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The article pays attention to the careers of Jacob Hall, the most famous of English seventeenth-century rope dancers, and his wife Susanna Roy. It explores the facts related to a contract signed at Antwerp on February 17, 1678, in which Roy enlisted the services of one Daniel van Schraven to travel with Hall's company and exercise their dancing and anything relating thereto' in Brabant, Flanders, Germany and Holland.

The article examines historical references to the Hannington Ghost, an apparition that allegedly appeared in Hannington, England in 1674. It notes the work of scholar David George in discovering a letter by Francis Morgan in 1675 discussing the ghost before covering similar references in a 1675 pamphlet titled "The Rest-Less Ghost, or Wonderful News From Northamptonshire and Southwark" and balled titled "Strange and Wonderful News From Northampton-shire, or the Disconnected Spirit."

The article discusses how a collection of 16th-, 17th- and 18th-century parish registers provide more information about Nicholas Oudart, a 17th-century official in the employ of Charles I, Mary of Orange, and Charles II.

The author discusses the will of the English translator John Studley. She mentions the lack of evidence concerning his possible death in 1590, the 1619 will of a John Studley who lived in Dorset, and presents evidence that they are the same man based on correspondences between what is known of the family.

The authors present a criticism of the English play "The Sea Voyage" by John Fletcher and Philip Massinger. They discuss the famines in early colonial Virginia, the theme of famine in the play, and the possible use of first-hand accounts of the famine as source material for the play.

The author presents a biography of the British military officer Sir John Burgh. He discusses the military service of Burgh, including his participation in the defense against the Habsburg invasion of the German Palatinate, the attempt to seize Spanish treasure ships returning from the West Indies, and his death in the Isle of Rhé expedition during the siege of La Rochelle, France.

The author comments on the English scientific and political treatise "An Elegant and Learned Discourse of the Light of Nature" by Nathaniel Culverwell and its plagiarism by John Heydon in "The Idea of the Law." The author mentions specific points where Heydon stole the work of Culverwell in his discussion of political theory.

The article reports on the discovery of a document and two letters from 1676 by the English merchant and Governor of Madras Thomas Pitt giving information about his trading activities in the Indian Ocean. Topics discussed include Pitt's career history and family background, the document and letters providing details on Pitt's dispute with Thomas Rolt, East India Co.'s agent in Persia and the reasons for the dispute.

The article traces the history of a 17th century commonplace book designated MS 40 at the Exeter University Library's collection in England. Topics discussed include the book originally coming from the Barnstaple parish library which became part of the special collections of the University of Exeter's library, the topics of the two separate commonplace books that comprise MS40 and the attribution of the first book to the Barnstaple library benefactor Joseph Ayres.

The author discusses an English letter written by Hungarian alchemist and goldsmith Janos Bánfihunyadi to English mathematician William Oughtred. He includes the text of the letter, mentions the relationship between the two men, and comments on the note by Bánfihunyadi regarding a Puritan colleague.

The article compares and contrasts the literary works by English author John Dryden created and published by printers and booksellers Henry Herringman and Jacob Tonson the elder. It argues that Tonson helped create the modern field of publishing by acting as a literary agent, marketer, and promoter for Dryden and his works.

The article refers to an April 6, 1668 letter written by English dramatist and theatre manager Thomas Killigrew to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland James Butler, Duke of Ormonde. The letter closes with reference to Killigrew's lameness. The letter also discusses the scandal involving Killigrew's cousin James Shirley who reportedly married Irish heiress Mary Ware, but then faced criminal charges of rape, abduction, and forced marriage afterwards.

The article discusses the use of the term "spermologos" in literature and its definition, noting that its literate definition refers to a gatherer of seeds and it is used figuratively in reference to one who collects fragments of information through speech. It states that the term is derived from a Greek term for picking up news or gossip and was used in a 1676 pamphlet by Andrew Marvell.

The author analyzes the 1663 revised edition of the book "Philosophical and Physical Opinion" by Margaret Cavendish, stating that the importance of the edition has been overlooked by literary historians and critics. She argues that the 1663 edition is a valuable connection between Cavendish's early work and her Reformation-era publications, as well as an example of how Cavendish's thoughts on natural philosophy and women developed.

The author discusses manuscripts of 17th century English women's prophetic religious writings, such as the essay "A Memorandum to the Reidar of This Book" from the flyleaf of a volume containing pamphlets such as "Report and Plea" and "The Cry of A Stone" by Anna Trapnel and "England's Spirituall Pill" by Anne Wentworth. The volume is preserved in the Edinburgh University Library, and the history of radical Protestant religious sects in England is discussed. Women's biblical scholarship, the distribution of women's writings, and French religious writer Pierre Jurieu are also mentioned.

The article investigates the original cast for the play "The Antipodes," by Richard Brome, as well as discusses the legal dispute between the company of Salisbury Court and Brome. It explores the provenance of a 1640 copy of "The Antipodes," commenting on its ownership over time and notes in the margins. It particularly notes the cast list and compares it to a list of plaintiffs from Salisbury Court who filed a suit against Brome. It addresses the copy's contribution to scholarly knowledge about 17th century drama and legal disputes.

The article focuses on the marriage between John Wilmot, second Earl of Rochester, to heiress Elizabeth Mallet. A transcription of a letter from Rochester's mother, Lady Anne Rochester, to Sir Ralph Verney dated February 15, 1666/7 is presented which details information about the elopement which received the approval of British King Charles II. The marriage record dated January 29, 1666 at Knightsbridge Chapel in Westminster, London, England is also presented. The changing religious beliefs of the couple between Catholicism and Anglicanism are detailed.

The article discusses the family history and legal disputations surrounding the English Barony of Roos, focusing particularly on the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1526, Thomas Manners, 13th Baron Roos, was created Earl of Rutland. However, the death of Edward, third Earl of Rutland, without male issue resulted in the earldom passing to his brother John. However, the barony was allowed to pass through the female line, and the estate was divided in an effort to support his daughter Elizabeth's dignity as heir to the barony. The legal petitions, claims, and counter-petitions regarding the inheritance and succession are detailed.

The article focuses on poet Andrew Marvell's use of author Nathaniel Whiting in his poetic composition process. The author states that one of the intriguing features of Marvell's process is the manner in which he appropriated words, phrases, images, and themes from other writers and transmuted them in poems that make them distinctive to him. Information about Whiting's 1635 publication "Le hore di recreatione: or, The Pleasant Historie of Albino and Bellama" is provided. Marvell's appropriations from Whiting in the publication "Upon Appleton House" are also discussed. Poems by Abraham Cowley are also discussed, including "The Soul."

The article focuses on the origin of the word "space," in regard to astronomy, in literature. The article also focuses on the "Books of Homilies." The word's first citation in the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) comes from John Milton's poem "Paradise Lost," from 1667. Although not cited in the OED, an earlier use of "space" was in the 1623 Jacobean "Books of Homilies," and, according to the author, the first 17th-century edition of the authorized Homilies of the Church of England also seems worth noting.

The article discusses a poem written by English poet John Milton. It has often been commented upon that "Areopagitica" contains a series of architectural references. Milton's interest in architectural matters seems clear enough. It is important to bear in mind, however, that views on the aesthetics of architecture were deeply divided in the sixteenth and seventeenth century. The passage does not endorse disproportion in architectural design, or deliberate dis-symmetry. Architecturally, the passage is actually non-committal and can appeal to all sides in the debate.

The article looks at a fragment of a 17th-century manuscript tract by actor and playwright Matthew Medbourne, entitled "The Old Commoner: Showing What Authority the House of Commons Had in Former Times" and held a the John Rylands Library in Manchester University. According to the author, this text may have been the grounds for accusations that Medbourne maligned the British House of Commons. Details on Medbourne's political and religious beliefs and his acting career are also presented.

The article discusses the chronology of the play Satiromastix, or the Untrussing of the Humorous Poet" by Thomas Dekker. According to scholar Gabriele Bernhard Jackson, the play may have been written mostly after its registration and licensing in November 1601. The author rejects this theory based on his knowledge of censorship procedures in Great Britain during this period, and argues that the play was most likely written and staged between August and November of 1601.

The article discusses the early modern practice by book publishers and printers of post-dating works published at the end of a year. Several works detailing the purchase of post-dated pamphlets and books are considered including "Catlogue of the Pamphlets, Books, Newspapers, and Manuscripts Relating to the Civil War, the Commonwealth, and Restoration, Collected by George Thomason, 1640-1661," and "The Luttrell File: Narcissus Luttrell’s Dates on Contemporary Pamphlets 1678-1730," by Stephen Parks.

The article responds to the 1974 article "Bishop Cartwright’s Answer to Halifax’s 'Letter to a Dissenter' (1687)," by Mark N. Brown, which appeared in the volume xxi issue of "Notes & Queries." It discusses the attribution of authorship of the anonymously printed pamphlet "A Modest Censure of the Immodest Letter to a Dissenter, upon Occasion of His Majesty’s Late Gracious Declaration for Liberty of Conscience, by T. N. a True Member of the Church of England." It argues the pamphlet had dual authorship, by both Dr. Thomas Cartwright, Bishop of Chester, and pamphleteer Henry Newcome.

Suggests that author James Craigie's handling of unpublished manuscript poems of King James the VI of Scotland (aka King James I of England) are misleading in some cases. Lack of scrutiny on the authorship of some of the works; Speculations on the collaborative production of poems attributed to the king; Poets to which some of the king's poetry are attributed.

Determines the exact date of the trip which Thomas Hobbes took with William Cavendish during the 17th century, to observe the seven `wonders of the peak,' using an untitled, unpublished poem by one their companions, Francis Andrewes. Highlights of the poem; Identity of Andrewes; Date and composition of Hobbes' trip.

The article discusses the travel writings of English author Philip Skippon (1641-1691), based on his grand tour made between 1663 and 1666, which were published posthumously in 1732. It focuses particularly on his account of a April 5, 1664 visit to Tuscany, Italy and his description of how olive oil is made. Topics include 17th-century agricultural practices, the olive oil trade, and a comparison between making apple cider and harvesting oil from olives.

The author discusses biographical details about 17th century English author Sir Thomas Browne found in the account books of his childhood parish church St. Michael le Querne in London, England. The influence of Protestant rectors John Bowle and George Downame on Browne's book "Religio Medici" is discussed, as well as a reference in the account to a ransom paid for the return of a Thomas Browne captured at sea. The author speculates that Browne was captured by pirate John Nutt in 1623, during a voyage to Ireland to survey lands with his stepfather Sir Thomas Dutton.

The author discusses the authorship of the English translation of the philosophical book "Les Réflexions sur la philosophie ancienne et modern, et sur l'usage quon en doit faire pour la religion" by 17th century French Jesuit René Rapin. The translation was published by William Cademan and was originally titled "Reflexions Upon Ancient and Modern Philosophy, and on the Use That Is to Be Made Therefore in Religion." Translator Archibald Lovell is mentioned, who was named as Rapin's translator in an advertisement in the book "Reflexions on Several of Mr. Dryden's Plays Particularly the First and Second Part of The Conquest of Granado" by Elkanah Settle.

The author discusses the influence of the ancient Greek philosophy of Pyrrhonian skepticism on the 17th century philosophical book "Artis Logicae Plenior Instituto ad Petri Rami Methodo Concinnata" by English author John Milton, focusing on his interpretation of procatarctica, or external cause. Early modern English philosophy and instances of term in the writings of philosophers such as Bartholomew Keckermann are discussed. Greek philosopher Galen, French philosopher Petrus Ramus, and ancient philosopher Sextus Empiricus are also mentioned.

The article discusses a letter dated November 21, 1681 from English mathematician Robert Wood to his friend English economist and inventor Sir William Petty, then a resident in Dublin, Ireland, in which Wood discusses the anonymously published political poem "Absalom and Achitophel" attributed to John Dryden. The poem is a political satire written about the exclusion crisis. The letter provides a key to the persons mentioned in the poem which includes Nadab as William Howard, Baron Howard of Escrick; Zadoc as the Archbishop of Canterbury; and Pharaoh as Louis XIV, King of France.

A literary criticism of the English play "News from Plymouth" by William Davenant is presented. The author discusses its relationship to the earlier play "The Changeling" by Thomas Middleton and William Rowley, the history of its performance, and Davenant's reliance on the popularity of the play for his allusions to it.

The article considers conflicting accounts of the date of death of Anglo-Welsh historian Edward, first Lord Herbert of Cherbury. Conflicting historical sources considered include the registers at the church of St. Giles in the Fields in London, England where he was buried, dates cited by biographers such as Sir Sidney Lee, and the state papers of British King Charles I at the National Archives. A 1657/8 letter from Herbert's son Edward to his uncle Sir Henry Herbert is explored.

The article discusses Restoration period actor Michael Mohun, member of the King's Company, focusing particularly on a May 19, 1678 document recording that he was assessed a 5 shilling poll tax by the City of Westminster to help finance a war against France. Also considered are Mohun's status as a Catholic, his efforts to pay off debts, and the finances of the King's Company.

The article discusses English courtier of the Restoration period Edward Tyldesley. Topics include Restoration diarist Samuel Pepys, the 1662 Portuguese delegation at Hampton Court Palace, the birth of a foundling girl baptized as Lisbona Silvia in 1662, and evidence forwarded in 1716 to the Forfeited Estates Commission by King George I of England to investigate Catholics.

The article reports on the survival of an engraved seventeenth-century portrait of King John of England, uncovered in an antique shop in Italy. The portrait is based on the engraved plates by artist Renold Elstrack, which first appeared in the 1618 edition by Compton Holland of the work "Baziliologia: A Booke of Kings." The plates were sold to printer Thomas Geele and twice printed, beginning in 1630.

The article provides information on a manuscript version of the poem "Testament" by John Lydgate included in the Liverpool Cathedral Library MS (manuscript) Radcliffe 16 dated 1602..

The article reports on a handwriting sample uncovered for Thomas Cotes, seventeenth-century stationer of London, England. He was notable for his printings of plays, as well as for serving as parish clerk for his local church of St Giles Cripplegate. In October 1627, an entry was made in the church burial records for Cotes' wife Margret, which notes the wedding date of October 1606 and was written by Thomas.

The article discusses possible sources of entries in the 1694 book "Ladies Dictionary" published by John Dunton. Particular attention is given to entries such as "Town Beau Characaterised," "Women Destroyers of the Danes, and the Priviledges they Enjoy by it," and "Youth, Prone to Desires and Passions: How they ought to proceed therin, and distinguish them aright."

The article examines errors in authorship that have failed to accurately attribute literary work to Simon Segar, noting that much of his work is often confused with his father of the same name who died in 1683 or 1684. Biographical information is provided on Simon Segar the elder as well as on genealogy research published by the younger Simon.

The article discusses the Medieval Latin studies of early 17th century English scholar Isaac Casaubon, who was presented to King James I in 1610. Casaubon's work on proving the ancient provenance of the Royal 14 C vii manuscript, believed to be a forgery, is discussed, and Protestant and Catholic religious works such as "Annales" by Cesare Baronio, "Historia Anglorum" by Matthew Paris, and Casaubon's "De rebus sacris et ecclesiasticis exercitationes xvi ad Baronii Annales" are cited. Manuscript collector Robert Cotton and Casaubon's Greek scholarship are also mentioned.

The article discusses seventeenth-century English naturalist John Ray and his travel-writing account of his grand tour taken between 1663 and 1666 entitled "Travels through the Low-Countries, Germany, Italy and France, with curious observations, natural topographical, moral, physiological etc., also a catalogue of plants found spontaneously growing in these part, and their virtue." One section of the book discusses his observations on Italian food while visiting the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily and the author focuses particularly on Ray's account of a local cheese known as Casco di Cavallo, also known Cacio Cavallo, translated as horse cheese.

The article discusses the popular reception of the book "Religio Medici," by Thomas Browne, particularly noting its treatment in the Presbyterian pamphlet "England and Scotland vnited," by I. H. It comments on the author of the pamphlet's view of Browne as a pilot who could bring Great Britain's heretical government back to religious values and considers the relationship between church and state in 17th century Great Britain. The author notes the debate concerning Browne's personal attitude towards Presbyterianism, as well as addresses the reception of "Religio Medici" in a variety of Christian denominations.

Based upon historical research into burial practices in London, England in 1605, the article concludes that English playwright William Haughton of the parish of All Hallows Staining was buried within the church as opposed to being placed in the church yard. A burial receipt uncovered in the churchwarden's accounts of Thomas Parrot indicates that Haughton's widow paid a fee of 11 shillings, 10 pennies. The author's research of contemporary church records uncovered the fact that during the period, people charged in excess of 10 shillings were generally buried within their churches as opposed to paying a lesser fee for an outdoor burial.

The article discusses the significance of church court records from the 17th century which show that one of poet William Shakespeare's daughters failed to take communion on Easter in 1606. The author discusses the religious adherence of Susanna Shakespeare, who was thought to be a Catholic who married a Protestant. The article also addresses the church court records of other individuals including Hamnet and Judith Sadler, neighbors of Shakespeare, as well as the role of recusancy in Stratford, England in light of the Gunpowder Plot during that time.

The article discusses a copy of the book "The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia: The New Arcadia," by Philip Sidney that was owned by English noblewoman Anne Clifford. The author notes Clifford reading habits and discusses annotations made by her in copies of the books "A Mirror for Magistrates" and "The Court and Character of King James," by Anthony Weldon, that Clifford had owned. He discusses how Clifford had the book read to her in her youth and reread it after gaining control of her estates and comments on an annotation identifying the character of a knight in the book.

The article reports that poet and composer Contantijn Huygens owned a First Folio of the dramatic works of William Shakespeare. Huygens made trips to London from The Netherlands during his career as a diplomat and was knighted by James I. The author suggests that this was the first First Folio to leave England.

The article discusses a connection between the Church of England's "Book of Common Prayer" and playwright William Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" I. ii. 186. The author contends that the Shakespeare passage alludes to a quotation from 1 Corinthians and that that quotation is present in the Elizabethan "Book of Common Prayer" ceremony for the burial of the dead.