Harley MS 424

ff. 1r–169v: The ninth volume of John Foxe’s papers, bought from John Strype; ff. 116r–169v clearly date from after Foxe’s death.

f. 1r: If a man have stolen any thyng of thyne. A charm written on parchment.

f. 2r: If any maner of womane haue done the thefte. Another charm written on parchment.

f. 3r: Astrological advice on how to win at cards or dice.

f. 4r: How to resolve various (lawful) questions, such as whether someone is telling a false or a true story; whether people going on pilgrimage will go well or soon, harmless or not, and if a man will have a benefice, or go to religion, or not.

f. 5r: Astrological scheme resolving whether it is better to remove or to contynew where the qwerant do dwell styll and whether they be past dawnger of burnyng of ther hows or godws or nat.

f. 6r: Astrological advice, written in the same hand as the former item, and headed ‘If thow wylt take ye iornay to do any thyng.’

f. 7r: Minutes of the examination of one Alleyn, a reputed conjurer, it seems, so far as to be called the God of Norfolk, before they received the light of the Gospel. He stood earnestly before the commissioners, and said that he could say more concerning astrology and astronomy than all the learned men within the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, yet did not know any Latin.

ff. 8r–9r: Edward Underhyll’s information concerning the vile practices of [the abovementioned?] Alleyn, Morgan, and Gaston, a lawyer, with his own godly prayers and verses.

ff. 10r–15v: De causidicis dialogus: Interlocutores, Vernius, Argastes, Perinotus. Imperfect.

ff. 16r–20v: Transcripts of some records in the Tower, showing how our kings have demeaned themselves, with regard to their foreign friends assisting their foreign enemies.

ff. 21r–26v: The title page and preface of Thargum, hoc est, paraphrasis onkeli chaldaica in sacra biblia, ex chaldaeo in Latinum fidelissime versa, additis in singula fere capita succinctis annotationibus, autore Paulo Fagio (Strasbourg: [Georg Messerschmidt], 1546), USTC 696437. This is a Latin translation of the Targum Onkelos, an Aramaic translation of the Five Books of Moses.

ff. 27r–41v: Mutilated copy of Geminus Eliatus Stephano philosopho de modo legendi Oratores.

f. 41*r: Pen trials.

ff. 42r–57v: The way of duels before the king, with the office of the constable and the Earl Marshall, etc., upon such occasions.

ff. 55r–57v: The last words which Francis of Lorraine, Duke of Guise spoke and uttered a little before his death to the Duchess his wife; to his son, to his brethren the cardinals, and to many others being present at the hour of his death.

ff. 58r–59v: A poem addressed to Mary I, written by a Protestant, 10 October 1553.

ff. 60r–61v: Mutilated account in Latin of the miracles done by a saint [St Willelmi Episcopi?]

ff. 62r–v: Beginning of the story of the life and death of Edward II, written in French by the worshipful night Thomas de la Moore.

ff. 63r–64r: Copy of a letter of advertisement from Venice, relating, by way of advice from Rome, the tragic ends of Cardinal Caraffa and his brothers, who were executed by order of the new pope Pius V, whom the Cardinal had advanced to the papacy (being bribed by the Grand Duke).

ff. 65r–v: Copy of another letter, explaining how the Grand Duke bribed Cardinal Caraffa, the late Pope’s nephew, to elect Cardinal Medicino, whom he favoured, and what happened to the bills for 300, 000 crowns (his bribe).

ff. 66r–v: Copy of a letter from Elizabeth I to the Lord Treasurer (William Paulet, 1st Marquess of Winchester), requiring him to take due care, until her further pleasure be known, that no clothes are transported to the Low Countries, nor any of their commodities imported here, 30 March 1563.

ff. 67r–110v: A true narration and writing defesyve of things happened in the Base contres touching the cause of Relligion. the yeare of our Lord 1566.

ff. 111r–v: Indulgentiae Ecclesiarum Patriarchum et certarum aliarum Ecclesiarum Urbis Rome Papa Gregorius. Imperfect.

ff. 112r–v: Indulgences granted by our holy father Gregory XIII unto certain crucifixes of Sir Thomas Stukley, 13 January 1578.

ff. 113r–v, 114v: To the right worshipful Mr Captain Furbusher at his third and last return from Meta incognita carmen gratulatorium, 1578.

ff. 115r, 116r–v: Answer of the jury to certain articles given them in charge at an admiralty court [held at Chilton?] by Sir Edward Hobbie, 30 January 1586 concerning the right of fishing for oysters, etc., in one of the hundreds of Essex.

ff. 117r–v: Relation given by Sebastian Livius of Vilna, concerning his brother Paulus, a Polish minister. He, with his entire family, was carried into Muscovy as prisoners, whence they could not be ransomed for under £700. He states what he has done towards their redemption, what he has received in Germany, etc., and now comes to England to beg the remainder.

ff. 118r–161v: Historia de divortio Roberti Devereux Essexiae Comitis; de uxoris suae cum Roberto Carro Comite Somersetensi connubio: de flagitorum Machinatoribus…Turnera, ac Simone Forman; deque eorundem execrabili in vitam D. Thomae Overburii Militis facinore. Imperfect.

f. 162r: Substance of the answer given by Charles I to the commissioners of Scotland, who would have had him alter the ecclesiastical government established in England.

ff. 163r–164r: Heads of the opinions of some Lords of the King’s Privy Council concerning a war with Scotland, Ship money, reducing England, etc., found in Secretary Vane’s study, and presented by the House of Commons to the House of Lords, April 1641.

ff. 165r–166r: An exact relation of a battell fought by the Lorde More against the Rebells in Ireland: with the number that were slaine on both sides.

ff. 167r–169v: A plaine case, or, Reasons sufficient to convince any (that would be honest or thrive in the world) which side to take in this present warre. Written by a cavalier.