Add MS 34239

MEMORIALS Of the Rodney family, of Stoke Rodney, co. Somerset, chiefly by, or connected with, Sir Edward Rodney (see art. 2), containing :-

1. Elegy on George, son of Sir Edward Rodney, who died 30 Nov. 1651. Written " almost a yeare after his decease, by his friend and servant Fran. Atkins." f. 1.

2. History of the Rodney family, by Sir Edward Rodney. Dedicated, after the death of his son George (see above, art. 1), to his five daughters. Imperfect (wanting one or more leaves after f. 8). f. 2 b. Sir Edward Rodney was born 29 June, 1590, knighted on his wedding-day, 29 May, 1614 (see ff. 15, 15 b), and died 25 May, 1657 (see Collinson's Somersetshire, vol. iii., 1791, p. 607). His marriage with Frances Southwell, Lady of the Privy Chamber to the Queen, was celebrated at Denmark House at the Queen's expense, and he gives an interesting account of it. He assisted his kinsman William Seymour, afterwards Marquis of Hertford and Duke of Somerset, in his marriage, and attempted escape, with Lady Arabella Stuart (see f. 15).

3. Elegy on Sir Edward Rodney, by Francis Atkins. f. 19.

4. Elegies and epitaph on Frances Rodney, dau. of Sir Edward, who d. 29 June, 1637; by Tho. Hull, Hen. Allen, and Jo. Pickering respectively. ff. 20, 90 b.

5. Treatises, etc., by Sir Edward Rodney:-(a) On Divine Providence. f. 21. Wanting one or more leaves after f. 25;-(b) Meditation on the Lord's Prayer. f. 32;-(c) " A speech made at Axbridge in the yeare 1626, 20. Caroli," in support of a benevolence demanded by the King, " by Sir. Edward Rodeney, one of the Justices of peace of that division, and sett downe afterwards as neere the words that weere spoken as was possible for him to doe." f. 45 ;- (d) " A discource of Lawes." f. 52;-(e) " Paper disputes beetweene R. G. a Papist and Sir E: R: a Protestant. Whether the wholle Militant Churche can erre in doctrine?" f. 65;-(f) Verses on the death of his daughter Frances (see above, art, 4). f. 85.

6. Theological notes, sermons, etc., as follows:-(a) " A Dialogue betweene John a protestant and Robert a papish, each defending there owne proffession." f. 55 ;-(b) " Of the reall presence in the sacrament. Translated out of Casaubin's Answeres to Cardinall Perons Leters " (see I. Casauboni ad epistolam... Cardinalis Perronii Responsio, 1612, pp. 47-51). f. 57 b;-(c) Extracts from Richard Field's book Of the Church. f. 60;-(d) Sermon on the Great Fire of London [1666].Imperfect at the beginning. f. 70;-(e) " Christ mysticall, or. the blessed vnion of Christ and his members." f. 78; -(f) Sermon " on our Lady-day, 1680." Imperfect at the end. f. 80 b;-(g) Sermon on Ps. cxix. 84. f. 87;-(h) " The Christian Exchange. A sermon preched at Rodeney Stoake in Summersetshire at the funerall of the much lamented George Rodeney, Esquire " (see above, art. 1). " By Francis Atkins Mr of Arts and (sumtimes) Fellow of Wadham Colledge in Oxford." f. 91 b. - Atkins was expelled from his fellowship in 1648, and restored in 1660. He was vicar of Chard, co. Somerset, 1661-72 (Foster, Alumni Oxonienses, early series, vol. i. 1891, p. 40).

7. " Flora " and two other short poems. ff. 68 b-69 b. Paper; ff. 105. xviith cent. At f. 85 b is a defaced inscription, " Jane Rodeney her booke, 1656 (?)." Folio.