Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Autograph manuscript commonplace book , ca. 1698.

BIB_ID
136877
Accession number
MA 515
Creator
Watts, Isaac, 1674-1748.
Display Date
ca. 1698.
Credit line
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan, 1905.
Description
1 item (110 p.), bound ; 14.6 cm
Notes
A penciled note on the front pastedown indicates that the volume is from the Townsell or Townsend family.
Provenance
Purchased by Pierpont Morgan from the London dealer J. Pearson & Co., 1905.
Summary
A commonplace book containing detailed summaries of two books, along with his brief reactions: A short view of the immorality and profaneness of the English stage, by Jer. Collier (published 1698, 44 p.) and Some notes collected out of Dr. Charleton's discourse of the different witts of man (published 1669, 10 p.). Followed several blank leaves, and then by notes on related subjects, including: Miscellaneous notes concerning poesie, collected from severall authors & my own observations (mentioning Dryden, Milton's Paradise lost ["undoubtedly one of the greatest, most noble & most Sublime Poems which either this age or Nation has produc'd"], Longinus, Virgil, Horace, etc.; 6 p.); On Satyre (1 p., entirely crossed through); Of Fancy & Judgment Mixt; Of Words; Of Rhime; Of Dramatic Poesie; Of Songs; Odes; Of Satyre (each 1 p.). Followed by another summary, on The Chief Remarks that Mr. Dennis makes on Dr. Blackmore's Prince Arthur (published 1696, 41 p.).
Housed in
Blue cloth drop-spine box (16.4 cm)