Bodleian MS Mont. e. 13 | Manuscript Verse Miscellanies

Title	"A Book of Select Songs. Volume the first."; "A Book of Verses Letters and &c. Vol. 2d."; and "A Book of Verses. Letters and &cc. Vol: 3d:"
Archive	Bodleian Library
Call Number	Bodleian MS Mont. e. 13
Complete	Yes
Description	Mary Tadwell, 1744–1761. Taken over by John Watson Tadwell in a clear effort to continue/complete Mary Tadwell's work. Three volumes composed roughly chronologically. 167 poems. Contents heavy on riddles, acrostics, songs; frequent country-city theme, but with no sense of a specific country locality.
Format	Quarto
Book Size	21.4cm x 16.5cm
Filled Page Count	358 pages
Item Count	177
Poem Count	167
Periods	1731-1760
First Line Index	Yes
Digitized	No
Region	[Unknown]
Additional Genres	Prose
Print Sources
Major Themes	Conduct, morality Courtship, marriage Death, afterlife Humour, wordplay Love Solitude, loneliness, retir... Major themes prominent among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Minor Themes	Alcohol, other beverages, t... Imitation, parody Public affairs Shakespeare Theatre, drama Other themes of interest among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Links	firstlines.folger.edu
Bibliography
Citation	“Bodleian MS Mont. e. 13.” Manuscript Verse Miscellanies, 1700–1820, edited by Betty A. Schellenberg, Simon Fraser University, https://mvm.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/manuscript/151. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Created	2019-09-04 1:13:44 PM
Updated	2023-07-20 2:17:53 PM

Contributor	Role
Samuel Garth	Major author
George Lyttelton	Major author
John Watson Tadwell	Primary compiler Clear effort to continue Mary Tadwell's work
Mary Tadwell	Primary compiler Up to p. 175

First Line	Context
All in the Downs the fleet was moor'd	ff. 12–13 Local title: A song. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Before creating Nature will'd	f. 163 Local title: Guess and take me. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: Last line: Fools read, and take me for your pains. Other: n/a
Blush not, ye Fair, to own me, but be wise	ff. 177v–178 Local title: The lady's skull. Inscription in an alcove in the garden of Mr. Tyers at Denbygh, Surrey. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: Paired with poem on "The gentleman's skull" (f. 176v). Other: n/a
Bright was the Morning, cool was the Air	ff. 7 Local title: Bright was the Morning Attributed author: W. Turner Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
In my dark Cell, low prostrate on the Ground	ff. 82v–86v Local title: Abalard to Eloisa. Attributed author: Mrs. Madden, alias Judith Cowper. In answer to Eloisa to Abalard by Mr. Pope. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Near his paternal seat, here buried lies	f. 156v Local title: An Epitaph on the late Rt. Hon. Thomas Winnington, Esq. Attributed author: Sir C/: H/: W/. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a . Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Stop, passenger! until my life you read	f.91v Title: n/a Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Sweet are the charms of her I love	f. 33 bv Local title: A song Attributed author: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
The Counsels of a Friend, Belinda, hear	f. 80. Local title: Advice to the ladies. Attributed author: Mr. Lyttelton. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Virtue and Fame, the other day	ff. 170–171. Local title: Virtue and Fame. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
When Delia on the Plain appears	ff. 44v–45 Local title: A Song. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Why start? the Case is yours, or will be soon	ff. 176v–177 Local title: The gentleman's skull. Inscription for a skull in an alcove in the garden of Mr. Tyers at Denbigh in Surrey. Attributed author: n/a Other variants: Paired with "The lady's skull" (ff. 176v–177). Other: n/a

Feature	Note
Author attributions	Rare, some as part of title.
Binding	Seemingly vellum. Very decorative inside, with marbled paper boards. Paper of third book is a smaller size.
Hands	Two: single hand pp. 1–175, then second hand takes over; final index in a third hand.
Indications of use	Answers to riddles generally given at bottom of same page. Clear effort to complete Mary Tadwell's work suggests commemorative manuscript or manuscript of family importance.
Organization	A short title of the volume at the head of each page except for the Table of Contents pages of the first two volumes, where the header is “Table." First volume is chiefly amorous songs, the other two are longer poems, poetical epistles, political verses and the like. Compiled chronologically over tine.
Ownership mark	First volume title page: "Mary Tadwell" [original last name erased, this surname written later]; "John Watson Tadwell."
Page layout	Every page has red or brown-red ruled margins in the form of a box within which the poetry is entered. Paginated (begins anew at the start of each volume).
Table of Contents	Yes, at the end of each volume. Each a true index, in alphabetical order. Third index in third hand.
Title page	Yes, for each volume.