Add MS 8357

LIVES of Italian heretics; early 18th cent. Italian. This anonymous text provides detailed accounts of the lives of Francesco Canonici (1609-1652), Marc Antonio Dominis (1566-1624) and Francesco Giuseppe Borri (1627-1695), together with an account of the deaths of Bernadino and Niccola Missori, all of whom were declared heretics by the Italian Inquisition. The present MS. is listed in Palma di Cesnola, p. 128 and P. O. Kristeller, Iter Italicum, IV (1989), p. 68. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '60' in pencil in upper right corner of f. i. Purchased, together with Add. 8377, 8511, 8593, 8596, 8671 and 8787, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec 1830, lot 60 (part).

Contents as follows:

1. ff. 2-30v. Account of the life of Francesco Canonici Mascambruni, canon and auditor of the Contraddette, who was executed in 1652 after being found guilty of fraud and corruption during the Papacy of Urban VIII and Innocent X. Inc. 'Francesco Canonici, detto poi Mascambruni nacque poveramente nell'Apivo'. Preceded by a pen and ink drawing (f. 1) with the inscription 'Vita e morte di Francesco Canonici Detto poi Monsignore Mascambruno nel Pontificato di Innocenzio X'. Other copies in Add. 8392 (art. 25, ff. 587-607v), and 8409 (art. 7, ff. 105-138).

2. ff. 32-66v. Account of the life of Marco Antonio de Dominis, Archbishop of Spalato (1602-1616), who apostasized after being threatened by the Inquisition for writing anti-Roman literature, including De Republica Eclesiastica contra Primatum Papæ. Declared a relapsed heretic by the Inquisition in 1623, Marco Antonio de Dominis died in prison in 1624. His heresy was declared manifest and and his corpse burned together with his works. Inc. 'Nacque Monsignor Marcantonio de Dominis di buonissima, et antichissima Famiglia'. Preceded by a pen and ink drawing (f. 31) with the inscription 'Vita de Monsignore Marcantonio de Dominis. Arcivescovo di Spalatro sotto diversi Pontificati, e morto solto Papa Urbano Ottavo'. Another copy in Add. 8409, ff. 55-93.

3. ff. 68-81v. Account of the life of Francesco Giuseppe Borri, a controversial alchemist and messianic prophet who was prosecuted for heresy by the Roman Inquisition in 1659. In 1691 he was imprisoned in Castello San Angelo where he died in 1695. Inc. 'Poco giova all'Uomo l'essere aricchito, e dotato dalla Natura di nascita riguardevole'. Preceded by a pen and ink drawing (f. 67) with the inscription 'Vita e sommario del Processo di Francesco Giuseppe Borri Milanese del 1659 sotto Papa Alessandro VII e morto in Castello sotto Papa Innocenzio XI'. Another copy in Add. 8409, ff. 139-154.

4. ff. 83-91v. Account of the deaths of Bernadino and Niccola Missori. Inc. 'Quanto più suenturato per l'infelici suggetti'. Preceded by a pen and ink drawing (f. 82) with the inscription 'L'Infelice, e miserabil morte di Bernadino e Niccola Missori Fratelli Romani giustiziati in Roma loro Patria nel Pontificato di Innocenzio XI 1685'. Another copy in Add. 8409, ff. 22-34.

Paper. ff. i +91 + ii interleaved blanks. Old foliation in ink: 1-30, 32-40 (ff. 31-39), 41-43, 44-90 (ff. 45-91). 263 x 197mm. Horizontal catchwords on every page. One early 18th-cent. hand. Rubrics in red ink, some with crude penwork decoration. Binding of quarter vellum with brown marbled paper covers.