My (humble) ART Collection (Selected)
“Videritis,” 1698
Please note that the large, highly ornate initial letter “V”—the first letter of “Videritis” (meaning “you will see”)—is a decorative cadel (or drop cap) in a dense, blackletter style. This flourish likely indicates that a student of handwriting was about to explore letter-forms that would enhance a scribe’s dexterity with a quill.
Technical Details & Condition:
Original engraving on watermarked laid paper with full margins as issued. This engraving is based on a design by John Ayres (fl. 1680–1700) and is an illustration in Ayres’ “A Tutor to Penmanship,” a two-part copybook published in London in 1698, with a dedication to King William III.
The designs in the copybook were crafted for Ayres’ instruction in the art of fine penmanship, conducted at “Hand and Pen” near St. Paul’s Churchyard in London.
This plate and the publication can be viewed online at: https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_a-tutor-to-penmanship_ayres-john_1698/page/n47/mode/2up.