Pasted inside front cover: N. Simmonds Bookseller, Bookbinder, 25, Catharine St., Salisbury.

Binding: half calf over marbled boards. In gilt on spine: Book of Scrapes Vol. 1.

In English.

Manuscript, in various hands, of a collection of several hundred primarily sentimental and lighthearted poems, both copied by hand as well as printed and pasted in. The collection includes poetry by Robert Southey, Thomas Gray, William Wordsworth, Ann Radcliffe, Mary Robinson, William Roscoe, and Thomas Moore; and address such subjects as death of children; orphans; love; nature; and women's conduct. Most of the manuscript poems include the names of the people who copied them; an excerpt from George Byron's Don Juan is labeled, "Copied for me by George H. Lawrence," while a poem by Southey is annotated, "C W Lawrence." Many others have been signed by members of the D'Aguilan family.

The collection also includes a number of printed anecdotes, letters, and news articles on such subjects as the trial of John Bellingham for the assassination of Prime Minister Spencer Perceval; a report of a fancy-dress ball given by the Hand-in-Hand Society in 1819; an advertisement for the sale of a horse skeleton at Bullock's Museum; and the will of Samuel Romilly. On p. 18, a news article dated 1808 about a masquerade mentions Mrs. Lawrence as a guest. The volume also contains a letter in a child's hand written to "dear Sophy," followed by numerous sketches of people.

English poetry > 19th century.

Women > Conduct of life.

Great Britain > Social life and customs > 19th century.