Copy of Sir Francis Vere's Commentaries

The Commentaries is an autobiographical account by Sir Francis Vere (?1560-1609), army officer and diplomat, of several army campaigns he fought in the Netherlands in the late sixteenth century. This text (beg. fo. 9) is in a single hand, corrected in another contemporary hand. This copy is perhaps identified with that described by W. Dillingham in his 1657 edition of the Commentaries as to be found in 'the increasing library of the Right Honourable the earl of Westmorland, which had been transcribed immediately from the author's own'. fos 1v-6v: Latin and English aphorisms in another contemporary hand; fo. 8: title (19th cent.) identifying Vere innaccurately as 'afterwards Lord Vere of Tilbury'. Fos 1-7 formerly fastened together with sealing wax.

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Belonged to the 12th earl of Westmorland (d. 1891). Noted in HMC, Tenth Report app. 4, p. 58. Purchased at Puttick's, 27 July 1893 lot 243, for 1s.

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