A volume originally intended to form a commonplace book, with various titles written in alphabetical order on the pages; but very few entries have been made, and it was subsequently used for other purposes. Contents:

(I) (1) ‘Love verses and songs on all occasions’, 20 in number; (2) scattered very short extracts in a handwriting of the seventeenth century, followed by (a) ‘Mr Billars ye publick orators speech of Cambrigd to ye king and queen upon the Region [sic] walk, anno dom. 81. Oct. 3’, (b) ‘Verses made and spoke by Mr [Richard] Duke to the quen in ye 2d cort of Trinity Colledge, beginning ‘Thou equall partner of the royall bed’, in the same hand as (1).

(II) (3)-(40), copies of various letters and other documents, all in the same handwriting, the originals dating between 1559-1623.

Writers of letters include: Sir Edward Sackville; Lord Bruce; Sir Charles Cornwallis; the earl of Essex (1599); Sir Walter Raleigh; the lord keeper (1599); Lady Rich; Patrick Ruthven; Sir Philip Sidney; John Hollis; Captain Kemish; Captain Charles Parker; Edmund Anderston; Roger Ascham; Toby Mathew; the archbishop of York (1604); Robert Cecil, viscount Cranborne; Margaret Nottingham; and Anthony Babington.

Recipients of letters include: Sir Edward Sackville; Lord Bruce; King James I; Queen Elizabeth I; Sir Robert Carr; the earl of Essex (1599); the lord keeper (1599); Elizabeth Raleigh; Sir Edward Coke; the earl of Northumberland; William Cecil, Lord Burghley; Sir Ralph Winwood; Silvanus Storie; Captain Peter Alley; Sir Francis Bacon; the earl of Southampton; the wife of Roger Ascham; Richard Goodrich; the earl of Leicester; Robert Cecil, viscount Cranborne; the archbishop of York (1604); and the king of Denmark’s secretary.

Other items include: ‘Sir Edward Sackvylls relation of the fighte between him and the Lord Bruce’, 8 September 1623 (3b); ‘Sir Garuis Ellowis Leiuetennaunte of the tower his appologie touching his knoledge of Sir Thomas Overburie his death’ (7); two petitions from John Lillie [Lyly] to the queen, setting forth his having attended the court ten years without obtaining any suitable recompense (13); ‘His majesties speech in the parliament howse at Edinbrough 17o Junii 1617’ (19); ‘A speech of queen Elizabeths made in the parliament at the breaking up theire of 29 March 1585’ (30); ‘Upon the 28th of October 1618 Sr Walter Raleigh knighte by vertue of his ma’ties writt of habeas corpus was brought to the kings benche barr, at Westminster, wheare he was proceeded againste as followeth’ (32); ‘The speech of monsieur Du Vait when hee delivered the seals to the k. of Fraunce’ (33); ‘The humble submission of Ann Lady Roos prisonnor in the tower reade openly in the starr-chamber, 19th Junii, 1619’ (35a), ‘The ... confession of mee Sara Swarton prisoner in the flete’ (35b), ‘The humble submission of Sir Thomas Lake the elder kt. prisoner in the tower (35c), relating to a case in the star chamber between the earl and countess of Exeter, and Sir Thomas Lake the elder, Dame Mary his wife and Lady Roos his daughter, in which the latter were convicted of libelling the said earl and countess; ‘Cary Raleyes peticon to the kinge’ (37); ‘Reasons inducinge his ma’tie to make Marye Lady Compton countess of Buckingham, August 1618’ (39); and ‘The peticon of Mr Francis Phillips to his majestie in the behalfe of his brother Sir Tho. Phillipes committed to the tower at the last recesse of parliamente, helde in the yeare 1621’ (40).

These copies are followed by (41) ‘His majesties speech to both houses of parlament at the passing of the trienniall bill for parlaments, 16 of febr. 1640’, in the same hand as item (1).