It was followed, a few years later, by an 8vo Specimen Book, which, from its obvious resemblance to Caslon’s Book of 1764, we may judge to have seen the light about 1766.[594] This Specimen exhibits the Roman and Italic Founts from Five-line to Brevier, the Engrossing above mentioned, and five pages of Small Pica Flowers elaborately arranged. The general appearance is neat, each page being surrounded by a border. The Romans are cut after the Caslon models, and are fairly good, although a close inspection would suggest that Cottrell’s “genuine inclination” did not extend to the justifying of his matrices with the same success as to the cutting of the punches. The following note at the foot of the Long Primer on Bourgeois specimen is, perhaps, the most interesting feature of this book:― “This Foundery was begun in the Year 1757, and will (with God’s leave) be carried on, improved and enlarged, by Thomas Cottrell, Letter Founder, in London. “_N. B._ Served my apprenticeship to William Caslon, Esq.” Fournier, in the second part of his _Manuel Typographique_, 1766, mentions Cottrell’s Foundry, but in such a manner as to lead one to suppose he had never seen his specimen, or heard of it except by the vaguest hearsay. He mentions him as “Cottrell à Oxfort,” at the head of his list of English Founders.[595] {291} A more satisfactory contemporary record is contained in Luckombe’s _History and Art of Printing_, 1770, where pages 169 to 174 are occupied by specimens of the Engrossing and Flowers already exhibited in the specimen book, and a fount of English Domesday. This latter fount, which appears to have been completed subsequent to the issue of the specimen book, Cottrell cut under the inspection of Dr. Morton for the forthcoming issue of Domesday Book, begun in 1773, and “which”, Rowe Mores sarcastically observes, “if the undertakers go on as they have begun, will by domes-day hardly be finished.” The work was, however, finished and printed, but not in Cottrell’s type, his performance having been eclipsed by that of his old colleague and partner Jackson, who, after returning from sea in 1763, had worked for a short time at the Nevil’s Court Foundry, and then left to start business for himself, taking with him two of Cottrell’s workmen. Cottrell was at this period a private in the Life Guards; a position considered highly respectable in those days, and not at all incompatible with business pursuits. His military ardour evidently had its effect in the Foundry, for we find that Robinson and Hickson, his two workmen who left with Jackson, were also enlisted in the same service.