Harley MS 252

Contents:

ff. 1r-2v: A fragment concerning the issuing of subpoenas from the Court of Chancery, without Bills of Complaint; imperfect.

f. 3r: A crossed-out 17th-century text.

ff. 3v-4v: ‘Heare followeth the Coppy of the Assignatyon of suche Landes and Revenewes as weare appoynted for the Supportatyone of Prince Henrye, eldest sonne to oure soveraygne Lord Kinge James the fyrst, the 9 daye of Maye. Anno 1610’.

ff. 5r-14v: ‘The Coppy of the Booke signed by Prince Henry for the Allowance of Dyette, Wages, Board-Wages, Rewards, and Lyveryes that weare belongynge unto his Chambere, Houshould, and Stables’; imperfect: the remainder of this item is Harley MS 293, f. 203r, and another part of the same tract is on ff. 152r-167r of the same manuscript (see Watson, The Library of Sir Simonds D’Ewes (1966), p. 322).

ff. 15r-17v: A fragment of a speech spoken in Parliament against the Duke of Buckingham; perhaps by John Selden (b. 1584, d. 1654).

f. 17*verso: Incomplete sentences in English.

ff. 18r-19v: Orders to be observed by the Officers of the Navy.

ff. 20r-23v: The duty of a ‘Clerck of the Checque’.

ff. 24r-26v: A fragment of some case, perhaps from the Year Books, or Reports, written in Law-French.

ff. 33r-33v: ‘An Historicall Diarie of the Militarie Proceedings of the Right Honorable Sir Thomas Fairfax Kt. Generall of the Parliament’s forces. Penned and set downe by John Rushworth Gentleman, Secretarie to the said Generall, beginning April 1, 1645’.

ff. 34r-47v: A collection of transcripts of legal documents in English and Latin, beginning with documents relating to the Habeas Corpus, including ‘Mr Noye’s Speache, the 22nd of November 1627’ (to the judges of Westminster Hall on the bhealf of Sir Walter Ealre, committed prisoner to the Fleet’; ‘Mr Selden his Speache: who was of Councell with Sir Edward Hampden’; and ‘Mr Calthrope his Speache: who was of Councell with Sir John Corbett’.

f. 48r: A letter George Fitte, apparitor to the Spiritual Court of Norwich, who was in prison, designed to affront Richard Montagu, Bishop of Norwich, and others.

f. 48v: Quotations from the Gospels with commentary in English, with the inscription ‘Davenport March 30th’ below it.

ff. 49r-73v: ‘The Jurney of the Queenes Ambassedours unto Roome Anno 1555. The Reverend father in God the Bisshopp of Ely, and viscount Montague then Ambassadors who set out of Callis in picardy on wedensday being Asse wedensday the 27 of February’.

f. 74r: A description of three categories of animals described by the ‘ould ffosters’: ‘beasts of venerye’, ‘beasts of chase’, and ‘vermin or rascall’; written in the 16th century.

f. 74*recto: A title inscription: ‘The Booke [and diare] of the Ambassadors Jorney to Rome Sir Thomas North his Travels’; written in the 17th century.

ff. 75r-98r: ‘Secretissima Instructio Gallo-Britanno-Batava: Friderico v. Comiti Palatino Rheni: Ac Electori data: Ex Gallico Sermone conversa, ac nunc bono Publico in lucem evulgata [...] Anno M: DC : XX [1620]’.

ff. 99r-110r: ‘Altera Secretissima Instructio Gallo-Brittanno Batava, Friderico v. data. Ex Belgica in Latinam Linguam versa, et optimo publico evulgata. Hagæ Comitis permissu Senatus, M : DC : XXVI [1626]’.

ff. 113r-114v: The second half of a treatise concerning the confession of the Knights Templar ('The Confession of the Templares concerning certayn articles for which they were condemned'); the first part of this treatise is in Harley MS 247, ff. 144r–145v (see Blancard, 'Documents relatifs au procès des Templiers en Angleterre' (1867), pp. 418-420).

ff. 115r-116v: A copy of a letter of the king of England (? Edward III) to the Pope.

ff. 117r-118r: ‘A spesyall prayere to God the Father the fyrste persone in trynetye sutable to the psalmes made and practysed by the Lord Henrye Howard Earle of Northampton’.

ff. 119r-119v: ‘The Examination of Anne Raffe, Patricke Whyte, Cristofer’s Sonne, Patricke White, Mac Geffen and others of the Inhabitants of Carboyle in Ireland. Wrytten the 16th of June 1566. Touching an Apparition of 3 Armies said to be seen by them, the third of that Instant’.

ff. 120r-120v: ‘The Prophecie of Mervey or Marlin, as found in Holt-house in a Walle, written in Welch, in gould Letters, and Translated by Owin Floyde, and brought by John de Kerbye Lord of Holte: which Translation is this underwritten, out of Latyne by me Thomas G[r]eei’; the prophecy concerns ‘There shalbe fro a king of England, out of his loynes, in the North, a Prince borne with a flesh mould on him, in forme of a lyon, he is Chosen of god’; and ending with the note: ‘Thomas G[r]eei found this Prophecie in Medborne Church in a hole in the Alter, written in Latyne - translated by Owin Floyde Scholemaster theirof’; two 17th-century copies are extant in The National Archives, LM/1925 and Folger Lb.670 (Z/407 sec.3.2.1).

f. 121r: Sir Simonds D’Ewes’s notes concerning Merlin’s Prophecie found by ‘Thomas Gee’, dated 1622 ,beginning: ‘This Prophesie was written in an olde masse booke in folio in Parchment in a verye ancient hand and this verye English verbatim as is heer penned’.

f. 122r: ‘The end of Homefreind’s Oration’.

ff. 123r-123v: ‘Short instructions for a Traveller’.

f. 124r: ‘Prophetia in antiquissimo Codice MS in ædibus Præpositi Saleriani repert, ex Paræo in Apocalypsin. Cap. 17. vers. 16.’.

ff. 125r-126v: A discourse in English touching the natural desire that all creatures have to maintain Life.

ff. 127r-127v: Short notes in English, mostly concerning law, collected from various books.

ff. 129r-136r: ‘A short view of Henry [the Third’s] Life’; according to an added note: ‘writtene by Sir Robarte Cottone [Sir Robert Bruce Cotton (b. 1571, d. 1631), 1st baronet] in Anno 1614 and presented to Kinge James the same yeare’.

ff. 137r-169v: Petitions in Parliament held at Westminster, the first yeare of Edward III’; the cover page of this text and other items that are now in Harley MS 257 may be Harley MS 312, f. 83*recto; although it is slightly larger than Harley MSS 252 and 257 (see Watson, The Library of Sir Simonds D'Ewes (1966), p. 162)

ff. 170r-170v: The end of a theological treatise in English, beginning: ‘great hoopps obtein of the mercie of god’.

The manuscript contains a later addition:

f. [26a]recto: A note by Sir Edward Maunde Thompson (b. 1840, d. 1929), Keeper of Manuscripts at the British Museum about the removal of ff. 27-30 and their relocation to Harley MS 371; dated 21 December 1881.