Egerton MS 3296

CARTA EXECUTORIA DE HIDALGUIA, or proof of gentility of blood, issued by Philip II of Spain to Miguel and Pedromarin de Camara of Baeza; Granada, 21 May 1597. Spanish. Imperf. at the beginning. Signed (f. 61) by three of the Alcaldes of the Audiencia de los Hijos dalgo, viz:-Ruiz Diaz de Mendoça, Juan de Rojas Carvajal and Diego Mesia de Frias, and attested by the Notary. (Mesia de Frias also signed Egerton MS. 2394 and Add. MS. 18166, and a letter in favour of Rojas Carvajal is in Add. MS. 28703*, f. 34.) Followed (f. 61b) by a notarial certificate of publication at Baeza, 9 June 1597. Vellum; ff. ii + 62. 425 mm. x 21O mm. A.D. 1597. Gatherings of 12 leaves (wants i, iv⁸, vii⁴, viii¹). Gold initials on blue or scarlet backgrounds occur at the beginning of each section. The beginning of the document presumably contained miniatures (the piece of red protective silk still remains) similar to those in the preceding MS. and other examples of Carta Executoria (e.g. Add. MS. 18166). On f. 60 is a small miniature representing the King. Original (except for rebacking) contemporary brown leather binding, gold tooled with a design on both covers consisting of central Agnus Dei between four others, etc., within a decorated rectangular frame. Similar in design and tools and apparently from the same workshop as the binding on the Carta Executoria of circ. 1595 in the Victoria and Albert Museum (reference, L. 116-1938) reproduced in J. P. Harthan, Bookbindings (V. & A. Museum, 1950), pl. 29; Several of the tools and rolls appear also in Add. MS. 41505; remains of three silk ties. The bulla is missing but fragments of the silken cord of attachment remain. On pastedown of upper cover is unidentified printed sale-lot label (f. i). Belonged formerly to the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum (inventory no. 68003) (see f. ii).