Add MS 37719

COMMONPLACE-BOOK of Sir John Gibson (1606-1665), of Welburn, near Kirkby Moorside, co. York, a Royalist prisoner in Durham Castle, circ. 1653-1660. The compilation is dedicated, in a letter (f. 5 b) dated March, 1656, to his son John Gibson. Holograph. He has inserted in the volume about a dozen portraits and other engravings, chiefly taken from books. Joseph Hunter in Add. MS. 24463, f. 59 b sqq., gives particulars of the family from a note-book which belonged to the son. Sir John, who had been captain of the North Riding Horse on the king's side, compounded in 1649 (Cal. Committee for Comp., ii. p. 1906), but seems to have been again imprisoned in 1653. About two-thirds of the volume consists of translations of sermons : "St. Chrysostome translated into English out of the Greeke by John Errington esq., 1656." This title on f. 6 is erased. There are thirty sermons by, or attributed to, St. John Chrysostom, with a prefatory letter signed J. E. (erased and J. G. substituted), and one sermon of St. Gregory of Nyssa with similar preface (f. 35) signed J. E. In spite of the title the Chrysostom sermons are undoubtedly taken from the Latin, perhaps Gesenius' edition (Basel, 1547). The translator in perhaps John Errington, of Rudby, another delinquent in the North Riding (Cal. Comm. Comp., iv. P. 2771), and other entries with his name or initials are anagrams, with verses, on the names of Gibson and his; wife Penelope (f. 261) and of John Jopling, keeper of the gaol at Durham (ff. 178 b, 227), and paraphrases from Ecclesiastes and Tobit (ff. 213, 215 b). Gibson's own compositions inclucle a doggerel autobiography (f. 167) and much other versification, chiefly devotional, prayers and notes (one, f. 4 b, in Greek) and a tract, "Amara ducis, or the bitter-sweete sufferings of the Saints aud servants of God in all ages of the World, written by an old Barzillai banished from his owne Ithica," with preface signed "Carolophylos," and dated 7 Feb. 166.0/1, (f. 273). There are also many letters addressed by him to unnamed friends outside, and a few medical recipes. Gibson's arms are drawn at f. 162 and his motto, "In infaelicitate faelix," occurs frequently. He has also drawn (f. 165) a fanciful coat of arms (two legs) with verses dated 1656, at f. 268 b an epitaph for himself, and at f. 161 a sketch of "The House of my Pilgrimage" [Durham Castle?]. Among miscellaneous extracts and historical notes interspersed are:-

1. Brief excerpts from Jeremy Taylor's works. ff. 4 b, 123 b, 155 b, 282 b.

2. Verses, without author's name, from Francis Quarles (the references, except where otherwise noted, are to the Divine Fancies, 1632, cf. Grosart's edition, vol. ii.), viz. (a) "On Tobit," lib. iv. nos. 38 and 24 (first two lines). f.6b;-(b)"On the Sacraments," lib. i. no. 3. f. 15 b ;-(c) "Man," the well-known lines "Our life is nothing but a Winter's day," lib. iii. no. 69. f. 18 b;-(d)Verses beg. "The World's a Theater, the Earth a Stage," lib. i. no. 6. f. 18 b;-(e) "On Peter's Cocke," lib. iii. no. 5. ff. 21, 175 (f) Verses beg. "My Sinnes are like the Sands upon the Shore," lib. ii. no. 70. f. 21;-(g) "The Life of Man," lib. i. no. 18. f. 165 b;-(h) "Man's Heart," lib. i. no. 82. f. 170 b;-(i) "Faith," lib. iii. no. 97. f. f.70 b;-(k) "On our blessed Saviour.," lib. iv. no. 48. f. 180;-(l) "Man's Mortality": five stanzas, whereof the first, at any rate, is claimed by Quarles, who printed it, with another not given here, at the end of his Argalus and Parthenia (1629), headed "Hos ego versiculos," probably referring to the fact that Simon Wastell had printed it, with the other four here given, in his Microbiblion in the same year. Another copy is in Add. MS. 22588, f. 104. Probably all are by Quarles (see the appendix to Hannah's edition, 1843, of the Poems of Henry King, Bishop of Chichester,cp.cxviii.). Beg."Like as the Damask Rose you see." f. 196;-(m) "Man's 'Resurrection": a stanza in the same form and probably by the same, beg. "Like to the Seed put in Earth's womb." f. 196;-(n) "On Jacob's Pillow," lib. i. no. 65. ff.201,275;-(o)"On Zacheus," abridged from lib.i.no.67. f.201.

3. A song, "The Lillye is transported The Thistle choakes the Rose." f. 98.

4. Verses, "Upon the death of C. R.," 6 x 6 lines, beg. "Thrice wretched Albion what enchauntinge charme." f. 10.

5. Verses on "Mr Mole of Yorke," a prisoner of the Inquisition, beg. "O ever constant Mole, what, thirty years immur'd." f. 15 b.

6. "Of great changes in England": note of a prophecy of the seven successors of Henry VII. as Mars, Puer, Alecto, Virgo, Vulpes, Leo and Nullus, and dates of King Lucius, Wycliffe, Edward VI., the Marian persecution and Elizabeth, and of various events from 1641 to 1658. f. 112.

7. Speech of William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, on the scaffold, 10 Jan. 1641. Printed in History of the Troubles and Trial, etc., 1694, p. 447. f. 153 b.

8. Brief geographical description of the British Islands, partly from. Camden. f. 156.

9. Design for portraits of Charles I. and Charles II., A.D. 1660, the former to bear on his shield Magna Charta, the latter Amnestia. f. 158 b.

10. Comparison of Thomas Cromwell and Oliver Cromwell. f. 159.

11. Verses, "Upon the Universitie at Durham, 1660," beg. "Cromwell's departure brought me here to see" f. 159.

12. Verses, "A farewell to my Groue, 1655," beg. "Sad Philomel, singe thou my Tragedie," signed "Sylvanus"; followed by "The Eccho to his Groue by Dr Tonstall" and "A duble to Dr Tonstall's Eccho," signed "Vale dico nugis." f. 169.

13. Verses by G[eorge] S[andys], viz. : (a) Extracts from his translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, lib. x. 17-63, lib. viii. 634-731 (1640 ed., pp. 149, 185). f. 172;-(b) "A meditation upon the sight of our Saviour's Tombe," beg. "Saviour of mankind, Man, Emanuel." f. 189;-(c) Paraphrases from Ecclesiastes and Isaiah, printed in A paraphrase upon the Divine Poems (1638), pt. iii. p. 14, pt. iv. p. 25. f. 195.

14. Verses by [James Graham, Marquis of] Montrose, "written with the point of his Sword," beg. "Great, Good, and Just, could I but rate," as printed in John Cleveland's Poems, 1659, p. 88. The text in M. Napier's Memoirs of Montrose, ii. p. 693, is slightly different. f. 184 b.

15. Verses [on the death of Henry, Prince of Wales, 1612]. Another copy is in Add. MS. 15226, f. 4. Beg. "A plant of the fairest hopes that ever stood." f. 184 b.

16. "The Kings of England": brief characters, beg. "William a conqueror but cruell " and ending "Queene Elizabeth, wise, liv'd glorious and dyed peaceablye." f. 185 b.

17. "New Governments in England since 1640," to 1660: nineteen different changes are enumerated. f. 186.

18. "Heresiography": a list of twenty-two 17th century sects. f. 192 b.

19. "Epitaph on [Thomas Wentworth] the Earle of Strafford" [by John Cleveland], printed in Poems by J. C. (1651), p. 59, 1659 ed., p. 62. Beg. "Here lies wise and valiant dust." f. 193 b.

20. "These are the names of such Persons an did actually sit as Judges upon the Tryall of his Majesty, with the Counsell and Attendants of the Court." f. 196 b. Followed by a note of the defacing of the statue of Charles I. at the Royal Exchange, 10 Aug. 1650.

21. "Chronosticon Decollationis Caroli Regis," in Latin, with English verses as printed in Cleveland's Poems, 1659, p. 81. f. 199.

22. "Untimely and strange deaths to the persecutors of Christian religion," beg. "Nero killed himselfe." f. 199 b.

23. "The Anotamie of a Quaker," subsoribed "per anonomon." Beg "A Quaker is a Church rebell." f. 200.

24. Verses (4 x 4 lines) beg. "A Soot and Jesuits jony'd (sic) in hand." f. 204.

25. List of "the Compilers of the English Common Prayer Booke (as nowe it is)," i.e. of the first Prayer Book of Edward VI. f. 205.

26. Acrostic epigram on Thomas Wentworth [Earl of Strafford]. Beg. "That man that mounts soe high, if once he fall." f. 208.

27. "The coate of Armes of Sir John Presbeter's Church." Beg. "She beares partie parpale indented God's glory and his owne interest." f. 212 b.

28. Translation of the 44th epistle of Seneca to Lucilius. f. 217.

29. Short biographical notes on the apostles and evangelists. Beg. "The first is Simon Peter." f. 218.

30. Sir Thomas Overbury's epitaph on himself, Misc. Works, 1756, p. 66. Beg. "The span of my dayes measur'd here I rest." f. 260 b.

31. "A prayer made by C. R.," the second prayer in most editions of Eikon Basilike (cf. Almack, Bibliography of the King's Book, 1896, p. 50, where it is printed parallel with an autograph prayer of Charles I.). Beg. "Almightie and most mercifull Father looke downe." f. 262 b.

32. "Jesu": the verses by George Herbert, printed in The Temple (1633), p. 105. f. 272. The inserted engravings include (a) Two oval vignettes, Christ going to Emmaus, and St. George: the latter signed [Nicolas ?] Lauwers. ff. 1, 283;-(b) Frontispiece by P[ierre] L[ombart] to Jeremy Taylor's Holy Dying, 1651. f. l9;-(c) Another frontispiece by P[ierre] Lombart to some English book, St. Peter and a female figure (the Church ?) holding a bleeding Heart, with title "Cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non despiciet." f. 175 b;-

(d) St. Jerome in his study, by Hieronymus Wierix, after Albrecht Düirer. f. 23;-(e) Chales II. by David Loggan. f. 185;-(f) Arms of Charles I., from sonic edition of Eikon Basilike. f. 197 b; -g) Small portrait of Charles, attributed to Wenceslas Hollar. f. 198;-(h) Title, by Hollar, to the Whole Duty of Man, pr. for T. Garthwait, 1659. f. 203;-(i) Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, by W[illiam] M[arshall], frontispiece to Andrewes' Private Devotions, 1647. f. 204 b. At the end (f. 284) is inserted a 20th cent. copy of a letter preserved at York in the Hailstone MSS. in the Minster Library from Sir. John Gibson after his release to his son John, dat. 30 Sept. 1662. Paper; ff. i. + 284. 8 in. x 6 in. A.D. 1655-1660. Original leather binding. Bookplate of arms of William Ward Jackson.