Manuscript description

[

This leaf is unpaginated. On p. i (recto), in the top left corner, Thomas Phillips's catalogue number for the manuscript is written in pencil: " M H C / 14937 Ph". Then a different, likely earlier, hand has written " Poetry by Sir Edward Dering 2: Bt: / He died Anno Domini 1685". This incorrect attribution is then crossed out, and underneath is written: "Mrs Phillips' Poems (?Orinda)". This latter attribution is in the same hand as that of the inside pastedown, on which "Phillips (Mrs) Poems" is written. Clearly, the manuscript was originally thought to be a Dering holograph. P. ii (verso) is blank.

To Antenor parting

Though it be just to grieve when I must part

...

Which is the right Antenor thou or it

Engraved on Mr John Collier's tombstone at Beddington

Here what remains of him doth lie

...

But what beyond our love or wit

on Little Regina Collier. on the same Tombstone

Virtue's blossom, Beauty's bud

...

Her wages got without her pains

In Memory of Mr William Cartwright

Stay Prince of fancy stay, we are not fit

...

'Tis high wit-treason to debase thy coins

6 April 1651 L'amitie To Mrs Mary Aubrey

Soul of my soul! My joy, my crown, my friend

...

Which they and all the sullen world have lost

On the excellent Palae mon

This is confessed presumption, for had I

...

It doth obscure Palaemon not express

12 December 1650 To Mrs Mary Aubrey upon absence: set by Mr Henry Lawes

Tis now since I began to die

...

Too dead & dull for thee to own

[

The musical setting is as yet unlocated.

To Mrs Mary Aubrey at parting

I have examin'd and do find

...

Orinda and Rosania

15 Sept. 1651. Rosania shadowed

If any could my dear Rosania hate

...

Or into words confine what's infinite

Rosania 's private marriage

It was a wise and kind design of fate

...

The world her convert and her history

[

Mary Aubrey married William Montagu sometime prior to September 1652.

25 Sept: 1662. To Rosania

As men that are with visions grac'd

...

That small recruit increast the thirst

[

This poem is dated 1652 in both the autograph and Rosania manuscripts.

For Regina

Triumphant Queen of scorn, how ill doth sit

...

And when you vanquish you insult upon

To Philaster on his melancholy for Regina

Give over now thy tears thou vain

...

Thy Queen must cure or not deserve thy grief

Injuria amicitiae

Lovely apostate! what was my offence

...

And kiss the hand that robs me of my breath

25 Febr: 1660 Philoclea parting

Kinder than a condemn'd man's reprieve

...

Upon a sadder or a nobler score

To the Queen of inconstancy Regina in Antwerp

Unworthy since thou hast decreed

...

Thou hast enough to stock the town

To Antenor on a paper of mine which J. Jones threatened to publish to his prejudice

Must then my crimes become thy scandal too?

...

Let him be still himself & let him live

[

Although this Jones is most likely Jenkin Jones (b.1623) of Llandetty, there is a possibility that he could also be either Colonel John Jones, regicide, of Maes-y-garnedd (1597?-1660) or Jenkin Jones, of Kilgerran (d.1689).

To the truly noble Lucasia: on my first approach

Madam As in a triumph conquerors admit

...

You made a noble soul, then found it so

To the excellent Lucasia on her taking that name & adoption into our society 29. December 1651

We are complete and fate hath now

...

Be kept with us perpetual holyday

To the excellent Lucasia on our Friendship 17 July 1652

I did not live until this time

...

immortal as our soul

To the truly competent judge of honour Lucasia on a scandalous libel made by J. Jones

Honour which differs man from man, much more

...

Who dare be just, and rip my heart to you

[

For Jones, see note to item 18, above.

To Mrs M. C: courted by Philaster

Madam, As some great conqueror who knows no bounds

...

Who shall most thank you for Philaster's life

To Mr Henry Vaughan Silurist on his poems

Had I ador'd the multitude and thence

...

Learn there's no pleasure but in serious things

A retired friendship to Ardelia 23 Aug. 1651.

Come my Ardelia to this bower

...

enjoy, what princes wish in vain

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Ardelia is as yet unidentified.

Upon the double murder of K. Charles in answer to a libellous rhyme made by V. P:

I think not on the state, nor am concern'd

...

Who dare pull down a crown, tear up a Tomb

[

For discussion, and text, of Vavasor Powell's poem, see Elizabeth Hageman and Andrea Sununu, " "More Copies of It Abroad than I Could Have Imagin'd" : Further Manuscript Texts of Katherine Philips, The Matchless Orinda", English Manuscript Studies 1100-1700, 5, 1994 , pp. 128-131.

To the noble Silvander on his dream and navy, personating Orinda preferring Rosania before Solomon's traffic to Ophir in these verses

Then I am happier than the King

...

Brings pearl and Ophir gold to me

Sir to be noble when 'twas voted down

...

That what you will accept, you must create

[

A later hand indicates in the left margin that "Sir E. Dering" is indicated by the coterie name, Silvander. Dering's eight-line verse is cited above Philips's answer to Dering; hence the two incipits and explicits here. The line dimensions of 36 apply to Philips's poem.

To the right honourable Alice Countess of Carbery. on her enriching Wales with her presence

Madam, As when the first day dawn'd man's greedy eye

...

Worth to recruit the dying world again

To Cratander, upon a composition of his he was not willing to own publicly

As when some injur'd prince assumes disguise

...

Let Trepidation be my reverence

Lucasia

Not to oblige Lucasia by my voice

...

But they admire best, who dare imitate

Friendship's mystery to my Dearest Lucasia: set by Mr H Lawes

Come my Lucasia since we see

...

Grows deathless by the sacrifice

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A variant version of this song is set to music by Henry Lawes, attributed to Philips and headed 'Mutuall Affection betweene Orinda and Lucasia', in Henry Lawes, , The Second Book of Ayres, and Dialogues, for One, Two, and Three Voyces, London, 1655, sig. Hr.

set by Mr H Lawes / A Dialogue between Lucasia & Orinda

Luc. Say my Orinda why so sad?

...

And there we'll meet and part no more for ever

[

The musical setting is as yet unlocated.

To Lucasia of Content

Content the false world's best disguise

...

Enjoy content, or else the world hath none

[

The scribe initially copied the first line of , 'Lucasia': " Not to oblige Lucasia by my voice", and then deleted it. He then began afresh below the deleted line.

A sea voyage from Tenby to Bristol 5 of September 1652 sent to Lucasia 8th September 1652

Hoise up the sail cried they who understand

...

Because Lucasia was concern'd for me

[

The first transcription of 1652 in the title is superimposed.

To Mrs C. P. on her nuptials

We will not like those men our offerings pay

...

To friendship, duty, gratitude & love

[

Cicely Philips married John Lloyd of Kilrhewy, Pembroke, on 31 October 1653. Her brother, James Philips officiated at the ceremony.

To Mr Henry Lawes

Nature which is the vast creation's soul

...

What built a world, may sure repair a state

To the incomparable Palae mon on his noble discourse of friendship

We had been still undone wrapt in disguise

...

When marbles crumble to forgotten dust

[

For Finch's discourse on friendship, see W. G. Hiscock, "Friendship: Francis Finch's Discourse and the Circle of the Matchless Orinda", Review of English Studies, 15, 466-468, 1939.

Wiston Vault

And why this vault & tomb? alike we must

...

Not here Orinda lies, but here she lives

To my dearest Lucasia, friendship in emblem or the seal

The hearts thus intermixed speak

...

Lucasia's & Orinda's name

To my Lucasia

Let dull philosophers enquire no more

...

Gets eminence, & gets eternity

To Lucasia . in defence of declared friendship

O, my Lucasia let us speak our love

...

Which all our joys & noble thoughts inspires

The Enquiry

If we no old historians name

...

Not heaven it self wuld be desir'd

[

"no old" in the first line replaces "nold", deleted.

On the numerous access of the English, to wait upon the King in Holland

Hasten (great prince) unto thy British Isles

...

Will go and see him once before I die

To the Queen's Majesty Jan 1 1660/61

You justly may forsake a land which you

...

As are contended for, by heaven and earth

[

The last couplet is written vertically in the right-hand margin.

Arion on a Dolphin to his Majesty in his passage into England

Whom doth this stately navy bring

...

The suppliant world protect, or else subdue

The princess royal's Return into England

Welcome sure pledge of reconciled powers

...

Our great example, bliss & ornament

[

Princess Mary arrived in London on 28 September 1660.

On the fair weather at the Coronation

So clear a season and so snatch'd from storms

...

Came back in Torrents where it was before

[

Charles II's coronation occurred on 23 April 1661.

On the death of the Duke of Gloucester

Great Gloucester's dead, and yet in this we must

...

It is too much great Gods! send some allay

In memory of F: P: who died at Acton 24 May 1660 13th of her age

If I could ever write a lasting verse

...

Ever to be repaird or forgot

To her royal highness the Duchess of York on her command to send her some things I had wrote

To you whose dignity strikes us with awe

...

And falls by that a truer sacrifice

On the death of the Queen of Bohemia

Although the most do with officious heat

...

And after all her wrongs may do her right

Happiness

Nature courts happiness although it be

...

And all God's will can do, & bear, & choose

Death

How weak a star doth rule mankind

...

Shall die, as infants go to sleep

The World

We falsely think it due unto our friends

...

For time & death & sin shall be no more

The Soul

How vain a thing is man, whose noblest part

...

Shall never need another law

L'accord du bien

Order by which all things were made

...

But one harmonious constant bliss

Invitation to the country

Be kind my dear Rosania, though tis true

...

We either can enjoy, or will despise

In memory of Mrs E. H.

As some choice plant cherished by sun & air

...

More apt to live, than write thy Elegy

[

Mrs E. Hering is as yet unidentified.

On the 3d of September 1651

As when the glorious magazine of light

...

And firmly stands, when crowns & sceptres fall

A friend

Love, nature's plot, this great creation's soul

...

A life, a fortune, All to serve a friend

Submission

Tis so, & humbly I my will resign

...

But the next touch will silence all again

2 Cor 5th 19 God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself

When God contracted to humanity

...

Die to the world as he died for it then

To Mrs Wogan on the death of her husband

Dry up your tears, there's enough shed by you

...

It doth appear your funeral to us

La Grandeur d'esprit

A chosen privacy, a cheap content

...

Be virtuous, is the great immortal man

A Country life

How sacred & how innocent

...

But wholly by my choice

[

This poem is laid out in two columns, side by side, on the page.

This verse, unattributed, is set to music in the fifth book of Henry Playford, , The Banquet of Musick: or, a Collection of the newest and best songs sung at Court, and at Publick Theatres, London, 1691, pp. 20-21.

In memory of Mrs Owen of Orielton

As when the ancient world by reason liv'd

...

Prudent & good, Noble & sweet as she

Friendship

Let the dull brutish world that know not love

...

As but themselves I can no likeness find

In memory of the excellent Mrs Mary Lloyd, of Denbighshire. who died 13 November 1656

I can not hold, for though to write be rude

...

'Tis more to die a saint, than live a Queen

Parting with Lucasia 13 January 1657/1658

Well, we will do that rigid thing

...

Which is the strongest thing I know

[

This verse is termed a song in the autograph manuscript . The musical setting is as yet unlocated.

Against pleasure / set by Dr Coleman

There's no such thing as pleasure here

...

Who said of pleasure, it is mad

[

The musical setting is as yet unlocated.

Extract of Mr More's Cup: Conf:

Thrice happy he whose name is wrote above

...

He takes his own, & calmly goes away

[

This is the precursor verse to Philips's poem, following. These 18 lines are transcribed from More's Cupid's Conflict, , printed in Henry More, ,Democritus Platonissans: or, an essay upon the infinity of worlds out of Platonick principles. Hereunto is annexed Cupid's Conflict, together with the Philosopher's Devotion, Cambridge, 1646, and in Henry More, Philosophical Poems, etc., Cambridge, 1647.

God

Eternal reason! Glorious majesty!

...

But t'imitate, enjoy & study thee

[

In the first line, "majesty" replaces "mystery", deleted.

[pp. 106-107 are blank.]

On the right honourable the Lady E. C:

Madam I do not write to you that men may know

...

You will enlighten, where you might consume

To the Queen on her arrival at portsmouth May. 1662.

Now that the seas & winds so kind are grown

...

Without regret or blushes shall obey

The Irish Greyhound

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The title only is transcribed.

Song How prodigious is my fate

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The title only is transcribed.

For discussion of musical settings and textual variant versions of this song, see Elizabeth Hageman and Andrea Sununu, "New Manuscript Texts of Katherine Philips, the Matchless Orinda", English Manuscript Studies 1100-1700, 4, 1993, pp. 196-203.

To the Lady Mary Butler at her marriage with the Lord Cavendish October. 1662.

At such a time as this, when all conclude

...

That love & fortune, are no longer blind

An ode upon retirement made upon occasion of Mr Cowley's on that subject

No, no, unfaithful world thou hast

...

Than either Greek or Roman ever could before

[

There are at least four stubs at the end of the manuscript. The back pastedown is blank.