This volume contains various poetical pieces, largely in the hand of Lord Byron. A number of leaves have been cut from the beginning of the volume. There are contents on 27 folios of the volume, with additional annotations to the inside back board. The inside front board contains a bookplate of John Murray, giving an address in Wimbledon.

The content has been listed in the order in which it appears in the volume. For poetical works, first lines are given in brackets after the title of the poem. All are in the hand of Byron unless otherwise stated.

‘Lord Byron: Complete poetical works, Vol I’, edited by Jermone McGann, has been used in some of the following descriptions.



Manuscript fair copy of ‘Epitaph on John Adam of Southwell, a carrier who died of Drunkenness’ (“John Adams lies here, of the parish of Southwell”), September 1807: folio 1r;

Manuscript list entitled ‘List of the different poets, Dramatic or otherwise, who have distinguished their respective languages by their productions’, 30 November 1807: folios 1v-4r;

Manuscript list entitled ‘List of Historical Writers whose Works I have perused in different languages’, with further subheadings of biography, philosophy, geography, poetry, eloquence, divinity and miscellanies, with corrections, 30 November 1807: folios 4v-9v;

Manuscript fair copy of ‘To my Son!’ (“Those flaxen Locks those eyes of Blue…”), with corrections, 1807: folios 10r-11r;

Manuscript fair copy of an untitled poem [entitled ‘On Visiting Harrow’ in McGann] (“Here once engaged the Stranger’s view…”) with corrections, preceded by an explanatory note, September 1807: folios 11v-12r;

Manuscript fair copy of poem entitled ‘To G. J. F. S. D.’ (“There was a time, I need not name…”) with corrections, 10 June 1808: folios 12v-13r;

Manuscript draft of poem entitled ‘To D. D. W. D. G.’ [also entitled ‘A love song to –’ in McGann] (“Remind me not, remind me not”) with corrections, 12-13 August 1808: folios 13v-14v;

Manuscript fair copy of poem entitled ‘Stanza’s’ (“And wilt thou weep when I am low?”) with corrections, 12 August 1808: folios 15r-16r;

Manuscript draft entitled ‘Song’ (“Breeze of the night! in gentler sighs”) with corrections, 23 July 1808: folios 16v-17r;

Manuscript draft entitled ‘To Sir W. D., on his using the expression, "Soyez constant en amitié"’ [entitled ‘To a Youthful Friend’ in McGann’] (“’Twere well my friend if still with thee…”) with corrections, 20 August 1808: folios 17v-20r;

Manuscript draft entitled ‘To Mrs – ’ (“Well! thou art happy, and I feel…”) with corrections, 2 November 1808: folios 20v-22r;

Page entitled ‘Extract from Boswell’s Life of Dr Johnson page 290 Vol 3d 1807, 5th edition’ mostly in the hand of Augusta Leigh, except title and date in the hand of Byron, 25 November 1808: folio 22v;

Page reading ‘The British Bards: A Satire November 26th 1808’ in the hand of Augusta Leigh, with notes on the reverse in the hand of Byron relating to the poem, 1808: folio 23r-v;

Manuscript fair copy entitled ‘To Mrs – on being asked my reason for quitting England in the Spring’ [entitled ‘The farewell to a Lady’ in McGann] (“When man expelled from Eden’s bowers…”) with corrections, 1 Dec 1808: folio 24r-v;

Manuscript fair copy of poem entitled ‘Epitaph on a favourite Newfoundland Dog, born in Newfoundland in March 1803, died at Newstead, Notts, Nov 18th 1808’ [entitled ‘Inscription on the monument of a Newfoundland dog’ in McGann] mostly in the hand of Augusta Leigh except title and date in the hand of Byron, 20 November 1808: folios 25r-26r;

Manuscript copy of lines of ‘Aureng-Zebe, a tragedy’ Act IV scene I by John Dryden in the hands of Augusta Leigh and Byron, with quotation from ‘Contes Moraux’ by Jean-François Marmontel in the hand of Byron, 12 and 24 Dec 1808 respectively: folios 26v-27r;

Manuscript fair copy entitled ‘On Moore’s late Operatic Farce, or Farcical Opera’ (“Good plays are scarce…”) with corrections, 14 September 1811: folio 27v.