Beinecke Osborn c139–142 | Manuscript Verse Miscellanies

Title	I, II: "A Collection of Poems. Thomas Binns Liverpool." III, IV: "Miscellaneous Manuscripts. Thomas Binns Liverpool"
Archive	Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library
Call Number	Beinecke Osborn c139–142
Complete	Yes
Description	Thomas Binns, 1789–1799. "Collection of Poems" numbered Vols. II and III, and "Miscellaneous Manuscripts" numbered Vols. 3 and 4. 117 + 74 + 112 + 116 = 419 items, numerous very long poems. Quaker writings; political themes (anti-war, anti-slavery, pro-revolutionary); sentimental poetry and poetry about nature.
Format	Quarto
Book Size	4 vols. 20cm x 17cm
Filled Page Count	627; 587; 602; 601.
Item Count	419
Poem Count	403
Periods	1761-1790 1791-1820
First Line Index	Yes
Digitized	No
Region	Lancashire Liverpool, Lancashire
Additional Genres	Prose - miscellaneous, Prose epitaph, Prose lecture, Prose letters, Prose riddle
Print Sources	Gentleman's Magazine Leeds Mercury
Major Themes	Death, afterlife Devotional writing, religio... Nature Passions, Sentiments Public affairs Travel Major themes prominent among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Minor Themes	Animals, pets Celebrities Classical themes Courtship, marriage Education Friendship German poetry Illness Imitation, parody Local interest Music, song, opera Satire - political Solitude, loneliness, retir... Other themes of interest among the manuscript contents in alphabetical order.
Links	firstlines.folger.edu firstlines.folger.edu firstlines.folger.edu firstlines.folger.edu
Bibliography
Citation	“Beinecke Osborn c139–142.” Manuscript Verse Miscellanies, 1700–1820, edited by Betty A. Schellenberg, Simon Fraser University, https://mvm.dhil.lib.sfu.ca/manuscript/29. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Created	2019-09-04 1:13:44 PM
Updated	2023-07-19 4:17:27 PM

Contributor	Role
Thomas Binns	Primary compiler
Robert Burns	Major author
John Byrom	Major author
William Collins	Major author
William Cowper	Major author
John Cunningham	Major author
Maria Done	Major author
George Herbert	Major author
Sarah Herd	Major author
John Langhorne	Major author
Mary Shackleton Leadbeater	Major author
Richard Polwhele	Major author
William Roscoe	Major author
Anna Seward	Major author
Charlotte Turner Smith	Major author
William Smyth	Major author
Dr. Thompson	Major author
George Wither	Major author

First Line	Context
Friend, Sister, Partner of that gentle Heart	c139, p. 489 Local title: Precepts of conjugal happiness addressed to a young lady on her marriage. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
From Frozen Climes and Endless Tracts of Snow	c140, p. 156. Local title: A winter piece addressed to the Duke of Dorset. Attributed author: Ambrose Philips. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: "Copenhagen, 1709."
How sleep the Brave, who sink to Rest	c141; pp. 303–304 Local title: Ode on Westminster Abbey Attributed author: Collins Adaptation: n/a Other variants: First line: "Here sleep the Brave, who sink to Rest..." Other: n/a
I love thee, mournful sober-suited night	c. 142; p. 374 Local title: To night. A sonnet. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Parent of virtue, if thine ear	c. 140; p. 150 Local title: Hymn. To humanity. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
Sweet bird! that kindly perching near	pp. 513–519. Local title: An Evening address to a Nightingale. Attributed Author: "Shaw." Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: Includes the annotation of "he, the noblest..." as a reference to Lord Lyttleton.
The poplars are fell'd, and adieu to the shade	pp. 453–454 Local title: The Poplars. Attributed author: W. Cowper. Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
This Preacher, silent yet severe	c. 139; pp. 64–68. Local title: On Seeing a Skull. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: n/a
When Snows descend, and robe the Fields	c. 139; p. 410. Local title: An ode. Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: Also included in c. 140, p. 112.
When Snows descend, and robe the Fields	c. 140; p. 112 Local title: n/a Attributed author: n/a Adaptation: n/a Other variants: n/a Other: Also included in c. 139, p. 410.

Feature	Note
Author attributions	Regular; sometimes in the Table of Contents when not with the poem itself.
Binding	Pre-bound paperbooks. The writing in c.139 conforms to gutters and page-edges, with wide margins and fairly generous use of white space. c.140 may have been bound after compilation but it seems more likely that the compiler was just a skilled penman. All half calf over marbled paper boards. Gilt on each spine: c.139: "Collection of Poems 2"; c.140: "Collection of Poems 3"; c.141: "Miscellaneous Manuscripts, 3"; c.142: "Miscellaneous Manuscripts 4."
Hands	Single, which becomes looser towards the end of c142.
Indications of use	Table of contents. Occasional corrections, but seem to have been made as the book was compiled. Binns must have taken pleasure in the sheer act of copying, given the very lengthy pieces.
Item formatting	Somewhat decorative lines demarcating poems and titles. Some more elaborate titles introducing lengthier works.
Organization	Links to other volumes via titles and volume numbers. Clumps of poems by certain poets. Final poetry section containing excerpts from Cowper’s Task and The Castaway–perhaps a final statement from Binns as he completes his own task.
Page layout	Wide margins and fairly generous use of white space. Paginated (vols. 2–3 only).
Table of Contents	Yes, at the end of each volume. Contains occasional corrections, but seems to have been made as the book was compiled. Headings “A” (for author) and “P” (for page) in c.139 and c.140.
Title page	Yes, for each volume. c.139: "A Collection of Poems. Thomas Binns Liverpool 1789 Vol II." c.140: "A Collection of Poems. Vol. III. Thomas Binns Liverpool 1793." c.141: "Miscellaneous Manuscripts. Vol: 3. Thomas Binns Liverpool 1797." c.142: "Miscellaneous Manuscripts Vol. 4. Thomas Binns Liverpool 1799."