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Commonplace book, written by Charles Caesar, dated 1705. iv + 192 leaves.

The sermon occupies 37ff. and is written in a very clear secretary hand (undated, but almost certainly from the second half of the 17th century). There are clear margins, ruled on four sides, and crammed with scriptural references, headings and commentary (sometimes in Latin, Greek, or Hebrew).

The contents cover a wide date range and are mounted on boards within the standard Sloane collection binding.

These materials are mounted on boards within the standard Sloane collection binding. The sermons are written in a small secretary, with large ruled margins on the left and a smaller one on the right.

The edges of the pages have worn away, particularly at the beginning and end of the volume. Pages have been reinforced for preservation. The last page is damaged.

Small quarto. Fair copy with marginal annotations. Most of the volume is written in a black ink. After f. 187, pages have been cut out in two locations. The ink at ff. 187-200 is paler and the writing smaller and more cramped, but it appears to be the same hand as earlier in the volume. These sermons seem to be dated earlier, so this section of the volume may have been written earlier.

Folio volume consisting of miscellaneous documents tipped into binding.

Very tiny notebook, closely but neatly written. At the beginning of the notebook, the pages are ruled in red and black ink. Later, the margins are ruled only in black and the text is in a darker ink. The hand remains tidy throughout but the later sermons seem to have been written in more haste. Some have occasional blank spaces in the text, suggesting they may have been written at the sermon.

Small pocket notebook in a modern binding. The notes are hastily written but reasonably legible.

Paper, ff. 33. Quarto. Modern half black morocco.

The sermons are all written in the same hand, which is small but tidy. There are some marginal annotations.

Folio volume in modern binding. Stamped "Bibliotheca Manuscript Sloaniana." A note facing the first page of text reads "Dr. Benfield of Cor:?? his Notes. The gift of his executor to Mr B. G. 1630."

Beautifully written commonplace book in a modern binding but with original vellum cover inside the volume. The volume has been turned upside down and contents are written in reverse after f. 106.

Paper, folio, 123 leaves. Various pieces tipped into the binding.

Paper, quarto, 38 leaves, 157 mm. x 195 mm. Ff. 37-38 are blank. In good condition, with many leaves repaired recently. Watermark of two posts, similar to that in MS Heawood 3499. Written mostly in secretary hand, apparently by a scribe, with corrections and additions by Donne on nearly every page. The scribe's writing becomes looser and there are more errors later in the manuscript, suggesting that the scribe was writing faster close to the end. Donne's changes consist of correcting errors and filling in blank spaces left by the scribe, where the scribe was unable to read what Donne had originally written in his holograph. Unsigned and with no title page. Nothing is known about the original binding. The manuscript was rebound with three other sermons (MSS Royal 17B.XVIII-XXI) by the British Library in 1984 in morocco half-binding and red cloth. Folio numbers in pencil in the top-right corner, added c. 19th century. On the first leaf, a later writer has written "17 B XX. p. 264" in ink, referring to David Casley's catalogue of the King's Library (1734). Proper nouns and other words meant to be emphasized are underlined on the first three leaves, possibly by Donne himself.

v + 136 leaves, 155 x 125 mm. Contents of several notebooks put into a modern blue leather binding. The notes have been written from both sides of the volume; the sermons beginning on f. 53 proceed from the back.

Paper quarto volume, 275 leaves.