Add MS 78392

EVELYN PAPERS. Vol. CCXXV (ff. 139 + iv). Devotional papers by Margaret Blagge and Evelyn; 1664-1687, n.d.

1. ff. 1-8. Papers by Margaret (Blagge) Godolphin, given to Evelyn after her death by her husband as material for `The Life of Mrs Godolphin’. Several others quoted at length by him there no longer survive in manuscript; see, most notably `My Life, by God's Grace, without which I can do nothing', The Life of Mrs Godolphin, ed. H. Sampson (Oxford, 1934), pp. 14-17, and her advice to the Howard sisters on their conduct as maids of honour, ibid., pp. 101-105, and the passage from her `diary', p. 107. Formerly Evelyn MS 305. Consisting of: (a) ff. 1-2. Notes by [Margaret Blagge] of three deathbeds, including those of her mother and Anne Hyde, Duchess of York; [aft. 1671]. Autograph. Endorsed by Evelyn, `(15) reflection on the death of several. don', and included in Life of Mrs Godolphin, ed. Sampson, p. 12. Incorrectly endorsed in a later pencil note as by Mary Evelyn; - (b) ff. 3-4. Devotional notes by [Margaret Blagge] on the Virgin Mary, beg. `and the angel came unto her'; [1670s]. Autograph. Endorsed [by Evelyn?] `F'; - (c) f. 5. Devotional notes by [Margaret Blagge] to Evelyn, headed `for my frind'; [1672-1678]. Autograph; - (d) f. 6. Prayer by [Margaret Blagge] on behalf of her future husband, Sidney Godolphin; [1673]. Autograph. Endorsed by Evelyn, `M. [pentacle] prayer for S: G: 9'; - (e) ff. 7-8. `A Passage of [pentacle] prayer on Tuesday’ (the day of their regular meetings). Copy by Evelyn.

2. ff. 9-134. Leaves of various sizes, some paginated as fragments of larger compilations, and small notebooks by Evelyn, containing prayers for particular occasions, hymns and other notes; 1664-1687, n.d. Including prayers connected with Margaret Blagge, 1672-1674 (ff. 16-18), and others apparently intended for assembling into a formal series of daily, weekly and quarterly private offices (for the draft scheme of which see f. 139 below); one series (ff. 66-76) is annotated `Hebdomad.', with prayers for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Beal EvJ 190. Formerly Evelyn MSS 111, 114 and 553.

3. ff. 135-136. `To his Orientall: The Legend of Philaretes and the Pearle’; [1672-1674]. Autograph. The first two leaves of an account by Evelyn of his platonic friendships, evidently a preliminary to an account of his friendship with Margaret Godolphin. Beal EvJ 211. Formerly Evelyn MS 304.

4. ff. 137-138. Confessional notes by Evelyn covering the whole of his whole life, the first item dated 1625, the last 1689/90. Autograph. Latin, in a tiny hand, much abbreviated, on one side of one leaf of a bifolium. Reproduced as the frontispiece of W. G. Hiscock, John Evelyn and his Family Circle (1955), and discussed on p. 126. It is probably to be connected with the `solemn survey of my whole Life, in order to the making, and confirming my peace with God, by an accurate Scrutinie of all my actions past, as far as I am able to call them to mind', which Evelyn recorded in his Diary on his sixtieth birthday, 31 Oct. 1680. However there is no clear change of handwriting or ink between the entries before and after 1680 in the present notes. Beal EvJ 202. Formerly Evelyn MS 315.

5. f. 139. A scheme for `A Course of Privat Offices & Devotions', daily, monthly, quarterly and annual, `Eucharisticall', `Ultima rerum', `Oeconomiq Office', etc., with a note to himself, `For all which see & examine all your loose papers & offices [i.e. those listed above and in the preceding volumes] & as far as you can, Reduce & Translate them in that Method'. Evelyn’s list of papers in Add. MS 78639 below (former Evelyn MS 310) also refers to this scheme: `In this Drawer are likewise Contained . . . divers stitched Books & papers of Devotions, Offices & Prayers to be Methodiz'd & digested: more particularly Offices Annual Qua[r]terly, Monethly, Weekely & Daily, with other Meditations and Discourses, upon peculiar Emergencies: All of them intended to be Revis'd for the particular & private Use onely (Especialy the Office Oeconomical Conjugall) of a Saint now in Heaven'. The disbound or fragmentary nature of some of the devotional manuscripts above may be connected with this uncompleted revision. The scheme also goes on to mention `Sermon Texts', `History of religion' and `A Library of Books' on religious topics, and apparently represents an attempt by Evelyn, late in life, to give an integral form to all his writings and collections on religion.