Add MS 22601

Anonymous miscellany containing poetry by King James VI and I, Sir John Davies, Sir John Harington, Sir Walter Ralegh, Sir Thomas Erskine and others. Probably compiled at court between 1603-1606.

Poems which are attributed to King James VI and I in Add MS 24195 appear here with attributions to Sir Thomas Erskine, possibly due to authorial collaboration (see Perry, ‘Royal Authorship’), or because these copies had passed through Erskine’s hands (see May ‘Circulation in Manuscript’).

f. 1r: Notes relating to the sale of the manuscript in 1845 and 1858 (see Provenance).

f. 2r-2v: Printed description of the manuscript. Clipped from the catalogue of William Andrews, bookseller of Bristol, 1845.

ff. 3r-6v: Letter from Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of York, to Sir Robert Cecil. 18 December 1604. With a reply from Cecil.

f. 7r-7r: Paper on the challenge of the ‘Knights Errant’ at Greenwich, May or June 1606. Attributed to Ludovic Stuart, 2nd Duke of Lennox; Thomas Howard, 14th Earl of Arundel; William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke; and Philip Herbert, 1st Earl of Montgomery.

ff. 7v-8r: Poem titled ‘Amor Quid’, beginning ‘To late I finde that love is nought’.

f. 8r-8v: Extract from William Shakespeare, Othello, beginning ‘The poore soule sate sighinge by a sickamore tree’.

ff. 8v-9r: Untitled poem beginning ‘One time oh happy time for ever blest’.

f. 9r: Poem titled ‘The Counsell of a frend hearinge a purpose of marriage by another’, beginning ‘In choice of wife preferr the modest chaste’. Elsewhere attributed to Thomas Lodge.

f. 9r: Poem titled ‘My choice is made’, beginning ‘Bewty in bodie, verti’s in hir minde’. Attributed to ‘Giles Codrinto[n]’.

f. 9v-10r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Souldiors are like the Armor that they weare’.

f. 10r: Untitled poem beginning ‘The tyme hath byn my purse well lyn’d’.

f. 10r: Untitled poem beginning ‘The Moone doth change yet not so strange’.

ff. 10v-11v: Paper titled ‘The poore mans Peticion to the Kinge’, beginning ‘Good Kinge let there be an uniformity in true Religion’. 7 May 1603.

ff. 12r-17r: Paper titled ‘Advertisments of a loyall Subject to his Soveraigne’. September 1603. See the Somers’ Tracts (Publication Note).

ff. 17r-18r: Copy of a letter from Sir Walter Ralegh to King James I, following his arraignment in 1603. Beginning ‘The life which I had moste mighty Prince the lawe hath taken from me’. See The Letters of Sir Walter Ralegh (Publication Note).

ff. 18v-20r: Twenty-four maxims and sayings, beginning ‘Love no man by thy selfe’.

f. 20v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Because that worde and faithe’.

f. 20v: Poem titled ‘Duodecim destructiones’, beginning ‘Rex sine Sapientiae’.

f. 21r-21v: Untitled poem beginning ‘The happie life is that which all desire’.

f. 22r-22v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Fie fye desire why seekst thou to intice’.

ff. 22v-23r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Why art thou prowde, thou Peacock of yi plumes?’

f. 23v: Poem titled ‘in praise of Peace with the Spaine’, beginning ‘O Lord of hostes thou God of Peace’.

ff. 24r-25r: Poem titled ‘A Ballade 1’, beginning ‘While as a stately fleetinge Castell faire’. Elsewhere attributed to King James I.

f. 25r: Poem titled ‘A Dreame 2’, beginning ‘While as the scilent shady night’. Elsewhere attributed to King James I.

ff. 25v-26r: Poem titled ‘A Ballad 3’, beginning ‘Now doth disdainfull Saturne Sadd and old’. Elsewhere attributed to King James I.

f. 26r: Poem titled ‘A Gentlewoman that married a yonge Gent. who after forsooke whereuppon she tooke hir needle in which she was excele[n]t and worked upon hir Sampler thus’. Beginning ‘Come give me needle, stitch cloth, silke and chaire’.

ff. 26v-30v: Continuation of the poem above (f. 25r).

f. 30v-31v: Poem titled ‘A Ballade 4’, beginning ‘O haples hap, o luckless fortune blinde’.

ff. 31v-33v: Poem titled ‘Passionado 5’, beginning ‘If mourninge mighte amend’. Elsewhere attributed to King James I.

ff. 33v-36v: Poem titled ‘A Sonnett’, beginning ‘My muse hath made a wilfull lye I grant’. Series of 9 sonnets, attributed to ‘Sir Thomas Areskine of Gogar Knighte’. Elsewhere attributed to King James I.

ff. 37r-39r: Untitled poem beginning ‘O thou prodigious monster moste accurst’.

ff. 39r-40r: Untitled poem beginning ‘I that once liv’d in Englands glorious Court’.

f. 40r: Poem titled ‘The Courtier 1’, beginning ‘Longe have I servd in Court’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir John Davies.

f. 40r-40v: Poem titled ‘the Divine 2’, beginning ‘My Callinge is divine’.

f. 40v: Poem titled ‘the Souldior 3’, beginning ‘My occupation is’.

f. 40v-41r: Poem titled ‘the Phisition 4’, beginning ‘I studye to uphold the slippery life of man’.

f. 41r: Poem titled ‘the Lawyer 5’, beginning ‘My practise is the lawe’.

f. 41r-41v: Poem titled ‘the Merchaunt 6’, beginning ‘My trade doth every thinge’.

f. 41v: Poem titled ‘the Country Gentleman 7’, beginning ‘Though straunge outlandish spirits’.

ff. 41v-42r: Poem titled ‘the Batchelour 8’, beginning ‘Howe manie thinges as yet’.

f. 42r: Poem titled ‘the Married Man 9’, beginning ‘I only am the man’.

f. 42v: Poem titled ‘the wyfe 10’, beginning ‘The first of all our Sex’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir John Davies.

ff. 42v-43r: Poem titled ‘the Widowe 11’, beginning ‘My dyinge husband knew’.

f. 43r: Poem titled ‘the Mayde 12’, beginning ‘I marriage would forsweare’.

f. 43r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Thinges hard to winn with ease’.

ff. 43v-48v: Poem titled ‘A proper new Ballad of the Countess would be a notorious woman out of Italy, and of a Pandress or promoter of Love among the Augustine nunnes Translated out of Cornish or Devonshire into true Suffolk And is to be sunge to the tune of Light of Love, or Uptailes all, as you can devide’. Beginning ‘Gramercies watt mets mesters and the rest’. Ascribed ‘By me Shake Singleton’ with the note ‘And are to be sold at the signe of the shipp called the Quittance’.

ff. 49r-51r: A series of mottoes, addressed to Queen Elizabeth I and her ladies. Titled ‘A lottery proposed before supper at the Lord Chief Justice his house’. 1602.

ff. 51v-52r: Untitled poem beginning ‘To you faire Dames whose favour doth now florish’. With a note ‘Richard pixley’.

f. 52v: Poem titled ‘S-R [i.e. Stephen Radford] in Defence of love’. Beginning ‘Suche as are skilless in all skill or art’.

ff. 52v-54r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Sweet mistres mine, bewties chiefe generall’.

ff. 54r-55v: Untitled poem beginning ‘I flatter not when you the sonne I call’.

f. 55v: Untitled poem beginning ‘I feare not death, feare is more paine’.

f. 56r: Untitled poem beginning ‘I will not soare aloft the skye’.

f. 56r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Councell which afterward is soughte’.

ff. 56v-59r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Tho loves and would his suite should prove’.

f. 59v: Untitled poem beginning ‘When as a fearfull Horsman backs’.

f. 60r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Soare I will not, in flighte the grounde ile see’. Acrostic on ‘Stephen Radford’.

f. 60r: Untitled poem beginning ‘If all the Earthe were paper white’.

f. 60v: Untitled poem beginning ‘England men say of late is bankrupte growne’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir John Harington.

ff. 60v-61r: Untitled poem beginning ‘When doome of death by judgments force appointed’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir John Harington.

f. 61r: Poem titled ‘To all Malcontents give this in the Devils-stable’, beginning ‘Ye Babes of Barum’.

f. 61r: Poem titled ‘Concerninge his suite and attendance at the Courte’. Beginning ‘Moste miserable man, whom[m]e wretched fate’.

f. 62r-62v: Untitled poem beginning ‘The thundringe God whose all-embracing po[wer]’.

f. 63r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Wilye watt, wilie wat’.

f. 63v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Water thy plaints with grace divine’.

ff. 64r-65v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Watt I wot well thy over weeninge witt’.

ff. 66r-70v: Poem titled ‘A Dialogue betwene the Mayde, the Wife, and the Widow for the defence of their Estates’. Beginning ‘Widow well mett whither go you to day’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir John Davies.

f. 71r: Poem titled ‘To A. Vaua’, beginning ‘Manie desire but few or none deserve’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir Walter Ralegh.

f. 71r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Constant wifes are comforts to mens lives’.

f. 71v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Where words are weake and foes incounter strong’.

f. 72r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Nowe is the time that pleasure buildes hir bower’.

f. 72r-72v: Untitled poem beginning ‘I neede not reede my passions shew my paine’.

ff. 72v-73r: Untitled poem beginning ‘The harmles lambe the crafty foxe devoureth’.

f. 73r-73v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Com[m]e sweete thoughte returne againe’.

ff. 73v-74r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Faine with a looke that lock my hart in mirthe’.

f. 74r-74v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Pleas’d with a kiss, a kiss did please me’.

f. 75r: Untitled poem beginning ‘In thought not sight though eies long time had watched’.

ff. 75v-76r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Cease thy plaints since she doth cease’.

f. 76r-76v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Hearinge songs of sorrowes monings’.

ff. 76v-77r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Driven to extremes I thought my selfe accurst’.

f. 77r-77v: Untitled poem beginning ‘The sweetest kiss that ever creature gained’.

ff. 77v-78v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Late it was and lately done’.

f. 78v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Is it a life daily to be tormented’.

f. 79r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Amidst my thoughts I thought on times were past’.

f. 79r-79v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Mountaines let slide their stormes and show[e]rs taken’.

f. 79v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Do not leave of thy comely daunce’.

ff. 79v-80r: Untitled poem beginning ‘The lofty trees whose bran[n]ches make sweete shades’.

f. 80r: Untitled poem beginning ‘If that I live I cannot love but love’.

f. 80r-80v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Nowe at last leave of lamentinge’.

ff. 80v-81r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Tell me now or tell me not’.

f. 81v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Pallas hath sett a Crowne on Prudence head’.

ff. 81v-82r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Pleasure is gone fro[m] rare conceyt of Prudence’.

ff. 82r-82v: Untitled poem beginning ‘My love is full of pleasure’.

ff. 82v-84r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Blessed soule why art thou sad’.

ff. 84r-85r: Untitled poem beginning ‘More sweete contentm[en]t have I had with thee’.

f. 85r-85v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Tell me wherein I do slack’.

ff. 85v-86v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Can you spend my time to muse’.

f. 86v: Untitled poem beginning ‘O fy desire why dost thou still intise’.

ff. 86v-87r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Oh sweete desire that sweetly dost intice’.

f. 87r-87v: Untitled poem beginning ‘The fresh grene bay that never loose hir coollor’.

f. 87v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Like to the Ivory straun[n]ge now thou beholdest’.

ff. 87v-88r: Untitled poem beginning ‘What luck had we to meete so well togeth[er]’.

f. 88r-88v: Untitled poem beginning ‘I sate and thought upon[n] my best belov’d’.

ff. 88v-89r: Untitled poem beginning ‘And beinge fild with pleasant Oyle’.

f. 89r-89v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Where Saphire signes runs round about’.

f. 90r: Poem titled ‘A Dirge’, beginning ‘The daye is com[m]e and yet the night appeare’.

f. 90r-90v: Poem titled ‘A funerall Dirge upon the death of Bard flow[er]dew’. Beginning ‘The Com[m]on sorte are made of com[m]on claye’.

f. 90v-91r: Poem titled ‘Sonetta prima upon the death of one Master Skevington of Leicestershire who died in the flower of his Age’. Beginning ‘Yee brimfull Cesternes of my read swolne eies’.

f. 91r-91v: Poem titled ‘Son[n]etta Secunda’, beginning ‘In an[n]cient times whosoev[e]r where discon[n]tent’.

ff. 91v-92r: Poem titled ‘Sonetta Tertia’, beginning ‘Soule rake too th death the sonne of Erebus’.

f. 92r-92v: Poem titled ‘Sonetta 4a’, beginning ‘Ill tutor’d thou that railes on cruell death’.

f. 93r-93v: Poem titled ‘A vale to vanity and the pleas[ures] of this worlde’, beginning ‘Deceytfull world I bidd yee now farewell’.

ff. 93v-94r: Untitled poem beginning ‘O monstrous worlde to see thy fickle course’.

f. 94r-94v: Untitled poem beginning ‘A minde that’s free is worth a myne of golde’.

ff. 94v-95r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Strange newes now harke the world begins to burne’.

ff. 95r-96r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Oh deere harte where hast thou bene’.

f. 96r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Grone no more oh heavy hart’.

ff. 96v-97r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Why art thou sad my soule’.

f. 97r-97v: Untitled poem beginning ‘In my body rest my harte’.

ff. 98r-99r: Untitled poem beginning ‘All alone my love was playinge’.

f. 99v: Untitled poem beginning ‘I have I know not what it was’.

f. 100r-100v: Untitled poem beginning ‘A ringle through my hart is rily fastned’.

ff. 100v-101v: Untitled poem beginning ‘No no but no and ever no’.

f. 101v: Untitled poem beginning ‘Jane Fustian is a prety gentle lininge’.

f. 102r: Untitled poem beginning ‘O love moste great and wondrous is thy mighte’.

f. 102r-102v: Untitled poem beginning ‘My love is faire and chearly’.

f. 102v: Poem titled ‘Discriptio Amoris’, beginning ‘What thinge is love? a Tirant of the minde’.

ff. 103r-104r: Untitled poem beginning ‘O Love great wonders and sundry victories’.

ff. 104r-106r: Untitled poem beginning ‘Now what is love I pray thee tell’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir Walter Ralegh.

ff. 106r-107v: Poem titled ‘Experience and examples dailie prove that my man can be well advised and love’. Beginning ‘O Love whose power and might’. Elsewhere attributed to Sir John Hoskyns.