The contents of the manuscript are as follows:

(i) Part of a speech to the English Parliament on the financial affairs of James I, probably by Robert Cecil, 1st Earl of Salisbury, ?1610 (folio 1).

(ii) Copy, dated 1613, of Salisbury`s speech to Parliament, 15 February 1610. For summaries, see ‘A Life of Robert Cecil’, pages 297-299, and ‘Parliamentary Debates in 1610’, pages 1-9 (folio 4).

(iii) Notes on rumoured preparations by Catholic forces, by Mr Foster, vicar of Datchet, 1614 (folio 16 verso).

(iv) Summary of petitions and grievances of the House of Commons, with the King`s answers, 1610 (folio 17).

(v) Demands of the Commons concerning tenures, March-July 1610 (folio 27).

(vi) ‘A breefe relation of the severall speeches delivered by the Lords of the Councell in the Starrechamber` concerning the Earl of Essex, November 1599. Cf. ‘Calendar of State Papers Domestic, 1598-1601’, page 351 (folio 34).

(vii) `A Speeche of Sir Charles Cornwallys Ambassador in Spaine to the Lords there` on behalf of English merchants, circa 1607 (folio 39 verso).

(viii) Copy of `The most Christian and godly end of Walter Earle of Essex, Earle Marshall of Ireland`. This is very similar to the version printed in Thomas Hearne’s edition of William Camden’s ‘Annales rerum anglicarum’ (Oxford, 1717), i, pages lxxxix-xcviii. See also ‘Devereux Papers’, edited by H E Malden, in ‘Camden Miscellany’, volume xiii (London, 1923), pages 6-9 (folio 42).

(ix) Copy of Sir Thomas Egerton`s speech at the investiture of Sir Henry Montagu as Lord Chief Justice, 1616, with Montagu`s reply. Cf. Calendar of State Papers Domestic, 1611-1618, pages 405-406 (folio 48).

(x) Copy, 1624, of ‘The Dolefull evensong’ by Thomas Goad (folio 50).

(xi) Extracts from ‘The Foot out of the snare’ by John Gee (folio 66).

(xii) Copy, 1592, of the opinion of Thomas Byng, Regius professor of civil law at Cambridge, on the case of Cuthbert Bainbridge and Francis Johnson, 1589, with their answer. For material concerning the case, see Cambridge University transactions (folio 70).

(xiii) `A Copie of certaine verses printed in a table Anno 1625 under the title of Christendomes Combination, or Europes Double Union; or Truthes hope of Triumph`, a satire on the Protestant and Catholic alliances, followed (folio 90) by `A Corollary touching the Funerall of Breda; lately imprinted at Antwerpe`. The corollary is signed I V, and dated `Brettenham. Nov. 10. 1625.’ (folio 78).