Add MS 78326

EVELYN PAPERS. Vol. CLIX. `John Evelyn's Memoirs Anno 1737': copy of parts of Add. MSS 78323 and 78325, from the beginning until Good Friday 1644; 1737, with a few corrections in ink in a different hand and a few pencilled annotations in pencil in the margins relating to the differences between the two texts. For the text, an inaccurate copy of Evelyn’s original, see de Beer, in Diary, I, pp. 47-48, who notes that it is nevertheless of value in providing a transcript of a missing page and in helping to correct the order of some misplaced pages in Add. MS 78323. This copy was presumably made to the instructions of Sir John Evelyn, 1st Bart., although it was not, as stated by Beer, actually made by him. The hand may be that of his son, Sidney Evelyn, or possibly of a professional copyist. De Beer states that the pencilled annotations are by Bray or Upcott, but there is no clear resemblance to the hand of either. The pencilled notes on one of the fly-leaves (f. v) are in the hand of the diarist himself, made after 1701 and apparently relating to his commentary on the New Testament. They indicate that this volume, although later rebound, was originally one of the matching blank paper volumes which he used for his letterbooks, sermon notes, and commonplace material. At the beginning (f. 2) is a loose fragment of a leaf with a note by William John Evelyn, `MS. of Evelyn's Diary', and (on f. iv) impressions of Evelyn's seal and monogram labelled in pencil by William John Evelyn, with an unrelated engraving labelled `Well on Ockley Green'. Formerly Evelyn MS 50. Beal EvJ 218.

Quarter bound in brown morocco and buckram, 19th cent. 360 x 240mm.