There is a dedicatory epistle addressed ‘To the Honorable most Vertuous and most worthy Lady, the Lady Thomasine North of Mildenhall’ and signed ‘Nicolas Searle’.
The full title of the sermon is ‘A Sermon Preached at Finborow August. 27. Anno D[omi]ni. 1626’. The sermon opens with an explanation that the chosen text comes from ‘an heavenly Sermon, preached by o[ur] Sauio[ur] Christ (whilest he lived here vpon Earth) to his disciples and multitudes of people, assembled to heare him’.
Hannah Yip
The entire manuscript is designed to imitate a printed sermon. There is a title page and a dedicatory epistle with a decorated initial. However, there are no catchwords, running heads, or marginalia. There is also no foliation. Searle was clearly an adept calligrapher, demonstrating a wide variety of hands.