Although the authors of the journals and speeches reproduced below all came from the East Midlands and were loosely related to each other, they offer three widely differing viewpoints of the proceedings of the House of Commons during the parliamentary sessions of 1604 and 1606–7. The Rutland manuscript concentrates on the privilege dispute over election returns which dominated the opening weeks of the 1604 session, while Sir Robert Cotton was chiefly concerned to record procedural precedents for use in subsequent Parliaments, and Sir Edward Mountagu focussed on the House's legislative activity.

These Memorandums &c would have been put into the the [sic] fire, but after consideration I thought they might be useful to any one who should Edit the Memoir, as they contain parts of political matters alluded to in other places, and shew the views which I and others took of them. They are preserved only for this purpose. When they have been used in this way they should be destroyed.

In libro magistri Gauteri Mahap de Nugis Curialium distinctio prima; assimulatio curiœ regis ad infernum. Cap. primum.

In tempore sum et de tempore loquor, ait Augustinus,* et adjecit, nescio quid sit tempus. Ego simili possum admiratione dicere quod in curia sum, et de curia loquor, et nescio, Deus seit, quid sit curia. Scio tarnen quod curia non est tempus; temporalis quidem est, mutabilis, et varia, localis et erratica, nunquam in eodum statu permanens; in recessu meo totam agnosco, in redditu nihil aut modicum invenio quod dereliquerim, extraneam video factus alienus. Eadem est curia, sed mutata sunt membra. Si descripsero curiara, ut Porphyrius diffinit genus,† forte non mentiar, ut dicam earn multitudinem quodammodo se habentem ad unum principium. Multitude certe sumus infinita, uni soli piacere contendens; et hodie sumus una multitudo, cras erimus alia; curia vero non mutatur, eadem semper est; centimanus gigas * est, qui totus mutilatus totus est idem, et centimanus hydra multorum capitum, qui labores Herculis cassat et contemnit, invictissimi manum athletæ non sentit, et Antæo felicior matrem habet terram,† pontum, et aera, non allidere ad pectus Herculis, totus ei vires multiplicat orbis. Cum ille h … nus Hercules voluerit, fiat voluntas.

Ane Account of ane Embassie performed by William Steuart Commendator of Pittenweim And mr John Skeen

To England[,] Denmark[,] And Princess of Germanie in Anno 1590[.]

WE departed from Edinburgh the 9t day of Junij 1590. came yat night to Berwick lodged in mr Andersones[,] Humainlie receaved, Be Sir John Selbie Master porter, And Sir William Reid capitaine[.] 10. day in the morning we receaved the bankett from Sir Henric wodringtoun marschell and Governour deput. Theraster the samyn day wee tooke the post at 9 hours befoirnoon – Toward lundoun In maner follouing[:]

The history of the Bishopricfc of the province of Somerset, the seat of which was originally at Wells, transferred from thence to Bath, where for a short time it remained, and then carried back to Wells, from the time of Bishop Godwin, downwards, has been chiefly derived from three original sources.