Opening Hours
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Rare Books
The comic natural history of the human race
Image not available
Daily: 10 A.M.–5 P.M.
Closed on Tuesdays
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108
Image not available
Manuscripts
A Jesuit educational manuscript combining extensive treatises on rhetoric and geography with a shorter consideration of physiognomy. Though anonymous, a colophon describes the work as having been translated (or transcribed) from his "Eruditissimo Preoeceptore Gardemeau." It is closely written in a single, minute, but neat hand, and contains engraved frontispieces to the three parts depicting Christ, Saint Joseph and Saint Agnes; each frontispiece has the imprint of Parisian engraver and printseller Jacques Honervogt, as well as one unsigned plate depicting the Annunciation. The short treatise on physiognomy outlines the principles of the science of understanding the soul through the physical features of the face. "De Sphaera articiali" includes descriptions and maps of the continents, Asia, Africa and the Americas, while a stub suggests the map of Europe has been removed. The volume has very minor worming to the lower portions of a few leaves and some damage to the spine; covers are contemporary yellow tawed sheep with partially intact ties, with a later paper spine label.
mssHM 83316
![Album of English manuscripts : poems, epigrams and letters written between 1450 and 1790 : [manuscript]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frail.huntington.org%2FIIIF3%2FImage%2F22APN4ON0P40%2Ffull%2F%5E360%2C%2F0%2Fdefault.jpg&w=750&q=75)
Manuscripts
1. ff. 1-2. Prophecy of the Tiburtine Sibyl. Incipit: //autem illum honorant eternam vitam hereditabunt perpetuum cuius ipsi hereditabunt paradisum sicut amenissimum ortum. Mortuorum vero resurrectio erit. Explicit: Et ipsi regnabunt cum eo in secula seculorum amen. Latin. Prophecy of the Tiburtine Sibyl, see E. Sackur, Sibyllinische Texte und Forschungen (Halle 1898), here beginning defectively and corresponding to Sackur's edition only on pp. 180-87, from the interpretation of the 5th Sun on; what remains here of the 4th Sun (most of the first column) is expanded with respect to Sackur. For the verses, see Walther, Initia 9907. 2. f. 2r-v. [Pseudo Anselm] De conceptione beate Marie. Incipit: Anselmus cantuariensis archiepiscopus et pastor anglorum coepiscopis suis salutem et benedictionem. Conceptio veneranda sancte dei genitricis Marie fratres dilectissimi quemadmodum multa signorum experimenta in anglia et in francia ceterisque cosmi climatibus olim sit declarata me narrante audiat dilectio vestra. Helsino ramensis ecclesie abbate. Explicit: utramque sacratissimam eius conceptionem spiritualem videlicet et humanam ut ipsius suffragio a terrenis contagiis exuti conceptioni in sinu abrahe mereamur ascribi Annuente filio virginis unico domino nostro ihesu christo cui cum patre et spiritu sancto est honor et gloria in secula seculorum amen. Latin. Abbreviation of the sermon, Ps. Anselm,"De conceptione beate Marie"; PL 159:319-324. Added in the in the lower margin in a contemporary hand, an excerpt from the same sermon (but not abbreviated): the miracle of the Virgin in saving Elsinus, abbot of Ramsey, so that he could honor the feast of the Immaculate Conception ("[T]empore illo quo divine placuit pietati anglorum gente de malis suis corrigere. . .et que viderat et audierat quibus potuit notificavit."); PL 159:319-320. 3. ff. 2v-3v. [Suidas] Lexicon. Incipit: Narratio ex libro qui grece vocatur Suda quem composuerunt viri sapientes isti Eudemus rethor, helladius qui tempore Theodosii iuvenis, Eugenius Frigius, Zosimus, Gazeus. Explicit: Sed vere ut familiari amico philippo apud iudeos absconditum secretum propalavit. Latin. Other creator(s): Robert Grosseteste, translator. Grosseteste's translation of the second article of Suidas' Lexicon on Ἰησοῦς or"De probacione virginitatis beate Marie"; see S. Harrison Thomson, The Writings of Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln 1235-53 (Cambridge 1940) 64-65. 4. f. 3v. [Hichecoke?] This Worlde is but a Vanyte. Incipit: How schal a mann in pes abide/ Hy hert and enuy set aside. Explicit: Eche man wel beholde his degre/ For this worlde is but a vanyte. Quod hichecoke. English. IMEV 1261. R. H. Bowers,"Hichecoke's 'This Worlde is but a Vanyte'," MLN 67 (1952) 331-33 from this manuscript, taking the signature"quod hichecoke" to be that of the author; Hichecoke may also, or only, be the scribe. Some previous printed texts have mistakenly supplied the initial"W." for"quod." On f. 4, a modern leaf, 2 transcriptions of the poem, one imitating the fifteenth century script of f. 3v, the other in a modern hand by Joseph Haslewood; f. 4v, blank. Another transcription by Joseph Haslewood of this poem is London, Brit. Lib., Add. 11307, f. 120r-v. 5. f. 5. Incipit: As I walkyd vppon a day/ To take þe aere of feld and flowre. Explicit: And withyn his gloryus blysse thatt we all may dwell/ And geve vs there licence to lyve yn ese. English. IMEV 373. C. Brown, ed., Religious Lyrics of the XVth Century (Oxford 1939) 273-77 from this manuscript. A transcription by Joseph Haslewood of this poem is Add. 11307, f. 121. 6. f. 5v. [John Lydgate] Dietary. Incipit: For helth of body couer fro colde þine hede/ Ete no raw mete take good heede þer too. Explicit: And all sayntes reioisyng in þe trinyte/ Bryng vs to þat hy glorious towre Amen for charyte. Rubric: A dietorie. English. IMEV 824. John Lydgate, A Dietary, printed by J[oseph] H[aslewood] in Censura Literaria 7 (London 1808) 345-49 from the 1618 edition, from London, Brit. Lib., Harley 2251 and from this manuscript, noting the variants. On f. 6, a modern leaf, a transcription by Joseph Haslewood of the 1618 edition of this poem; f. 6v, blank. Another transcription by Joseph Haslewood of this poem is Add. 11307, ff. 124, 126. 7. 3 leaves mounted on ff. 7-9. [Francis Bryan, attributed] Proverbes of Salmon. Incipit: The proverbes of Salmon do playnly declare/ That wysdome ys the vessell that longest will endure. Explicit: When thowe spekest let men marvell at thy shamefacenes/ When thow spekest not let them wondre at thy sobernes. Withe leavinge honour to women I ende, quod Bryan. English. R. S. Kinsman,"The Proverbes of Salmon Do Playnly Declare': a Sententious Poem on Wisdom and Governance, Ascribed to Sir Francis Bryan," HLQ 42 (1978-79) 279-312;"Bryan" may also, or only, be the scribe. 8. 18 pages between ff. 9-10. The lay of Dame Sirith. Transcript of Saxon poem by J.J. Conybeare (1779-1824) from Digby manuscript 86. 9. Leaf mounted on f. 11. Incipit: Thou hidd & secret deitye I worshipp & adore/ I glorifye & honor thee devoutly more & more. Explicit: with face reveled cleare & bright yat I may blessed bee/ As yat sweet light so glorious all glory be to thee. Amen. Blessed Thomas Aquinas. Rubric: Confession & honor to the Blessed Sacrament. English. A verse translation of Thomas Aquinas, Adoro te devote latens deitas [RH 519]. On the verso of this leaf, upside down, accounts for stabling dated 1552; on the following leaf, f. 12, a modern transcription of the poem, possibly not in the hand of Joseph Haslewood. 10. 16 pages (2 blank) interleaved between ff. 13-14. A Nosegaie alwaies sweet for lovers to send for tokens of love at NewYeares tide. Appears to be a transcript made at the end of the eighteenth century of an unidentified fifteenth century source. Text is incomplete, final page ends with catchword"And". 11. Interleaved between ff. 15-16. 1 page. [Samuel Rowlands]. In condemnation of bald heads. Late eighteenth century copy. 4 pages. Arthur Saul. Game of Chess. A transcript of an unidentified pamphlet in rhyme, signed by Arthur Saul. 12. Mounted on f. 17. 3 poems including"To Rosania and Lucasia, articles of friendship" by Katherine Philips (1632-1664). 13. Interleaved beween ff. 21-22. 4 poems including: A new song on ye 25th of September. An original composition on the marriage of King James II. On the reverse is a satirical poem about the birth of the James Francis Edward Stuart, Prince of Wales (the Old Pretender) mentioning Bishops Thomas Sprat, and Nathaniel Crew. 14. 1 page mounted on f. 22v. A newe elegie on ye much lamented death of captaine Thomas Green who was executed with others of his crew under ye pretence of being a pyrate in Scotland, 11th April, 1705. 15. Mounted on f. 25. 1 page. On General Wolfe slain at the taking of Quebec on the 1t8h Sept., 1799. 1 page. On the King's illness, 1789. An epigram which references to America. Note reads:"Copied from an edition of Tom Paynes Common Sense belonging to Mr. Ritson and written on the back of the title-page in his handwriting."
mssHM 183