Add MS 78360-78392

Devotional Manuscripts

78360-78392. EVELYN PAPERS. Vols CXCIII, CCXXV. These are the most extensive category in the archive. They consist of notes and commentaries on the Bible, sermon notes, essays on religious subjects, but chiefly of private devotional works and meditations. Many of them were written or adapted for, or otherwise associated with Margaret Blagge (1652-1678), the maid of honour at the Restoration court, with whom Evelyn made a pact of spiritual friendship in October 1672. This is usually signified by his addition of the motto, `Un Dieu Un Amy', and the pentacle which he used to symbolize the friendship. After her death in child-birth in 1678 Evelyn retrieved the devotional works he had written for her (see Evelyn to Pepys, 3 Oct. 1685, The Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, English Literature 1475-1700 (New York, 1940), p. 1214; Memoires for my Grand-son, p. 64); hence their presence in his archive. For his correspondence with the Godolphins, see Add. MS 78307 above. Further devotional matter by Evelyn is to be found on three end-papers of his wife's Book of Common Prayer, Eve.a.131 (`Evening Prayer for this Family'), and of Simon Patrick's The Christian Sacrifice, 2^nd edn (1672), Eve.a.23 (notes on preparations to take Communion).

Thirty-two volumes.