St John’s College Aa.3 (part) (James 504)
Joseph Simons, Zeno and other tragedies. Latin, c. 1626
[Joseph Simons, or Simeon, pseudonym of Emmanuel Lobb, Jesuit theologian and dramatist (1594-1671)]: three Latin verse plays: ‘Fratrum concordia sana sive Zeno tragoedia’ (fo. 1r); ‘Protasis Sanctus Damianus episcopus Ticinensis turbas Italiae divinitus proedicit Anno Domini 1626 Februarii 13’ (fo. 59r); ‘Ludit in humanis divina potentia rebus ultio divina sive Leo Armenus tragoedia’ (fo. 82r). The first and third are also found in Cambridge University Library MS Ii.6.35.
St John’s College Aa.3 (part) (James 503)
Henry Docker, Commonplace book. English, Latin and Greek, 1685-1715
Henry Docker, of St John’s College, Cambridge (1665 or 6 - 1721): commonplace book, begun while an undergraduate at St John’s, but containing entries dated through to 1715. Political, religious and legal entries, with some, usually lighthearted, verse. There is a brief index on pp. 362-3. The contents include: ‘The Bishop of Valence’s speech to the King of France at Versaill’s the 14 of July 1685’ (p. 27); ‘In obitum doctissimi viri J[ames] Jackson [d. 1686] M: D: Aulae Clarensis praesidis’ (p.
St John’s College Aa.3 (part) (James 496)
John Thomas Ambrose, Epitome of Beausobré on the New Testament. English, 1816
John Thomas Ambrose, of St John’s College, Cambridge (1798-1881): ‘An Epitomy of Beausobré for Lectures to Mr Jephson [?Thomas Jephson, 1784-1864, Fellow of St John’s College] Xmas examinations 1816’ (front cover).
St John’s College Aa.3 (part) (James 494 and 495)
George Harbin, Copy of Thomas Browne’s Answer to a pamphlet by Bishop Stillingfleet. English, c. 1744, or earlier
George Harbin, of Emmanuel and Jesus Colleges, antiquary and non-juror (d.
St John’s College Aa.3 (James 493)
Documents relating to the University of Cambridge. Latin and English, seventeenth century
Privileges of and other documents relating to the University of Cambridge, including copies of statutes, royal and council letters, other official documents and formulae, the originals 1547 to 1621 where dated, some copied from the Junior Proctor’s Book (University Archives, Collect.Admin 2), Hare’s Book, ‘Whinn’s Book’ (?Tabor’s Book, Collect.Admin 8) and Stokys’ Book (Misc.Collect 4) in the University Archives.
St John’s College Aa.3 (part) (James 492)
Collections relating to the Non-jurors. English and Latin, eighteenth century
Copies of letters, testimonials, bibliographies, biographical notes, obituaries, matriculations at Oxford and Cambridge and other records relating to some fifty non-jurors, the copied material dating from the Glorious Revolution down to 1734. The contents include three lengthy letters from ‘Mr Lesley’ [Charles Leslie, 1650-1722] to Samuel Parker, ‘concerning the Schism’, 1712 (p. 37), a ‘Catalogue of MSS papers committed to the trust of Mr Hilkiah Bedford by Dr George Hickes’ (p.
St John’s College Aa.3 (James 491)
Zachary Grey, Commonplace book. English and Latin, c. 1704
Zachary Grey, antiquary, of Jesus College and Trinity Hall (1688-1766): commonplace jottings and connected prose, including a ‘History of the Swedish War against the Germans’ and a far more substantial ‘Hist[ory of] Engl[an]d’, reign by reign from the earliest times to Mary I. The date of the MS is established approximately by the list of monarchs and the lengths of their reigns at fo. [1v]. There is an evident interest in chronology, with a list of Roman emperors as well as English monarchs.
St John’s College Aa.2.55 (part)
‘Additions to the Levant Company’s Charter’. English, 1661
‘Additions to the Levant Company’s Charter: 1661’. Beg.: ‘And whereas by the humble Peticion of the said Governor and Company of Merchants of England Trading into the Levant …’; ends (imperfectly): ‘or shall in any matter or thing’.
St John’s College Aa.2.10(8)
Ambrose Rigge, ‘The Serpent’s subtilly discovered’. English, 1664
Ambrose Rigge (1634-1704): ‘The Serpent’s subtilly discovered, in a plaine answer [to] a Lying Scandelous paper lately come from Leonard Letchf[ord] whoe calls himselfe Rector of Hurst pierpoint in the County of Sussex’, ‘written this 15th day of the 12 month called February in the year 1663’. Copied from a Quaker tract, published London, 1663 (Wing R1490). See the entry for Rigge in DNB for details of his dispute with Letchford.
St John’s College Aa.1.58(1) (formerly Hh.1.1) (James 505)
Edmund Dudley, ‘The Tree of Commonwealth’. English, c. 1600
Edmund Dudley (1462?-1510): ‘This Booke named the tree of Commonwealth was made by Edmund Dudley Esq. [late] Councellor to King Henrie the viith the same Edmund at the compilinge heareof beeing prisoner in the tower in the first yeare of King Henrie the viiith’. Incomplete, ends: ‘And when and houe all these fower fruites must needes bee used with the sauce’ (fo. 103v). A single page only is missing.