The James Catalogue of Western Manuscripts

The principal contents are the Annales of Camden from 1603-1623, in the author's autograph. They were printed by Thomas Smith in Camdeni et illustrium Virorum Epistolae 1691 (after p.401). In the Preface he says that the autograph MS. was given to the College by Bp Hacket. He himself used a transcript by Dugdale (in the Ashmole collection) collated with the original for him by John Laughton.
[The following account is given in James II.423-6.]
In the cover:
In Fontem Vaticanum Pauli V. P. M.
Illud aquae ingenium est vt tantum surgat in auras.
Eight lines by Hieronymus Aleander.
Four lines headed:
(I)n monasterio de Croxden.
Esse fuisse fore tria florida sunt sine flore
Nam simul omne perit quod fuit est et erit
Quod fuit est et erit transit spatio brevis horae
Ergo parum prodest esse fuisse fore.
A slip with three addresses on it:
A Monsieur Monsieur de Pieresc Consieller du Roy en Parlament de Province chez Sebastien Cramosy Rue S. Jaques aux Cicognes a Paris.
Mons^r de Limery a l'enseigne du pied de biche derriere St Denis de la chastre pres le pont de nostre Dame a Paris.
Mons^r du Puits en la Maison de Mons^r le President de Thou derriere St Andre des arts.
A larger slip:
Latin Epitaph on Thomas Randolph d. 1590.
Dates of the deaths of Th. Walsingham (April 1590) and John Hales (4 Cal. Jan. 1512 sic).
On the verso two epitaphs on Humfredus Dean of Winchester and President of Magdalen, and on Nicholas Bond (mutilated).
A page of autobiographical notes of Camden's own. Smith Camdeni etc. Epistolae 1691 Appendix p.85.
This is stuck to another leaf, the verso of which contains miscellaneous jottings.
1606. Cancel. Acad. Oxon.
Names of Kings of Spain.
Notes on Comets 1556-1607.
The next page has
Col. 1. Natales.
Dates of the Births (and Deaths) of Kings, Princes, Nobles and Scholars. (Bacon, Beza, Scaliger, Nich. Faber.)
col. 2. Pedigrees of Condés and other French nobles.
Verso:
Names of some British and other historians.
Praefecti Satellitum regnante Elizabetha.
Joannes Sentlo etc.
The Duke of Buckingham's advancements 1615-18.
Legati Reg. Eliz. in Hispania.
Legati ordinarii Eliz. in Gallia.
Magistri jocalium.
Sir H. Wotton's definition of an Ambassador.
Legatus vir bonus peregre missus ad mentiendum Reip. causa.
The next leaf:
Descendants of the Emperor Ferdinand 1558-64.
Notes of deaths and promotions of noblemen 1611-13.
Answer of the Duke of Ossuna to the Ambassador of Venice. (In Italian.)
Lists of Ambassadors to France and Spain, of Praefecti Satellitum, Magistri Jocalium, Chancellors of Oxford and Cambridge, Lord Chancellors, Lord High Admirals, Chief Justices, Masters of Rolls, Chancellors of the Exchequer, Lieutenants of the Tower, during the reigns of Elizabeth and James I.
Popes from Julius II. (1503) to Clement VIII. (1592).
Deputies of Ireland 1546-1616.
Bishops consecrated under Elizabeth surviving in March 1620 viz.
Toby Matthew. Dunelm.
Will. Cotton. Exon.
Fr. Godwin. Landav.
Th. Dove. Petroburg.
Descendants of Albert of Bavaria, and of Paul III.
The above occupy five pages.

A printed tract (five leaves): imperfect: on Arabella Stuart.
Joannis Barclaii Scoto-Galli Epistola.
Reverendissimo Praesuli P. A. E. I. B. S. D.
Etsi nihil amplius.
Notes of deaths and promotions ut supra.
Reply of the Duke of Ossuna, ut supra.
Descendants of Ferdinand, ut supra.
The Annals in double columns (Smith App. pp.1-82). They occupy 45 leaves (followed by some blank). There are slips inserted here and there giving lists of Lent Preachers, and stages of James I.'s progresses, which do not seem to be in Smith: and not all of Camden's marginal additions appear to be printed.
List of Roman names of places in Gaul. }
List of French rivers. }
Notes on Gaulish and German tribes. }6 ff.
On Roman defences of Britain. }
On the Antonine Itinerary etc. }
Preparations for an Alphabetical List of British towns.
Aboue -Usocona. 8 ff.
Countes Barones et Consiliarij aliique melioris notae qui obierunt regnante Elizabetha. 7 pp.
Plan for Annals of Elizabeth's reign, in double columns. 13 ff.
List of Obitus and Creationes in James's reign, followed by a few annalistic notes for the same period: largely in English. 9 pp.
15 pp. blank.
On the dignity of Earldom. In English. 7 pp.
Two lists of dignitaries.
An address to the King on kings of arms.
The King's licence to print the Britannia (to Sir R. Cotton and W. Camden) 12 Jac. I.
A list of Doctores Ecclesiae with dates.
Rudimentary Index to the Annals.
Title to the Annals of Elizabeth.
"Chaffo(?) prope Gromesbridge aedes Georgii Riuers."
Fly-leaf: verso:
List of the Knights of the Garter present at the Feast of St George in 1619, and of those absent.
Note of some books "to be brought to Chesillhurst" 1619.
On the last cover.
A receipt. July 19, 1619.
Receaved from M^r Clarencieulx the daye and yeare above written by the hands of Nicholas Forman his servante an olde parchment manuscript in Frenche in quarto which treates chiefly of Abayes and Monasteryes in France etc.
John Guillim. Rougecrosse.
New years guiftes receaved 1617.
With a list of fees due to Kings of Arms and others.
A small bit of paper dated 9 May 1619 with a note of some payments.