MS LC 14:41
A folio composite volume of legal tracts. c.1630s-40s.
ff. 124r-8v
• BcF 379: Francis Bacon, Speech(es)
Copy of a speech by Bacon in the Star Chamber, 1617.
f. 166r et seq.
• RaW 590.5: Sir Walter Ralegh, A Dialogue between a Counsellor of State and a Justice of the Peace
Copy, headed ‘A Dialoge beetweene a Justice and a Councillour’, imperfect.
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.
ff. 225r-38v
• BcF 380: Francis Bacon, Speech(es)
Copy of Bacon's speech when he became Lord Keeper.
MS LC 14:44
A folio composite volume of legal and political tracts, in various professionall hands (including the ‘Feathery Scribe’), 170 leaves (including thirteen blanks), in vellum.
Beal, In Praise of Scribes, Appendix II, p. 260, No. 101.
ff. 150r-70r
• BcF 88.5: Francis Bacon, Arguments of Law. Four Arguments
Copy of three arguments.
Four Arguments (on the Case of the Impeachment of Waste, on Lowe's Case of Tenures, on the Case of Revocation of Uses, and on the Jurisdiction of the Council of the Marches). First published in Opera omnia, ed. J. Blackbourne (London, 1730). Spedding, VII, 517-611.
MS LC 14:46
A folio composite volume of tracts relating to the Court of Chancery, in professional hands, including that of the ‘Feathery Scribe’, vi + 97 leaves (including 51 blanks).
Peter Beal, In Praise of Scribes: Manuscripts and their Makers in Seventeenth-Century England (Oxford, 1998), p. 260 (No. 101).
ff. 5r-38
• CtR 140: Sir Robert Cotton, The Courte of Chauncerye
Copy.
Tract, in two parts, the first beginning ‘There is a Booke called the Myrror of Justices mentioned in Plowden's Commentaries...’, the second beginning ‘There be Two manner of Powers & Process...’.
ff. 38v-45r
• BcF 246.5: Francis Bacon, Ordinances in Chancery
Copy of 95 ordinances, headed ‘Ordinances made by ye Lord Chancellor for ye better & more reguler administration of Justice in the Chancery to be duly obserued sauinge the Prerogatiue of the Courte by ffrancis Lord Verulam published in open cort. 23o Jan: 1618’, followed (ff. 45v-6v) by ‘Addiconall 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).
MS LC 14:49.1
A large folio volume of antiquarian tracts, chiefly relating to the office of Earl Marshal, in a single professional hand. Late 17th century.
Owned in 1685 by Francis Negus, presumably the Francis Negus who was Surveyor of the Mews, secretary to the Duke of Norfolk, and father of the soldier and courtier Francis Negus (1670-1732).
pp. 1-3
• CtR 247: Sir Robert Cotton, A Discourse Of the Offyce of the Lord Highe Connstable of England, written by Sr: Robte Cotton, knight, and Baronett
Copy.
Tract beginning ‘Yff wee curiouslye will looke the Roote of this question...’. Hearne (1771), II, 65-7.
pp. 4-9
• CtR 64: Sir Robert Cotton, The Antiquitye and Offyce of Earle Marshall of England, Written by Sr Robte Cotton, knight, and Baronett
Copy.
Tract beginning ‘The plentye of this discourse, the last question of Highe Connstables, whereto...’. Hearne (1771), II, 97-103.
pp. 10-12
• CtR 228: Sir Robert Cotton, A Discourse Of the Antiquitye, and Offyce of the Earle Marshall of England, written by Sr Robte Cotton, knight, Att the request of the Lord Henrye Howard, Earle of Northampton [25 November 1602]
Copy.
A dedicatory epistle beginning ‘Sir, Yor small tyme, I must Ballance, wth as sclendr Aunswere...’ followed by a tract beginning ‘Because the Jurisdiction att the Comon Lawe was vncertayne...’.
pp. 21-8
• CmW 31.8: William Camden, The Antiquity and Office of the Earl Marshall of England
Copy.
A tract beginning ‘Such is the vncertainety of etimologyes...’ and sometimes entitled in manuscripts ‘The Etymology, Antiquity and Office of the Earl Marshall of England’. First published, as ‘Commentarius de etymologia, antiquitate, & officio Comitis Marescalli Angliae’, in Camdeni epistolae (London, 1691), Appendix, pp. 87-93. Hearne (1771), II, 90-7.
MS LC 14: 52
A folio volume comprising two tracts relating to impositions, in a single professional hand, 165 leaves + vii pages, in contemporary vellum. c.1620s-30s.
pp. vi-vii and ff. 1r-92v
• DaJ 272.2: Sir John Davies, The Question concerning Impositions
Copy.
A treatise, with dedicatory epistle to James I, comprising 33 chapters, beginning ‘The Question it self is no more than this, Whether the Impositions which the King of England hath laid and levied upon Merchandize, by vertue of his Prerogative onely...’. First published in London, 1656. Grosart, III, 1-116.
MS LC 14:55
A folio volume of tracts on impositions, in a single professional hand. c.1630s.
ff. 125r-94v
• DaJ 272.4: Sir John Davies, The Question concerning Impositions
Copy.
A treatise, with dedicatory epistle to James I, comprising 33 chapters, beginning ‘The Question it self is no more than this, Whether the Impositions which the King of England hath laid and levied upon Merchandize, by vertue of his Prerogative onely...’. First published in London, 1656. Grosart, III, 1-116.
MS LC 14:60
A folio composite volume of legal tracts.
ff. 105r-14r
• BcF 381: Francis Bacon, Speech(es)
Copy of Bacon's speech on the naturalisation of the Scots.
ff. 121r-8v
• BcF 246.8: Francis Bacon, Ordinances in Chancery
Copy of 100 ordinances, followed (ff. 129r-32v) by ‘Addiconall Rules for the better governing of the Courte of Chanc and the greate Seale published in open courte. 31o: Octob Anno. 1620:’.
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. 167v-71v
• BcF 481: Francis Bacon, Bacon's Humble Submissions and Supplications
Copy.
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 LC 14:64
A folio volume of proceedings in parliament in 1628, in several professional hands.
[unspecified page numbers]
• RuB 109: Sir Benjamin Rudyerd, Speech in the House of Commons, c.11 June 1628
Copies of three speeches in 1628.
Speech beginning ‘I hold the same ground still that I brought with me...’.
ff. 227v-8r
• HlJ 24.5: Joseph Hall, Episcopal Admonition, Sent in a Letter to the House of Commons, April 28, 1628
Copy, headed ‘The Bpp of Exeter lre to the lower house of pliamt’.
See HlJ 17-30.
[Shakespeare First Folio]
An annotated exemplum of the First Folio (London, 1623). Mid-17th century.
Hamlet, sig PP3r (p.‘273’: i.e. 277)
• ShW 44.3: William Shakespeare, Hamlet
Copy of the gravedigger's song, in Act V, scene i, here beginning ‘In Youth when I did love’, docketed ‘Among Surreys sonnets fol. 72’.
First published in London, 1603.
Measure for Measure, sig G6v
• B&F 23.5: Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, The Bloody Brother, V, ii, 21-32. Song (‘Take o take those lipps away’)
Copy of ‘2d stanza of ye song act 4 scene scen. 1.’, here beginning ‘Hide O hide those hills of snow’.
Dyce, X, 459. Jump, p. 67. Bowers, X, 237. The first stanza first published in Shakespeare's Measure for Measure (First Folio, 1623), IV, i. Authorship discussed in Jump, pp. 105-6 (first stanza probably by Shakespeare, second by Fletcher).
Romeo and Juliet, sigs ee2v, ee6v and passim
• ShW 86.5: William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
Copy of the prologue and of additional lines and alterations.
First published in London, 1597.
The Tempest, sig. A5r (p. 9)
• ShW 88.5: William Shakespeare, Sir Thomas More
MS annotations.
By several dramatists, including Anthony Munday, Thomas Dekker, Thomas Heywood, and probably Shakespeare. First published in London, 1844, ed. Alexander Dyce, Shakespeare Society. Edited by W.W. Greg, Malone Society (Oxford, 1911; reprinted 1961).