The excellence of monarchical government

The excellence of monarchical government. Author's holograph draft of parts of his work, published in 1686. On the recto of the first leaf is a holograph inscription by Richard Frank [1698-1762]: 'This MS. in ye proper hand writing of Dr. Nathan[iel] Johnston is ye Draught of ye Treatise which he published upon Government in gen[eral] but more partic[ularly] of the English Government. Richard Frank 1757'. The first and penultimate leaves of the unpaginated section are a cognate pair of leaves of an original letter dated July 27 1605, addressed to Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury [1553-1616] at Sheffield Castle, from Sir Robert Huysh [Huish] and signed by him. This is endorsed, perhaps by Johnston, 'Sir. Rob. Huysh's letter concerning Ryder & Jaques stealers of a stagg in Hatfield Chase'. The name is partly missing owing to the damaged margin.

c. 1680

1 volume 1 l. + 34 pp. + 45 ll. folio. 30 × 19 cm. Unbound. Damp-stained throughout, the outer margins and corners very badly affected, with loss of text.

Purchased at Sotheby's 11/8/1942, Lot 18 (part).

Database description transcribed from S.A.J. Moorat, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts on Medicine and Science in the Wellcome Historical Medical Library (London: Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, 1962-1973).