Miscellaneous loose papers in prose found among the Duchess of Portland's collection,...

Miscellaneous loose papers in prose found among the Duchess of Portland's collection, roughly classified according to subject, viz.:-

1. Artistic, consisting of lists of pictures, etc., including "Pictures, etc., of my Lord Harley's remaining in [Adrian] Drift's hands" (f.1); Description of Paul Veronese's Marriage at Cana in the Refectory of San Giorgio Maggiore at Venice (f.3); Catalogue of the Sale of Sir Luke Schaub's pictures, Apr., 1758, with prices and buyers (f.5); "List of Vandykes at Newnham" (f.9); Portraits at Coombe Abbey (f.13); Miniatures in James West's collection (f.19).

2. Humorous (ff.21-69), including "The Earl Kinnouls Retinue" on his going as Ambassador to Constantinople, 1729 (f.24); Petition of gardeners, nurserymen, etc. (f.25); Account of "a strange and wonderfull Prophet" to be seen near Paddington (f.29); "A modest defence of punning" (f.35); "A description of a lady's person, dress and library," etc. (f.63).

3. Legal (ff.70-76), including a Plan adopted at Eaton in Cheshire for stopping horse-stealing (f.73).

4. Literary (ff.77-119), including:- Bibliographical notes as to the "Spectator" (f.78); Remarks on Johnson's "Tour to the Hebrides" (f.79); "A Key to the Dispensary", by S. Garth (f.88); Dialogue between Berenice and Cleopatra (f.91); "Hints for regulating Mr. H. Hope's Studies, by the Earl of Kinnoul", 1772 (f.93); Plan for reading history by "Lord Mansfield for Lord Titchfield", (f.103b).

5. Moral (ff.120-141), including:- "Sur la Maxime de Mr de la Rochefoucault qu'il y a des marriages commodes mais point de delicieux", by Lady M. Wortley Montagu (f.120); "Humility" (f.131).

6. Natural history (ff.142-157), including drawings of shells (f.152).

7. Personal (ff.158-226), including the history, by Tho. Abington, of the descent of a cabinet that had belonged to Card. Wolsey (f.158); Paper by Dr James Beattie defending himself against aspersions of the friends of Hume (f.160) Account of Mrs Bovey, daughter of John Rich, a Dutch merchant (f.166); "Duchess of Ormond's advice for regulating the Duke of Beaufort's family (f.172); Catalogue of books, etc., of the Duke of Portland sent to be bound, 29 July, 1769 (f.175); Account of a masquerade at Mrs. Chaplin's in Lincolnshire in 1749 (f.177); Letter of Elizabeth, Lady Compton, to her husband (cr. Earl of Northampton, 1618), as to her personal allowance, household, etc. (f.181); Decision against the claim of Dorothy, Lady Dacre, to Privilege of peerage after marrying [1650] Challoner Chute, a commoner, 4 July, 1661 (f.183); Account of Wentworth Dillon, Earl of Roscommon (d.1684-1685) (f.184); Funeral oration by Sir Thomas Higgons over the grave of Elizabeth, Countess of Essex his wife, 16 Sept., 1656, copied from the printed text (ff.187, 193); Remarks on the death of Catharine, Duchess of Queensberry, 20 July, 1777 (f.198); Anecdote of Sir Francis Godolphin (f.199); Anecdote of James Hamilton, Duke of Hamilton (d.1712), and Duncan Campbell, the fortune-teller (f.201); Affidavit of a miraculous cure of one Mary Maillard, 19 Dec., 1693 (f.210); Extracts from letters of Ralph Montagu, amb. at Paris, relating to the death of the Duchess of Orleans, 1670 (f.213); Question as to the precedence of the Duchess of Albemarle, married (1691) to Ralph, Earl of Montagu (f.215); Question as to precedence of Juliana, Duchess of Leeds, married to Charles Colyear, Earl of Portmore (f.218); List of guests of Humphrey Parsons, Lord Mayor, on Easter Monday, 1731 (f.220).

8. Prayers, etc., (ff.227-281), including Prayers of Queen Elizabeth (f.228); of "R. Bathe" [Rachael, widow of Henry Bourchier, Earl of Bath]. Autograph and dated 29 Sept., 1660-3 Nov., 1669 (ff.233-245); Sermon on Ps.cxii. 6, dat. 26 Mar., 1697. (f.269).

9. Receipes, etc. (ff.282-285), including "The Blister plaister or salve" (f.282); on means for preserving pines (pine-apples) from insects, etc. (f.284).

10. Records (ff.286-298), including Extracts from a MS. Wardrobe-book of Edward II. 1324-1326 (f.288); and accompts of John Islip, Abbot of Westminster, 1500 (f.296).

11. Topography (ff.299-385), including descriptions of Dovedale, 1763 (f.299) and of Kenilworth (f.306); Extracts from Rev. William Gilpin's Tours in England (f.313); Stonehenge (f.337); Lake at Keswick, printed, Kendal, 1770 (f.340); Names of towns and Seals from Bulstrode to Welbeck, 1753 (f.344); Account of towns on the continent, starting from Strasburg and travelling through Germany to Prague and Vienna and so into Italy by Venice as far as Mantua (f.353); On the glaciers of the Alps (f.370); Description of Madeira in a letter from Funchal, 13 July, 1754 (f.376).

Folio; ff.388.