Sculptura, or, The history, and art of chalcography and engraving in copper

EEBO has the encoded text to this.

John Evelyn begins his letter with praise to Robert Boyle for requesting this book, but with further praise for Giacomo Maria Favi. Favi seems to have collected his own history of the trades, upon which Evelyn relies. Evelyn follows this mode by distinguishing sculptura from all other related arts.

Evelyn's history begins with Adam, who is said to have printed an herbal according to Thomas Aquinas' De ente & essentia. Either Adam or Raziel invented letters, according to Evelyn, though he doesn't believe that Trismegistus recovered Adam's books. By the time of Moses, Evelyn has the first record of "graven images," though they must have predated the commandment in Egypt and other wicked kingdoms. He chronicles books supposed to derive from the Old Testament, then the progress of sculpture in antiquity. In one same paragraph, Evelyn recounts an anecdote from Pliny that ancient Greece had as many statues as men. Later in the paragraph, Evelyn comments on an anecdote that Alexander only allowed himself to be painted by Apelles and Lysippus, and engraved by Pyrogeteles. This is quite in contrast, Evelyn says, to Queen Elizabeth:

Had Queen Elizabeth been thus circumſpect , there had not been
ſo many vile copies multiplyed from an ill Painting ; as being call'd in, and brought to Eſſex-houſe , did for ſeveral years, furniſh to the Paſtry-men with Peels for the uſe of their Ovens. (page 25 sig. C5v)

The largest chapter, which follows, describes the emergence of engraving through extensive descriptions of famous engravers. He distinguishes in his lists between copperplate engravers, engravers of medallions, and woodutters. He has very high praise for "Albert Durer" as a copperplate engraver and as a woodcutter. Cranach receivse relatively little attention, though Evelyn does say this:

Lucas Cranach, Tiltings, Huntings, German Habits, and the Portraicts of all the Dukes of Saxony to his time : (page 84 sig. G2v)

and of Hollar:

 Winceſlaus Hollar a Gentleman of Bohemia, comes in the next place, not that he is not before moſt of the reſt for his choyce and great induſtry ( for we rank them very promiſcuouſly both as to time and preheminence ) but to bring up the Rear of the Germans with a deſerving perſon ; whoſe indefatigable works in Aqua Fortis do infinitely recommend themſelves by the excellent choyce which he hath made of the rare things furniſh'd  out of the Arundelian collection ; and from moſt of the be<ſt hands, and deſigns; for ſuch were thoſe of Leonardo da Vinci ; Fr. Parmenſis, Titian, Jul. Roman, A. Mantenio, Corregio, Perino del Vago, A. Urbin, Seb. del Piombo, Palma, Alb. Durre, Hans Holbein, Vandike, Rubens, Bereugle, Baſſan, Ælſheimer, Brower, Artois, and divers other Maſters of prime note, whoſe Drawings and Paintings he hath faithfully copied ; beſides ſeveral books of Landskips, Townes, Solemnities, Hiſtories, Heads, Beasts, Fauls, Inſects, Veſſels, and other ſignal pieces, not ommiting [sic] what he hath Etched after De Clyne, Mr. Streter , and Dankert, for Sr. Phil. Stapletons Juvenal, Mr. Roſs his Silius , Polyglotta Biblia , the Monasticon, firſt and ſecond part, Mr. Dugdales Paules, and Survey of Warwickſhire, with other innumerable Frontiſpieces, and things by him publiſhed and done after the life ; and to be (eo nomine) more valued and eſteemed, then where there has been more curioſity about Chimæras,and things which are not in Nature : ſo that of Mr. Hollars works we may juſtly pronounce, there is not a more uſeful,and intuitive Collection to be made. (pages 81-2 sig. G1r-v)

and later,

... [We would enjoy] more Landskips,and views of the Environs , Approaches and Proſpects of our nobly ſituated Metropolis,Greenwich,Windſor and other Parts upon the goodly Thames;and in which ( as we ſaid ) Mr. Hollar has ſo worthily merited, and other countries abound with, to the immenſe refreſhment of the Curious , and Honour of the induſtrious Artiſt : and ſuch we farther wiſh, might now and then be encourag'd to travail into the Levantine parts; Indies East and West ; from whoſe hands we might hope to receive innumerable, and true Deſignes drawn after the life, of thoſe ſurpriſing Landskips , memorable Places, Cities, Iſles, Trees, Plants, Flowers, and Animals, &c. which are now ſo lamely, and ſo wretchedly preſented, and obtruded upon us by the Ignorant, and for want of abilities to reforme them. (page 101 sig. H3r)

Evelyn touches several times on the idea of a hieroglyphical language. First (EEBO text):

Couvay has engraven the three devout Captive Knights, and what may appear very extraordinary, ut quae celant nomina cae∣latura aperiat, the first part of Despauteri∣us's Grammar in picture, or Hieroglyphic for the Duke of Anjouthe now Monsieur. (p. 89)

Then,

We did mention before the Hieroglyp•ical Grammar published by Dr. Couvay; and it is well known, howEilhardus Lubinus in an Epistle to the Duke of Stetin, has celebrated and con∣triv'd an Institution of youth by this Art:Such as was also the Design of that Prodi∣gie of a Man, La Martelay, who had alrea∣dy collected and digested such a choice num∣ber of cuts, and so universall, as by which he more then pretended (for he really effected it) to reach all thesciences by them alone, and that with as much cer∣titude, and infinite more expedition, then by the most accurate method that was ever yet produced: (p. 139) 

There's an interesting passage, during a defense of pen-drawing, when Evelyn describes Raphael's cartoons as narrative:

To theſe we add Rob. Nanteuil at Paris, and of our own Country-men, thoſe eight, or ten Drawings by the pen of Francis, and John Cleyn, two hopefull (but now deſceaſed ) Brothers, after thoſe great Cartoons of Raphael, containing the ſtories of the Acts of the Apoſtles, where in fraternal emulation, they have done ſuch work... (page 111 sig. H8r)

The first engraving appears on an unmarked p. 121 (sig. H5r).  It's plate marks are faint, but visible at points The plate was not tipped in, since it fits in with the octavo collation. There are two framed illustrations in this engraving, vertically stacked. The upper engraving depicts, from left to right, a ball on a featureless surface with a shadow cast on it from a frame, to the right. That frame is tilted to the left, with some small string applying tension from the out-of-frame upper right. The frame casts dotted lines of shadows perpendicular to its threads. To the right of the frame on the featureless surface are a right-angle, three engraving tools, and a small cushion with a braided seam. The right-angle casts a small shadow that reaches out of frame. The lower engraving depicts, from left to right, dotted lines from a light source, out of frame and to the upper left. These lines follow the light source through a frame, tilted to the right but with a strap applying tension from out of frame, to the upper left. This frame also has threads, and dotted lines running perpendicular to the threads and away from the light source. To the right is a bust of a woman's head, with long hair that has been tied back without visible pins or strings.

Here's how Evelyn describes this plate:

Suppoſe, in the upmoſt Figure of this plate, the object (O) to be the repreſentation in perſpective of the portion of a Bowle, expos'd to the beams of the Sun ; and the letters e.s.r.t. a frame, or ſquare of Wood barr'd and ſtrung eveen and ſtraight lines, parallel inter ſe.

 Then another Thread, viz. m. n. croſſing them in perpendicular. The frame in the mean time ſuppos'd to incline towards the Bowle, O. 'twixt it, and the Sun, which repreſents to you all theſe threads projecting their ſhadowes upon the Bowle, and their ſurface where it is ſituate.

Suppoſe now the ſame upon the Relievo or Maſ s it ſelf ; it is evident, that theſe Threads, in whatever manner you interpoſe the ſaid Frame 'twixt the Bowle and the Sun, that they will perpetually caſt their ſhadowes parallel inter ſe, cutting it as it were, into ſeveral plains, uniforme, and parallel alſo. (page 122 sig. H5v)

 [The rest comes from the EEBO text]

Sun and a Head in Relievo of white marble, or the like (as in the inferiour example) will not render the shadow of the threads alike upon all the parts parallel inter se (as in the former) though the same were sup∣pos'd to be cut by like plain, and mutual Parallels as was the Bowle O. However, so shall they appear, as to hint the tracing of parallels on theRelievo, or assist the ima∣gination of them there, and consequently, how to designe them upon objects made •fter the same Ordonance in perspective pa∣•allel, as one may conceive them upon the Relievo of an Ordonance in Geometrical paral∣•el, viz. as in the Figure O. or to speak more distinctly, supposing them the same on the irregular, as one the regular.

Consider then upon the Head, the con∣course of those imaginary parallels in per∣spective, shaded with the pointed lines; and how the intercurrent hatches, which they comprehend, pursue the same course and tenor, or perspective parallelisine. (p. 123) 

I'm most interested in the indexical letters in the upper illustration. I'll need to revisit this when I'm less tired.

There's several pen trials on p. 137 of this copy, primarily on sig. X5r but thereby leaking onto X4v, X5v, X6r, and X6v.

Evelyn makes some interesting remarks when he turns to the virtue of teaching illustration (again, EEBO text):

Hence Aristotle informes us that theGrecians did universally institute their Children in the Art of painting and Drawing,* for an Oeconomique reason, there signified, as well as to produce propor∣tions in the Mind: Varro makes it part of the Ladies Education that they might the better skill in the works of Embrodery, &c. and for this cause is his Daughter Martia celebrated amongst those of her fair Sex: We have already mention'd the Learned Anna Schurman; but the Princess Louise has done wonders of this kind, and is famous throughout Europe for the many pieces which inrich our Cabinets, exam∣ples sufficient to vindicate its dignity, and

he value that has been set upon it; since both Emperours, Kings and Phil•sophers, the great and the wise, have not disdain∣ed to cultivate, and cherish this honoura∣ble quality; of old so nobly reputed, that amongst the Greeks, a Slavemight not be taught it: How passionately does Pereski∣us, that admirable and universal Genius de∣plore his want of dexterity in this Art! Baptista Alberti, Aldus, Pomponius Guaricus, Durer, and Rubens were politely learned and knowing men; and it is hardly to be imagin'd of how great use, and conducible, a competent address in this Art ofDrawing and Designing is to the several advantages which occur; and especially, to the more Noble MathematicalSciences, as we have already instanc'd in the Lunary works of Hevelius, and are no less obliged to ce∣lebrate some of our own Country-men famous for their dexterity in this incompa∣rable Art; such was that Blagrave, who himself cut those Diagramms in his Ma∣thematical Jewel; and such at present, is that rare and early prodigy of universal science, Dr. Chr. Wren, our worthy and accomplish'd friend. For, if the study of Eloquence and Rhetorick were cultivated by the greatest Genius's and Heroic persons

which the World has produc'd; and that by the suffrage of the most knowing, to be a perfect Orator, a man ought to be uni∣versally instructed; a quality so becoming and usefull, should never be neglected.*Omnium enim Artium peritus erit Orator, si de Omnibus ei dicendum est: He that would speak well upon all subjects, should be ig∣norant of none: It wasCicero that taught Quintilian the importance of it, where he tells us, that in his opinion, no man could pretend to beOmni laude cumu∣latus Orator,* a perfect and accomplish'd O∣rator indeed, nisi erit omnium reram mag∣narum atque Artium scientiam consecutus. It is the sentence of that great Man, and therefore to be embraced by us, especially on this occasion; because it was imme∣diately after he had expresly instanc'd in Caelatura & Sculptura, that of cutting and Engraving: for it is worth the observati∣on, that the Ages which did most excell in Eloquence, did also flourish most in these Arts, as in the time of Demosthenes and the same Cicero; and as they appear'd, so they commonly vanish'd together; and this remark is universal. (p. 132-4) 

Evelyn's book is also bound with The Art of Graveing and Etching by William Faithorne. Faithorne's name is underlined in pencil in this copy, and nearby is the initial "K." This is chock-full of engravings, though these have been tipped in.