Harley MS 1279

Contents:

ff. [1a]recto-78r: A late 16th- or early 17th-century collection of arms, in colours or tricked, beginning with a full-page drawing of ‘Bradford his Coate Armes’ (f. [1a]recto); also features the arms of Sir Robert Cotton (b. 1571, d. 1631), 1st Baronet, added at a later stage on ff. 49v-49*verso.

The collection contains numerous additions, including titles and blazons, made in the first half of the 17th century. Other significant additions include:

f. 12v: A tract entitled ‘The practice of that famous Limmer Hippolito Donato in drawing a small picture of Christ’; a copy of Chapter 20 of Henry Peacham (b. 1578, d. 1644)’s The gentlemans exercise, or, An exquisite practise: as well for drawing all manner of beasts in their true portraitures, as also the making of all kinds of colors, to be used in limming, painting, tricking, and blazon of coates, and armes, with divers other most delightfull and pleasurable observations for all young gentlemen and others (London, 1612); added in the 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 25v: A memorandum (in pencil): ‘A remembrance to by me one hondreth of parte golde at he olde bayle at maste [? Rooles]’; added in the (?) 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 30v: Descendants from Gruffudd ap Cynan, Prince of North Wales; added in the 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 43v: Terms for heraldic roundels, probably excerpted from A Display of Heraldrie (see below); added in the 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 44r: A list of different elements for brothers using the same coat of armour ('The differences of Brethren'), probably excerpted from A Display of Heraldrie (see below); added in the 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 59v: A medical recipe for gout: ‘Caranna one ounce / with one ounce of sweete butter / without sault bothe melt togeather / an excellent remedye for the Gowthe anuyntyng the greeff – Thomas Chaloner’.

f. 59v: Memoranda: ‘A remembrance to enquier for Mr William Bagley, at Mr John Brownes; dwelleing at the signe of the Browne in St Gilles in the feyldes; to remember to send for G williams display of heraldrie London printed by Richard Badger for Ralph Mab: 1632’; The book referred to is John Guillim’s A Display of Heraldrie (London: William Hall for Raphe Mab, 1611).

f. 60r-61r: A collection of medical recipes, beginning: ‘To make a serope for the cowche’; added in the (?) late 16th century.

f. 60r: Lucan, Pharsalia, excerpt on comets, beginning: ‘Ignota obscura viderunt sidera noctes’; followed by an English translation: 'In sable nights new stars of uncouth sight / and fearefull flames all o'er the heavens appeare / with fiery drakes and blazing-bearded light / which fright the world, and kingdoms threate with feare'; probably excerpted from A Display of Heraldrie; added in the 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 60v: Memoranda: ‘To send for Henry Peacham Mr of Arts; his Compleate gentleman, the second Impression / much Inlarged; Anno, 1634 / Imprinted at London for ffrancis Constable: and are to be sold at his shope in Pauls church yeare at the signe of the Crane’; ‘Pecham his booke entituled the gentlemans exercise to be enquired for’; ‘a remembrance to enquire for Lomazious [Gian Paolo Lomazzo] his booke; or woorks, for painting / and to enquire for Goltzius [Hendrik Goltzius] his prints / Albert Durer [Albrecht Dürer] his prints / Michall: Angelo [Michaelangelo] his prints’; ‘to remember to enquier for my Cozen Moores daughter dwelling in Littell Brittaine at the sign of the reed bulle’; ‘to remember to see Mr ffrancis Lacon and one fewterell at the Charterhouse’; added in the 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 68r: A memorandum (in pencil), beginning ‘Fowke Spurton maryed with Jhoane Owen’; added in the 1st half of the 17th century.

f. 62r: Tracts on gilding, making gold and green letters: ‘To gylt over parchment, lether, or other such worke which men use in steed of hungings or tapystrye’; ‘To laye golde upon marble or upon any table of stone or other’; ‘To make letters of the coloure of gold, without gold’; ‘To make greene letters’; ‘To make a verye fayre vernix to vernysh the sayde golde and all other worke man shippe’; ‘To braye or breake gold or silver easely after the common man that the best worke maisters do use’; ‘To make A lycour that maketh a golden colour without golde’; Another lycoure of the coloure of gold, for to wryte and to gylte yron, wood, glasse, bone, and other lyke thing’; added in the late 16th or early 17th century.

f. 78r: An empty coat of arms pricked in paper.

Decoration:

Coats of arms in black ink, tricked or in colours, or drawn in pencil. A pencil drawing of an elephant and castle (f. 76v); a dog (f. 77r); floral patterns, a helmet, and the face of a man [3x] (f. 77v).