MS 92
A folio composite volume of state tracts and speeches, in various hands, xxiii + 149 leaves (and three blanks), in contemporary vellum with silk ties.
f. 62r-v
• ElQ 192: Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth's Speech at the Close of the Parliamentary Session, March 15, 1576
Copy, in a professional secretary hand, headed ‘Quene Elizabeths Answer to the L. and others in the Parliament .15.7.5. howse vpon Thursday xvo martij’.
Edited from this MS (as Text ii) in Hartley. Cited in Selected Works.
First published (from a lost MS) in Nugae Antiquae, ed. Henry Harington (London, 1804), I, 120-7.
Version I. Beginning ‘Do I see God's most sacred, holy Word and text of holy Writ drawn to so divers senses...’. Hartley, I, 471-3 (Text i). Collected Works, Speech 13, pp. 167-71. Selected Works, Speech 7, pp. 52-60.
Version II. Beginning ‘My lords, Do I see the Scriptures, God's word, in so many ways interpreted...’. Hartley, I, 473-5 (Text ii).
MS 100
A folio volume of parliamentary speeches from 3 March 1627/8 to 16 May 1628, in a single professional mixed hand, i + 303 leaves (plus two blanks), in contemporary calf. c.1628.
ff. 27r-9r
• RuB 18: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, c.20-22 March 1627/8
Copy, headed at the side ‘Sr. Beniamin Rudyard’.
Speech. Yale 1628, II, 58-60, two parallel versions: (1) beginning ‘This is the crisis of parliaments...’; (2) beginning ‘It is the goodness of God and the favour of the King...’; II, 68, third version, beginning ‘If we be thankful, all is well. By this we shall know whether parliaments will live or die...’; II, 73, fourth, brief reported version, beginning ‘We are not now upon the bene esse of our kingdom but the esse...’.
f. 94r-v
• RuB 47: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, c.2-9 April 1628
Copy, headed at the side ‘Sr. Ben: Rudyer’.
Speech beginning ‘The best thanks we can return his Matie for his gracious and religious answer...’.
f. 116r
• RuB 108: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, c.11 June 1628
Copy of a speech, headed at the side ‘Sr. Ben: Rudyard’.
Speech beginning ‘I hold the same ground still that I brought with me...’.
ff. 228r-30v
• RuB 67: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, 28 April 1628
Copy, headed at the side ‘Sr. Beniamin Rudyer’.
Speech beginning ‘We are here upon a great business...’. Yale 1628, III, 127-9 and 133-4. Variants: III, 138-9, 141, 143, and 161. Variant version in Manning, pp. 126-8.
f. 239r
• RuB 85: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, c.30 April 1628
Copy, headed ‘Sr Beniamyn Rudyer atc’.
Speech beginning ‘We have been long about framing of words for a strong law...’. Yale 1628, III, 172. Variant versions: III, 175, 179, 180, 181-2.
f. 240r
• RuB 87: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, early May 1628
Copy, headed ‘Sr. Beniamyn Rudyer’.
A brief speech beginning ‘I am sorry that that which I have said...’.
f. 298r-v
• RuB 89: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, May 1628
Copy, headed ‘Sr Beniamyn Rudyer’.
Speech beginning ‘Justice ought to be a great favourer of the Innocent...’.
f. 301r-v
• RuB 91: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, c.16 May 1628
Copy, headed ‘Sr. Beniamyn Rudyer’.
Speech beginning ‘I would we were as ready to reward as punish...’.
MS 113
A folio volume of state and Chancery tracts and letters, in several professional secretary hands, 89 leaves (plus blanks), in contemporary vellum with ties. c.1620s.
Inscriptions include (f. 1v) ‘John Charles Jones’ and ‘Thomas Stockton’ and (f. 2r) ‘W. G.’
ff. 27r-42r
• BcF 370.5: Francis Bacon, Speech(es)
Copies of five speeches by Bacon, including his inaugural speech as Lord Chancellor, 7 May 1617, and his speeches to Sir John Denham, to Serjeant Hutton, and to Sir William Jones, 19 May 1617.
ff. 43r-7r
• BcF 245.5: Francis Bacon, Ordinances in Chancery
Copy of 100 ordinances, headed ‘Ter: Hillar: 16to Jacob: Regis. 1618 / Ordinances made by Sr francis Bacon...’, followed (ff. 48r-9r) by fifteen ‘Addicionall rules’.
First published as Ordinances made by...Sir Francis Bacon Knight...being then Lord Chancellor For the better and more regular Administration of Iustice in the Chancery (London, 1642), beginning ‘No decree shall be reversed, altered, or explained, being once under the Great Seale...’. Spedding, VII, 755-74 (mentioning, on p. 757, having seen some ‘MSS and editions’ of this work but without specifying them or his copy-text).
ff. 65r-7v
• BcF 475: Francis Bacon, Bacon's Humble Submissions and Supplications
Copies of Bacon's submissions on 19 March 1620/1 and 22 April 1621.
The Humble Submissions and Supplications Bacon sent to the House of Lords, on 19 March 1620/1 (beginning ‘I humbly pray your Lordships all to make a favourable and true construction of my absence...’); 22 April 1621 (beginning ‘It may please your Lordships, I shall humbly crave at your Lordships' hands a benign interpretation...’); and 30 April 1621 (beginning ‘Upon advised consideration of the charge, descending into mine own conscience...’), written at the time of his indictment for corruption. Spedding, XIV, 215-16, 242-5, 252-62.
MS 127
A folio volume of political speeches, in one or more professional secretary hands, 53 leaves (plus numerous blanks), in contemporary vellum with ties. c.1620s.
ff. 1r-16v
• BcF 371: Francis Bacon, Speech(es)
Copy of five speeches by Bacon, including his inaugural speech as Lord Chancellor, 7 May 1617, and his speeches to Sir John Denham, to Serjeant Hutton and to Sir William Jones, 19 May 1617.
ff. 51v-3v
• ElQ 218: Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Elizabeth's First Reply to the Parliamentary Petitions Urging the Execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, November 12, 1586
Copy of Version II, headed ‘Notes of the Queenes speeche to the Lordes and comons of the Parliamt in answer of their peticon exhibited the xij of November 1586: by the Lo: Chancellor vnto her Matie: for ye speedie execucon of the Scotish Queene, as neere as my Capacity wthout tables could serve to note them, and my memory next morning might avayle to set them downe’.
Edited from this MS (as Text ii) in Hartley (pp. 254-8).
First published in Robert Cecil, The copie of a letter to the right honourable the Earle of Leycester (London, 1586).
Version I. Beginning ‘When I remember the bottomless depth of God's great benefits towards me...’. Hartley, II, 254-8 (Text ii, a summary) and II, 261 (cited only, as Text iv). Collected Works, Speech 17, pp. 186-90 (Version 1).
Version II. Beginning ‘The bottomless graces and immeasurable benefits bestowed upon me by the Almighty...’. Hartley, II, 247-53 (Text i). Collected Works, Speech 17, pp. 190-6. Autograph Compositions, pp. 67-72 (Version 2). Selected Works, Speech 8, pp. 61-9.
Version III. Beginning ‘My lords and gentlemen, I cannot but accept with much kindness this your petition, wherein I perceive the great love you bear towards me...’. Hartley, II, 259-60 (Text iii).
MS 137
A MS volume. 17th century.
f. 276r
• BcF 372: Francis Bacon, Speech(es)
Copy of Bacon's speech on the naturalization of the Scots.
MS 139
A folio volume of state tracts and parliamentary speeches, in several professional hands, 197 leaves (plus numerous blanks and some additions at the reverse end), in contemporary vellum. c.1620s-30s.
ff. 17v-27v
• CtR 74: Sir Robert Cotton, The Argument made by the Command of the House of Commons, (Out of the Acts of Parliament, and Authority of Law, expounding the same) at a Conference with the Lords, concerning the Libertie of the person of every Freeman
Copy, ascribed to ‘Sr. Rob Cotton’ in a later hand.
Speech beginning ‘My Lords, Vpon the occasions delivered by the Gentlemen, your Lordships have heard...’. Cottoni posthuma (1651), pp. [219]-250, with ‘The true Copies of the [Latin] Records not printed which were used on either side in that part of the debate’ on pp. 251-69.
ff. 190v-2r
• RaW 586: Sir Walter Ralegh, A Dialogue between a Counsellor of State and a Justice of the Peace
Copy, in two secretary hands, of the dedicatory epistle to King James and of the beginning of the dialogue, described as ‘written in the Tower of London by Sir Walter Raleigh...In Anno 1610’, subscribed in a later hand ‘Perlegi et pro Libitu Excerpsi Aug. 5. 1697. W. K.’, incomplete.
A treatise, with a dedicatory epistle to James I beginning ‘Those that are suppressed and hopeless are commonly silent ...’, the dialogue beginning ‘Now, sir, what think you of Mr. St. John's trial in the Star-chamber?...’. First published as The Prerogative of Parliaments in England (‘Midelburge’ and ‘Hamburg’ [i.e. London], 1628). Works (1829), VIII, 151-221.
MS 166
Copy, in the hands of Sir John Harington (including, pp. 203-26, an ‘addycion’), of his ‘servant’ Thomas Combe, and of Harington's brother Francis, viii + 226 quarto pages, in contemporary vellum with ties. c.1585.
LeC 49: Anon, Leicester's Commonwealth
This MS recorded in Peck, p. 226, and the ‘addycion’ edited from this MS on pp. 229-44. Harington's hand identified by Peter Beal and the MS discussed in Gerard Kilroy, ‘Advertising the Reader: Sir John Harington's “Directions in the Margent”’, English Literary Renaissance, 41/1 (Winter, 2011), 64-110, with facsimiles of pp. 111, 119 and 203 on p. 89-90. 93.
First published as The Copie of a Leter, Wryten by a Master of Arte of Cambrige, to his Friend in London, Concerning some talke past of late betwen two worshipful and graue men, about the present state, and some procedinges of the Erle of Leycester and his friendes in England ([? Rouen], 1584). Soon banned. Reprinted as Leycesters common-wealth (London, 1641). Edited, as Leicester's Commonwealth, by D.C. Peck (Athens, OH, & London, 1985). Although various attributions have been suggested by Peck and others, the most likely author remains Robert Persons (1546-1610), Jesuit conspirator.
MS 173
A folio volume of state tracts, in secretary hands, 219 leaves, in contemporary vellum with ties. c.1620s-30s.
ff. 42r-60v
• MrT 101: Sir Thomas More, William Roper's Life of Sir Thomas More
Copy, untitled, on three separate sheaves of paper in different secretary hands, subscribed ‘vita Thomae Mori p Roperio’.
First published in London, 1626. Edited, as The Lyfe of Sir Thomas Moore, knighte, written by William Roper Esquire, by Elsie Vaughan Hitchcock (EETS, London, 1935).
f. 56r
• MrT 5.5: Sir Thomas More, Lewes ye Loste Lover (‘Ey flatteringe fortune, looke thow neuer so faire’)
Copy.
First published in Workes (London, 1557), p. 1432. Yale, Vol. 1, p. 45.
These verses also appear in most of the manuscripts of William Roper's Life of More: see MrT 87 and the note on them in Yale, Vol. 1, pp. xcvii-cxix.
ff. 145r-54v
• CtR 43: Sir Robert Cotton, An Answer to Certain Arguments raised from Supposed Antiquity, and urged by some Members of the lower House of Parliament, to prove that Ecclesiasticall Lawes ought to be Enacted by Temporall Men
Copy, in a professional secretary hand, here ascribed on a title-page to ‘Sr Ro: C: B:’.
Tract beginning ‘What, besides self-regard, or siding faction, hath been...’. Cottoni posthuma (1651), pp. [203]-217.
9K 1520
Autograph inscription ‘Sum Nicolai Vdalli Magnes amoris modestia 1524’. 1524.
*UdN 8: Nicholas Udall, Camers, Johannes. Joannis Camertis Minoritani, Artium et sacræ theologiæ Doctoris (Vienna, 1520)
Owned in 1530 by William Cholwell, Fellow of Exeter College; in 1535 by John Dotyn, Fellow and Rector of Exeter College, and donated by him in 1561.
Juhász-Ormsby, No. 2.
[no shelfmark]
A printed exemplum inscribed ‘Izaak: Walton, given me by my worthy friend, the author…1657, and by me to Mr. Derbyshire, 1682’. NB. in his Will Walton stated, ‘I give to Mr. Darbishire the Sermons of Mr. Antony Faringdon, or of dor. Sanderson, which my executor thinks fit’. 1657-82.
*WtI 166: Izaak Walton, Farindon, Anthony. XXX Sermons (London, 1647 [i.e. 1657])
[no shelfmark]
A printed exemplum inscribed ‘Izaak Walton’; also with a note ‘The legacy of Mr. I. walton, 1683/84’. c.1674.
*WtI 168: Izaak Walton, Farindon, Anthony. Fifty Sermons (London, 1674)
[no shelfmark]
A printed exemplum inscribed ‘Izaak: Walton. giuen to me by Mr Marryot. may. 9°. 1663’, also with a note (perhaps by Samuel Conant) ‘And given to me by Mr Isaac Walton not long before his death: & sent to me fro his son soone after his death’. 1663.
*WtI 167: Izaak Walton, Farindon, Anthony. Forty Sermons (London, 1663)