A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs

Some woodcuts from “A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs Be Your Gods” by John Ray, 1737. John Ray was a clergyman and a biologist and naturalist; he was born on the 29th day of June, 1628, and named John Wray; he changed his name to Ray when he was 42. He died in 1705.

John Ray Initiative

Title Page

Title Page from John Ray’s book of English proverbs. [more...]

294x500 42K, 461x783 91K, 615x1045 155K, 820x1393 259K

Chapter Heading Woodcut featuring Neptune and Mermaids

A decorative woodcut from above the Introduction; it is not related to the text. The engraving features Neptune, the God of the Ocean; he is naked, crowned, complete with trident, and rides a chariot with [...] [more...]

500x176 39K, 375x132 22K, 925x326 117K, 1233x435 189K, 1644x579 307K, 2055x724 425K, 2739x966 615K

Initial Letter T Woodcut

A decorative initial letter “T” used as a drop cap (drop capital). It features palm trees and buildings in the background, perhaps intended to be evocative of the Holy Land. [more...]

489x500 83K, 65x66 2K, 86x88 4K, 115x118 7K, 155x158 11K, 206x210 19K, 275x281 32K, 367x375 52K, 717x733 141K, 956x977 185K, 1275x1303 272K, 1700x1737 353K

Chapter Heading Woodcut featuring Eagle

This decorative woodcut was at the start of the preface; the woodcuts do not appear to bear any relation to the text, but are purely decorative. This one features an eagle, the symbol of the Roman Empire, and,more recently, or the German [...] [more...]

500x155 34K, 158x49 4K, 211x66 7K, 281x87 12K, 375x117 20K, 667x207 57K, 890x277 92K, 1187x369 148K, 1583x492 233K, 1978x615 321K, 2637x820 466K

Initial letter B Woodcut

A decorative initial letter “B” used as a drop cap (drop capital) at the start of a paragraph. The woodut (or wood engraving) shows a tree and a building in the background. I have included multiple sizes, including 100x100 and 64x64 pixels, for use as avatars, as well as the [...] [more...]

480x500 69K, 48x48 1K, 56x56 1K, 64x64 2K, 75x75 3K, 100x100 4K, 269x280 31K, 360x375 47K, 861x897 132K, 1721x1794 284K

Chapter end decoration: eagles

A decoration centered after the text of a chapter. I’ve made lots of sizes so you can use it on Web page. The woodcut was clearly fairly old and damaged, and it is not [...] [more...]

500x321 43K, 118x76 3K, 158x101 6K, 210x135 9K, 281x181 16K, 375x241 27K, 669x430 70K, 892x573 111K, 1115x716 152K, 2230x1433 377K

Chapter Heading Woodcut Featuring Soldiers on Horesback with Spears

A decorative woodcut from above the section entitled Proverbs and Proverbial Observsations cocerning Husbandry, Weather, and the Seasons of the Year. It is not related to the text. The engraving features a battle of warriors or soldiers with spears and shields. I suspect it is based on the carved side of an ancient Hellenistic (Greek) sarcophagus thought [...] [more...]

500x173 43K, 281x97 13K, 375x130 24K, 680x235 72K, 907x313 129K, 1210x418 209K, 1613x557 323K, 2016x696 443K, 2688x928 568K

Chapter end decoration: cherubs

Two cherubs (naked, winged children) sit amongst ornate rococo foliage, apparently discoursing. This decoration was used to fill space at the end of a chapter, and to show that the text had ended. [more...]

500x375 51K, 100x75 3K, 211x158 11K, 375x281 31K, 800x600 107K, 1024x768 172K, 1600x1200 329K, 2575x1984 385K (wallpaper)

$Id: mkgallery,v 1.64 2008/01/02 04:05:10 lee Exp lee $