In 1629 Cornelius Johnson (age 35). Portrait of Robert Bruce Cotton 1st Baronet (age 57).

Evelyn's Diary. 02 Jul 1666. Came Sir John Duncomb (age 44) and Mr. Thomas Chicheley (age 52), both Privy Councillors and Commissioners of His Majesty's (age 36) Ordnance, to visit me, and let me know that his Majesty (age 36) had in Council, nominated me to be one of the Commissioners for regulating the farming and making of saltpetre through the whole kingdom, and that we were to sit in the Tower [Map] the next day. When they were gone, came to see me Sir John Cotton (age 45), heir to the famous antiquary, Sir Robert Cotton: a pretended great Grecian, but had by no means the parts, or genius of his grandfather.

Pepy's Diary. 04 Dec 1667. So home, my wife to read to me in Sir R. Cotton's book of warr, which is excellent reading, and particularly I was mightily pleased this night in what we read about the little profit or honour this kingdom ever gained by the greatest of its conquests abroad in France. This evening come Mr. Mills and sat with us a while, who is mighty kind and good company, and so, he gone, I to supper and to bed. My wife an unquiet night. This day Gilsthrop is buried, who hath made all the late discourse of the great discovery of £65,000, of which the King (age 37) bath been wronged.

Pepy's Diary. 06 Dec 1667. Then home and to the office, where Captain Cocke (age 50) come to me; and, among other discourse, tells me that he is told that an impeachment against Sir W. Coventry (age 39) will be brought in very soon. He tells me, that even those that are against my Chancellor (age 58) and the Court, in the House, do not trust nor agree one with another. He tells me that my Chancellor (age 58) went away about ten at night, on Saturday last; and took boat at Westminster, and thence by a vessel to Callis [Map], where he believes he now is: and that the Duke of York (age 34) and Mr. Wren knew of it, and that himself did know of it on Sunday morning: that on Sunday his coach, and people about it, went to Twittenham, and the world thought that he had been there: that nothing but this unhappy paper hath undone him and that he doubts that this paper hath lost him everywhere that his withdrawing do reconcile things so far as, he thinks the heat of their fury will be over, and that all will be made well between the two [royal] brothers: that Holland do endeavour to persuade the King of France (age 29) to break peace with us: that the Dutch will, without doubt, have sixty sail of ships out the next year; so knows not what will become of us, but hopes the Parliament will find money for us to have a fleete. He gone, I home, and there my wife made an end to me of Sir R. Cotton's discourse of warr, which is indeed a very fine book.

Evelyn's Diary. 12 Mar 1668. Went to visit Sir John Cotton (age 47), who had me into his library, full of good MSS., Greek and Latin, but most famous for those of the Saxon and English antiquities, collected by his grandfather.

Vesta Monumenta. 1744. Plates 1.66 to 1.68. Robert Cotton with Genesis Fragments. Reproduction of a portrait from around 1626 of Robert Cotton and fragments of the Cotton Genesis manuscript by Cornelius Johnson. Plates 1.67-1.68 depict twenty-one fragments from eighteen folio pages of the Cotton Genesis collated with transcriptions from the Codex Vaticanus. Engravings by George Vertue (age 60) after the original portrait and his own watercolors of the Cotton Genesis fragments.