Sloane MS 1009/2

This manuscript is the second part of a large collection of miscellaneous texts, tracts and letters that may have been gathered by Sir Hans Sloane (b. 1660, d. 1753), and is now divided in two parts. The first part is Sloane MS 1009/1.

The manuscript contains a large number of early modern items, including correspondence and tracts written by lieutenant Gideon [Gédéon] Bonnivert (b. 1651, d. 1703), son of Paschall and Judith Bonnivert of Sedan in Champagne, who lived in England in the late 17th century.

Contents:

ff. 223r-236v: Tale [English] on the subject of Ottavio Farnese, Duke of Parma, and Diana of Poitiers, Mistress of Henry II, King of France, 1677.

ff. 237r-238v: Notes in French.

ff. 239r-242r: Titus Petronius Arbiter, Satyricon, chapters 1-9; translated into English by Gédéon Bonnivert in the 17th century.

ff. 243r-252r: Botanical and zoological observations, beginning: 'Of Musk, Ambergreese, and other gome'; written in the late 17th century.

ff. 253r-253v: Excerpt from Sallust, The War with Jugurtha [English].

ff. 254r-255v: Mock-trial of Thomas D'Urfey from the Sessions of the Poets, holden at the foot of Parnassus Hill, before Apollo, July the 9th, 1696.

ff. 256r-256v: Account of a dream in English, entitled '[To] Dreame'.

ff. 257r-258v: Tale on the subject of Great Alcander [Louis XIV] and his mistresses [English translation]: written in the late 17th century.

ff. 259r-260v: Unidentified English work, with headings in the margin: 'Acts and Habits of Sin'; 'Mellancholly'; 'Pleasures'; 'Faith'; written in the 17th century.

ff. 261r-261v: Extract of Flavius Josephus, History of the Jews [French]; written in the 17th century.

f. 262r: Extract, entitled: '[…] Remarques de quantite de bon livres'; written in the 17th century.

ff. 263r-264v: Extract of Pierre Matthieu, Remarques d'estat et d'histoire sur la vie de M. de Villeroy: written in the 17th century.

ff. 265r-266v: Unidentified miscellaneous French papers.

f. 267r: Notes by Gédéon Bonnivert on the attributes of Priapus, Venus, and Bacchus [French]: written in the late 17th century.

ff. 268r-283r: Unidentified miscellaneous French papers; written in the 17th century.

ff. 284r-285v: 'Discours du Bézoart et des tromperies qu'on pratique avec cette pierre'; written in the late 17th century.

f. 286r: Unidentified French text; written in the 17th century.

ff. 287r-312r: Tale about Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, by Gédéon Bonnivert [French]: written in the late 17th century.

ff. 313r-313v: Unidentified French text; written in the 17th century.

ff. 314r-344r: Abbé Paul Tallemant, Les deux voyages de l'isle d'Amour à Licidas, Paris 1663 & 1664; transcribed by Gédéon Bonnivert in 1668.

ff. 345r-358r: Tale on the subject of Robert, Duke of Normandy, and Arletta [French]; written in the late 17th century.

f. 359r: Tables with mathematical calculations; written in the 17th century.

ff. 360r-365r: Novel on the fortunes of Lord Brackley and Lady Elizabeth Cranfield, daughter of James, 2nd Earl of Middlesex, and wife of John Egerton, 3rd Earl of Bridgwater, temp. Charles II [French]; with a key of their names; written in the late 17th century.

f. 366r: Untranscribed inscription in French; written in the 17th century.

ff. 367r-372r: Tale on the history of the Moors in Spain [French]; written in the late 17th century.

ff. 373r-374v: Benjamin Jonson, Prologue and epilogue to The Sad Shepherd 'spoken by our Portlock': written in the late 17th century.

f. 375r: Verses addressed to James II of England, as Duke of York, on his right to the crown: written in the 17th century.

f. 376v: George Sandys, Dedication to Queen Henrietta Maria of his Paraphrase of the Song of Solomon, 1642, beginning: 'Chast Nimphe you who extracted are from that swift thunderboult of warr'.

ff. 376v-383r: George Sandys, 'Paraphrase on the Song of Solomon'; with a dedication to Queen Henrietta Maria; written in the 17th century.

ff. 386r-386v: Fragment of a printed inventory of books [literary works] in the library of Gijsbert Voetius (b. 1589, d. 1676), as published in Catalogus variorum librorum instructissimae bibliothecae praestantissimi doctissimique viri in Anglia defuncti clarissimi Gisberti Voetii (London: Pitt, 1678), pp. 13-14. The print has been used for copying Thomas Flatman's lines on the deathbed of John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester, 1680 on f. 386r.

f. 387r: Love poem in English, beginning: 'Now Celicis kind Ile ask noe more / for love can give noe greate bliss / who would not sigh whole Ages over / to gaine aternall happynes'; written in the 17th century.

f. 388r: James II of England, Political squib on the expected birth of a Prince, 1688.

f. 389r: Love poem in English, beginning: 'As Amorell with Phillis sate / one evening one the plaine'; written in the late 17th century.

f. 389v: Love poem in English, beginning: 'As Cloe full of harmless thought / beneath the willow lay / Kinde love a comely shepard brought / to pass the time away'; inscribed at the end: 'for Mr Bonnivert'; written in the late 17th century.

f. 390r: Crossed out Latin poems from Ovid's Fasti; written in the 17th century.

f. 390v: English poem: 'Fortune's my foe / My breetches is torn behind / Cold is the weather / and there bloweth in the wind'; written in the (?) late 17th century.

ff. 391r-392v: Charles II of England, 'The Snare'; an imaginary address in verse to James II of England; written in the late 17th century.

ff. 392v-394v: The last Will and testament of Sir Edward Petre, 3rd Baronet, Jesuit, almoner of James II, in verse: written in the late 17th century. f. 395r: Poem on women; written in the late 17th century. f. 395r: Couplet on Joshua Sylvester and Ben Jonson; written in the late 17th century. f. 395r: Couplet on Benjamin Jonson, dramatist and poet: written in the late 17th century.

f. 395r: English poem, beginning; 'As in those nations where they yet adore / Marble and Cedar, and their aid implore'; written in the 17th century.

f. 395r: English poem, beginning: 'Shall I bee slave unto a womans will? / Or feare those frowns who with a frown can kill?'; written in the 17th century.

f. 395r: English poem, beginning: 'I Sylvester lye with thy sister - I Ben Johnson lye with thy wife, that 's no rime but 'tis true be God'; written in the 17th century.

f. 396v: Unidentified French poems in grey and red pencil; written in the 17th century.

ff. 396r-398r: 'Vers faits au Roy [Louis XIV of France] sur la persécution des Protestans en France': written in the late 17th century.

ff. 399r-401r: Unidentified French poems; written in the 17th century.

ff. 402r, 403r, 'Mad. - Mondeville', Verses addressed to Gédéon Bonnivert [French]: written in the late 17th century.

ff. 404r-426r: Miscellaneous French poems, including titles such as 'Noel', 'La Vertie du clerge satire', 'Satyre', and 'Le songe sonnet'; written in the late 17th century.

ff. 427r-427v: Satire on the election of Court of Rome in verse [French]: written in the late 17th century.

ff. 428r-429r: Antoinette de La Fon de Boisguèrin des Houlières, 'Les Moutons'; an Idyll: written in the late 17th century.

ff. 430r-434v: French poems, including 'Priere du Matin', and 'La Verite du Clerge, et du Barreau Satyre'; written in the late 17th century.

Decoration:

Floral motifs in red ink on f. 285v. Fragment of a print of an animal (? lion) in black ink on f. 313v. Added drawings in brown ink of male and female genitalia with a crossed out inscription (f. 390v). Drawing of a human figure wearing headgear in brown ink (f. 411v).