Record of cases, 1738-1758

Contains summaries of cases brought before the court of appeals with the judgment rendered by Edward Trelawny and transcribed by Samuel Williams.

Lawyer's commonplace book, 1774-1783

Contains entries on a variety of topics arranged alphabetically and compiled by several individuals. Includes an index at the end.

Book of record for actions under $4.00. 1790-1799

Contains a record of cases which came before Egleston in his capacity as a justice of the peace for Berkshire County. The court was held in his home at Lenox.

Cases adjudged in the General Court of Virginia, 1733-1741

A copy of the reports by Edward Barradall of decisions of the general court of Virginia made by Gustavus A. Myers for William Green from a copy lent him by Conway Robinson.

Proceedings in the Court of Chancery of Grenada: during the government of his excellency Lord Macartney, 1776-1778

Contains summaries of cases before the Chancery Court of Grenada arranged chronologically and preceded by an index.

Forms of declarations / August 24, 1799

Thomas Paine's,

Compendium logicæ secundum principia D. Renati Descarte catechisticè propositum : [1693]

Small leather hardcover volume containing a manuscript copy of William Brattle’s abstract of René Descartes’ "Compendium Logicae" copied in Latin, likely by Thomas Phipps in 1693. A crossed out inscription on the inside back cover appears to read “Thomas Phips 1693” likely referring to Thomas Phipps, a member of the Harvard Class of 1695.

Papers of George Godfrey, 1739-1792

The bulk of this collection consists of brief records of civil actions heard by George Godfrey as a justice of the peace for Bristol County, Massachusetts. With only a few interruptions, these records run from February 1754 through the early 1780s. The other documents include several small volumes and loose pages of household accounts, as well as a handful of pages of court records and marriages heard by George Godfrey and his father, John Godfrey.

Short nomenclator or vocabular in English and Hebrew: composed alphabetically for the use and benefit of my pupils in particular and for the advantage of those who are desirous to obtain the knowledge of the Hebrew tongue in general, which may be that great help to understand not only ye sacred oracles in their original, but even any Jewish author (so far as concern owns) as also it may give great insight in ye tongue to those, as to compose it, a work altogether new, [ca. 1735]

Headed on the first page with the words "Nomenclatura hebraica," this handwritten volume is a vocabulary with the Hebrew word in the left column, and the English translation on the right. While the book is arranged in sections by letter, individual entries do not appear in strict alphabetical order. The small vocabulary varies greatly and includes entries like enigma, excommunication, and martyr, as well as cucumber and maggot. There are translations of the astrological signs at the end of the volume. Poem written at the bottom of the last page in different hand: "Women when good the best of saints/ that bright seraphick lovely/ she, who nothing of an angel/ wants but truth & immortality./ Verse 2: Who silken limbs & charming/ face. Keeps nature warm."

The testimony of Samuel Parsons., 1703

Title from verso.

Chancery decree, June 1786

Portion of decree in the case of George John Fardo v. Commissioners of Confiscation. Signed by Richard Hutson, John Mathews and John Rutledge. Filed 20 June 1786. The text of the decree itself, evidently once enclosed in this sheet, is missing.

Account book of Mary Hains as executrix of the estate of her husband, James Hains, 1784-1786

James and Mary Hains were residents of Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Quaedam Theses extractae potissimii ex Enchiridio Metaphisico ca. 1718

Small paper notebook with a handwritten copy of a Latin text titled “Quaedam Theses extractae potissimii ex Enchiridio Metaphisico” attributed to John Clark and J. Remington and copied by a Harvard student, likely Richard Dana (Harvard AB 1718). The text is a précis of sections of Jean Le Clerc's "Ontologia et Pneumatologia" prepared by Harvard Tutor Jonathan Remington (Harvard AB 1696). The paper cover is inscribed “Carpenter” and the first page includes the inscriptions “Rosewell Saltonstall,” “Ezra Carpenter,” and "R. Dana” indicating the book was once owned by Harvard students Richard Dana (Harvard AB 1718), Roswell Saltonstall (Harvard AB 1720), and Ezra Carpenter (Harvard AB 1720).

Student essay composed by Edmund Toppan, 1795

Four-page handwritten student essay composed in English by Edmund Toppan as a Harvard undergraduate. The verso of the last page is inscribed "Toppan June 22'd 1795." The essay is titled with a quote from Horace: "Qui non moderabitur irae, Infectum volet esse, dolor quod suaserit et mens." The essay discusses the destructive force of uncontrolled passion and begins, "Last evening, having a very disagreeable head-ache, I early retired to bed."

Grammatica graeca, 1763

Bound volume containing a handwritten Greek grammar compiled by Joseph Drury beginning in 1763. The last sixteen pages contain a historical poem beginning, “Mason might once assert a Poets Claim. / But he must needs write.” The poem contains references to the “Great Patriot P—,“ the Roman conquest of Gall, Caeser, Versailles, and includes the verses, “How the King doth all his Cooks excel / Besides he longs to kiss his P / Saving your presence Louis keeps a whore.”