Add MS 58435

Autograph collection of poetry by Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, courtier and poet (1563-1626). Inscribed ‘For the Countess of Pembroke’, i.e. the poet’s sister Mary Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, writer and literary patron (1561-1621).

ff. i-ii W. Blott: letter to H.J. Cooke, agent for George Guy Greville, 4th Earl of Warwick, 4th Earl Brooke, politician (1818-1893), attributing the volume to Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Dated 24 January 1848.

f. 1r Inscription ‘For the Countess of Pembroke’

ff. 2r-46v Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester, autograph poems, with revisions:

• f. 2r ‘Sonnet 1’ (‘Yow purest stars, whose never dijing fyres’).

• ff. 2v-3r ‘Song 1’ (‘O eyes, o lights devine’).

• f. 3v ‘Sonnet 2’ (‘The paines which I uncessantly susteine’).

• f. 4r ‘Sonnet 3’ (‘Beauties born of the heavens, my sowles delight’).

• f. 4v ‘Sonnet 4’ (‘These purest flames kindled by beauties rare’).

• ff. 5r-6v ‘Pastoral 2’ (‘Shepheard iffaith now say how wel’).

• ff. 7r-8v ‘Song 3’ (‘Love not whoe have not lov’d’).

• f. 9r ‘Sonnet 5’ (‘Of travailes past oft when I thincking ame’).

• f. 9v ‘Sonnet 6’ (‘When rest locks up the treasures of delight’).

• f. 10r ‘Sonnet 7’ (‘The hardy Captein unusde to retyre’).

• f. 10v ‘Sonnet 8’ (‘If that her worth I kowld as wel forget’).

• f. 11r ‘Sonnet 9’ (‘Oft had I past the joies and greefes in love’).

• ff. 11v-12v ‘Song 4’ (‘My sowle in purest fyre’).

• f. 13r ‘Sonnet 10’ (‘Shee whome I serve to wryte did not despyse’).

• ff. 13v-15r ‘A Crown of sonnets, but unfinished’: ‘11’ (‘Thogh the most parfet stile kannot attaine’); ‘2 Sonnet 12’ (‘Whoe gives himself may il his words deny’); ‘3 Sonnet 3’ (‘To seale the bands of service without ende’); ‘4 Son: 14’ (‘That so greate love to yow showld bee addrest’); ‘5 Son:’ (‘Whoe for yow is unjust, is just to yow’).

• f. 15v ‘Song 5’ (‘If those devotions now noe more’).

• ff. 16r-18v ‘Song 6’ (‘Yonder comes a sad pilgrim’).

• f. 19r ‘Sonnet 15’ (‘Yow that have power to kil, have wil to save’).

• ff. 19v-20r ‘Pastoral 7’ (‘Lysa sweet Nymph did sit’).

• f. 20v ‘Sonnet 16’ (‘Most fayre when first with pleasd but cursed eyes’).

• f. 21r ‘Sonnet 17’ (‘The endless Alchymist, with blinded will’).

• ff. 21v-22r ‘Pastoral 8’ (‘Shepheard why doest thow so looke still on me’).

• f. 22v ‘Sonnet 18’ (‘Most faier The feeld is yowrs: now stay your hands’).

• f. 23r ‘Sonnet 19’ (‘When other creatures all each in theyr kinde’).

• f. 23v ‘Sonnet 20’ (‘Shine on fayre stars: give comfort to those eyes’).

• f. 24r ‘Sonnet 21’ (‘Alas why say yow I ame ritch? when I’).

• f. 24v ‘Sonnet 22’ (‘On unknown shore, with weather hard destrest’).

• f. 25r ‘Sonnet 23’ (‘Absence what floods of plaints gainst thee would ryse’).

• f. 25v ‘Sonnet 24’ (‘Canst thow turn from the hven of thy rest’).

• f. 26r ‘Sonnet 25’ (‘Yow that take pleasure in yowr cruelty’).

• f. 26v ‘Sonnet 26’ (‘Ah deerest lims my lifes best joy and stay’).

• ff. 27r-27v ‘Pastoral 9’ (‘Day, which so bright didst shyne, how darck art thow?’).

• ff. 28r-28v ‘Song 10’ (‘Yow whoe favor doe enjoy’).

• f. 29r ‘Sonnet 27’ (‘Falshood: how long did I yowr stings endure’).

• f. 29v ‘Sonnet 28’ (‘Ayre which about these wanton leaves dost play’).

• f. 30r ‘Sonnet 29’ (‘Yowr hate to mee, must needs bee violent’).

• ff. 30v-31v ‘Song 11’ (‘Thowghts unto mee so deer’).

• ff. 32r-32v ‘Song 12’ (‘Since now those fayre eyes doe shyne in theyr cleer former light’).

• f. 33r ‘Sonnet 30’ (‘Absence I cannot say thow hyd’st my light’).

• f. 33v ‘Sonnet 31’ (‘Forsaken woods, trees with sharpe storms opprest’).

• f. 34r ‘Sonnet 32’ (‘All yow fayre minds whome chois or destiny’).

• f. 34v ‘Sonnet [33]’ (‘Fayrest of fayre, on whome the heavens bestow’).

• f. 35r ‘Sonnet [34]’ (‘With how wyde jawes would I my poison drinck’).

• ff. 35v-36r ‘Song 13’ (‘Upon a wretch, that wastes away’).

• f. 36v ‘Sonnet [35]’ (‘Time cruel time how fast pass yow away’).

• f. 37r ‘Upon a Snufkin’ (‘Goe happy furres the hands preserve’).

• f. 37r ‘Translated out of Spanish’ (‘Shee whome I loved, and love shall still’).

• f. 37v ‘Translated out of Seneca’ (‘Yow unto whome hee that rules sea and land’).

• f. 37r ‘In another place’ (‘So when without all noyse of mee’).

• ff. 38r-38v ‘Pastoral 14’ (‘What a change is this I see’).

• ff. 39r-39v ‘Song 15’ (‘Heaven, if any heaven there is’).

• ff. 40r-41r ‘Elegy 16’ (‘Fayrest of Venus greate posteritee’).

• f. 41r ‘Song 17’ (‘The Sunn is sete and masked night’).

• f. 41v ‘Song 18’ (‘How oft sayd I delaies are death’).

• f. 42r ‘Song 19’ (‘Sun bee hencefourth from shyning parted’).

• ff. 42v-43r ‘Song 20’ (‘Senses by unjust force banisht’).

• f. 43v ‘Song 21’ (‘So did the morning crymson ryse’).

• ff. 44r-44v ‘Song 22’ (‘But alas why do yow nowrish’).

• ff. 45r-45v ‘Song 23’ (‘Greefs sent from her whome in my soule I bless’).

• ff. 46r-46v [Song 24] (‘Absence I fled to thee’).

Decoration: pen-flourishing.