Manuscript Commonplace Book and Library Catalogue [manuscript], circa 1615.

Thorpe Hall, Yorkshire, circa 1615.

1 volume ; 290 x 200 x 33 mm

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From dealer's description: "FARSYDE, John (attrib. d. 1660); FARSYDE, Thomas. Manuscript Commonplace Book and Library Catalogue. [Thorpe Hall, Yorkshire. Circa 1615]. Folio (290 x 200 x 33 mm). 86 text pages (of which approximately 50 are full page or nearly so; other pages vary from just a few lines to half a page). [7 index], 172 leaves (numbered to rectos), [1, blank]. Contemporary full sheep binding, rubbed and worn, spine largely perished, boards detached, single, small worm track through text block. Provenance: An inscription to the pastedown reads “G. J. W. Farsyde 1826 found these M.S. amongst the papers of my Uncle Watson Farsyde, they seem to bear date (by the writing about the middle of the 17th Century & written by one of the family – probably a parson – Caro avenculo mio.” Library catalogue of the “Rev. Thomas Farsyde” (ff.3-4). Commonplace books provide insight into the reading and thinking habits of the early modern mind. This early-17th-century example is a mixture of the conventional and the inscrutable but contains several tantalising clues which may make it possible to connect the book to other volumes in manuscript culture of the early modern period. The library catalogue, added about a century later, extends the item’s material history in ways that trace the changes in how readers digested and thought about books. It is unclear whether the earliest texts in the manuscript were compiled by two scribes or by one scribe using two hands; similar letterforms occur in both, which, though hardly conclusive, at least suggests that it was the same writer. Both are neat and legible. The book begins with an eight-page index, and the subjects are spaced out across the volume to allow further entries over time, but as is often the case with commonplace books, there are many unfilled sheets."
From dealer's description: "DATING AND INTERROGATING The manuscript was probably compiled in the first two decades of the 17th century. Support for this assertion comes from the hand, the books referenced, and the paper. The binding might usually help with dating, but it is a folio bound in full sheep with a double fillet border. Although it is certainly unusual to have a full sheep binding on a folio—it is the kind of (relatively) cheap material usually encountered on small-format volumes—we can only confidently say that it was bound sometime in the 17th century. The binding is worn and broken, but this is probably due to the weakness of the material rather than a sign of frequent use. The paper is more helpful. It bears the watermark: small pot, crescent on trefoil, with initials: I/QQ. This combination is not found in Haewood or Gravell, but it is a good match for Folger L.f.956 and L.f.955, which they date 1598 and 1625 respectively. We cannot find any other examples of this watermark, but these two examples help support an early-17th-century date. The most frequently used text is the Bible, but the majority seem to be précis rather than direct quotes, and where they do quote verbatim the segments are so short as to frustrate any (or at least our) attempts to identify which version they were using. But our scribe engages with his sources beyond mere précis: for example, “The Godly liues” (f.12), which begins by summarising passages “out of the Epistle of John”, continues in different-coloured ink (presumably indicating he has returned to this section at a later date), as he interrogates the text (“whither may a godly man or ought hee to wish that others may bee saued, ‘though hee bee damned whither doth hee or shee well or ill if they do it or do it not”); in “Loue” he observes that “True loue is not hindred by distance of place Philadelphia a people liued much a purte because of Earthquakes in there Cities”; and in “Hypocrisy” (f.15) he remarks that “Hypocrites falling neuer recouer, The lamb skinne which the wolfe remoues being once shorne neuer growes agayne”. The source texts themselves offer up further evidence for dating. There several references to Eusebius (his Eccesiastical Histories were translated into English in 1577, and frequently reprinted throughout the following century-and-a-half), but passages such as “what else made Dioclesian, and maxaminian (sic) Herculeus that […] when both of them burned with exceeding desire of raising out the name of Christians, that both ^of them should suddaynly put themselues out of the Empire, and liue a priuate life Eusebius .8. 13 admires it”, while commenting on Eusebius’s thought, do not appear to have been extracted from his work. Other entries include pithy sayings, including one which seems to absolve the clergy: “The phisition looseth not his fee though the patient dye nor the lawyer though the cause miscary whie then should the minister”; or they gnomically summarise the burden of clerical responsibilities: “Bells hunge downe to six feete to shew that A Ministers doctryne must reach to his life they must haue hands under there wings & eyes”. More general observations include the optimistic “In needle workes uppon sad grounds there is pleasant Coulours”. It seems unclear whether our scribe is précising Eusebius’ commentary or providing his own exegesis. For example “The tyme of the pure white gowne was 40 yeares till the tyme of Diocletian under Claudius Quintilie Aurelia” references “Eus: .8.1.2”, while other sartorial references seem to be his own “long white garments // longe as gownes to reach to the feete for the Couering of any defectiue thinge in it And white as tokens of gladnesse”. (f.105v)."
Dealer's description (cont.): "GETTING NEARER THE FARSYDE One reference in particular helps to home in on the likely date of compilation. On f.6, the scribe includes a short excerpt on “Anger”, which reads “If they are blamed that let the Sun goe downe in their anger how much are they to be blamed that let the moone change on their wrath. Greenh: page 741 uide 289 notes of true anger.” This almost certainly signifies the Workes of the Richard Greenham (1535?-1594?), an English clergyman who was well known for his strong Puritan doctrine of the Sabbath. Although only one sermon was published in his lifetime, his many sermons and theological treatises had a significant influence on the Puritan movement in England. Greenham’s Workes were first published in 1599, with further editions in 1601, 1605, and 1612. Of these, only the 1605 and 1612 have page numbers above “page 741”. The 1612 edition contains the lines: “If they be faultie that let the Sunne go downe on their wrath, what shall become of them that let the Moone change on their wrath”, but they occur on p.67 not p.741. We have been unable to examine the 1605 edition, and therefore unable to identify the exact edition our scribe has used. But the textual match is promising, and “Greenh:” is surely Greenham. It is worth noting that the 1612 edition was the last, and the lines do not occur in the only work of his published after that date (A garden of spiritual flowers). The combination of the unusual watermark, the secretary hand, and the reference to a work from 1612 (or earlier), makes a date in the second decade of the 17th century highly likely. If G. J. W. Farsyde is correct, and the volume was indeed “written by one of the family”, then perhaps they can be traced through the library catalogue of the Reverend Thomas Farsyde, which is recorded on ff.3-4 (see below). According to Venn, the Reverend Thomas Farsyde’s father was John, gentleman, born at Fylingdales. This refers to John Farside (d. 1660), making either him or his father, William Farside, likely candidates for the compiler of this manuscript. Unfortunately, there seems to be very little information about the Farsides from this period. Dugdale says of John Farside (d. 1660) that he was “of Pickering Lithe in com Ebor.” John’s parents were also of that county: William Farside was “borne at Langdane Bridge, wthin Whitby Strand, after resided at Ellis Close, wthin ye honour of Pickerg.” John’s mother, Mary, also from Yorkshire, was the “daughter of John Watson of Hakenes in Whitby Strand in com. Ebor.” Dugdale also tells us that “John Farside of Farside in the Realme of Scotland came into England in the time of K. James, and was made Bowbearer in the Forest of Pickering in com. Ebor.” The Farsides changed their name to Farsyde and built Thorpe Hall mansion in 1680. This was the home of George James Watson Farsyde at the time he wrote the inscription to the inner board of this volume. A very similar inscription to the one in our volume is also in a volume now at the Brotherton Library, Leeds. Theirs reads “These M.S. were found amongst the papers of my Uncle Watson Farsyde”. The Brotherton’s volume is ascribed to “Jo. Tempest” (the name appears several times), and they date the volume to circa 1640-50. However, the hand is not a good match for our scribe, so however tempting it may have been to do so, unfortunately, we cannot pursue the connection further. That said, it seems likely that there are other volumes with the same provenance, which might help identify our scribe."
Dealer's description (cont.): "THE LIBRARY CATALOGUE After its beginnings in the first decades of the 17th century, the book seems to have lain dormant until Thomas Farsyde (a.k.a. Farside or Fairside) (c. 1695-1747) used several of its pages to record his library catalogue. It is simply entitled “A Catalogue” but a note (perhaps by G. J. W. Farsyde) clarifies that it is “of the Library of The Revd. Thos: Farsyde sometime circa 1735. Incumbent of perpetual curacy at Whitby”. (He also adds “A Sketch from Nature” dated 1836, after which his interventions cease.) According to Venn, “Thomas Farsyde was educated at Cambridge: Adm. sizar (age 17) at St John’s, 27 Jun., 1712. Matric. 1712, B.A. 1715/6. He was ordained deacon (York) 1717; priest 1719, Victor of Willerby, East Riding of Yorkshire, 1723. In 1725, he married Jane Hillard. Was Reverend of Whitby, North Riding of Yorkshire, 1734-36.” Thomas records his library in size order, beginning with folios and working downwards. There are 20 folios, 13 quartos, and 72 “Octavos & Duodecimos”. Of his 105 titles, only around 32 are of a moral or religious nature (“Caves Apostolici”, “Hammo[n]d’s Vindication of Episcopy”, “An Essay Concerning Preaching”, “Calamy’s Godly Mans book”, etc). These include two Bibles tucked at the end, “An English Bible” and “A nother large Bible”, which indicates either that the latter was noticeably large for an octavo or duodecimo, or that the Reverend had completely forgotten to include the holy book until last (it is immediately preceded by “Paracelsus of Occult Philosophy”, and further up the list by “The Marrow of Alchemy”). First on the list is “The Institution Laws & Ceremonies of ye noble order of the Garter Collected by Elias Ashmole”. Although their pretensions did not reach to the Order of the Garter, the Farside family claimed to be armigerous. Dugdale does record the family in his Visitation of Yorkshire (1661), but he remarks that “This coate is sayd to belong to the family of Farsides of Scotland, but no proofe made.” This largely secular library, although small, makes interesting reading. Books are predominantly English, with a few exceptions (usually small-format classics). No obvious hierarchy other than size is imposed – indeed, among the folios, “Sermons. The Title page being Torn out”, is placed several titles above “Sellar’s Attlas Maritimus”. Farsyde does not state the edition, but the fact that it is recorded under folios indicates it was probably 1670, 1672, or 1675. All editions are scarce, and nowadays it easily commands five-figure sums at auction, so it is interesting to find it given equal status to a damaged book of sermons (if line space is an indicator). The list takes in subjects such as science and nature (“The Compleat Surveyor by Wm: Leibown” (i.e. Leybourn), “The Azimuth’s Compass and Plain Sailing”, “Markham’s Master piece”, “The Mysteries of Nature & Art in 4 parts” (i.e. John Bate’s The mysteries of nature and art. In foure severall parts London, 1635 and 1654), “Vinetum Britanicum”), travel writing (“Ogleby’s Affrica”, “Sandy’s Travils”), and military (“Richard Deltons (i.e. Elton) Compleat art Body of ye Military Art”). Dictionaries and language reference are represented by “A Quadruple Dictionary”, “Schrevelius’s Dictio:” (presumably the Lexicon manuale Græco-Latinum, & Latino-Græcum first published at London in 1663 (numerous editions into the 18th century), and “Robertson’s Phrase book” (i.e. Phraseologia generalis published at Cambridge 1681 and reissued with cancel titles in 1693 and 1695). Works of literature include “The Arcadian Princess by Ri: Brathwait”, “Ovid’s Metamorphosis” and that remarkable 17th-century book, which amounts to a library in itself, “The Anatomy of Melancholly”. Thomas Farsyde’s “Catalogue”, besides offering an interesting take on 18th-century book-collecting (such as the equal status apparently given to a title-page-less book of “Sermons” and the rare “Sellar’s Attlas Maritimus”), provides a ‘bridge’ between the 19th-century inscription and earlier text. It marks a point in the evolution of intellectual interests from the almost purely pious concerns of his ancestor’s commonplace entries to the more eclectic, empirical and secular approaches that emerged in the culture during the 18th century. £5,000 Ref: 8083 References: 1. Wagner, A. R. Register and Collections of the College of Arms. 1952. 2. Ruggles, Richard I. ‘Governor Samuel Wegg. The Winds of Change’. The Beaver, 1976. With thanks to Dr Robert Colley for his invaluable assistance. "

Great Britain -- England -- London.

FAST ACC 272827

Ordered from Dean Cooke, Manuscripts & Rare Books D9610, 2022-09-07, email quote.

272827