The second part of Natural writing
Subtitle: containing the breakes of letters and their dependance on each other ; likewise various forms of business written in the most proper hands ; and also variety of ornament in several delightful fancies & designs ; the whole making a compleat body of penmanship / by G. Shelley ; George Bickham sculpt
Publisher: Sold by the author; printed and sold by Tho: Bowles in St. Pauls Church Yard, and Iohn Bowles at the Black Horse in Cornhill
Published: 1740
Place of publication: London
Language: eng
Number of pages: 34
Subjects: Copybooks; Early works to 1800; Penmanship
Notes: Maxted and Plomer locate John Bowles at the Black Horse between ca. 1740 and 1754.

Consists of engraved frontispiece portrait (plate 1); engraved title-page (plate 2); dedication (plate 3); recommendations (plate 4); 3 leaves of letterpress ([6] p.); and 30 engraved samples (plates 5-34).

First published in 1714; in the first edition, the first 4 engraved leaves are unnumbered; in addition, in this edition, the sample plate numbers have been changed.

Portrait after an original by G. Bickham.

Two states of leaf 5 are known to exist. In one, the letterpress advertisements at the bottom right begin "Books publish'd and sold by the author and print-sellers ..." and in the other they begin "At the publisher's of this may be had ..."

Heal, A. English writing-masters, p. 166-167.

Bonacini, C. Arte scrittorie, 1708.

Massey, W. Origin and progress of letters, Pt. II, p. 133-134.

From the collection of Abiah Holbrook.

Imperfect: lacking plate 29.

In this copy, the letterpress advertisements at the bottom right of leaf 5 begin: "Books publish'd and sold by the author and print-sellers ..."

Stiffened blue paper covers; in  case, 24.5 cm.