Harley MS 830

Historical, political and legal manuscripts in different hands, bound together.

Contents:

• ff. 1-5: ‘Duke of Buckingham’s Relation’: report by the Duke of Buckingham to Parliament on his negotiation in Spain over the proposed marriage match between Charles, Prince of Wales, with the Infanta Maria Anna of Spain, c 1623.
• ff. 6-14: ‘The King’s Speeche in Parliam[ent]’, 13 April 1640, followed by the speech of ‘The Lo: Keeper’.
• ff. 15-20: ‘The Lord Digbie Eldest Sonne to the Earle of Bristowe his Speech’. Speech of George Digby in Parliament, 1640.
• ff. 21-31: ‘The Learned George Lord Digby his third Speech in Parliam[ent]’, 21 January 1640/1.
• ff. 32-37: ‘Sir Edward Hales his speech in Parliam[ent], the 7th of January 1640’. 7 January 1640/1.
• ff. 38-52: ‘Sir Francis Bacons speech when he tooke his place in the Chauncery, in performance of the Charge his Ma[jestie] had given him when he received the greate Seale’. Speech made by Sir Francis Bacon when appointed Lord Chancellor in 1618. Other surviving exemplars of this text include Add MS 45145, ff. 1r-17r, Add MS 22591, ff. 268r–271r, Harley MS 1576, ff. 86r–89r, Harley MS 39, ff. 248r–258r, Harley MS 830, ff. 38r–52r Lansdowne MS 612, ff. 20r–31r, Sloane MS 1856, f. 74r.
• ff. 53-60: ‘The Lord Chancellor Bacon his opinion concerninge the disposicion of Suttons Charitie deliverd unto Kinge James’. Opinion on Sutton’s Charity given by Sir Francis Bacon, c 1618. Other surviving exemplars of this text include Add MS 22591, ff. 265v-267r.
• ff. 61-65: ‘Doctor Bastwicks peticion to the Commons House of Parliament 1640’. Text of John Bastwick’s petition to Parliament for release from imprisonment in Scilly Isles, 1640.
• ff. 66-98: ‘Of the Originall of Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction of Testaments, by John Selden Esq.’. Other surviving exemplars of this text include Add MS 72477.
• ff. 99-106: ‘The Scotts Commissoners Preamble to the Lords; delivered by the Earle of Bristoll, concerninge theire Losses and Charges’.
• ff. 107-109: Letters Patent of Queen Elizabeth I appointing Sir Richard Payne clerk of the treasury and keeper of records and briefs of the Kings Bench. 5 November, 6th year of Elizabeth I’s reign.
• ff. 110-114: Letters Patent of Queen Elizabeth appointing Sir William Davyson clerk of the treasury and keeper and records of the Kings Bench, etc., after the death, forfeiture or surrender of Richard Payne. 19 January, 21st year of Elizabeth I’s reign.
• ff. 115-120: Letters Patent of King James I, granting the same office to George Bing of Wrotham, Kent, and Sir Henry Bing of Grays Inn, after the death etc. of William Davyson. Dated 25 July of the 5th year of James I’s reign.
• ff. 121-149: Legal treatise on the method of proceeding in the Court of Chancery. Imperfect, includes only Considerations 21-26. Starts: ‘21st Consideracion of Exammanation of Witnesses’. Manuscript annotation f. 121 top left: ’17 June 1662 bought of [Mr Morly?] in Little Britton’.
• ff. 150-157: Part of a logical treatise. Imperfect. Starts: ‘The sixth question. How arguments are to be found out of causes, effects, adiuncts, antecedents and consequentes’.
• ff. 158-159: ‘The Case twixt Dr Mickelthwaite as Master of the Temple and the Templers’ (f. 158). ‘The perticulars wherein the Master of the Temple finds himself grieved’ (f. 159).
• f. 160: ‘The Aunswere of the Midle Temple, for as much as concerneth them, to the Master of the Tempels Articles’.
• f. 161: ‘The Title of the Temple Church, and the two Temples’.
• f. 164: ‘The Substaunce of Doctor Micklethwats Patent’.
• f. 164v: ‘The Perticuler of the Graunt to Barrwick and Freake’, for the buildings.
• f. 166: ‘A note of the state of the Churche of the Temple’.
• ff. 167-191: ‘An Argument upon the question of Impositions digested and divided into sundry Chapters by his Ma[jestys] Attorney Generall of Ireland’.
• ff. 193-200: ‘The Court of Kings Bench’. Treatise on the Court of Kings Bench and its history.
• ff. 201-210: ‘The Court of Chancery’. Treatise on the Court of Chancery and its history.
• ff. 211-217: ‘Coppies of Records howe Ambassadors in England, and els where have been dealt withall, for intermedleinge with matteres beyond their Commision: with the advise of Sir Rob[er]t Cotten unto the Duke, howe the Spanishe Ambassadors ought to bee dealt withall, for informing King James that there was a Plott that Parliament to confine his Majestie, and invest the Prince in Royall dignitie’. Account of the treatment of meddling foreign ambassadors and Sir Robert Cotton’s advice to King James I regarding the Spanish Ambassadors. 1624.
• ff. 218-229: ‘A briefe Collection of the principall Under-Officers & Clarkes, appertaining to yo[ur] Ma[jesty’s] Exchequer, commonly kept at Westminster: with a like Declaration aswell of their severall functions, fees, rewardes, & allowances, of antient time accustomed ; as also within whose gift the same be, when they become voyde’. The roles and emoluments of various Exchequer officials, with a preliminary table of the offices included.