British Library Add. MS 75569 | Manuscript Verse Miscellanies

Title	Untitled
Archive	British Library
Call Number	British Library Add. MS 75569
Complete	Yes
Description	At least partially compiled by Frances, Viscountess Montague, begun ca. 1745. 93 poems. Mildly moral and cynical about public affairs, social behaviours.
Format	Octavo
Book Size	18.7 cm x 12.4 cm
Filled Page Count	174 pages
Item Count	96
Poem Count	93
Periods	1731-1760 1761-1790
First Line Index	Yes
Digitized	No
Region	[Unknown]
Additional Genres	Prose
Print Sources
Major Themes	Celebrities Conduct, morality Public affairs Satire - political Satire - social Major themes prominent among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Minor Themes	Death, afterlife Humour, wordplay Imitation, parody Literature Passions, Sentiments Other themes of interest among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Links	firstlines.folger.edu
Bibliography
Citation	“British Library Add. MS 75569.” Manuscript Verse Miscellanies, 1700–1820, edited by Betty A. Schellenberg, Simon Fraser University, https://mvm.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/manuscript/165. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Created	2019-09-04 1:13:44 PM
Updated	2023-07-20 3:44:11 PM

Contributor	Role
Mr. Bear	Major author
Frances Mackworth Browne	Primary compiler
Alexander Pope	Major author
Sir Charles Hanbury Williams	Major author

First Line	Context
Before creating Nature will'd	f. 45 Local title: A Riddle made in the reign of King Charles the Second. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: Last line: Solve me and have me for your pains. Other: n/a
Blush not, ye Fair, to own me, but be wise	f. 27 Local title: Verses wrote under a Female Skull. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: Paired with "Verses wrote under a Man's Skull" (f. 26). Other: n/a
Clio, behold this charming Day	f. 34 Local title: An Ode to the Honourable Henry Fox Esquire on the marriage of the Duchess of Manchester. Attributed author: Sir C H Williams. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
How gaily is at first begun	f. 20 Local title: Life's Progress Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Near his paternal seat, here buried lies	f. 67v Local title: An Epitaph on the late right Honorable Thomas Winnington Esquire by Sir C. H. W. Attributed author: Sir C. H. W. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Oft I've implor'd the gods in vain	ff. 6–7v Local title: Ode to a Fairy Attributed author: Mrs. Greville Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: "to Lady Carlile"; "Answer to the Ode on Indifference from Lady Carlile to Mrs Greville" on ff. 12–13v.
Virtue and Fame, the other day	f. 18. Local title: n/a Attributed author: Lord Littleton. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Why start? the Case is yours, or will be soon	f. 26 Local title: Verses wrote under a Man's Skull at Denbigh's In Surry - the Gardens of Jonathan Tyer's Esquire. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: Paired with "Verses wrote under a Female Skull" (f. 27). Other: n/a
Without preamble, to my friend	ff. 12–13v Local title: Answer to the Ode on Indifference from Lady Carlile to Mrs Greville Attributed author: Lady Carlile. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: Preceded by "Ode on Indifference" (ff. 6–7v).

Feature	Note
Author attributions	Frequent, as part of the title.
Binding	Subsequently rebound (twentieth century dark blue morocco). Montagu emblem stamped in gold on the cover.
Hands	One or two. Cataloguer suggests more than one hand, however the hand at the end might just be significantly more informal. If there are two hands, Frances' hand is the second hand that takes over towards the end.
Indications of use	Annotations near the beginning of book. Perhaps filled up by a later compiler, but this later person, if this is indeed the case, takes ownership of the book in terms of signature, commentary.
Item formatting	Items at beginning quite carefully presented, but no decorative details – just relatively clear space between items, between titles and items. A frestyle horizontal dash to mark ends of items.
Original poetry	Possibly one or two that are annotated near the start of the book, and the Rosa elegies.
Ownership mark	Montagu emblem stamped in gold on the cover. Library bookplate of Althorp. Spine reads: "Frances, Viscountess Montague – Commonplace Book." Frances' signature also appears on the fly-leaf.