St John's College N.14 (James 393)
William Stanley, Notes on Ecclesiastical history. Latin and English, late seventeenth century
William Stanley, of St John's College, Cambridge, Fellow and Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, Dean of St Asaph (1647-1731): miscellaneous notes on the early history and customs of the Church, drawn from various printed sources. The vol. includes a chronology for the years 31 to 990, noting the names of Western and Eastern Emperors, and principal bishops. There is a table of contents inside the original front cover. The latest dated source seems to be of 1690 (p. 381).
216x165 mm. Paginated 1-128, 385-400, [i-xx blank], 129-384, [i-iv blank]. Presented to the College by Professor J[ohn] E[dward] B[ickersteth] Mayor, Fellow of St John's College, 1897 (donation plate inside front cover). Sold at Puttick & Simpson, 18 July 1873 (inscription on flyleaf): perhaps the lot number, 87, and the price, 14s., noted inside the front cover refer to this sale. Inside original front cover: 'From Thorpe's catalogue in [...] 1830, of MSS in which this and seventeen other MSS of Wm Stanley, Dean of S. Asaph were included. Dean Stanley was nephew of Bishop Beveridge's (inserted who married his Aunt) wife.' The reference is to William Beveridge (1637-1708), of St John's College, Cambridge, Bishop of St Asaph. Chronology and the history of the early Church were two of the Bishop's favoured pursuits, but this MS is not in Beveridge's hand (cf. SJC, MS H.29). Also inside former front cover the price £1 12s 6d. In Latin, apart from pp. 175-6, 245-55, 381.
Presumably autograph? Paper, clearly assembled from several sources - the paper varies in size and watermark - but numbered in one original, autograph sequence throughout, with the exception noted above which is flagged on p. 384. Original paper and cardboard covers, rebound in half leather, marbled paper on boards, nineteenth century. title on spine in gold lettering: 'Stanelii Eclecta MS'.