Commonplace book, [1720-1760].

Manuscript, in a single hand, of a collection of poetical, historical, and economic material, primarily on such subjects as politics, government, love, and marriage. Many of the entries are lighthearted or satirical, including poems by Joseph Addison, Matthew Prior, William Congreve, Alexander Pope, and Jonathan Swift. The volume also contains a large number of extracts from early 18th-century poetry, drama, and prose, many drawn from The Spectator; a collection of moral thoughts in French; and a collection of Spanish proverbs.

The latter half of the volume contains descriptive and historical accounts of France and Italy, statistics on the population, demographics, economies, and other data of London and other European cities; lists of the peers of England, Scotland, and Ireland; and lists of the kings of England and France.