In "NOTES AND QUERIES" (Vol. i., p. 198.) is inserted from Chambers'
_Edinburgh Journal_ an account of a manuscript volume said to have been
found on the person of the Duke of Monmouth at the time of his arrest;
which was exhibited by Dr. Anster at a meeting of the Royal Irish
Academy, November 30, 1849, accompanied by some remarks, which appeared
in the _Proceedings_ of the Academy, vol. iv. p. 411., and which furnish
the substance of the article in Chambers above mentioned. In a
subsequent number of the "NOTES AND QUERIES" (Vol. i., p. 397.), the
authenticity of the volume is somewhat called in question by MR. C.
ROSS, on account of certain historical entries not appearing in it,
which are printed by Welwood in his _Memoirs_[1], and stated to have
been copied by him from "a little pocket-book" which was taken with
Monmouth, and afterwards delivered to the King. Dr. Anster replied to
this in the _Dublin University Magazine_ for June, 1850 (vol. xxxv. p.
673.), and showed by references to the _Harleian Miscellany_ (vol. vi.
p. 322., ed. 1810), and Sir John Reresby's _Memoirs_ (p. 121. 4to.,
1734), that more than one book was found on the Duke of Monmouth's
person when captured. In the former of these authorities, entitled _An
Account of the Manner of taking the late Duke of Monmouth: by his
Majesty's command_, printed in 1685, and perhaps compiled from
information given by the king himself, the following statement is
made:--
"The papers and books that were found on him are since delivered
to his Majesty. One of the books was a manuscript of spells,
charms, and conjurations, songs, receipts, and prayers, _all
written with the said late Duke's own hand_. Two others were
manuscripts of fortification and the military art. And a fourth
book, fairly written, wherein are computes of the yearly expense
of his Majesty's navy and land forces."
[Footnote 1: Query, what is the date of the _first_ edition of
Welwood's work? The earliest in the Museum library is the _third_
edition, printed in 1700.]
It is remarkable that the "pocket-book" mentioned by Welwood is not here
specified, but it is possible that the entries quoted by him may have
been written on the pages of one of the other books. Two of the above
only are noticed by Mr. Macaulay, namely, "a small treatise on
fortification," and "an album filled with songs, receipts, prayers, and
charms"; and there can be no reasonable doubt that the latter, which is
mentioned by the author of the tract in the _Harleian Miscellany_, as
well as by Reresby and Barillon, is the identical manuscript which forms
the subject of Dr. Anster's remarks.
Within a few weeks this singular volume has been added by purchase to
the National Collection of Manuscripts in the British Museum, previous
to which I ascertained, by a careful comparison of its pages with
several undoubted letters of the Duke of Monmouth (an advantage Dr.
Anster did not possess), that the whole of the volume (or nearly so) is
certainly in the Duke's handwriting. This evidence might of itself be
deemed sufficient; but some lines written on the fly-leaf of the volume
(which are passed over by Dr. Anster as of no moment) confirm the fact
beyond all cavil, since, on seeing them, I immediately recognised them
as the autograph of King James himself. They are as follows:
"This book was found in the Duke of Monmouth's pocket when he was
taken, and is most of his owne handwriting."
Although the contents of this volume have been already described in
general terms by Dr. Anster, yet it may not perhaps be uninteresting to
give a more detailed list of what is written in it:--
1. Receipts "for the stone"; "to know the sum of numbers before
they be writ doun"; "pour nettoyer l'ovrages de cuyvre argenté;"
"for to make Bouts and Choos [Boots and Shoes] hold out water;"
and "to keep the goms well."--pp. 1-4. 8.
2. Magical receipts and charms in French, written partly in an
abbreviated form, accompanied by cabalistic figures. Two of these
are to deliver a person out of prison, and are no doubt the same
which Sir John Reresby refers to.--pp. 5. 7. 9. 11-17.
3. "The forme of a bill of Excheng," drawn on David Nairne of
London, from Antwerp, May 16, 1684, for 200_l._ sterling.--p. 6.
4. Astrological rules in French for finding out anything required;
together with a planetary wheel, dated 1680, to show life or death
in case of illness, also happiness and adversity.--pp. 19-25.
5. Directions "pour savoire si une person sera fidelle ou non,"
&c. At the bottom is a cypher, in which _a_ stands for 10, _b_ for
52, &c., p. 27. All this is entered again at pp. 45. 47.
6. "The way from London to East Tilbery," dated December 1,
1684.--p. 29.