V.a.585 (Folger Shakespeare Library)
This manuscript provides a transcription of Thomas Fairfax's poems, and was probably meant for family use. I have provided images from a 2008 Bonhams catalogue entry, but have yet to see the manuscript itself. I am grateful to Christopher Edwards for providing me with a detailed list of the contents (which leaves only the specific folios of some of the Psalm translations unrecorded), as well as notes on the content, purpose, hands, text, and provenance. I will build on Edwards' invaluable work as and when possible.
From the Bonhams catalogue images, I can confirm that the majority of the transcription is in the same hand as MS Fairfax 38 (Bodleian) and MS Lt 105 (Brotherton). The Bodleian's catalogue entry states 'appears to be Henry Fairfax, 4th lord Fairfax [1631–1688], first cousin of the author'; the Brotherton Library's catalogue entry for MS Lt 105, however, states that its transcription is by Charles Fairfax. The Folger's catalogue entry reflects information provided on the manuscript when it went up for sale through Bonhams, stating that the hand is that of Charles Fairfax.
Edwards' notes (communicated to me in a personal exchange) record that 'comparison with an autograph letter by [Charles Fairfax] at Leeds University Library has shown this to be correct'. I can also confirm that the monogram on folio vi of MS Fairfax 38 is Charles Fairfax's monogram, which can be seen in the image provided for lot 489 (from the Analecta Fairfaxiana) in Sotheby's catalogue of the Fairfax Library and Archive sale of Tuesday 14th December 1993. All of these manuscripts, then, are in the hand of Charles Fairfax (1597–1673), the antiquarian uncle of Thomas Fairfax.
Edwards notes, however, that 'It is clear that there are at least two hands at work in the manuscript. The greater part of the text is in the same upright, rounded and rather naive hand. There is, however, another hand at work: this hand, which uses the greek e much more frequently than the main hand, and is more fluent and educated, corrects where there are clear errors such as a line missing'. I will look into this further when I have access to this manuscript.
Contents
- Description of contents, fols [ii–iii]
- Blank sheets, fols [iv–vi]
- The Songe of Moses Exod 15, fols 1–5
- Moses his Songe Deutr 32, fols 6–12
- The Songe of Deborah & Barak Judges ye 5th, fols 13–19
- Hanah's songe. 1 Sam: 2, fols 20–21
- David's Lamentatio ou Saule & Jonathan, fols 22–24
- Hezekiahs Songe Isaiah 38, fols 25–27
- Preface to the Psalmes, fol. 28
- Psalme 1, fol. 29
- Psalme 2, fol. 30
- Psalme 3, fol. 31
- Psalme 4, fol. 32
- Psalme 5, fols 33–35
- Psalme 6, fol. 36
- Psalme 7, fols 37–38
- Psalme 8, fols 39–40
- Psalme 9, fols 41–42
- Psalme 10, fols 43–44
- Psalme 11, fols 45–46
- Psalme 12, fol, 47
- Psalme 13, fol. 48
- Psalme 14, fol. 49
- Psalme 15, fol. 50
- Psalme 16, fol. 51
- Psalme 17, fol. 52
- Psalme 18, fols 53–56
- Psalme 19, fols 57–58
- Psalme 20, fol. 59
- Psalme 21, fol. 60
- Psalme 22, fols 61–63
- Psalme 23, fol. 64
- Psalme 25, fol. 65
- Psalme25, fol. 66
- Psalme 26, fol. 67
- Psalme 27, fol. 68
- Psalme 28, fol. 69
- Psalme 29, fol. 70
- Psalme 30, fols 71–72
- Psalme 31, fols 73–74
- Ps 32, fols 75–76
- Psalme 33, fol. 77
- Psalme 34, fol. 78–79
- Psalme 35, fols 80–81
- Psalme 36, fol. 82
- Psalme 37, fols 83–85
- Psalme 38, fol. 86
- Psalme 39, fols 87–88
- Psalme 40, fol. 89
- Psalme 41, fols 90–91
- Psalme 42, fols 92–94
- Psalme 43, fol. 95
- Psalme 44, fols 96–97
- Psalme 45, fols 98–99
- Psalme 46, fol. 100
- Psalme 47, fol. 101
- Psalme 48, fols 101–102
- Psalme 49, fols 103–104
- Psalme 50, fol. 105
- Fols. 106–283: to check
- Ps 150, fol. 284
- Out of ye Proverbs of Solomon, fols 285–294
- Wisedome's antiquity, fols 295–297
- Lemuel's instruction from his mother Pro: 31, fols 298–300
- The songe of Solomon chapter 1st, fols 301–302
- Chapter 2d, fols 303–304
- Chapt 3, fol. 305
- Chapter 4, fols 306–307
- Chapter 5, fols 309–310
- Chapter 6th, fols 311–312
- Chapter 7, fols 313–314
- Chapter 8, fols 315–317
- The Songe of Mary the Blessed Virgin Luke 1, fol. 318
- Zachariah's Songe Luke 1, fol. 319
- Simeon's Songe Luke 2, fol. 320
- Hymnes. To the Soveraigne God, fols 321–326
- An Hymne to Christ the Mesiah, fols 327–342
- An Hymne to ye Holy Ghost, fols 343–348
- Fols 349–351:to check
- The Christian Warfare, fols 352–356
- Honny Dropps, fols 357–379
- Of vertue, fols 380–381
- Of Patience and Temperance, fols 382–383
- Nature & Fortune, fol. 383
- Of Anger, fols 384–385
- Of Envy, fol. 386
- On the Fatal day Jan 30: (1648), fol. 387
- Of Impartial Fate, fol. 387
- From the Lady Carye wth ye Answer of TF Upon ye Death of his deare Consort, fols 388–389
- To the Lady Cary upon her verses on my Deare wife AF, fols 390–391
- This Epitaph is entered in ye Booke (though composed by another viz Thomas first Lord Fairfax). Upon ye death of Sr Edward Yorke, knt, as it hath equal reference to both their Services. First Military, then Civil as Justices of Peace &c., fol. 392
- Epitaph on a yonge Gentlewoman Mris A: Va: deceased, fol. 393
- Shortness of life, fol. 394
- Life & Death compared, fols 394–395
- The solitude, fols 396–403
- Of a faire wife: to Coregio, fols 404–405
- Of Beauty, fol. 406
- Upon a Patch't Face, fol. 407
- Upon a Virago, fol. 407
- Vpon an il Husband, fol. 408
- Vpon a Fountaine, fol. 408
- Vpon Appleton-House, fol. 409
- Vpon ye Horse wch his Maty rode vpon att his Coronation
- Upon ye Horse wch his Maty. Rode upon att his Coronation, fol. 409
- Upon Mr Stanlye's booke of Philosophy supposinge itt the work of his tutor W.F., fol. 410
- A Caracter of ye Romish Church by Francisco Petrarca in Italian Cant 106, fols 411–412
- Epitaph Sur la Mort du Cardinal Mazarin, fol. 413
- [Blank], fol. 414
- Vulgar Proverbs, fols 415–423
