Add MS 8688

FILADELFO MUGNOS: Collection of fair copies of diplomatic instructions, letters and other papers relating to successive Dukes of Vietri in the service of Philip II, III, and IV in Italy, 1555-1622; mid 17th cent. Spanish and Italian. Autograph. The MS. was compiled during the reign of Philip IV, 1621-1665 according to royal certification (f. 44). The MS. is described in Gayangos I, pp. 846-8. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '290' in pencil at top of folio preceeding f.1. Purchased, together with Add. 8788, from R.H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 290 (part).

1. ff. 1-1v. Genealogy of the house of the Dukes of Vietri.

2. ff. 2-3v. Initial instructions sent to Ferrante di Sangro, Duke of Vietri, from Philip II relating to his assignment to negotiate a peace settlement with Pope Paul IV in Rome; Brussels, 16 June 1556. Inc. 'Lo que nos Fernando de Sangro haveis de hazer en este viage intendereis por lo que os dira Don Bernadino de Mendoça del mi consejo'.

3. f. 3v. Letter of introduction written by Philip II for Ferrante di Sangro to present to Cardenal Carafa upon his arrival in Rome; Brussels, 21 May 1556. Inc. 'Magnífico fiel y amado nuestro, la carta de xiii del presente que me scrivistes con fabricio vuestro hijo'.

4. ff. 3v-16. Further instructions relating to the peace negotiations with Rome sent to Ferrante di Sangro from Philip II, Bernadino de Mendoza, Ruy Gómez de Silva, Conde de Melito and Don Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba and Governor of the Duchy of Milan; 5 Oct. 1555 - 21 Oct. 1557.

5. ff. 17v-18v. Letter to Don Enrique de Guzmán, Conde de Olivares and Viceroy of Naples, from Philip II; Toledo, 12 June 1596. Inc. 'Conde de olivares primo nuestro Visorrey Lugarteniente y Capitan general Fabricio de Sangro Duque de Bietri ha representado lo que en el discurso de muchos años me ha servido en occasiones graves y de importancia de paz y de guerra'.

6. ff. 18v-19v. Letter to Fabrizio di Sangro from Philip II, giving him permission to relinquish the post of Customs Officer and granting him an annual pension of 800 ducats in the Kingdom of Naples; Madrid, 17 Jan. 1580. Inc. 'Al magnifico fiel y amado nuestro fabricio di Sangro Cavallero de la orden de Santiago y nuestro Aduanero de las pecoras de Pulla y Abruzzo en el Reyno de Napoles'.

7. ff. 19v-20v. Letter to Don Enrique de Guzmán, Conde de Olivares and Viceroy of Naples from King Philip II, recommending Fabrizio di Sangro for the post of 'Escribano de Raciones' in the Kingdom of Naples; Madrid, 18 May 1595. Inc. 'Conde de Olivares mi Visorrey lugarteniente y Capitan general a los 18 de mayo deste año se escrivio al Conde de Miranda a proposito de lo que havia avisado sobre la resoluçion que se havia tomado en la causa del Duque de Santa Agata'.

8. ff. 21-21v. Letter to Fabrizio di Sangro from Philip II, conferring upon him the title of Duke of Vietri; Toledo, 10 July 1596. Inc. 'Duque fiel y amado nuestro. Rescibiose vuestra carta de cinco de Abril y creo yo muy bien todo lo que dezis de nuestra voluntad a mi servicio'.

9. ff. 21v-22. Letter to Don Juan Alonso de Pimentel, Conde de Benavente, from Don Francisco de Castro, requesting that Fabrizio di Sangro be permitted to go to Venice to assist him with the peace negotitions with Pope Paul V; Gaeta, 17 Sept. 1606. Inc. 'Seguro de que Vuestra Excelencia por el serbicio del Rey, y por la merced que me haze, ayudará todo lo que pudiere a que de buena quenta de lo que su Magestad me ha encomendado en este negoçio de Veneçia'.

10. ff. 22-22v. Letter to the Conde de Benavente from the Conde de Castro in which the former is granted permission to call Fabrizio di Sangro to Venice; 17 Sept. 1606. Inc. 'Despues de haver escripto a vostra signoria illustrissima con aviso de que su Magestad me manda que vaya a serville con Venecia con embaxada extraordinaria'.

11. ff. 22v-23. Letter to Philip III from the Conde de Benavente praising Fabrizio di Sangro's contribution to the peace negotiations in Venice; Venice, 24 April 1607. Inc. 'Traxe conmigo a este servicio que Vuestra Magestad me encomendo al Duque de Vietri su escrivano de Racion en el Reyno de Napoles'.

12. ff. 23v-24v. Letter to Fabrizio di Vietri from Doña Catarina de Zúñiga, Condesa de Lemos and widow of Don Pedro Ruiz Fernández de Castro, Viceroy of Naples, in which she expresses her gratitude for the assistance he gave to the Conde de Benavente in Venice; Naples, 19 May 1607. Inc. 'Desdeque vi salir a Vuestro Señor con Don Francisco tuve esperança de que saldria con honra d'este negocio'.

13. f. 24v. Letter of thanks from Philip III to the Duke of Vietri for his efforts in Venice; Madrid, 16 Aug.1607. Inc. 'Fiel y amado nuestro Duque de Vietri Por cartas de Don Francisco de Castro he entendido la resolucion que tomastes de acompañarle en la jornada'.

14. ff. 24v-27v. Letters to Fabrizio di Vietri from the Conde de Lemos and a transcript of a document relating to his appointment as Govenor of the Dohana de Foggia, Puglia; 16 Sept. 1611 - 24 June 1615.

15. ff. 28-29. Letter to the Conde de Lemos from Philip III appointing Fabrizio di Vietro as a member of the Collateral Council of Naples and granting his son Giovanni di Sangro a knighthood of the military order of Santiago and 400 ducats pension; Madrid, 29 May 1613. Inc. 'Haviendo visto lo que me escrivistes por el Duque de Vietri en carta de 28 de Marco del año passado de 1611 y la particular satisfaçion que mostrays tener de su persona'.çion que mostrays tener de su persona'.

16. ff. 29v-30v. Letter to Don Pedro Tellez Girón, Duke of Osuna from Philip III ordering him to return Giovanni di Sangro, Duke of Vietri, to the Church of San Domenicho where he had taken refuge prior to his imprisonment; Lisbon, 7 Sept. 1619. Also included is a petition written by the Duke's son, Francesco di Sangro, to the same effect; Madrid, 28 Sept. 1619. Inc. 'Duque de Ossuna primo nuestro Visorey lugarteniente y Capitan General haviendose visto lo que me haveys escrito acerca de la prision del Duque de Bietri'.

17. ff. 31-32. Letter and privilege to Francesco di Sangro, Duca di Vietri from Philip IV, granting him a knighthood of the military order of Santiago and a pension of 400 ducats; Madrid, April 1622. Inc. 'Su Magestad por consulta del Consejo de Italia de onze de Marzo deste año ha hecho merced del habito de Santiago a Francisco Maria de Sangro Duque de Vietri'.

18. ff. 34v-37. Letters to Don Juan de Zúñiga y Avellaneda, Conde de Miranda and Viceroy of Naples, from Philip III in which he expresses concern over the state of the affairs of the Prince of Bisignano and announces that he has appointed Fabrizio di Sangro to oversee the administration of the Prince's estates and finances; San Lorenzo del Escorial, 30 Sept. 1593 - 10 Aug. 1594. Inc. 'Visto el exceso y desorden con que el Principe de Bisinaño Bivia y la perdicion y menoscabo, en que por su mal Govierno se halla su casa'.

19. ff. 37-41. Letters to Don Enrique de Guzmán, Conde de Olivares and Viceroy of Naples, from Philip II commenting on the affairs of the Prince of Bisignano; 6 Sept. 1595 - 2 April 1597. Inc. 'Conde de Olivares mi visorrey lugarteniente y Capitan General la Princessa de Bisinaño me ha rapresentado la satisfacion que fabricio de Sangro ha dado siempre de la administracion'.

20. ff. 41v-42. Letter to Don Gio Giacomo Coppola, Marquis of Messanello and Prince of Gallichie from Francesco María II, Duke of Urbino, offering his condolences on the death of his grandfather, Fabrizio di Sangro, Duke of Vietri; 4 Sept. 1621. Inc. 'Illustrissimo Signore Ho invero sentita grandemente la morte del Signore Duca di Vietri che sia In Cielo'.

21. f. 42. Letter of condolence sent to Fabrizio, Duke of Vietri, from Cosimo, Grand Duke of Fiorenza on the death of his father Ferrante di Sangro; 21 Sept. 1608. Inc. 'Illustrissimo Signore Con tutto che sia piaciuto al Signore Iddio tirare a se il Serenissimo Gran Duca ferdinando mio padre'.

22. ff. 42-42v. Letter to Fabrizio, Duke of Vietri, from the Grand Duke Cosimo I of Tuscany notifying him of the marriage of his son, Cosimo II, to María Maddalena di Carlo, Archduchess of Austria; 8 Aug. 1608. Inc. 'Illustrissimo Signore essendosi hora Interamente stabilito il matrimonio del Principe mio figliolo con la serenissima Archiduchessa Maria Maddalena d'Austria'.

23. ff. 42v-43. Letter to Fabrizio, Duke of Vietri, from the Grand Duke Cosimo I of Tuscany to recommend to him the Florentine representant Giulio Balduini of Pisa; 26 April 1609. Inc. 'Illustrissimo Signore Volendo continuare nell'amicitia che passava tra Vostra Signoria Illustrissima et il Gran Duca mio Padre'.

24. f. 43. Letter to Fabrizio, Duke of Vietri, from the Grand Duke of Tuscany acknowledging his letter of condolence sent on the event of the death of his father Cosimo; 10 April 1621. Inc. 'Illustrissimo Signore Sarebbe con troppo mio aggravio se Vostra Signoria Illustrissima non si promettesse della mia volontà'.

25. ff. 43-43v. Letter to Francesco María, Duke of Vietri from Ferdinand II, Grand Duke of Tuscany, informing him of the birth of his son; Tuscany, 24 Oct. 1642. Inc. 'Illustrissimo Signore Io no mi maraviglio che vostra signoria illustrissima habbia sentito contento della nascita del Principe mio primogenito perche mi e noto l'affetto suo verso questa casa'.

26. f. 44. Letter to Don Juan Alonso Pimentel, Conde de Benavente and Viceroy of Naples, from Philip III ordering him to return thanks in his name to Fabrizio di Sangro, the Duke of Vietri, for his zeal and exertions in raising the last two regiments (tercios) of Italian infantry; Burgos, 2 Aug. 1601. Inc. 'Conde de Benavente primo hase visto lo que escrivis en vuestra carta de 20 de mayo cerca de lo que ha ayudado el Duque de Vietri'.

Paper; ff. 44 +i. Old foliation in ink '1-32' and '1-12' (ff. 33-44). 265 x 198mm. An inscription on f. i indicates that the MS. is an autograph of Filadelfo Mugnos, a writer on Italian nobility and heraldry (b.1607, d. 1675). Many corrections and marginal additions in a later hand appear throughout the MS. 17th-cent. binding of full vellum on pasteboards.