Add MS 8271

COLLECTION of letters, relazioni, tracts, papal instructions, and heads of agreement in treaties relating to the Carafa war during the papacy of Paul IV (1555-1559); circa 1536-1560. Italian, Spanish, and Latin. Copies, 17th cent. The MS. relates mainly (ff. 3-140v, 193-275v, 347-354, 360v-363v) to the so-called Carafa War between Philip II of Spain and Cosimo I de' Medici, Gran Duke of Tuscany, on one side and Pope Paul IV Carafa and Henry II of France on the other, which took place in the Lazio and in Naples in 1556-1557. Similar collections in Add. 8262 (ff. 203-221v, 599-603v), 8270 (ff. 3-128), 8295, 8296, 16397, and 16445. For chronicles of the war by Alessandro Andrea and Pietro De Nores see respectively Add. MSS. 8666 (Andrea) and 8689 (Book i), 10778, 21961, ff. 157-336v, 26858-26959 (De Nores). The second part of the present MS. (ff. 296-297 bis verso, 312-330, 343-346v, 360-363v) is devoted mainly to diplomatic correspondence between the papacy and the Viceroy of Naples, Ferdinando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba, 1555-1556. The MS also includes: - (a) relazione by the papal nuncio Niccolò Ardinghelli relating to the peace negotiations between the Emperor Charles V, King Francis I of France and Pope Paul III, followed by relevant diplomatic correspondence, 1536 (ff. 141-192): another copy in Add. 8262 (art. kk, ff. 467-482), and 48122 (Yelverton MS. 137; art. 16, ff. 489-544v: see description for details on the diplomatic correspondence); - (b) treaty between Pope Paul III, the Emperor Charles V, Venice, and Ferdinand of Austria in league against the Turks, 1537, in Latin (ff. 276-289v); - (c) memorial from Pope Julius III to Ascanio della Corgna when sending him as papal ambassador to France, signed by Giulio Canano, 1551 (ff. 290-295v); - (d) tract relating to the reforms of the Church and the conversion of infidels to Christianity, n.d. (ff. 298-311); - (e) discourse in favour of the war against the Emperor Charles V and his son Philip II addressed to Pope Paul IV by Alessandro Pallantieri (1507-1571), Procuratore Fiscale of Rome, 22 July 1556 (ff. 331-342); - (f) heads of agreement between Pope Paul IV and the Emperor Charles V, 1555, in Italian and Latin (ff. 355-360). Occasional marginal notations by a later hand. Table of contents (ff. 1-2), added later. Marked '10' in ink at centre of lower edge. Stamp of the Colonna library 'Libraria Colonna' in red on ff. ii, 1, 219, v (verso); for the Colonna library stamp see Bragaglia, vol. iii, T 32: circa 1750. From the library of Cardinal Giuseppe Renato Imperiali, according to a note in Evans sale catalogue at lot 284. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '284' and 'Tomo X / A' in pencil in lower right margin of f. ii. Purchased, together with Add. 8262-8270, 8272-8281, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 284 (part).

Paper; ff. 364+v, plus one unfoliated blank after f. 140 and before f. 298, three after f. 219, and two after f. 289. Modern foliation in pencil '1-363' (followed here), omitting one leaf after f. 297. Old foliation in ink '1-372' (ff. 3-363, and iii-iv), including blanks. 268 x 205mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. Three Italian hands.