| Description | Commonplace book in two hands, one of which is probably William Drake, the other unknown.
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Consists of: <br />
Notes in Hand 1, probably William Drake, from mss lent by "Mr Stansby", "Mr Asley" and "Mr Hall". They are "Notes from a MSS written by a papist of King Henry 8th"; "Notes from a Discourse of the State of Christendom in the yeare 1589"; "Notes from the Original letters of H: 8. to Sir Thom: Wiat his Ambassador with the Emperor"; extracts from Bacon's argument on the post-nati of Scotland and from his speeches on naturalisation and the union of laws (published together in 1641); notes on the arraignment of the Countess of Somerset; "Notes taken by me out of originall in Ed. 6 tyme".
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At the other end of the volume are some notes in Hand 2 from a ms collection of patents from the reign of James I '"lent me by Mr Banes" (Barnes?). Interspersed with the above and in the same hand are notes on contemporary affairs, mainly Spanish history, a note of a speech in Parliament and quotations from Montaigne, Bodin, Comines and "Bishop Andrews on the Comandments"; Notes from Machiavelli: there are several entries from The Prince, Discourses and History of Florence.<br />
Also some notes titled "Observations from Converse with men. Breda: Dec: 20 1647"; Extensive notes of conversations with "Mr P", "Mons Poytier", "Dr J" and "Mons Rius"(?) on political affairs and matters of state. The subjects include Descartes, Richelieu, Fulke Greville, William of Orange, Wallenstein, the views of Hobbes and the affairs of the Dutch. There are also conversations recorded with Gerard Vossius on more academic matters; Vossius recommends Machiavelli, Paterculus, Dion Cassius, Quintus Curtius, Polybius and "the reading of proverbs". <br />
Finally, there are various short notes on history, politics, philosophy, religion and notes from the works of Thomas More, Erasmus, Tacitus, Plutarch and others. A note of a conversation with "Sr J P" on the subject of the Bishop of Norwich refers to the MP for Norfolk in the Long Parliament Sir John Potts, knighted in 1641.<br />
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Date: The notes in Hand 1 were probably made by William Drake in the 1630s; the entry from the "Discourse of the State of Christendom" is dated 10 August 1633. The rest of the volume clearly dates from the later period; apart from the conversations at Breda in 1647 the date "Novemb. 14 1648" appears on the inside of one cover. |