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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.
Title: A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs
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.
![[picture: Detail: burning heart]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Ray-Proverbs/wm/big/025-detail-flaming-heart-q75-180x200.jpg "[picture: Detail: burning heart]")
A bad case of heartburn or a romantic metaphor? This heart on a pillar with flames coming out of it is a detail from a chapter head. I also made the heart is also a available by itself, without the flames or ornate pedastal or halo. [more...]
[$]![[picture: Initial letter B Woodcut]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Ray-Proverbs/wm/big/001-decorative-initial-letter-b-q85-192x200.jpg "[picture: Initial letter B Woodcut]")
![[picture: Chapter head with musical instruments]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Ray-Proverbs/wm/big/320-013-chapterhead-music-q26-350x200.jpg "[picture: Chapter head with musical instruments]")
Chapter head with musical instruments
Chapter headpieces like this were very popular in the eighteenth century; they remained in widespread use into the early 20th century as a low-cost way to make a book appear more expensive than it really was. There was quite a market in the engraved printing-blocks such as the [...] [more...]
[$]![[picture: Chapter Heading Woodcut Featuring Soldiers on Horesback with Spears]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Ray-Proverbs/wm/big/033-chapter-head-chariot-battle-q75-578x200.jpg "[picture: Chapter Heading Woodcut Featuring Soldiers on Horesback with Spears]")
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...]
[$]![[picture: Title Page]](https://www.fromoldbooks.org/Ray-Proverbs/wm/big/000-Title-Page-q75-118x200.jpg "[picture: Title Page]")
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.
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