In organizing his ballads, Pepys came up with categories which seemed to him to reflect the groupings of the broadsides that he had collected. Volume 1 of the five volumes is assumed mainly to consist of the ballads gathered by John Selden, whose collection Pepys purchased to begin his own, and the following essays survey the ballads included in Volume 1. As the archive expands, trends in the later volumes will be analyzed.

"Devotion and Morality" by Gerald Egan

"History -- True and Fabulous" by William Gahan

"Tragedy -- viz^t. Mrd^rs. Execut^ns. Judgm^ts. of God &c." by Tassie Gniady

"State and Times" by Paxton Hehmeyer

"Love -- Pleasant" by Kris McAbee

"Love -- Unfortunate" by Jessica C. Murphy

"Marriage, Cuckholdry, &c." by Jessica C. Murphy

"Sea -- Love, Gallantry & Actions" by Laura Miller

"Drinking & Good Fellowshipp" by Simone Chess

"Humour, Frollicks, &c. mixt" by Kris McAbee

"A Small Promiscuous Supplement upon most of the ______ Subjects" by Eric Nebeker