Add MS 36682 A-B

CATALOGUE of the Cotton Manuscripts, of uncertain date but earlier than 1654, as appears from a marginal note of a book lent to " Mr Selden " (Vol. I. f. 78 b). The MSS. are arranged under their press-marks still in use, but the list is not quite complete, wanting descriptions of the press Augustus and of shelves Caligula B.-E., Vespasian E. and F., Titus F., Faustina C.-F., and several single MSS. In two cases (Jul. B. x, Vit. B. i) the MS. gives particulars of MSS. lost before Smith's catalogue was made, and in several instances supplements Smith's account of MSS. which have since been burnt. The descriptions generally coincide with lists of contents (by Richard James or others) on the fly-leaves of the books themselves. The hand in which the greater part of the MS. is written is apparently the same in which notes are entered in Cotton App. xlv. of books lent between 1638 and 1641, while another band which occurs frequently in the MS. and on the flyleaves of the books is perhaps that of similar entries made in Feb. and Mar.. 1651. If, however, the si-nature Rob. Cotton, which occurs at the foot of many pages along with that of [Sir] Thomas Cotton and [Sir] John Cotton, is the autograph of the founder of the library, the catalogue must date from before 1631, but the appearances are against this, and the signature may be that of Sir Thomas' second son. At the beginning of Vol. 1. are -notes, written probably circ. 1657-1660 (see mention of " Lord Whitlock"), of the result of a verification of the MSS. on the shelves with the catalogue. After this are inserted: (a) Note and fragment of a letter. about the purchase of the catalogue at the sale of " Stretton Estate " in 1764. ff. 3, 4;-(b) A prayer of a Scottish royalist during the Civil War (1642-1648), found loose in the catalogue. f. 5;-(c) Newspaper cuttings, 18th cent., relating to the Cotton Library. f. 6. Two volumes. Paper; ff. 216. Arms of Cotton on the binding. 13 1/2 in. x 8 1/2 in.