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.”

An Hebrew grammar, collected chiefly from those of Mr. Israel Lyons, teacher of Hebrew in the University of Cambridge; and the Rev. Richard Grey, D.D. rector of Hinton, in Northamptonshire: To which is subjoined a praxis, taken from the sacred classics, and containing a specimen of the whole Hebrew language: with a sketch of the Hebrew poetry

as retrieved by Bishop Hare ...

Popery a complex falsehood: or an attempt to clear and evidence, that it is so, in a lecture had at Harvard College in Cambridge, New England, on May 10th, 1769

The hand-sewn notebook contains a 30-page manuscript draft of the Dudleian lecture delivered by Samuel Mather on May 10, 1769 at Harvard College. The sermon begins with the Biblical text 2 Thess. 11:11, 12. The copy includes a small number of edits and struck-out words. The item has unattached pages and is in fragile condition. The lecture was never published.

Rabbinical manuscripts of Judah Monis, ca. 1700s

This leather-bound volume contains ten handwritten Hebrew texts presumably compiled by Judah Monis in the early 18th century. The pieces range from three to 150 pages on different sized leaves and appear to be in multiple hands. The last page of the volume has the struck-through inscription, "Judah Monis' Book" and accompanies a 44-page text. The texts are unattributed and undated, but have been identified as transcriptions of cabalistic writings and include a short biography of Isaac Luria (1533-1572) and extracts from the work of Luria, Hayyim ben Joseph Vital, Jacob ben Hayyim Zemah, Abraham ben Isaac of Granada, and Naphtali Bachrach. The transcriptions appear to be unattributed and undated.

Summons and recognizance for Hugh Woodcock, 1730

An early colonial summons and recognizance for Hugh Woodcock, who was charged with adultery. John Shoreland was surety for Woodcock's appearance in court. Woodcock failed to appear, and Shoreland failed to produce him, so the Court declared a default and ordered Shoreland's arrest and detention.

A synopsis of naturall philosophy according to the method of the ancients, but improved & augmented with the notions of later philosophers : manuscript, 1677-1679

Possibly autograph, dated at end of volume: Finitu[m] mart: 14, 1678/9. Imperfect copy with title page missing; supplied from a MS copy, dated 29 March 1680, now in the Bodleian Library.

Usul-i fıkıhtan haşiyeli Mecami ül-hakaik

[Muḥammad ibn Muṣṭafá Khādimī].

al- Fatāwá al-Sirājīyah

[ʻAlī ibn ʻUthmān al-Ūshī].

Ishārāt al-uṣūl ilá mafātīḥ al-aḥkām ḥasaba mā yaqtaḍīh al-awqāt wa-al-ayyām

bi-saʻy Mīrzā Zayn al-ʻĀbidīn.

Ḥāshīyat al-Ṭarasūsī ʻalá Mirʼāt al-uṣūl

li-Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn Muḥammad al-Ṭarasūsī.

Mukhtaṣar al-Shaykh Khalīl ibn Isḥāq fī al-fiqh ʻalá madhhab al-Imām Mālik ibn Anas al-Aṣbaḥī

[Khalīl ibn Isḥāq al-Jundī].

The Turkish Empire in Europe, Asia, and Africa: dividid into all its governments, together with the other territories that are tributary to it, as also the dominions of ye Emperor of Marocco [sic] according to the newest and most exact observations

by H. Moll.

Ijāzat Aḥmad ibn ʻUbayd Allāh al-ʻAṭṭār li-Muḥammad ibn Shafīʻ Sulṭān : manuscript, [ca. 1780-1800]

An ijāzah issued by Aḥmad ibn ʻUbayd Allāh al-ʻAṭṭār to his student Muḥammad ibn Shafīʻ Sulṭān. The student's name is mentioned on fol. 1v; the master's name on fol. 6r. In the ijāzah al-ʻAṭṭār traces his authority back to al-Qasṭallānī's al-Mawāhib al-ladunnīyah, then to al-Shāfiʻī, and then gives his isnād of a musalsal ḥadīth.