Clerk's Book, A.D. 1742

Handwritten volume containing the Articles, weekly orations, and clerk's journal for the Harvard Latin Society recorded by the club's clerk, Jonathan Mayhew (Harvard AB 1744). The Articles define the Society's mission as to "improve ourselves in the knowledge of the Latin Tongue." The ten articles are signed to by ten members of the classes of 1743 and 1744. The journal which records the weekly meetings from April 14, 1742 through June 17, 1742 includes a transcription of the weekly oration in Latin; the first two entries are also translated into English. On the last page of the book, the "clerk's journal" provides a summary of each meeting with the date, the moderator, and the orators.

Valedictory poem delivered in the Chapel of Harvard University on the 21 June 1796: in the presence of the President Proffers & Tutors & the four classes of understudents at the request of the class who completed their college studies on that day

Handwritten draft of the Charles P. Sumner’s valedictory poem to the Harvard class of 1796, in a 19th century hardcover binding beginning “The youth by adverse fortune forced to roam…”. The poem mentions John Russell, a member of the Class of 1796 who died in November 1795. The copy includes edits and struck-out words.

Some account of a paper call'd the Telltale, begun in colledge Sept 1721

The small leather-bound volume holds two sections, a manuscript student periodical, and written tête-bêche, an exchange on smallpox inoculation followed by notes on the rules and activities of a Harvard College student club. The volume begins with thirteen numbered manuscript issues, written in one hand, of the Tell-Tale running from September 9, 1721 to November 1, 1721. Prefaced, "This paper was entitl'd the Telltale or Criticisms on the Conversation & Beheavour of Scholars to promote right reasoning & good manner," the work is modeled after literary periodicals of the time, including the "Spectator," and is considered the oldest student publication at Harvard. The periodical appears to have circulated in manuscript form. The content varies in format and includes letters between Telltale and correspondents, short essays, and advertisements. Topics discussed include conversation, detraction, and flattery. While not specifically about Harvard it does provide some information about the College including evidence of various student activities and organizations at Harvard in the 1720s. The entry explaining the rules of the Telltale Club is heavily faded and nearly illegible. The Telltale records multiple dreams, which are populated by various characters, such as “beautiful” Kate, two “learned Physicians” debating inoculation, “four Fellows” “pushing and shoving one another,” and a “person of a very Dark & swarthy complexion in a Slovenly Dress with 7 patches & 5 sparks on his Face.”

Valedictory address of Stephen Hooper, 1761

Unattributed and undated handwritten Latin valedictory oration likely composed by graduate Stephen Hooper for the 1761 Harvard College Commencement. In the oration, Hooper praises Massachusetts Governor Francis Bernard, Thomas Hutchinson, Professor Edward Wigglesworth, and Tutor Belcher Hancock. The oration mentions classmate John Chipman (1745-1761) who died of illness on April 15, 1761.

Oratio salutatoria et oratio valedictoria, ca. 1763

Undated and unattributed handwritten Latin salutatory and valedictory orations composed for the Harvard College Commencement. A modern note with the materials suggests Nathaniel Sparhawk (Harvard AB 1765) as the author, but the author was more likely Joseph Hooper (Harvard AB 1763), who delivered the orations for the 1763 Harvard Commencement. While the documents are undated, textual clues include mention of the command of George III in recent war against France and Spain, suggesting the speech was written soon after the Treaty of Paris which was signed in February 1763 to end the Seven Years' War. The speech also celebrates Harvard Tutor William Kneeland, who resigned from his position in July 1763, and mentions the illness of Professor Edward Wigglesworth (who died before the 1765 Commencement). The text also mentions Professor John Winthrop and Massachusetts Governor Francis Bernard.

Epitaph for Henry Flynt : manuscript copy, 1760

Twenty-five line handwritten epitaph in Latin written by Professor Edward Wigglesworth for Henry Flynt. Begins, "Huic Tumulo mandantur Exuvia / Vin admodum venerabilis Henrici Flynt Armigeri."

Mr. Vaughan's case, March 2, 1724

Opinion (or brief or judgement?) delivered in a case involving a claim by the Colony of New Hampshire to a proprietory right in a ferry running between Portsmouth and Kittery (then in Massachusetts) on the Piscataqua River. The ferry was started in 1684 by John Woodman and conveyed by franchise to Colonel Vaughan by Governor Dudley in 1708. Vaughan died in 1724 and the patent passed to his estate. The town of Portsmouth laid claim to the ferry. Read concluded that this action was not well founded since the ferry is not being operated by possession but by franchise and that, furthermore, New Hampshire does not have complete power over the ferry because Massachusetts has power of franchise on the Kittery end of its route.

Sermon notes compiled by Warham Williams, 1716-1718

Parchment-bound notebook containing notes kept by Warham Williams on sermons he attended between May 20, 1716 and April 20, 1718, while he was an undergraduate at Harvard College. The notebook includes two chronological tables, at the front and end of the volume, that list the town, lecturer (generally Harvard tutors), biblical text, year, month, day, and part of the day of sermons attended by Williams. The volume contains one-to-two page entries on specific sermons and provides the biblical text and related questions and conclusions. From the front of the volume, the pages contain entries for sermons attended between May 20, 1716 through February 13, 1717. Sermon entries for April 7, 1717 to April 20 1718 are written tête-bêche from the other end of the volume.