James VI and I

Beginning "Ane rype ingine ane quik & uaiknid uitt," later published under the title "Sonnet Decifring the Perfyte Poete," in Scots, fourteen lines in a fine italic hand, with revisions to about twenty words including one line cancelled and rewritten, with a marginal note ("Kinge James the 6 hand write 1610") and endorsed on the verso ("Found as I was told among the papers of the Earl of Perth who was of the Bedchamber to king James VI. J. G. 7 July 1763"), one page, folio (225 x 205 mm), probably early 1580s; folds tears, strengthened, right margin restored. Laid down on a card folder in a green cloth folding-box, with an explanatory note in the hand of P.J. Croft.

P. J. Croft — Sotheby's, 18 December 1985, lot 14. acquisition: Purchased at the foregoing sale through Bernard Quaritch

A rare autograph manuscript poem by James VI and I. King James wrote this poem in his native Scots as a teenager, and it was published as a preface to his essay on Scots prosody in his first book,  Essayes of a Prentise in the Divine Art of Poesie (1584). This draft not only includes substantial revisions — showing, for example, where James initially made a mistake in his rhyme word so had to rewrite line 11 — but also differs significantly from the published text. An Anglicised version of this poem is found in a later manuscript volume of James's poems with corrections in the King's hand (British Library, Add. MS 24195, fol. 41r). 

The Earl of Perth mentioned in the note on the verso of the manuscript was presumably James, 4th Lord Drummond (1580–1611), who was created Earl of Perth in 1605.

We have no record of any other manuscript poem by King James VI/I having appeared at auction in recent decades.