Beinecke Osborn d258 | Manuscript Verse Miscellanies

Title	The thoughts of three ... Employment during the time of Cards Part of October and November 1808
Archive	Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Call Number	Beinecke Osborn d258
Complete	Yes
Description	Anonymous, with illustration by Mary Rogers, 1808. 37 poems. Two of the three sections are poems by "Bree," "Nadine," and "Rio" composed for "Employment" during winter 1808. Pastoral poems; conduct, morality poems; poems about domestic life and nature.
Format	Quarto
Book Size	20.3cm x 16.1cm
Filled Page Count	145 pages
Item Count	37
Poem Count	37
Periods	1791-1820
First Line Index	No
Digitized	No
Region	[Unknown]
Additional Genres
Print Sources
Major Themes	Conduct, morality Domestic life Education Friendship Nature Major themes prominent among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Minor Themes	Animals, pets Courtship, marriage Passions, Sentiments Other themes of interest among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Links	hdl.handle.net
Bibliography
Citation	“Beinecke Osborn d258.” Manuscript Verse Miscellanies, 1700–1820, edited by Betty A. Schellenberg, Simon Fraser University, https://mvm.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/manuscript/109. Accessed 5 Dec. 2025.
Created	2019-09-04 1:13:44 PM
Updated	2024-01-13 2:49:57 PM

Contributor	Role
[Anonymous]	Primary compiler
[Bree]	Major author
[Nadir]	Major author
[Rio]	Major author

Feature	Note
Author attributions	Frequent.
Binding	Full mottled calf.
Decorations - hand-drawn	Three pasted-in pen drawings: an outdoor scene (p. {23}) signed Mary Rogers, an illustration of a poem called “An old blind mans ditty - sung slow to a little instrument” (p. 39) (seemingly in a different style than the Rogers illustrations), and a cottage scene (p. 41) signed Mary Rogers.
Hands	Single.
Indications of use	The catalogue description suggests the book may have been for children, but it was just as likely the work of a group of elderly people. The names Nadir, Bree, and Rio, in addition to the section titles imply the book is reflective of a coterie. The section titles suggest the final two sections (at least) were compiled as a way of passing the time in winter 1808; not a gift book or a book necessarily made to be revisited. Stanza crossed-out in pencil (after being copied in ink) on p. 78. Maria Rogers (the illustrator) has written her name at the end of one of Bree’s poem on p. 2 of the third section.
Item formatting	The first section has numbered items. Double-lines (or multiple lines) between items; new items generally begun on a new page. In the first section, titles are generally one word, followed by a descriptive subtitle; in the second and third section, titles are the author's name (Nadir, Bree, or Rio) followed by a short thematic title.
Organization	The work is divided into three sections. The first section contains nineteen (numbered) poems. The second and third section are both titled with table of contents and distinct pagination; the second section contains twelve poems, and the last section contains seven poems.
Original poetry	Yes. All poems appear to be original. The coterie names strongly imply original authorship, as do the section titles.
Table of Contents	Yes, for the last two sections, at the beginning of each respective section.
Title page	Yes, for sections two and three. Plain; no decorations or decorative script. Section two is titled: "The Thoughts of Three Vol 1^stEmployment during the time of Cards part of October and November 1808." Section three is titled: "The Thoughts of Three Vol 2^nd Employment during the time of Cards November 1808."