For the choyce of your quills, and the
making of your pen.

Cap. 2.

Choose the second or third quill of euerie wing, bee=
ing round and hard; you may knowe them by the
narrownesse of the feather toward the end thereof:
then clense them well with the backe of your knife, and
tourne vpright the backe of the quill, and giue thereon a
little cutt, and with the end of the quill make the slit there=
of verie cleane without raggednes or teeth. In the ma=
king of your pen, obserue the olde verse, Dextra pars pen=
nae leuior breuior debet esse, The right side of your penne
more light and short must be: but in the fashioning there=
of, it is not so materiall as in the nicking of it, which is
the last cut, either vpon your naile, or vpon another quill,
yet make it as seemely as you can. In the nicking or
last cut of your penne, (which is the making or marring
thereof) you must be verie warie, that you cut not the
right side too short; for then your pen will beare too much
on the lefte hand, and so scratch the paper and scatter the
inke. The best way is, to cut it a little a slope, being shor=
ter towarde your right hand as you write therewith: or
els both the nebs to be of a length is almost as good: and
for the smalnes or bignes of your pen, if you desire to
haue it smaller, take the lesse off with your knife in the
nicking thereof: If you haue taken too much, then cut it
againe on the sides, till it be fit for your purpose. In the
nicking also of your pen, hold not your knife down right,
nor too much aslope, but indifferent between both. And for
hardnes or softnes of your penne, and to fit it to your own
hand as you may best write therewith. If your pen be
too hard, then pare the quill a little thinner on the backside
of the clift thereof, or make the clift of the neb somewhat
longer than ordinarie, or both, if one will not serue: but if
your pen be too soft, then make the clift and the neb there=
of somewhat shorter than ordinarie. If you be not pre=
sently prouided of quills hard inough, you may harden
your softe quills, by putting them into hote ashes, till
they bee for your purpose. And for your better memory
thereof, let these few verses serue.

Make choyce of quills, the best that may be found,
Of seconds or thirds, both hard, good, and round.
Then clense your quill well, and slit your pen cleane,
To better your writing, it will be the meane.
And with that old verselet your pen agree,
That the right side more light and short may be.
But in the nicking of your pen take heed,
That the right side be not too short indeed.
And if your pen be too weake or too stiffe,
Help it you may in the neb and the cliffe.
If it be hard, make neb and liffe longer:
If it be soft, then shorter and stronger.
Thus by this rule, (if well you vnderstand)
Soone may you make a pen fitt for your hand.

Peter Bales, 'The Key of Calygraphie', The Writing Schoolemaster (London, 1590).