Most of the volume (folios 10-70, 115 verso-152 verso) is taken up with a draft of a verse drama on Richard Coeur de Lion, which was apparently unpublished (see also MS.4915). The remainder of the volume contains sixteen shorter complete poems, of which the following were published in “Blackwood’s magazine”: 'The minstrel's curse' (folio 96), 'The Count of Greiers' (folio 98), 'The castle by the sea' (folio 99 verso), 'Midnight music' (folio 100 verso) in March 1836; 'The Dream' (folio 99), 'The student' (folio 101), and 'Durand' (folio 102 verso) were published in May 1836, and 'Hermotimus' (folio 105) in November 1839. The unpublished poems are entitled: 'See how gaily flows the river' (folio 7); 'The raising of Samuel' (folio 71); 'Legend of Saint Christopher' (folio 89); 'Lament of King Richard' (folio 92); 'Cassandra' (folio 93v); 'Ferrau' (folio 103v); 'Now are the galleys launched' (folio 111); ‘Pray you walk up pretty ladies and gentlemen’ (folio 153); ‘Of all the forest trees that grew’ (folio 154).

It was not possible to preserve the label in the process of rebinding.

There are many blank folios.