Workdiaries Table of Contents

Abbreviations: BP, Royal Society Boyle Papers; BL, British Library; MS, Manuscript.

Workdiary 1 editorial | diplomatic: 1647. 'Diurnall Observations, Thoughts & Collections. Begun at Stalbridge April 25th 1647', aphorisms, etc. in English and French, largely from Gaultier de Costes's romance Cassandre. 297 entries. BP 44, fols 94-107.
Workdiary 2 editorial | diplomatic: 1647. Aphorisms in French, largely from Book 1 of Gaultier de Costes' romance Cassandre. 70 entries. BP 44, fols 108-13.
Workdiary 3 editorial | diplomatic: 1647. Aphorisms in English, preceded by the heading 'L. D'. 34 entries. BP 44, fols 114-15.
Workdiary 4 editorial | diplomatic: 1649. 'A Diurnall Miscellaneous Collection, Begun March the 25th 1648/9', aphorisms in English, largely from Parthenissa, by Roger Boyle, Lord Broghill. 258 entries. BP 8, fols 118-22; BP 3, fol. 146r.
Workdiary 5 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1640s. Miscellaneous excerpts and entries, largely consisting of further aphorisms and pasages for philosophical and theological works; no dates supplied. 15 entries. BP 2, fol. 186; BP 3 fols 90, 95; BP 36, fol. 86v.
Workdiary 6 editorial | diplomatic: 1650. 'Memorialls Philosophicall Beginning this Newyears day 1649/50 & to End with the Year.' Medical recipes in English, mostly from Benjamin Worsley, with two from Gerard Boate. 15 entries. BP 28, pp. 309-12.
Workdiary 7 editorial | diplomatic: 1651. Medical recipes in Latin from, among others, George Starkey (including a recipe relating to his ens veneris), Johann Morian and Gerard Boate. 11 entries. BP 25, pp. 341-42.
Workdiary 8 editorial | diplomatic: 1652 (and 1654?). 'Memorialls Philosophicall. Beginning this First day of the Yeare 1651/2'. A later date in the title suggests it could have been continued in 1654. Medical recipes from George Starkey, Gerard Boate, etc. 14 entries. BP 25, pp. 343-6.
Workdiary 9 editorial | diplomatic: 1654? Medical and chymical recipes in English from, among others, Benjamin Worsley, Fredrick Clodius, the Earl of Pembroke and Thomas Smart. 108 entries. BP 25, pp. 347-58.
Workdiary 10 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1650s. Medical recipes in Latin from, among others, Sir Kenelm Digby, Théodore Turquet de Mayerne, Lady Bedford, Caleb Stephens and 'Dr Shouart'. 25 entries. BP 25, pp. 359-62.
Workdiary 11 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1650s. Medical recipes, mostly in French, some with English commentary. Informants and sources not noted. 13 entries. BP 30, pp. 425-28.
Workdiary 12 editorial | diplomatic: 1655. 'A Philosophical Diary, Begun the first of January 1654/5'. Recipes with marginal dates ranging from 'Jan 9' to 'Febr 9'. Informants include Frederick Clodius, George Starkey, Sir Kenelm Digby. 104 entries. BP 8, fols 140-48.
Workdiary 13 editorial | diplomatic: 1655. 'Promiscuous Observations begun the 24th September 1655'. Recipies with marginal dates ranging from 'September 24th' to 'December 6th'. Most are recipes from Sir Kenelm Digby. 43 entries. BP 25, pp. 153-56, 177-83.
Workdiary 14 editorial | diplomatic: 1656. 'A Private Philosophical Diary Begun this First Day of January 1655/6', recipes in English, with marginal dates ranging from 'January 3' to 'February the 8th'. Informants and sources not noted. 17 entries. BP 25, pp. 157-60.
Workdiary 15 editorial | diplomatic: 1656-57. 'Philosophhicla Collections begun the 12th of September 1656'. Recipes in English, with dates ranging from 'September 12th:' to 'June 8th 57 Oxo:'. Informants and sources not noted. 64 entries. BP 25, pp. 173-76, 165-72; BP 26, fols 96-99.
Workdiary 16 editorial | diplomatic: 1657. 'My Private Philosophicall Diary Begun this First of Jan. 1656/7'. Recipes in English, with marginal dates ranging from 'Jan. 1' to 'Jan 8th'. Informants and sources not noted. 15 entries. BP 25, pp. 161-64.
Workdiary 17 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1650s. 'A Philosophicall Diary begun Sept. the 20th'. Recipes with marginal dates ranging from 'Sep. 20th' to 'Oct 15'. The only informants noted are Joachim Polemann and Henrik Le Roy. 17 entries. BP 26, fols 1-2.
Workdiary 18 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1650s. Chymical recipes, mainly involving metals and their transmutation. Includes 'Cardans worke to Reduce the Rhenish gold into hungarian gold'. Informants and sources note noted apart from Girolamo Cardano and 'John Burkart'. 31 entries. Royal Society MS 193, fols 1-10.
Workdiary 19 editorial | diplomatic: 1662-65. 'Philosophicall Entrys & Memorialls of all sorts, Here confusedly throwne together to be transferr'd to the severall Treatises whereto they belong'. Various experiments and observations, with marginal dates including 'Sept. 20 1663', 'May 22. 64' (p. 39), 'Sept. 21 64' (p. 41), 'July 15. 1665' (p. 44). 128 entries. BP 22, pp. 1-59.
Workdiary 20 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1660s. 'A Continuation of Physiologicall Entryes from the IXth of July'. Experiments and observations involving oil of vitriol, turpentine, a 'venereal gum', etc., with marginal dates from 'July 9th' to 'July 10th'. 8 entries. BP 18, fols 94-95.
Workdiary 21 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1660s / very early 1670s. 'Promiscuous Experiments, Observations & Notes'. Recipes, accounts of experiments and reports of phenomena from travellers and virtuosi, with marginal dates including 'October 2d 1661' (p. 19), 'June 1659' (p. 19), 'June 29th 1660' (p. 23), '1670' (pp. 57, 69), 'May 8th 1668' (p. 155). 501 entries. BP 27, pp. 5-159.
Workdiary 22 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1660s / early 1670s. 'Promiscuous Addenda to my severall Treatises' (fols 63-91) and 'A Continuation of (Printed) Addenda to my severall Treatises' (fols. 92-116). Transcriptions of sections of books, mostly on geographical and natural phenomena. Dates mentioned within extracts include 1665 (fols 82-84) and 1669 (fols 94, 102v). 222 entries. BP 8, fols 65-116.
Workdiary 23 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1660s. 'A Continuation of C[hemical] Notes Sept. the 29th'. Chymical recipes, with additional notes and significant alterations by Boyle, with marginal dates including 'Feb the 9th (p. 73) and 'Febr. 21' (p. 92). 80 entries. BP 25, pp. 71-74, 87-94.
Workdiary 24 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1660s. 'Physiologicall Notes, Begun the 25th of January'. Accounts of phenomena related to Boyle by travellers and virtuosi. One entry mentions the plague of 1665 (p. 72). Marginal dates include 'Jan. 19' and 'Jan. 21'. 9 entries. BP 22, pp. 61-73.
Workdiary 25 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1660s. 'Loose Experiments, Observations & Notes about The Preservation of Bodyes'. Experiments involving the preservation of caterpillars, milk and cream. 2 entries. BP 27, pp. 219-20.
Workdiary 26 editorial | diplomatic: 1666. Accounts of cures performed by Valentine Greatrakes during his visit to England in 1666, some witnessed by Boyle himself and some recounted to him by those healed. Marginal dates range from teh 6th to the 15th of April. 12 entries. BL Additional MS 4293, fols 50-53.
Workdiary 27 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1660s. Chymical recipes and aphorisms from a disbound notebook of the late 1660s. 53 entries. BP 44, fols 43-49.
Workdiary 28 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1670s (c. 1673-74). 'The last bundle ‹save one› of Physiological Memorandums'. Aphorisms and memoranda to be used in writing various (mainly unpublished) essays, referred to by abbreviated titles in the margin. Marginal dates include 'June 25' (fol. 150), '25 Oct.' (fol. 153), 'Jan 1 74' (fol. 154), 'May 29' (fol. 161v). 207 entries. BP 17, fols 148-63; BP 38, fol. 42.
Workdiary 29 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1670s. Accounts of experiments and observations, including 'A long & manifold Hydrostatical Experiment', and experiments involving magnetism, luminosity, etc. First page starts in mid-entry, suggesting that the beginning of the work-diary is missing. Marginal dates include 'May 22' (p. 188), 'July 5th' (p. 195), 'Decem. 27' (p. 233), 'Jan 5th' (p. 233), 'Febr 7' (p. 235), '15 Novemb.' (p. 241). 94 entries. BP 27, pp. 179-96, 211-18, 221-53.
Workdiary 30 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1670s. Miscellaneous workdiary entries from the early 1670s: reports from travellers and virtuosi, extracts from books, accounts of experiments, etc. 30 entries. BP 10, fol. 21; BP 26, fols 137-38.
Workdiary 31 editorial | diplomatic: 1678. Chymical recipes, some using code, others making reference to preparations made by chymists such as Paracelsus and George Ripley. Marginal dates range from 'August the 2d 78' to 'Nov: the 22'. 8 entries. BP 28, pp. 337-39.
Workdiary 32 editorial | diplomatic: Late 1670s. 'Relationes Physicae continued'. Reports on phenomena from travelers and virtuosi, including an account of cold in Denmark. Informants include the 'overseer of the Duke of Orleans's famous Physic garden at Blois'. 8 entries. BP 9, fols 166-70.
Workdiary 33 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1680s. 'Chymical and medical recipes, mnemonic verses, accounts and memoranda'. 50 entries. Royal Society MS 194, fols. 1-25.
Workdiary 34 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1680s. 'Chimical notes Continued from December'. Chymical recipes, many in code and with significant alterations in an unknown hand. Marginal dates include 'Jan. 15' (p. 54), 'Ap 16' (p. 59), 'May the 11' (p. 65), 'June 17' (p. 67), 'July the 5th' (p. 70). First few pages severely burned, possibly by acid. 91 entries. BP 25, pp. 51-70.
Workdiary 35 editorial | diplomatic: Early 1680s. 'Chimical Memorandums continued from January 25'. Chymical recipes, many in code and with alterations in an unknown hand, with the marginal date 'March 1' on p. 77. 53 entries. BP 25, pp. 75-86.
Workdiary 36 editorial | diplomatic: 1685-91. Accounts of conversations with travellers on natural phenomena. Informants include Sir John Chardin, Sir Paul Rycaut, Richard Knox, William Stapleton, Philip Warner, etc. Marginal dates range from 9 January 1685 to 23 February 1691. 122 entries. BP 21, pp. 255-312.
Workdiary 37 editorial | diplomatic: 1686-90. 'The XVI Century'. Experimental notes and accounts, many concerning the specific gravity of various materials. Marginal dates range from 29 December 1686 to 5 February 1690. 159 entries. BP 21, pp. 191-218.
Workdiary 38 editorial | diplomatic: 1689-91. 'The XVII Century' and 'The XVIII Century'. Experimental accounts and observations, many concerning the specific gravity of various substances. Marginal dates range from 27 March 1689 to 23 July 1691. 145 entries. BP 21, pp. 219-54.
Workdiary 39 editorial | diplomatic: 1689. 'Distinguish'd Experiments or more Private Observations Continu'd from [Septem]ber 29th 1688/9'. Experimental accounts and observations, including a way to measure the relative sizes of landmasses. 5 entries. BP 26, fol. 3.
Workdiary 40 editorial | diplomatic: 1680s (late?). Miscellaneous workdiary entries from the 1680s, principally experimental accounts and observations. 3 entries. BP 21, p. 142; BP 38, fol. 24.