THE Writing School-Master: OR, The Anatomy of Fair WRITING.  
Wherein is exactly expressed each several Character; Together With other Rules and Documents coincident to the Art of Fair and Speedy WRITING.  
By JOHN DAVIES of HEREFORD.  Vivit post Funera Virtus. 
Prov. Teach a Child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Apply thine heart to Instruction, and thine ears to the words of Knowledge, that it may be well with, thee in thy latter end.  
LONDON, Printed by S. Griffin for John Overton, and sold by him at his Hou●● at the Sign of the White-Horse in Little Britain, next the Gate. 1667. Wh you may have two famous Maps of the City of London, Before, and Since the Fire.   

DIRECTIONS.  
WHat measure of knowledge and practise it hath pleased God to lend me upon the account of Improvement, I have in the discharge of my duty, extended to the benefit of all whom it may concern, as well as to mine own Interest alone: chiefly to those who dwell in remote places, who want the help of Teachers; yea, and for the benefi of such Teachers also, as be any wise defective in Abilities.  
Hold your Head so straight up and evenlie, as that the Book or Paper whereon you writ, may be right before your Face; and your body so orderly, as that you lean not your Breast to the Table; as also your Elbows so close to your sides, as that your Arms may be kept straight forth; and the middle part of your Book or Paper so directly against the midst of your body, and so equally near at both ends, to that side or part of the Table next you, as the straight holding forth of your Arms will permit.  
Hold your Pen lightly on the point of your Thumb, almost touching the Nail thereof, the Fore-finger on the top, and the Middle-finger longest, at the upper part of the mouth; as also your Thumb, and all your Fingers extended to their full length; lest both the Hand depend not on the points of the third and fourth Fingers as it ought, and the Thumb crook or bow in the midst, the rest of the Fingers be subject to the like, and hinder the well-doing of the work. Likewise, take Ink with the mouth of the Pen downward, and shake the Pen over the Ink horn every time, lest you either make an uncleanlie Letter, or blot the Paper, or both.  
These things being thus carefully done, then draw two Rules( otherwise called double Rule) and writ the bodies of all Letters between those two Rules, and both ●he heads of all that have heads over the high Rule, and the feet of all that have feet under the low Rule, as far as the bodies are in length from the high Rule to the low, according to the measure used in Printing; which though it be not the tenth part so old as Writing, yet it hath come to a far greater perfection, according to the Rules of Art grounded upon Reason.  
Then for your better apprehending both of verbal Instruction, and literal Demonstration, it will be needful for you to understand those terms of Art which distinguish the divers passages of the Pen in Writing, which be Twelve in Number, according to the variety of the Letters, straight down, and straight up; straight forward, and straight backward; sloping up to the right hand, and sloping down to the left hand; sloping up to the left hand, and sloping down to the right hand; compassing down to the right hand, and compassing down to the left hand; compassing up to the left hand, and compassing up to the right hand.  
Having thus far proceeded, it is next to be considered, That there must be equal distance always kept between Letters in Words, between Words and Words, and between Lines and Lines, whiles the generality of the Writing continueth in an equal proportion, which being carefully observed, it will be fit time for you to begin, and form disjoined Letters severally, upon the aforementioned Rules, u●til you can writ them skilfully, if your capacity cannot reach the writing of them without Rule jointlie; and according as you come short in framing of them according to your copy, and have ●ot a Teacher to instruct you, it will be very requisite for you to examine and compare them with your pat●ern as you p●oceed, and then at your writing of them thenceforth, to avoid all such Errors as escaped in your first endeavours.  
Whether you be a new Beginner, or have made some progress before y●u are to writ very slowly, until you can writ skilfully, and then you may endeavour by d●grees to such speed thereafter, as you may still keep both the same form and sufficiency of Letter; but having attained some measure of perfection, when upon any occasion you are driven to such hast of businesses, as that you must needs writ fast, then you may serve your present need with all convenient expedition, and practise again with more care and deliberation, when you can spare more time; lest otherwise upon neglecting that needful task, you get such a habit of writing too speedily, as you will quiter forget to writ more exactly.  
For, Writing carefully and slowly, is to be used in all kind of Affairs, which requireth to be written perfectly, though it be only in the same form of Letter, which you writ in other things speedily; and yet in being so written, it will be better in regard of its speed, than a set form of Writing: so you will in short time know by your own experience, that both those ways of writing one form of Letter, are far more fit in their respective places, than to be so addicted to any one way of doing thereof, as that the other way should not be also used when there is need.  
And they may be so much the easier written, either slowly or speedily, in that they differ not in Letter, being one and the same, but only in length or shortness of time, whiles they are in doing, chiefly when the Letters are so framed, that any word without exception( according to my custom) may be written, before the removing of the Pen: Whereas the usual set form of Writing is much slower to be done, than the slowest way of this form, because it is of such a slow different Character, as requireth the Pen to be taken off the Paper, almost in framing of every Letter. Therefore, if the changing of such a slow set form into another, which in all these respects is better, both because it is as good a Letter, and much speedier and readier, is so good a novelty, that in such a necessary respect, it surpasseth that which is of antiquity.  
Now concerning the necessaries belonging to Writing, choose the clearest second, hardest third, and greatest first of a Goose-wing; which when you make, first scrape and rub, then out off about an Inch long from the Nib of the Quill, slit it up quickly, that it may writ cleanlie, and not too far, lest too much thereof be spent idelie: Then cut off so much of the point very carefully, as there may remain sufficient length of the Slit, for the size of the Letter, which you intend to writ, and make the upper part or mouth, to begin at the upper end of the slit, of such measure higher than the point, as that neither too much length should make it weak, or not give Ink, nor too much shortness cause it to blot: and it is requisite for the greater strength, that the mouth exceed not twice the length of the point: So much by literal instruction for the Pen.  
And if you desire to make Ink for your own use, and to pleasure others, take 12 Ounces of Nut Galls broken small, and put into a Quart of stale Beer, White-wine, or the half thereof vinegar; and when it hath been stirred about twice a day the space of a Week at least, strain out the liquour from the Galls, and put 9 Ounces of Copras therein, 6 Ounces of Gum-Arabick broken small, 3 Ounces of White Sugar, and 2 Ounces of Roch-allum: Among the Galls, you may put fully as much liquour, and but the half of the Ingredients you did before: and if within a Mo●th thereafter, it be as good as the former, you may use it in the same manner, otherwise a little more stuff and longer standing, will make it to your desire: But if you will have it ready in hast, boil it in an earthen Vessel half an hour on a slow Fire, that you may have the whole substance of the Galls by that means so much the sooner; for all the rest melts in the liquour; then you may throw out the husks of the Galls, and nothing will remain but clear Ink.  
Thus at the request of a worthy Friend, I have endeavoured to comprehend in these few pages, the substance of those two printed Sheets which are usuallie in Copie-Books, entitled, THE WRITING SCHOOLMASTER, whereof some particulars are contrary to mine own practise, to wit, The teaching of disjoined Letters, and writing on ruled Lines; others I have added, which are disagreeable to the common practise: But( I hope) upon good grounds of Reason, agreeable to mine own experience, namely, the limiting of heads and feet of written Letters, according to the length of printed Letters of the like size; and have not only rectified the Consusedness both of matter and order in those printed Sheets, and intermixed both necessary Rules, and pertinent words, where there was need: but likewise, instead both of some envious Discours●s against other Teachers, and other frivolous in high phrases( used by some) above the capacity of Learners, have added in very easy terms divers needful Directions for the use of Learners, over and above what was inserted in the printed Sheets. All which, in order to the improvement of mi●e own Talent, I wish may be profitable unto all who use the same for their need, hoping to publish many better things both of this, and other kinds, to the glory of God.  
DAVID BROWN.   

A particular Catalogue of Copper-Plates, Printed by and for John Overton, at the White Horse in Little britain, London. 1667.  
1. a New Map of the World. 2. Excellent Maps of the City of London, before and since the Fire, in Prospect and Ground plot. 3. A Map of England. 4. Scotland. 5. Ireland. 6. France, in single sheets, large paper. 7. Great britain and Ireland in four large sheets, with the Isles adjacent unto them; also the Battels fought in each Kingdom, expressed by Tents. 8. Kent in two sheets, with the High-ways from town to town, &c. not done before, &c. 2 Essex. 3. Surrey. 4. Warwickshire. 5. Hartforsshire, not any the like Map extant. 6. Suffolk. 7. Norfolk. 8. Northamptonshire. 9. Staffordshire. 10. Leicestershire and Rutland. 11. Worcestershire. 12. Cheshire. 13. Lancashire. 14. berkshire. 15. Somersetshire, with the scales of each Map, and the Distinctions of each Hundred, &c. 16. A new Map of Virginia, Mary-Land, &c. 17. The Arms, breasts, Supporters and mottoes of all the several Companies and Corporations of the famous City of London, as they now bear them described, by the Letters of their proper Clours, with the Arms of all the other Cities in the Nation. A Collection of sundry Signs and Badges, for Inns, Taverns, or Victualling-houses, to distinguish each Room by its name: in colours, and otherways.  
Large Sheets of Effigies and Stories in Colours and otherways.  
1. Orpheus playing to the Beasts. 2. The 4 Seasons of the year. 3. All the Kings of England, from William the Conqueror, to King Charles, in Heads. 4. X Commandments in 2 Tables. 5. Death his Anatomy, with the memory of the Righteous, and oblivion of the wicked, in sentences of Scripture. 6. The River of tine from the Sea to Newcastle, with the Soundings, places of Lading of Sea Callus and the minus, &c. 7. The Book of Flowers, Fruits, Beasts, Birds and flies, exactly drawn, Printed and sold by John Overton.[ The Five Senses. 4 Elements. 7 Liberal Arts. P. Lombards 4 parts of the World. 4 Winds. 4 Complexions. 4 Times of the day. 3 Graces. 9 Modern Worthies. 4 virtues.] 8. Large pieces, being rare Knots of Mr. E. Cocker, Master in Writing. 9. Originals and Copies of Sir Anth. Vandikes 4 of many sorts. 10. A rare Book of Folding, by Edward Pierce, for Painters, Carvers, Gentlemen, &c.  
These are Copy-Books.  
The Writing Schoolmaster, or the Anatomy of Fair Writing, wherein is expressed each several Character, together with other Rules coincident to the Art of fair and speedy Writing, by John Davies of Hereford. 2. A Copy-Book containing variety of Examples of all the most curious Hands written, with the Breaks of each letter, with the 3 usual and most necessary hands of our Nation, by Martin Billingsley Master in Writing. 3. Billingsley in small. 4. The Penmans Recreation, containing Examples of fair and speedy Writing, of excellent use for all such as aim at perfection therein, by James Hodar. 5. A Copy-Book of the usual Hands written in England, by Mr. Johnson. 6. Arts Glory, or the Penmans Treasury, containing various Examples of Secretary, Text, Roman and Italian Hands, adorned with curious Knots and Flourishes; also a Receipt for Ink, and to writ in Gold, by Edward Cocker. 7. The Pens Treasury, containing several Directions very useful, both for the Art of writing of true English, with choice experiments for such as practise Pen or pencil, by J. Fisher. 8. A Copy-Book containing plain and easy directions to Fair Writing, by Lewis Hughs. 9. A Copy-Book, or Fair Writing of several Hands used, Published by P. S. 10. A Copy-Book of the usual Hands written, with easy Rules, by which one may learn to writ of himself.  
The posture of the Musket and Pike, useful for the Practitioners thereof, as also for Officers.