Details

Subjects:

Anecdotes -- Early works to 1800.
Anecdotes.
Christian life -- Meditations -- Early works to 1800.
English poetry -- 17th century.
Geography -- Early works to 1800.
Geography.
Mnemonics -- Early works to 1850.
Mnemonics.
Society of Friends -- Apologetic works -- Early works to 1800.
Palmistry -- Early works to 1850.
Palmistry.
Society of Friends.
English poetry.
Christian life.

Form/Genre:

Codices.
Abridgements.
Excerpts.
Poems.
Prayers.
Treatises.
Manuscripts, English.
Manuscripts, European.
Apologetic writings.
Meditations.

Language:

English, with 8 items in French (p. 21-39, 46, 49-54, 56-57, 193-223, 277-287).

Summary:

A compilation of religious, literary, and historical works. The table of contents (p. iii-vi) gives dates of copying for many items, ranging from 1679-1695, but the items are not arranged in order of copying, so they all seem to have been copied again after at least 1694 (date of the second item in the manuscript) or even 1695 (latest date, of item 27). Nearly half the manuscript is devoted to material described in the table of contents as "Of death, repentance, divine forgiveness etc. in certain meditations, a collection of some scripture texts, reflections on others on the same subjects, prayers and verses of a penitent soul in affliction" (p. 93-173). Opening with a slightly abridged version of the Reverend Joseph Hall's epistle to Sir Andrew Asteley, this section of the manuscript also includes scriptural passages (usually with marginal chapter and verse references, which show signs of trimming) and unattributed poems and prayers. Other moderately substantial items include two unattributed works on geography(p. 1-39); anecdotal excerpts from the letters of James Howell (p. 71-91); the captions from the engravings in Isaac de Benserade's presentation of Ovid's Metamorphoses in verse (p. 193-223); excerpts from John Bulwer's Chirologia (p. 225-247); excerpts from Samuel Sorbière's Sorberiana (p. 277-287); a copy of George Savile's Character of a trimmer, noted in the table of contents as having been made from a manuscript in 1686, before the work's publication (p. 289-358); and a speech by Sir Edward Seymour (1633-1708) to Parliament in 1692 (p. 361-374). Named authors of smaller excerpts include the cardinal Arnaud d'Ossat, Michel de Montaigne, John Milton, Hugo Grotius, and Sir William Temple. The latest item in the manuscript, dated 1695, is an apologetic text about the refusal of Quakers to swear oaths. The last item listed in the table of contents is not present in the manuscript, suggesting that the end of the manuscript is missing. A clipping of a poem titled The limbo of lost reputations (by Thomas Moore, here unattributed), from the Times, 6 March 1828, is pasted inside the lower cover.

Notes:

Ms. codex.
Title from title page (p. i).
Pagination: Paper, 190 leaves; [i-vi], 1-374; contemporary pagination in ink, upper outer corners; modern pagination in pencil, lower outer corners. Catchwords on all pages, lower right recto.
Layout: Written in 30-37 long lines; text block outlined in lead.
Script: Written in a cursive script, perhaps by multiple hands.
Decoration: Diagram for the interpretation of moles, with numbered moles marked in ink on a pencil sketch of a face and neck (p. 253); pencil sketch of mnemonic hand with letters (p. 263); diagram in ink of hand with signs and instructions for palm reading (p. 265).
Binding: Contemporary paneled calf (Gedge).
Origin: Probably written in England, after 1695 (latest date noted in table of contents, p. v).

Local notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Edward W. Lanius Book Fund for Romance Language Collections.
Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund.

Penn Provenance:

Inscription of former owner or possibly compiler: J. Wallace Jr., No. 56 (p. ii).
Sold by Samuel Gedge Ltd. (Mundesley, England), cat. 9 (2010), no. 128.

Cited as:

UPenn Ms. Codex 1584.

Contributor:

Wallace, J., former owner.

Contains:

Howell, James, 1594?-1666. Correspondence. Selections.
Benserade, Isaac de, 1613-1691. Metamorphoses d'Ovide en rondeaux. Selections.
Ovid, 43 B.C.-17 A.D. or 18 A.D. Metamorphoses. Selections
J. B. (John Bulwer), 1606-1656. Chirologia. Selections.
Sorbière, Samuel, 1615-1670. Sorberiana. Selections.
Halifax, George Savile, Marquis of, 1633-1695. Character of a trimmer.

OCLC:

688639962

Web link:

The Edward W. Lanius Book Fund for Romance Language Collections Home Page

The Alumni and Friends Memorial Book Fund Home Page

Access Restriction:

Access to this item is subject to staff review.