On the page facing f. 1r, the following is written (in the same hand as the sermon): ‘A sermon preached ^in Christchurch Canterbury^ on ye 29th of May ^1683^ being the Day of King Charles ye seconds Birth and happy Return to his Kingdome, and falling upon Whitsun-Munday. by John Sargenson Presbiter.’ The preacher argues that ‘the portion of Scripture I have chosen for the subject of this day’s discourse, is part of a sermon preach’t unto us from the dead, & that by one who was the wisest preacher, & the wealthiest prince that ever swayed the sceptures since the world began [i.e. King Solomon]’. According to Solomon, ‘by God it is Kings reign’. See ff. 1r–1v.
Lambeth Palace Library online catalogue; Hannah Yip.
The sermon is written in a hasty italic hand. There are many underlinings, insertions, and deletions. There is some use of Hebrew. This text was clearly intended to be printed, or at least copied for print. In various parts within the sermon, there are directions for the appearance of the text (e.g. ‘write this with a small hand’; ‘write this in small Itallian’; ‘in small letters of Italian’; ‘Text hand’).