Add MS 8272

COLLECTION of relazioni, tracts, and papal instructions mostly relating to the papacies of Sixtus IV (1471-1484), Innocent VIII (1484-1492), Alexander VI (1492-1503), Julius II (1503-1513) and Paul III (1534-1549); circa 1471-1549. Italian and Latin. Copies, 17th cent. Instructions relating to the papacy of Sixtus IV on ff. 71-121v, 169-193v, 219-235v; of Innocent VIII on ff. 122-168v, 193v-199v, 236-246, 253-279v; of Alexander VI on ff. 246v-253, 280-301v, and possibly on ff. 200-219; of Julius II on ff. 301v-346v. The MS also includes: - (a) relazione of France by Giovanni Cappello, [1554] (ff. 3-21), published by Albèri, s. i, vol. ii (Florence, 1840), pp. 273-288; - (b) relazione to the Venetian Senate on how to arm 100 warships (ff. 21v-29v); - (c) relazione to the Venetian Senate against the Duke of Urbino (ff. 30-32v); - (d) discourse and petition from the Emperor Charles V to Pope Paul III relating to the Catholic League in 1534, in Italian and Latin (ff. 33-60v); - (e) excerpts from Galen and Vitruvius relating to wine, in Latin (ff. 61-70v); - (f) instructions from Pope Sixtus IV to the papal nuncio sent to the King of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, n.d. (ff. 189v-190v); - (g) letter relating to the information given to Pope Paul III by Charles V after his expedition in Tunis (ff. 347-366v); - (h) memorial relating to the rights of the Holy See over the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, after 1516, in Italian and Latin (ff. 367-376v). Table of contents (ff. 1-2), added later. Marked '11' in very faint ink at centre of lower edge. Stamp of the Colonna library 'Libraria Colonna' in red on ff. ii, 1, 138, 376v; for the Colonna library stamp see Bragaglia, vol. iii, T 32: circa 1750. Previously believed to be 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 XI / A' in pencil on f. ii. Purchased, together with Add. 8262-8271, 8273-8281, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 284 (part).

Paper; ff. 376+ii, plus two unfoliated blanks after ff. 346, 366. Old foliation in ink '1-348 [meaning 378]' (ff. 3-376, and iii-iv), omitting nos. 330-339, including blanks, and miswriting '340-348' in place of '370-378'. 270 x 205mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. One Italian hand.