Verse
‘As spring the winter doth succeed’
Ellis, pp. 22-3. Hensley, p. 256. McElrath & Robb, pp. 226-7.
BdA 1
Copy by Simon Bradstreet, untitled, headed with the date ‘May. 13. 1657.’
In: A partly autograph octavo notebook of Anne Bradstreet, 74 pages, including a tipped-in leaf (plus 24 blank pages after p. [72]), in contemporary calf with remains of metal clasps. Pages 1-41 and [97-8] are her autograph copies largely of prose meditations written at the request of her second son, the Rev. Simon Bradstreet (1640-83), to whom she dedicated them, 20 March 1664, and one poem by her at the end dated 31 August 1669. Pages 43-66 comprise transcripts (‘A true Copy’) by Simon Bradstreet of his mother's (now lost) manuscript book ‘To my dear children’, including diary entries for 8 July 1656 to 18 July 1666, made by him after her death in 1672. Pages 66-7 contain a poem by her copied by him from a loose paper. Pages 69-72 were then occupied later by Latin translations of some of Anne Bradstreet's prose in the volume made in his younger days by her great-grandson Simon Bradstreet (d.1771). c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
This MS is the Andover MS. Purchased in 1954 by Buchanan Charles from the Seven Gables Bookstore, New York. Donated by him to the Stevens Memorial Library, Andover, Massachusetts, and since 1972 kept on deposit at Harvard. Inside the front cover are earlier inscriptions ‘Harrys His Book’ and ‘Saml. Bradstreet of the 7th Generation from the author 1849’.
Edited from this MS by all editors.
BdA 2
Copy by Sarah Bradstreet, headed with the date ‘May 13. 1657’.
In: A transcript of the Andover MS of works by Anne Bradstreet (Harvard MS Am 1007.1), including her son Simon's entries there, 100 octavo pages (plus 4 blank pages), in cardboard wrappers. Entirely in the hand of her daughter Sarah Hubbard (née Bradstreet) and signed by her inside the front cover ‘Sarah Bradstreet’. c.1670s.
Donated in 1934 by The Manning Association.
‘As weary pilgrim, now at rest’
Ellis, pp. 42-4. Hensley, pp. 294-5. McElrath & Robb, pp. 210-11.
*BdA 3
Autograph, untitled, dated at the end ‘Aug. 31 69’, on a tipped-in leaf.
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS by all editors. Facsimile of the last page in P.J. Croft, Autograph Poetry in the English Language, 2 vols (London, 1973), I, No. 48.
‘By night when others soundly slept’
Ellis, p. 11. Hensley, p. 246. McElrath & Robb, p. 220.
BdA 5
Copy by Simon Bradstreet, untitled, under a general heading ‘Here follow severall occasionall meditations. &c’.
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS by all editors.
BdA 6
Copy by Sarah Bradstreet, under a general heading ‘Here follows severall occasionall Meditations.’
In: the MS described under BdA 2. c.1670s.
Deliverc from a fitt of ffainting (‘Worthy art Thou o Ld of praise’)
Ellis, p. 15. Hensley, p. 249.
For Deliverc from a feaver (‘When Sorrowes had begyrt me rovnd’)
Ellis, pp. 12-13. Hensley, p. 247. McElrath & Robb, pp. 220-1.
For the restoration of my dear Husband from a burning Ague. June 1661 (‘When feares and sorrowes me besett’)
Ellis, p. 27. Hensley, p. 261. McElrath & Robb, pp. 229-30.
From another sore fitt. etc. (‘In my distresse I sovght ye Lord’)
Ellis, pp. 13-14. Hensley, p. 248. McElrath & Robb, pp. 221-2.
Here followes some verses vpon ye burning of or house, July 10th. 1666. Copyed ovt of a loose Paper. (‘In silent night when rest I took’)
Ellis, pp. 40-2. Hensley, pp. 292-3. McElrath & Robb, pp. 236-7.
In my Solitary houres in my dear husband his Absence (‘O Lord thou hear'st my dayly moan’)
Ellis, pp. 34-7. Hensley, pp. 267-8. McElrath & Robb, pp. 233-5.
In thankfull acknowledgmt for ye lrs rec'd. from my husband ovt of England (‘O Thou that hear'st ye prayers of Thine’)
Ellis, pp. 37-8. Hensley, p. 269. McElrath & Robb, p. 235.
In thankfull Remembrc for my dear husbands safe Arrivall. Sept. 3. 1662 (‘What shall I render to thy Name’)
Ellis, pp. 38-9. Hensley, p. 270. McElrath & Robb, pp. 235-6.
‘My Soul rejoice thou in thy God’
Ellis, pp. 18-19. Hensley, p. 253. McElrath & Robb, pp. 224-5.
‘My thankfull heart wth glorying Tongve’
Ellis, p. 26. Hensley, pp. 259-60. McElrath & Robb, pp. 228-9.
On my Sons Return out of England. July. 17. 1661 (‘All praise to him who hath now rurn'd’)
Ellis, pp. 28-31. Hensley, pp. 263-4. McElrath & Robb, pp. 230-1.
To my dear children (‘This Book by Any yet vnread’)
Ellis, p. 3. Hensley, p. 240. McElrath & Robb, p. 215.
BdA 29
Copy by Simon Bradstreet, under his rubric ‘A true Copy of a Book left by my hond & dear mother to her children & found among some papers after her Death.’
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS by all editors.
Vpon my Daughter Hannah Wiggin her recouery from a dangerous feaver (‘Bles't bee thy Name who did'st restore’)
Ellis, p. 28. Hensley, p. 262. McElrath & Robb, p. 230.
Vpon my dear & loving husband his goeing into England. Jan. 16. 1661 (‘O thov most high who rulest All’)
Ellis, pp. 32-4. Hensley, pp. 265-6. McElrath & Robb, pp. 232-3.
Vpon my Son Samuel his goeing for England Novem. 6. 1657 (‘Thou mighty God of Sea and Land’)
Ellis, pp. 24-5. Hensley, p. 258. McElrath & Robb, p. 228.
‘What God is like to him I serve’
Ellis, pp. 17-18. Hensley, pp. 251-2. McElrath & Robb, p. 224.
Prose
For my deare sonne Simon Bradstreet
Dedication, beginning ‘Parents perpetuate their liues in their posterity...’, dated 20 March 1664. Ellis, p. 47. Hensley, p. 271. McElrath & Robb, p. 195.
*BdA 39
Autograph.
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS by all editors. Facsimile of both pages in Ellis, pp. [45-6].
BdA 40
Autograph copy by Simon Bradstreet (d.1771), great-grandson of Anne Bradstreet, of his Latin translation of her dedicatory letter, headed ‘Ad Sim. Bradstreet filium charissimum meum’, beginning ‘In posteris Parentes vitam perpetuam faciunt...’, and subscribed ‘Hæc Epistola RomanoSermone versus est à Simone Bradstreet hujus Excellentissimæ Fæminæ Pronepote, cum sequentibus Meditatiunculis’. c.1720s.
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS in Ellis, p. 74.
Meditations Diuine and morall
77 prose meditations. Ellis, pp. 48-73. Hensley, pp. 272-91. McElrath & Robb, pp. 195-209.
*BdA 42
Autograph, subscribed by Simon Bradstreet ‘My hond. & dear mother intended to haue filled up this Book wth the like observations but was pvented by Death.’
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS by all editors.
BdA 43.5
Autograph copy by Simon Bradstreet (d.1771), great-grandson of Anne Bradstreet, of his Latin translation of the first four meditations, headed ‘Meditationes divinæ & Ethicæ’ and here beginning ‘Est nihil occulis visibile, hominum nullæ actiones...’. c.1720s.
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS in Ellis, pp. 75-6.
Meditations when my Soul hath been refreshed wth the Consolations wch the world knowes not
Entries in prose and verse, beginning ‘Lord, why should I doubt any more wn thov hast given me Such assured Pledges of thy Loue....’, and including prose meditations dated 8 July 1656, 28 August 1656, 11 May 1657, 30 September 1657, and 11 May 1661.
Ellis, pp. 16-39 (including verse. Prose on pp. 17, 20-6). Hensley, pp. 250-70 (including verse. Prose on pp. 250-1, 254-5, 257, 259). McElrath & Robb, pp. 223-9.
For verse, see BdA 1.
BdA 44
Copy by Simon Bradstreet, the prose sections on pp. 51-3, 54-5, 56-7, 58, and 61; the verse elsewhere.
In: the MS described under BdA 1. c.1664-72 [and additions c.1720s].
Edited from this MS by all editors.
BdA 45
Copy by Sarah Bradstreet, the prose passages on pp. [67-70, 74-6, 78-9, 86]. For the verse, see BdA 0000.
In: the MS described under BdA 2. c.1670s.
To my dear children
A prose address beginning ‘My dear children./ I knowing by experc . yt ye exhortats. of parents take most effect wn ye speakers leaue to speak...’. Ellis, pp. 3-10. Hensley, pp. 240-5. McElrath & Robb, pp. 215-19.