This site may be going away; please consider the Donate link above... or LiberaPay:

A huge thank you to all who have donated: 2025 October/November Web hosting paid


A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs (page 1/3)

details...

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: A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs

Author: Ray, John

Published by: J. Hughs

City: London

Date: 1737

Total items: 14

Out of copyright (called public domain in the USA), hence royalty-free for all purposes usage credit requested, or as marked.

Some sample images

[picture: Detail: engraved heart]

Detail: engraved heart

A wood engraving of a heart, taken from a $ this chapter head woodcut. [$]

[picture: Initial Letter T Woodcut]

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...] [$]

[picture: Chapter Heading Woodcut featuring Neptune and Mermaids]

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...] [$]

[picture: Chapter Heading woodcut featuring a flaming heart]

Chapter Heading woodcut featuring a flaming heart

This decorative woodcut was used at the top of the first page of a chapter or section, as a decorative element. It features a heart on a pillar; there are flames bursting out of the [...] [more...] [$]

[picture: Chapter end decoration: eagles]

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...] [$]


Tags in this source:

angels bare feet battles cartici chapterheads cherubs clipart decorations devils eagles fishing floriated borders flowers frames hearts horses initials letterb lettert mermaids musical instruments mythical creatures nudity ornaments page images passé partout initials people romance scrollwork tailpieces title pages transport vignetted initials vinework water weapons

Places shown:

none

Note: If you got here from a search engine and don’t see what you were looking for, it might have moved onto a different page within this gallery.