Add MS 8683

ALFONSO DE PALENCIA: Gesta Hispaniensia, Decas Prima; circa 1477. Latin. Copy, circa 1570. The first Decade of the Gesta Hispaniensa written by Alfonso de Palencia (1423-1492), the Spanish humanist, historian, lexicographer, translator, copyist, and author of political tracts. The work contains the history of King Henry IV of Castile and Leon (1454-1474), called 'The Impotent', and of the 'Catholic Kings' Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile (1474-1491). The work remained unfinished and the fifth and last Decade is traditionally known as Bellum Granatense. The first Decade relates events between the wedding of prince Henry of Castile to Joanna of Portugal and the death of the rey intruso Alfonso 'XII', brother of Henry (1465-1468). Its text survives in nine MSS., all datable between late 15th-17th cent. Among them a rough autograph draft, datable to circa 1477, is now Madrid, BN, MS. 19.439. Spanish translations of the text in Add. 13963 (copied in 1550 by Julio Derrazme for Sebastian Rodriguez Alguazil, Mayor of Guadalajara); Eg. 300 (copied in 1582 for Cardinal Gaspar de Quiroga, bishop of Toledo), and 301, ff. 1-276; Sl. 2799. The present MS. was copied from a lost autograph MS. sent by the author to Alfonso de Burgos, Bishop of Palencia and founder of the Colegio de San Gregorio in Valladolid (1487). The MS. is subscribed by the scribe Franciscus Maleus de Tordesillas, a presbyter of Palencia diocese, and by father Domingo de Salinas, counsellor of the college of Valladolid; see colophon (f. 196) 'Trans scripsit manu propria Franciscus Maleus Tordesillanus presbiter Palentinae Diocesis ab exemplari probatisso [sic] et ab ipso auctore misso ad Collegium D. Gregorij Vallis oletani ordinis predicatorum in quo sub firma custodia possessioneque legitima Rectoris ac consiliariorum eiusdem collegij asserbatur de quorum licentia atque facultate fideliter transcriptum fuit. In quorum fidem proprijs nominibus roboravimus infra scripti. / Frater dominicus de salinas / Franciscus Maleus presbiter'. The MS. is entitled (f. 1) 'Alfonsi Palentini Historiographi gesta Hispaniensia ex annalibus suorum dierum colligentis', inc. (f. 1) 'Prologus incipit / Magna cum voluptate qui retuli iamdudum antiquitatem hispane gentis', expl. (ff. 195v-196) 'ex subsequentibus claret Annalibus / Decadis prime expliciunt annales Hispaniensium gestorum collecti fidissime ab Alfonso Palentino historiographo post habita prorsus acceptione personarum: quod ipse Sacrosancte deieravit. / Ab anno Millessimo Quadringentessimo usque ad mortem Alfonsi Regis: qui obijt 3 mensis Julij Millessimi quadringentessimi sexagessimi octavj continetur Historia // (f. 196) Ornatiorem forte aliquando potuisset Hystoricum habere Hyspania; veriorem vero, numquam'. The MS. was used by B. Tate and J. Lawrence for their edition of the first Decade; see Alfonso de Palencia, Gesta Hispaniensia ex annalibus suorum dierum collecta, 2 vols. (Madrid, 1998-1999), esp. I, pp. lxxiii, lxxvii, lxxviii, with facsimiles and description in II, pp. 510-511. Armorial bookplate of 5th Earl of Guilford with shelfmark 'L/16/B' (front pastedown). '253' in pencil in top left corner of front pastedown. Purchased, together with Add. 8682, 8684, and 8692, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 253 (part).

Paper; ff. 202+ii. Modern foliation in pencil 1-196 (followed here), repeating nos. 3, 74, 154, 156, 168, 176. 295 x 210mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. Late 16th-cent. cursive humanistic script.