Contractions made as I really found them in the different originals from whence they are extracted. The reason of my introducing a general Alphabet is, because many of the ancient Writings differ extremely from the Court and Chancery Hands. The different Characters are therefore here placed in one view; and if the Letter in doubt cannot be found in the Alphabets of the Court and Chancery Hands, it is more than probable it will appear in the general Alphabet, No. 18 or 19.
Barnard's Inn, March, 1773.
FOURTH EDITION.
To this Edition are added Copper Plates, exhibiting the various Hands in use from the time of William the Conqueror to that of Queen Elizabeth, from the Collection of the late Thomas Astle, Esq., with Explanations by John Caley, Esq., which cannot be better introduced than by the following Abstracts from Returns made by Mr. Astle and Mr. Caley to the Special Orders of the Select Committee on the Public Records of the Kingdom.
FIFTH EDITION.
To this Edition is also added an Explanation of the Contractions used in Printing the Records and Manuscripts copied in the Works printed under the direction of the Commissioners of Public Records.
