Junior Classology, [1820]

Handwritten copy of "Junior Classology on two leaves of unlined legal-sized paper. The verses begin, "Songs of Scholars, in reveling roundelays, / Belch'd out with hiccoughs at Bacchanal Go..." and ending "We'll ne'er be afraid, boys, tho' Tutors parade, boys; / Here's a health to the blade, boys, who loves a high go."

Commonplace book : manuscript, [16--]

Notes concerning verses of the Bible, and moral and religious issues.

Notebook of Obadiah Ayer, 1708-1716

The leather-bound notebook contains academic texts copied by Obadiah Ayer while he was a student at Harvard, and after his graduation in 1710. There is a general index to the included texts at the end of the volume.

Notebook of James Lovell, 1757-1760

Marbled paper-covered handwritten notebook of James Lovell. The volume contains three texts written in Latin, “Praecellentissime Domine,” dated 1757, an untitled text beginning, “Cogitanti mihi et superiorum revolti…” dated 1759, and Lovell’s funeral oration for Tutor Henry Flynt titled “Oratio funebris” dated 1760. The Latin texts are followed by blank pages and the volume ends with an untitled English text about orators that begins, “Ridiculous certainly is that Practice of some...” The last page of the text includes the marginal notes: “John Winthrop Esqr. Hollisian Professor” and, “For T.H. of Carolina.” There are verses attributed to the London Magazine written on the inside front cover.

Hope: a poem delivered at an exhibition in Cambridge, July 10, 1800

This four-page handwritten poem was composed by Harvard student Joseph Mansfield for a College exhibition on July 8, 1800. The poem begins, "I am not blesd, but may hereafter be; / Who knows what fortune has in store for me?" and concludes with verses about the American Revolutionary War and George Washington.

Student compositions of Washington Allston, 1799

Handwritten essay about procrastination and a poem celebrating spring composed by Washington Allston while he was an undergraduate at Harvard. The essay uses a story about a young Italian named Bernardo to discuss the consequences of procrastination. The essay is labeled “Allston Novem. ’99" and is titled with a quote from Edward Young's poem "The Complaint," “Procrastination is Theif [sic] of time.” Allston’s poem celebrates spring and incorporates Phillida and Corydon, two characters from Nicholas Breton’s poem “Phillida and Cordion.” The poem is titled with the verses, “Chief, lovely spring, in thee, and thy soft scenes, / The smiling God is seen” from James Thompson's poem “Spring.” The poem is labeled "Allston July 10, 1799."

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.”

Sermons : manuscript, 1709-1722

64 sermons on verses from John, Proverbs, Revelations, Matthew, and other books of the Bible, with notation of dates and places delivered in and around Boston.

The invention of letters annotated by Charles Pinckney Sumner, ca. 1795-1796

Interleaved second-edition copy of Robert Treat Paine's poem "The Invention of Letters" with handwritten excerpts of 18th century poetry copied by Charles Pinckney Sumner. The excerpts appear to be verses alluded to, or emulated, by Paine in the poem. For example, Paine's verse includes "Beneath the shade, which Freedom's oak displays" and Sumner on the opposite page quoted Alexander Pope's poetry, "Beneath the shade a spreading beech displays." The excerpts include poetry by Alexander Pope, James Thompson, Robert Dodsley, William Falconer, William Hayley, Samuel Rogers, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Thomas Gray, and John Denham.

Şerh-i Kaside-yi Bürde : manuscript, 1627

Translation and commentary on el-Būṣīrī's "Qaṣīdat Burda". Commentator first provides the verse in Arabic followed by a literal translation into Turkish and commentary.

El-cildü's-sânī min Şerhi'l-Mesnevî / lil-Şem'î : manuscript, 1616

A Turkish commentary on "Mas̲navī maʻnavī" of Jalāladdīn Rūmī commissioned by Sultan Murad III (982-1003 AH /1574-95 AD).

Zeylü's-Siyer : manuscript, 1698

Continuation of Veysî's Dürretü't-tâc fi sîreti sâhibi'l-mi'râc: first biography of the Prophet Muḥammad divided into sections on Mecca and Medina.

İbret-nâme : manuscript, 1572

A work in two parts on legendary accounts of holy persons and stories with moral significance.

[ Book of predictions] : manuscript, 1785-1812

Book of yearly predictions about the sultan, his family, ministers, grand mufti, etc. Records for years 1199-1227 AH [1785-1812 AD]. Year run from nevrūz to nevrūz (beginning of spring). Predictions concern political affairs and state of health of various individuals. Predictions about weather conditions and the eclipses also included. Separate section at end of each year's entry breaks down predictions into months. Manuscript apparently the author's working copy and probably the sole copy.

Ahlâk-ı alâ'î : manuscript, undated

A work on morals, completed on 25 Safer 973 AH [21 Sept. 1565 AD], while the author was serving as judge in Damascus. First section is on personnal morals, second on family morals and third on political morals and art of governance.