St John's College I.33 (James 327, Wagstaff 3496)
Sir William Cornwallis the younger, Encomium of Richard III. English, before 1611
[Sir William Cornwallis the younger (c.1579–1614)]: 'A Breife Discourse in praise of King Richard the thirde Kinge of Englande, or, An Apologie against the malitious slaunders of his detractinge adversaries', before 1611. Beg.: 'That princes are naturally ambitious ...'; ends: 'yet for all this knowe I hold this but as a Paradoxe'. According to Professor Alan H. Nelson of the University of California, the MS is in the hand of Humphrey Dyson, see his The Library of Humphrey Dyson (Oxford Bibliographical Society, forthcoming).
195x154 mm. iv+26+ii fos. On title page and at fo. 26v the stamp: 'Humfridus Dyson, Notarius publicus me possidet, 1611'. On fo. ii, in Thomas Baker's hand, 'Liber olim ornatissimi viri Thomae Wagstaff', and 'Tho: Baker dedit Coll: Jo: Socius ejectus'. Small College bookplate (eighteenth century) at foot of title page.
Single secretary hand, with marginalia in same hand. Paper. Original binding (leather on card). Slight wear to endpapers.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
A.N. Kincaid (ed.), The Encomium of Richard III by Sir William Cornwallis the younger (London, 1977).