Add MS 34880

Miscellaneous Works. Vol. I. 1. Early commonplace book, begun at Lausanne, 19 Mar. 1755, and probably all Written before 1758. Chiefly French, but some of the earlier extracts are translated into very defective English. Excerpts are printed in the Misc. Works (ed. 1814), vol. v., pp. 487-522. f. 1.

2. Various observations and essays, written at Lausanne or Buriton, 1756-1758. In French. f. 84. The chief of these are: (a) Notes on the Mémoires posthumes of M. [Jean Philippe Loys] de Chéseaux, dated 10 Dec. 1756, printed vol. v. p. 48. f. 86;-(b) On passages of Virgil, two tracts dated 1 Apr. and 13 May, 1757 (Vol. iv. pp. 441, 446). ff. 90, 93;-(c) On a passage in the "Poenulus" of Plautus (iii. 3, 50), dated 4 May, 1757 (vol. iv. p. 435). f. 101;-(d) On the date of Catullus's death, n. d. [1757, cf. the correspondence with Gesner, vol. i. p. 486]. f. 104;-(e) On an early census of the population of Rome, dated 25 Out. 1757, not printed. f 107;-

(f) On certain prodigies, dated 10 Nov. 1757 (vol. v. p. 53). f. 111;-(g) On Caesar's sacerdotal office, n. d. (vol. v. p. 61). f. 113;-(h) Comparative table of Newton's and the vulgar chronologies, and comments on Newton's work, dated 13 Jan. 1758 (vol. iii. p. 150). f 116;-(i) Extract concerning ancient measures, not printed. f 124;-(k) Extract from [Jean Philippe René] de La Bleterie on the succession to the Roman empire, dated 20 Feb. 1758 (vol. iii. p. 169). f 126;-

(1) "Reflexions sur l'Étude des Belles-Lettres," begun at Lausanne, 20 Mar. 1758; this is part of the first draft of the "Essai sur l'Étude de la Litt6rature," printed in 1761. Other portions of the MS. will be found below (f. 150, 175). f 130;-(m) Remarks on Sallust, Caesar, Nepos and Livy, of earlier date, being begun 19 Jan. 1756 (vol. iv. P. 399). f. 142 b;-(n) Continuation of the "Essai" (see above, f. 130), with additional passages for insertion. ff. 150-159;-(o) Further extracts from the Abbé de la Bleterie, not printed. f 158.

3. "Extraits raisonnés de mes Lectures two note-books, in use from 14 Mar. 1761 to 12 Sept. 1762. Besides the preface (f. 160) and diary (ff. 187, 188) of reading from 24 Aug. 1761 to 8 Feb. 1762 (vol. v. pp. 209-216), they contain several tracts printed separately, viz.: (a) "Recherches critiques sur le titre qu'avoit Charles VIII à la couronne de Naples," dated 14 Apr. 1761 (vol. iii. p. 206). f 164;-(b) An addition to the "Essai" (see above, art. 2, 1), dated 23 Apr. 1761. f. 175; -(c) "Idée de quelques sujets pour une composition historique," dated 26 July, 1761 (vol. v. p.487). f. 185. These three are in French;-(d) Criticism on [Dr. Richard] Hurd's edition of Horace's Ars Poetica (2nd ed., Cambridge, 1757), dated Devizes, 8 Feb. 1762. f. 189;-(e) Notes on the anonymous Vita Homeri (ed. T. Gale, Amstelod. 1688), dated Beriton, 12 Sept. 1762. French. Not printed. f. 219.

4. "Recueil de mes observations et pièces détachées sur differens sujets": a similar note-book, in use 23 Dec. 1763 to 29 Dec. 1764. It contains: (a) Four essays on Epic Catalogues, Silius Italicus, Journey to Brundisium, etc., and Ovid's Fasti, dated 23-25 Dec. 1763 and n. d. (vol. iv. pp. 327-358). f. 220;-

(b) Remarks on Addison's Dialogue upon Medals (vol. v. p. 35). f. 226 b;-(c) Remarks on L. Guazzesi, Lettera Critica, etc., to Dr. Antonio Cocchi (Arezzo, 1752), dated 5 Aug. 1764 (vol. iii. p. 222). f. 227 b:-(d) On Roman triumphs, dated 28 Nov. -13 Dec. 1764 (vol. iv. p. 359). f 230;-(e) On a MS. treatise by Abbate Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Del Governo Civile di Roma (Naples, 1828), dated 29 Dec. 1764 (vol. v. p. 39). f. 233 b.

5. "Outlines of the History of the World," from the 9th to the 15th century inclusive (vol. iii. p. 1); assigned by Lord Sheffield to 1758-1763, apparently from the character of handwriting only, though this seems to suggest a somewhat later date. f 239.

6. Two papers (not autograph), viz.: (a) Note on the Man in the Iron Mask, dated 27 May, 1774 (vol. v. p. 41). f. 260;-

(b) "Digression on the Character of Brutus" (vol. iv. p. 95). f. 264.

7. Autograph scraps containing extracts, chronological tables, lists of books, etc., mostly written while Gibbon was working at the History. One (f. 290) is the beginning of a projected classed catalogue of his library. ff. 273-293.

8. "Antiquities of the House of Brunswick printed, with some excisions, in vol. iii. p. 358. f 294.

9. On the position of the Meridional Line and an Inquiry into the supposed circumnavigation of Africa by the ancients; with some additional notes in the hand of Dr. William Vincent, Dean of Westminster (1802-1815). Both are printed in vol. v. pp. 170, 595. f 355.

10. "An Address," etc.: letter recommending the proposed publication of "Rerum Anglicarum Seriptores" under the editorship of John Pinkerton; printed, with a letter from Pinkerton, vol. iii. p. 559. f. 367. Paper; ff. 377. Folio.

includes:

• f. 35 Joseph Addison: Notes, by Edw. Gibbon, on his dialogue on Medals: 18th cent.
• f. 86 Jean Philippe Loys de Chéseaux: Notes by E. Gibbon on his Mémoires Posthumes: 18th cent.
• ff. 90, 93 Virgil: Notes on various passages, by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.
• f. 101 Titus Maccius Plautus: Note on a passage of the Poenulus, by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.: Two copies.
• f. 107 Caius Valerius Catullus: Note on date of his death by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.
• f. 107 Court of Rome: Note on the ancient population, by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.
• f. 116 Sir Isaac Newton: Notes on his Chronology, by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.
• ff. 126, 158 Abbé Jean Philippe René de La Bléterie: Excerpts from his works, by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.
• f. 189 Richard Hurd, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry: Notes by E. Gibbon on his "Ars Poetica".: 18th cent.
• f. 219 Homer: Notes by E. Gibbon on the " Vit, Homeri": 18th cent.
• f. 227 b Cavaliere Lorenzo Guazzesi: Notes by E. Gibbon on his letter to Cocchi: 18th cent.
• f. 238 b Giovanni Vincenzo Gravina, Abbate: Notes by E. Gibbon on his tract " Del Governo Civile di Roma,": 18th cent.
• f. 264 Lucius Junius Brutus: Digression on his character, by Edw. Gibbon: 18th cent.: Two copies.
• f. 294 Brunswick family: "Antiquities of the House of Brunswick," by E. Gibbon, with notes: 18th cent.
• f. 355 William Vincent, DD, Dean of Westminster: Notes to a tract by E. Gibbon: 19th cent.
• f. 355 Africa: Notes on ancient circumnavigation of, by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.
• f. 367 John Pinkerton, antiquary: Address written for, by E. Gibbon: 18th cent.