Commonplace book [manuscript], ca. 17?.

England, circa 1600-1650?

1 volume

This is a PRELIMINARY RECORD. It may contain incorrect information. Please email catalog@folger.edu for assistance.

Great Britain -- England -- London.

FAST ACC 272077

This is a PRELIMINARY RECORD. It may contain incorrect information. The "FAST ACC" number is a temporary call number. Please email catalog@folger.edu for assistance. From dealer's description: "[COMMONPLACE BOOK] A substantial folio commonplace book in several different hands. [England? Circa 1600-1650]. Folio (345 mm x 250 mm x 40 mm). Modern cloth, text loose in binding. Condition varies, some in very good condition, later pages are damp damaged with loss. Foliation ff. 225. Various papers and sizes. Written in different hands (sometimes within the same treatise), including, mixed, secretary, and italic hands in several varieties. Provenance: loosely inserted invoice and letter from Percy J. Dobell to Giles E. Dawson at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Pencil notes at the end of the volume reads “Property of E E Dawson.” This collection of various religious writings by different scribes is disbound, so it is not clear when the essays were brought together in this single volume form. Some of the essays are titled or commence with a biblical quote (“Amos. 5. 24. But let iudgmt run downe like water, & Justice like a mighty River”; “Extracts from ye Homilie of Disobedience & willfull Rebellion”; “Bishop Bilson in his Book of True Subjection”; “1 Cor: 6. verse 7 / It is utterly a fault that you goe to lawe against another”; Ecclesiast: 1. verse 2. All is vanitye”; “it is not lawfull to bestow sure liuings upon Laye men, as art appointed by godly lawes, for Ministers & preachers of the worde of God”). Several loose sheets of pencil notes on palaeography in (presumably) Dawson’s hand. The volume contains a wide variety of 17th century hands and it appears that Dawson was using this as a teaching aid. Dawson’s notes include: “1-4 a mixt hand. Fairly easy to read. A good experience in determining the mixture.” “5-30 Also a mixt - more italic than 1-4” “31 Almost pure Sec” “33 Almost pure ital...” “34-5 Pure secy. very clear and easy. Dawson has made some notes on a separate sheet including: “an address or sermon to “Right honourable and revered” judges. The King is mentioned. Hand I”; “A treatise or letter addressed to the Pope, by a Catholic. Hand II.” One essay in particular provides a useful exercise and an interesting example of a manuscript produced by multiple scribes. It is a lengthy untitled essay which changes hands partway through. It begins: “Knowledge of holy thinges by our saviour christ, to key 11. Luk. 52. as being a thing necessary both to know as in this life...” It is a folio gathered in two with signatures running from A-X2, Y1. The first section (A-F2 ff, 81-92) is in “almost pure secy but late” (Dawson). It ends on catchwords (“sive lucerna &c”) which is picked up in the second section (G-L2, ff 93-102) by a different hand, “mainly italic” (Dawson). This second hand also ends on catchwords which are in turn picked up in a third hand. Dawson at first considers this third section (M-Y1, ff. 103-112) to be the “same hand as 81-92” but he afterward amends this judgement and considers the similarities to be only superficial. Dawson’s testing and revising of his judgements provides a wonderful object lesson into palaeography as both an analytical exercise and an interpretive art." Ordered from Dean Cooke, Manuscripts & Rare Books D9388 2020-05-13, email quote.

272077