Manuscript description

Herein is contained my Lady Carey's Meditations, & Poetry, from the first to the 222:th Page. As also the late Thomas Lord Fairfax's Relation of his Actions in the late Civill Wars. Together With his Grace the Duke of Buckingham's Verses upon the Memory of the late Thomas Lord Fairfax abovesaid from the 222:th Page to the end. Written by Charles Hutton. Anno Domini 1681

[The first folio is unpaginated. Fol. 1r is the manuscript's titlepage. Fol. 1v is blank, and unruled.]

To my most loving, and dearly beloved Husband, George Payler, Esq.

My Dear, The occasion of my writing this following Dialogue, was my apprehending I should die on my fourth Child

...

even the Father of Mercies into whose sweet Embraces I recommend thee, remaining most good, and dear Husband, Thy much oblig'd, and most affectionate Wife MARY CAREY.

[This letter is dated 17 October 1653 .]

February, 11:th 1649 A Dialogue betwixt the Soul, and the Body

Soul. My Sister, why art thou so sore cast down?

...

Honour ascribed from all in Earth, & in Heaven, especially from my Soul, & Body for now, & ever, world without end; Amen. Mary Carey

May, 14:th 1652. I have now buried four Sons, & a Daughter; God hath my all of Children, I have his all (beloved Christ) a sweet Change; in greatest Sorrows, content, & happy: Mary Carey

[This is the full text of the item.]

Written by my dear Husband at the Death of our 4:th (at that time) only Child, Robert Payler

Dear Wife, let's learn to get that Skill

...

To love Christ Jesus, & to loath our Sin

[

Dated and attributed at bottom: "Covent=Garden, Dec: 8:th 1650 George Payler". This poem is copied vertically, from the bottom to the top of the page; each couplet is numbered.

This poem is printed from the autograph manuscript in Germaine Greer, Jeslyn Medoff, Melinda Sansome and Susan Hastings, Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century Women's Verse, London, Virago, 1988 , p. 157.

Written by me at the same time on the Death of my 4:th, & only Child, Robert Payler

My Lord hath called for my Son

...

Enough my Lord; now let me die

[

Dated and attributed at bottom: "Covent-Garden, Dec: 10:th 1650. Mary Carey". This poem is copied vertically, from the bottom to the top of the page; each couplet is numbered.

This poem is printed from the autograph manuscript in Germaine Greer, Jeslyn Medoff, Melinda Sansome and Susan Hastings, Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century Women's Verse, London, Virago, 1988 , pp. 156-157.

Written by me at the Death of my 4:th Son, & 5:th Child Peregrine Payler

I thought my All was given before

...

Thy Hand-Maid's pleas'd, completely happy still

[

Dated and attributed at bottom: "Grove-Street, May, 12:th 1652. Mary Carey". This poem is copied vertically, from the bottom to the top of the page; each couplet is numbered.

This poem is printed from the autograph manuscript in Germaine Greer, Jeslyn Medoff, Melinda Sansome and Susan Hastings, Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century Women's Verse, London, Virago, 1988 , pp. 157-158.

A Meditation, or Commemoration of the Love of God the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost

God the Father pitied me when I was lost, & lov'd me when I was loathsome by Sin; Ezech: 16.5. Psalme, 51.4.

...

In all these Wars I was safe in Garrisons, & was not strait'ned, nor plundered, nor separated from my dear Relations.

A Meditation, or Commemoration of the Love of Christ

Christ lov'd me so dearly, that he left the Joys of his Kingdome, the Praises of his Angels, the Presence of his Father, & willingly undertook the painful Work of my Redemption

...

I pronounce my self truly, & everlastingly blessed, & happy in my dearest Lord Jesus

A Meditation, or Commemoration of the Love of the Holy Ghost

God the Holy Spirit made me the Object of his Love, and sanctifying-Grace

...

but the Holy Ghost; the blessed Messenger of God the Father to me, & from me to the Father (through Christ) from God the Father back to me again, who resolves my Doubts

Upon the Sight of my abortive Birth the 31:th of December 1657

What Birth is this? a poor despised Creature?

...

Amend it, Lord, & keep it still with thee

[

Dated and attributed at bottom: "January, 12:th 1657. saith Maria Carey always in Christ happy". This poem is copied vertically, from the bottom to the top of the page; each couplet is numbered.

This poem is printed from the autograph manuscript in Germaine Greer, Jeslyn Medoff, Melinda Sansome and Susan Hastings, Kissing the Rod: An Anthology of Seventeenth-Century Women's Verse, London, Virago, 1988 , pp. 158-161.

Short Memorials of some things to be cleared during my Command in the Army

Now when the Lord is visiting the Nation for the Transgressions of their Ways

...

yet the Purposes, & Determinations of God, shall have happy Effects, to his Glory, & the Comfort of his People

[This is Fairfax's defence of his military command in the South during the late 1640s.]

The second Part of the Relation of the Right Honourable Thomas Lord Fairfax's Actions in the Northern Wars from his own Hand this being a true Copy of it

[Hutton follows the order of the original manuscript (Bodleian Library, Fairfax MS 36). When first published in 1699, Brian Fairfax reversed the order, providing this chronologically earlier account first.]

A short Memorial of the Northern Actions, during the war there; from the year 1642, till 1644

I did not think to have taken up my Pen any more, to have written on this Subject

...

seeing that which now is, in the Days to come shall all be forgotten. Ecclesiastes; 2.16. FINIS

[p. 93 [fol. 164r] is blank except for ruling.]

His Grace the Duke of Buckingham's Verses upon the Memory of the late Thomas Lord Fairfax

Under this Stone doth lie

...

A Man as great in War, as just in Peace as he

[

There are three corrections-of one or two words-inserted in a much later hand.

See also Bodleian MSS Don. b. 8, p. xxxi; Douce 357, fol. 117; Lat. misc. c. 19, p. 377 (Crum U35). Printed in Poems on Affairs of State, , London, 1697, ; Brian Fairfax, Short Memorials of Thomas Lord Fairfax. Written by Himself, London, 1699, .

[pp. 99-108 [fols. 167r-171v] are blank except for ruling.]

[fol. [172] is blank, unruled and unpaginated.]