This is a book of examples from old handwriting books, and covers some perhaps less familiar scripts from the Renaissance to the Age of Reason.
Honestly folks, this one is an absolute belter, and will keep anyone with a modicum of curiosity up until way past their bedtime. Here you will find cadels, fantastical flourishing, early Italic, strange precursors of copperplate and any amount of degenerate penmanship. Also some improbably long descenders. I'd say more, but wouldn't want to ruin the surprise.
Hard copies are available via Amazon; there are a number of scans available online of which this is one of the better ones. A pdf reader which will rotate the page will come in handy.
Penmanship of the XVI, XVII & XVIIIth centuries