Folger MS M.a.104 | Manuscript Verse Miscellanies

Title	A Collection of Poems by Several Hands
Archive	Folger Shakespeare Library
Call Number	Folger MS M.a.104
Complete	Yes
Description	Charles Plumptre ca. 1730. 79 poems. Includes school exercises; some poems possibly from friendship circle that includes John Hoadly and Isaac Hawkins Brown; could be connected with Newcombe’s school in Hackney; satires on women; poems by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu.
Format	Octavo
Book Size	19cm x 12cm
Filled Page Count	118 pages
Item Count	79
Poem Count	79
Periods	1701-1730
First Line Index	No
Digitized	No
Region	Hackney, London, Middlesex London, Middlesex Middlesex
Additional Genres
Print Sources
Major Themes	Celebrities Classical themes Death, afterlife Humour, wordplay Satire - social Theatre, drama Women Major themes prominent among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Minor Themes	Bodily functions Courtship, marriage Education Imitation, parody Latin poetry Literature Love Music, song, opera Passions, Sentiments Visual arts Other themes of interest among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Links	hamnet.folger.edu
Bibliography
Citation	“Folger MS M.a.104.” Manuscript Verse Miscellanies, 1700–1820, edited by Betty A. Schellenberg, Simon Fraser University, https://mvm.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/manuscript/330. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
Created	2019-11-04 7:24:56 AM
Updated	2023-07-20 4:06:57 PM

Contributor	Role
Isaac Hawkins Browne	Major author Attributed by his initials.
John Hoadly	Major author Attributed by his initials.
Charles Plumptre	Primary compiler
John Plumptre	Owner
Alexander Pope	Major author

First Line	Context
A Man of Wisdom may disguise	pp. 68–74. Local title: A Tale. Attributed author: Mr. W.T. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: First line: A Man of Learning May Disguise... Other: n/a
Hail, happy bride! for thou art truly blest	p. 113. Local title: An Epitaph on Mrs Bowes. Attributed author: Lady M.W. Moun—e. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Indulgent Nature to each Kind bestows	p. 18. Local title: On the Burser of St John's College, Who Cut down a fine Row of trees. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
O thou, who labour'st in this rugged Mine	p. 30 Local title: Verses Written by Mrs Cooper, in her Brother’s Coke upon Littleton. Attributed author: Mrs. Cooper. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
When Tadloe walks the Streets, the Paviours Cry	p. 39. Local title: On Dr. Tadlow, a Very Fat Gentleman. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a

Feature	Note
Author attributions	Regular; often initials (e.g. J.H., I.H.B., T.N.). Normally at the end of the poem.
Binding	Original calf. Spine labelled "POEMS."
Hands	Single, despite misleading title.
Indications of use	Date of the epilogue (1729) apparently the date of its delivery.
Item formatting	Neat and regular format. Titles for every item.
Organization	An epilogue ending on p. 91, dated 1729.
Original poetry	Unlikely; no obvious indications of this, but perhaps some of the few unattributed poems.
Ownership mark	Armorial bookplate of John Plumptre, the compiler's eldest brother. Autograph of the compiler, C. Plumptre, dated September 7, 1728.
Page layout	Poems fill entire pages, leaving very little white space.
Title page	Yes, with the mottos: "Hic est quem legis. Mart:" and "Dectes Repetita Placebunt."