The Hartlib Papers

There is invented an Instrument of small bulke, and of lesse then a crowne price, easily made and durable euen for a mans whole life time, whereby any man, euen as the first sight and handling, may write two exactly resembling copies of the same thing at once, as faire, and as fast (allowing two line upon each page for setting the Instruments &c) as by the ordinarie way. Of what nature or in what caracter, or upon what matter soeuer, as paper parchment a booke &c the said writing ought to be. There are besides many things of raritie and Curiositie to bee performed by this art, which by the reason the discoverie of them would giue cleere hints to the art it selfe, wee doe at present omitt to mention.

The use herof will bee very greate to Lawyers <&> Scriveners for the making of Indentures and all kind of counterparts, To Merchants Intelligencers, Registers Secretaries Clerks &c for copying of Letters Accompts Invoices, entring of Warrants &c To Schollers for transcribing of rare Manuscripts, and preserving originalls from falsification and all injuries of time. It lesseneth the labour of examination, serveth to discouer forgeries & Surreptitious copies, and to the transacting <of> all buisines of Writing as with ease and speede, so with privacy Lastly this New and necessarie Art of <profitable to> all men in all places of the world, euen to perpetuity may bee purchased at a most contemptible & and easie rate.

Wee whose names are hereunto subscribed doe testifie that William Petty Inventor of the Instrument for double and Multiple writing did produce two copies exactly resembling one another of the first chapter to the Hebrewes in lesse time then another sufficient and profest Writer did write one, the same beeing performed in a quarter of an hower. And this Wee are able to justifie upon Oath. Giuen under our hands at London this 22^th of December 1647

Memorandum That We did appointe him the said Chapter and marked the paper and that the time of fitting his Instruments thereunto was very inconsiderable.

Geo: Fletcher

William Bowe

humphrey Cliffe

Francis Lodwik W.

John Marius:   Tho Hurt

Mat: Fuller

Gerard van heythuysen

John Sweeting

George Vaudarie.