Along with "The Castle of Perseverance" and "Wisdom", Hyngman's "Mankind" was acquired by the Reverend Cox Macro in the early 18th century. Macro bound them together somewhat arbitrarily, along with three other non-dramatic manuscripts. Early 19th-century owner Henry Gurney separated "The Castle", "Wisdom", and "Mankind" from the other manuscripts and bound them together as a collection in a separate volume. In August of 1936, Joseph Quincy Adams, the Director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, purchased this manuscript along with "Wisdom" and "The Castle" from the antiquarian firm Bernard Quaritch for £1,125 (approximately $5,625). The manuscripts had been purchased by Quaritch earlier in 1936 at a Sotheby's auction on March 30th for £440.