Add MS 8401

GIOVANNI FRANCESCO COMMENDONE: Discourse on the Court of Rome; circa 1547-1559, together with other writings relating to the conflict and peace negotiations between Pope Paul III and Charles V and Pope Paul IV and Philip II. Italian. 17th cent. Copy. Table of contents by a later hand on f. 1. The MS. is listed in P. O. Kristeller, Iter Italicum, IV (1989), p. 68. Stamp (f. 1) 'bibliot/ h.f / J770', probably from the Biblioteca Falconieri (identifiable with Falconieri MS. 20 in Guilford's catalogue Add. 8220, f. 10). Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. Purchased, together with Add. 8590, 8654, 8707, and possibly 8588, from R. H. Evans, 10 Dec. 1830, lot 332 (part).

1. ff. 2-111v. 'Discorso di MonsignorGiovanni Francisco Commendone, che fu poi CardinaleSopra la Corte di Roma. All IllustreSignor Hieronimo Savorgnano', discourse on the Court of Rome by Cardinal Commendone for Girolamo Savorgnano in anticipation of his return to Rome; [1554]. Inc. 'La dimanda che voi mi fati', expl. 'e de disordini chi ne nascono'. Other copies of the same text in Add. 8342 (art. 1, ff. 1-96v), 8474 (art. a, ff. 1-82v), 10716, 18655, 29444 (ff. 43-89), 48795 (ff. 28-78), and Harley 3562 (ff. 1-9). Partly printed in Spicilegium Romanum, VI (1841), pp. li-lix; BL copy 832.k.12; published as G. F. Commendone, Discorso sopra la corte di Roma e altri scritti, ed. by D. Rota (Bergamo, 1983), and G. F. Commendone, Discorso sopra la Corte di Roma, ed. by C. Mozzarelli (Rome, 1996). For Commendone see DBI, 27 (1982), pp. 606-613.

2. ff. 113-144v. 'Oratione di Monsignordella Casa nella quale egli esortai Venetiani ad entrare in lega con il Papa con il christiano e con li suizzeri per risistire alle forze dell ImperatoreCarlo Quinto l'anno 1547', an oration by Giovanni della Casa, Papal Nuncio, entreating Venice to join the papacy in an alliance against the Holy Roman Empire; 1547. Inc. 'Se alla violenza si potesse resistere', expl. 'la nostra li tertà ritirremo. Hò detto'. The text is the same as that in Add. 48122, ff. 199-240. Printed in Opere di Monsignor Giovanni Della Casa (Naples, 1733), pp. 17-40, (BL copy12227.aa.13).

3. f.145-166. 'Scrittura in persona del Papa Cardinale Carafa sopra el negotio della Pace con il Re Filippo', instructions to Cardinal Carlo Carafa from Pope Paul IV Carafa relating to the peace negotiations with Philip II of Spain; circa. 1556-1559. Inc. 'Molte cose figliuolo carissimo, ci confortano a sperare buon fine di questo santo negotio della Pace', expl. 'Cielo da Dio di eterna corona di gloria premiata'. Another copy of the same text in Add. 16397, ff. 131-160v. Printed in Opere di Monsignor Giovanni Della Casa, pp. 27-42.

Paper; ff. 166. Old foliation in ink 1-43 (beg. f. 145). 211 x 288mm. Horizontal catchwords on each page. Two 17th-cent. hands. Watermark (f. 1) of a bird similar to Heawood 179 & 182 (1648, 1628). Guilford binding of quarter vellum with decorated paper covers over pasteboards.