Exercitatio alphabetica nova et utilissima, variis expressa lingvis et characteribvs
Subtitle: raris ornamentis, vmbris & recessibvs, picture̦, architecturaeque speciosa : nusquam ante hac edita
By: Clementis Perreti Bruxellani, nondum 18. annum egressi, industria ; Cornelivs de Hooghe, sculptor literarũ
Contributors: Hooghe, Cornelis de, 1540-1583
Publisher: s.n.]
Published: 1569
Place of publication: [Antwerp
Language: lat
Subjects: Calligraphy; Early works to 1800; Alphabets; Penmanship
Other titles: Exercitatio alphabetica nova et utilissima, variis expressa linguis et characteribus
Notes: The first copper-plate writing manual. It lacks the additional leaf with Christopher Plantin's privilege that was added when he took over distribution of the work. However, it has the changes and corrections that were made at that time, including "variis" for "varys" as the 6th word of the title. It may therefore be one of the copies printed and sold at Amsterdam in the early 17th century, first by Cornelis Claesz and then by Hendrick Meurs, which naturally lack Plantin's privilege. See Ton Croiset van Uchelen, "The mysterious writing-master Clemens Perret and his two copy-books," in: Quaerendo, v. 17 (1987), 3-44.

First leaf is engraved title. It is followed by 33 engraved leaves of alphabets and calligraphy specimens in French, Dutch, English, Italian, Spanish, German, Latin. The leaves have been numbered I-XXXIIII, including the title leaf. All have elaborate grotesque borders, engraved by an unknown artist whose monogram (ATA) appears on the title leaf. Leaf XXII is in mirror writing.