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http://i.imgur.com/tCa9GRr.jpg This book was published in 1695. The calligraphy was written by John Ayres and engraved by John Sturt (who taught George Bickham to engrave). The scans are on flickr here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/ow8zp7z A short biography of John Ayres may be found here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/qxuguuw You can download a .zip file with all the scans in here: https://mega.co.nz/#!mY9TzKwS!TT39DFPUq5Yy-bvFMW89wAhdbNB7klsKaAvB9i5BAEc I would particularly like to direct your attention to the stroke by stroke examples of Secretary hand here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869079806/in/set-72157637694788643 And Court hand: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869396693/in/set-72157637694788643 The large beautiful flourished capitals suitable for Old English, Secretary hand etc: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869379023/in/set-72157637694788643 And some beautiful examples of Court, Chancery, Secretary, Old English etc: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869008595/in/set-72157637694788643 http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869195924/in/set-72157637694788643 http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869097166/in/set-72157637694788643 http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869066445/in/set-72157637694788643 http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/10869401413/in/set-72157637694788643 I apologize for not being able to fully scan the plate w/the portrait of Ayres on: the binding of the book was in such poor condition that I had to do some jiggery pokery to get it flat and I couldn't quite scan that one plate fully. The court hand is very beautiful, but also rather hard to read, there is a book here which will help you read it: https://archive.org/stream/courthandrestore00wrigrich#page/n5/mode/2up Here are a few plates from "A Tutor To Penmanship": http://i.imgur.com/iyAu63z.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ladHWUw.jpg http://i.imgur.com/XA8p78e.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/QFgaUVj.jpg http://i.imgur.com/BT2QAIT.jpg http://i.imgur.com/rVNaj7t.jpg (The first plate above says "Bartholomeus it is meete and most convenient" etc etc) Richard Gething was born in Herefordshire, perhaps in 1585, and at some point in his life travelled to and worked in London. Massey describes him as being in the company of the "heads and fathers" of English calligraphy and that he deserves our "highest commendation". You might have heard of or read Sir Ambrose Heal's "The English Writing - Masters and Their Copybooks 1570 - 1800": this copy of Calligraphotechnia once belonged to him and has his bookplates and some notes by him written in it. This book also once belonged to one Nathaniell Adams, who wrote his name in it in 1654(? not sure about the last digit). Note the elaborate knot which is part of his signature. There is a specific name for such a knot, but I forgot what it was. Short biography of Richard Gething here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/qgn9p89 A .zip containing all the scans is here: https://mega.co.nz/#!SJ0mXDRL!F4dU8mcqB0SR25_cULhQCA6_M2h4GH2lqf__QAu0RPs And I've uploaded the scans on flickr here: http://tinyurl.com/ou9oh93