writing, which in a Roman hand is not tolerable.   
FINIS.