Add MS 8564

FRANCESCO MARIA ACCINELLI: History of Genoa, vol. iii; 1776. Italian. Copy. The MS. contains the third volume, covering the years 1751-1776, of the annals of the history of Genoa from its foundation to 1776 written by the Genoese priest, historian and cartographer Francesco Maria Accinelli (1700-1777). Because of the revolutionary opinions that Accinelli expressed in his work, the first two volumes of the annals were published anonymously in Massa as Compendio delle Storie di Genova dalla sua fondazione sino all'anno MDCCL..., vol. i, up to 1700, and Continuazione del compendio..., vol. ii, 1701-1750 (Lipsia, 1750; B.L. copy 1440.a.2,3); reprinted in the same year in Lucca also anonymously (Lipsia, 1750). The third volume was published only posthumously by A. Lertora when reprinting the first two volumes in Genoa in 1851. For Accinelli and his works see G. B. Spotorno, Storia letteraria della Liguria, vol. v (Genoa, 1858), pp. 39-40; A. Cappellini, Dizionario biografico di genovesi illustri e notabili (Genoa, 1941); DBI, 1 (1960), p. 98; C. Bitossi, 'La Repubblica è vecchia'. Patriziato e governo a Genova nel secondo settecento (Rome, 1955), pp. 200-203. A coloured map of Genoa by Accinelli, dated 1769, is now Add. 34185 C. The present MS. is listed in Palma di Cesnola, no. 406, p. 30. Title (f. 1) 'Compendio delle Storie di Genova, Dall'anno 1751 al 1774. Dove si contengono notizie le più interessanti, ed inedite / Tomo iii', introduction (ff. 2-22v) 'Premetteremo in questo Tomo, che principia dal 1752 sino al 1774', inc. (f. 23) 'Anno 1751 / Fu in quest'anno ristorata la gran Loggia di Banchi', expl. (f. 211) 'et multiplicata est in eis ruina. Psalm 105 / Fine di questo terzo tomo'. Contemporary detailed table of contents (ff. 212-223). Quote with Italian translation (f. i verso) 'Veritas principium prudentiae simul ... sic ab ea hoc lumen (Lipsius net. ad Lib. Polit. de numer. rerum)'. Guilford ex-libris with note of acquisition in the front pastedown: 'e libris Frederici Com. de Guilford empt. Janua. A.D. 1821'. Armorial bookplate of the 5th Earl of Guilford (front pastedown). '544' in pencil in top left corner of front pastedown. Purchased, together with Add. 8674, 8719, 8786, and possibly 8538 and 8800, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 544 (part).

Paper; ff. 222+iv. Modern foliation in pencil '1-223' (followed here), omitting no. 195. Old pagination in ink '1-417' (ff. 2-211), nos 319-320 preceding nos 317-318. 175 x 123mm. One Italian hand. Late 18th-cent. Italian quarter binding of mottled brown leather with marbled paper covers over pasteboards.