MISCELLANY

A miscellany of manuscripts acquired by Sion College by 1724. With the possible exception of ff. 119-154, all were acquired by Sion College by the time of the Fire of London in 1666. ff. 1r-2v. 'The order and forme of such a particular accomte as the Treasurer at Warres for the Lowe Countrey imploymentes is to make: for that in all other confused and imperfected manner of reconninges her Maiestie, the States, officers, soldiers and creditors of all sortes maye be extreamely defrauded...'. Signed 'Veritas non querit oculos'. Late 16th century. A paper setting out the form of accounts which should be submitted for the year 1574 by Sir Thomas Sherley (c.1542-1612), also known as Sir Thomas Shirley, as Treasurer-at-War for the English forces in the Netherlands during the Dutch Revolt. Sherley was suspected of embezzling much of the money sent out by Lord Burghley to finance the expedition and its troops. Recorded as given to Sion College in 1629 'ex dono Philo-glotti cujusdam' (Sion L40.2/E64, p. 8). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark V7.34 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32v). ff. 3r-45v. 'The soveraignty of the seas of England. Proved by record, history and the municipall lawes of the kingdome. Also a particular relation concerning the inestimable riches and commodities of the British Isles. By Sir John Borough Kt, Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London'. Pasted in at f. 3r is a badly stained fragment, seemingly the original cover or first leaf of the work (being ruled on the reverse in the same manner as the other leaves). This is inscribed: 'Mr Elliot Cooke lent this Mundaye the 21th of Januarye 1628 Anno [? regni] Charoli regis'; the inscription is visible under ultra violet light . Sir John Borough (d. 1643), was an antiquary, herald, an M.P. His work 'The Soveraignty of the British Seas', said to have been written in 1633 (Oxford Dictionary of National Biography), was not printed until 1651. Purchased in 1629 with money bequeathed by Thomas Adison, Ostiary of Sion College Library (Sion L40.2/E64, p. 6). Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark Y 11.2 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 5v). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark Y 11.2 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32r, where the date of the manuscript is given as 1628). ff. 46r-56v. 'The way of duells before the Kinge'. Begins: 'When upon the exhibitt of the Bill of the Appellant in Courte before the Constable...'. Early 17th century. An account of procedure in trials by combat (judicial duels) before the King, with details of the roles of Constable and Marshall. A closely related (but not identical) text from the reign of Richard II is found in a 15th century manuscript [now Pierpont Morgan Library, New York, MS. 775]; for an edition see Harold Arthur, Viscount Dillon, 'On a MS. collection of ordinances of chivalry of the fifteenth century, belonging to Lord Hastings', in Archaeologia, vol 57 part 1, 1900, pp. 29-70. Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark V7.4 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 9r). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark V7.4 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32r). ff. 57r-86v. 'To the King's most excellent Maiestie. The humble petition of the distressed prisoners for debt in the severall prisons of England. Wherein is declared the mischieffes and inconveniences arising to the King and Comon-wealth by the imprisoning of mens bodies ffor debt'. Early 17th century. On the front cover (f. 57r) are inscriptions: 'Ed. Harrysons' and 'Prisoners petition'. Purchased in 1629 with money bequeathed by Thomas Adison, Ostiary of Sion College Library (Sion L40.2/E64, p. 6). Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark V9.9 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 28v). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark V9.9 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32r). ff. 87r-118v. 'The severall arguments in the last parliament concerning the liberty of the person of every ffreeman, made by Sir Dudley Digges Kt, Mr. Littleton, Mr. Selden and Sir Edward Coke Kt'. Speeches by Sir Dudley Digges (c.1583-1639), Edward Littleton (1589-1645) afterwards Baron Littleton, John Selden (1584-1654) and Sir Edward Coke (c.1552-1634). The speech of Sir Edward Coke is dated 3 April 1628 (f. 112v). Early 17th century. Speeches concerning the liberty of freemen made in discussions in Parliament on the Petition of Right, 1628. Purchased in 1629 with money bequeathed by Thomas Adison, Ostiary of Sion College Library (Sion L40.2/E64, p. 6). Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark Y11.7 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 9r). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark Y11.7 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32r). For related manuscripts see British Library, Harleian MSS 2208, 2234, 2305; Lansdowne MS 173. ff. 119r-154v. An armorial of English peers, with details of the constituent elements of their achievements of arms. The text was written after 1590 (when Gilbert Talbot became 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, f. 124v) and before the death of Philip Howard, 13th Earl of Arundel, in 1595, f. 122v). Late 16th century. At f. 130r. is a full page drawing, in pen and ink, of an unidentified coat of arms. Pasted in at f. 148r are two staves of music. ff. 155r-180v. 'The orations and speeches in the Venetian Historie'. Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark V8 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 27r). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark V8 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32v). ff. 181r-185v. 'A Dyscours of the matters of the exchange betwyxt Flaunders and Englande'. Begins: 'A conference of the wayghts boolion and valewes of the mooneys of Inglande and of the mooneys of the lowe countries, with a comparison of the exchange ... betweene the burs at Antwarp and loombard streete in Loondon, wrytten the fyrst of Februarie anno 1564' [ie. Feb. 1565 new style]. 16th century. Recorded as given to Sion College in 1630 by 'John Davies muso-phil.' (Sion L40.2/E64, p. 11). Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark V7.33 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 9r). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark V7.33 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32v). ff. 186r-202v. 'Questions propounded by the mynisters of New England, answered and resolved by Mr. Cotton, mynister of Boston in New England'. 17th century. Sixteen questions put to John Cotton (1585-1652), minister of the church at Boston, Massachusetts, in December 1636 in the course of the Antinomian Controversy, with Cotton's replies [which were probably given in January 1637]. The text was published in 1644 as: John Cotton, 'Sixteene questions of necessary and serious consquence ... together with his answers to each question'. For a modern edition, related manuscipts and commentary, see David D. Hall, 'The Antinomian Controversy, 1636-1638: a documentary history', 2nd edition (Duke University Press, 1999), pp. 43-59. Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark V7.10 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 7r). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark V7.10 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32r). ff. 203r-232v. 'The famous hystory off George a Greene pinder off the towne off Wakefeild. His byrthe callinge valour and reputation in his country. With dyverse and soondry plesaunt as well as serious passadges in the course off his lyffe and fortunes'. Late 16th or early 17th century. A prose romance concerning the exploits of the pinner, or pinder (the official responsible for impounding stray animals), of Wakefield. George a Greene features also in ballads. A version for the stage, first performed in 1593 and printed as 'A pleasant conceyted comedie of George a Greene, the pinner of Wakefield' (London, 1599) is often attributed to Robert Greene. A partial transcription of the present manuscript is in J. Churton Collins ed., 'The plays and poems of Robert Greene' 2 vols (Oxford, 1905), vol 2 pp. 167-177. For a more complete edition, see William J. Thoms, 'Early English prose romances' 3 vols (London, 1858, reprinted New York, 1970), vol 2, pp. 159-215. See Erika T. Lin, 'Popular festivities and the early modern stage: the case of George a Greene', in 'Theatre Journal' vol 61 (2009), pp. 271-297. Lin states that since Thoms consulted the Sion manuscript in 1828 a number of leaves from around f. 223 appear to have gone missing. In fact the text appears to be complete but bound out of order. Catchwords show that the correct order of the text should be ff. 222, 225, 226, 223, 224, 227. Recorded in John Spencer's catalogue of the Sion manuscripts dated 1650, with shelf-mark Y 11.3 (Sion L40.2/E92 f. 14r). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark Y 11.3 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32r). ff. 233r-262v. 'A generall collection of all the offices of England, with theire ffees, in the Queenes guifte'. Late 16th century. A list of all the offices England in the time of Elizabeth I, with their salaries. Included at ff. 259r-261v are valuations of all the bishoprics and deaneries of England, noting also the tenths paid by each to the Queen. Purchased in 1629 with money bequeathed by Thomas Adison, Ostiary of Sion College Library (Sion L40.2/E64, p. 6). Recorded amongst Sion manuscripts saved from the Fire of London in 1666, with shelf-mark Y 11.6 (Sion L40.2/E 58/1 f. 32r).

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