Add MS 46366

Volume I of the Harington Papers. A series of copies of prose tracts and petitions, which belonged to John Harington of Stepney (d. 1582). Arranged largely in chronological order, the majority concern Elizabeth I's potential marriages. Two main hands may be distinguished (cf. ff. 1–78 and ff. 82v–119v).

ff. 1r–48r: Sir Thomas Smith's dialogue concerning Elizabeth I's marriage, beginning 'As I was walking in my garden alone', c. 1560. Printed in John Strype, The Life of the Learned Sir Thomas Smith (1820), pp. 59–64, pp. 184–259.

Other copies are in Harley MSS 371, ff. 1r–57v; 847, ff. 2r–35r; 1130, ff. 41r–73r; 4243, ff. 35r–55r; Sloane MS 303, ff. 1r–18r; and Add MS 4149, ff. 38r–87v.

ff. 49r–52r: Imperfect copy of the petition presented to Elizabeth I by Sir Nicholas Bacon on behalf of Parliament in favour of her marriage, 1566. Printed by Simonds D'Ewes, Journals of all the Parliaments in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth (1682), pp. 105–107.

ff. 55r–69r: 'A consyderacion had of the Queenes Maiesties estate . . .', beginning 'First whether the same be so perfecte', c. 1568–1570.

ff. 69v–78r: Discourse on the weak political position of England, beginning 'Of dutie we can do no lesse', c. 1568–1570.

ff. 82v–92v: Petition to Queen Elizabeth from the House of Lords relating to Mary, Queen of Scots; 20 May 1572. Printed, with additional passages, by Simonds D'Ewes, A Compleat Journal ... of the house of Lords and house of Commons (1693), pp. 215–219 and 207–212. Apparently imperfect. See also Cotton MS Caligula C II, ff. 567–570, and Harley MS 2194, ff. 34v–41r.

ff. 92v–94v: Legal arguments in favour of the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, written in the first person singular, beginning 'In all criminall causes or civill...', c. May 1572.

ff. 95r–97v: Tract recommending that Mary, Queen of Scots, be attainted and executed, beginning 'Inprimis the factes wherewith the late Scott Queene is chardged', c. May 1572.

ff. 100r–106r: Letter addressed to Queen Elizabeth by Sir Philip Sidney, advancing arguments against her marriage to François, Duc d'Alençon, c. November–December 1579. Printed in Miscellaneous Prose of Sir Philip Sidney, ed. K. Duncan-Jones and P. van Dorsten (1973), pp. 33–57 (though this copy and the one in Add MS 48027, ff. 230r–235v, have not been collated.

ff. 117r–119v: Undated university address on the theme 'The emulation of good men is profitable for the common welthe', beginning 'There is none amonge yow as I take it...'

ff. 122r–125v: Copy of a tract entitled 'Whether it may stande with good pollicie for hir maiestie to ioyne with [the Duke of Anjou] in the enterprise of [the Low Countries], beginning 'As cullers by ther contraryes ar best dyserned', c. November 1580. The names are mostly represented by symbols. Another copy, dated from Belgium, is in Cotton MS Galba C VII ff. 98r–101r. See also Harley MS 1582, ff. 38–41, and Historical Manuscripts Commission, 9th Report, Hatfield MSS part II, pp. 40–41.