Add MS 8705

TRACT CONCERNING THE SUCCESSION OF THE CROWN OF SPAIN; circa 1700. Italian. Copy. A treatise in Italian concerning the succession of King Charles II of Spain. The anonymous author strongly objects to the so-called Second Partition Treaty (3-25 March 1700) between Louis XIV of France and William III of Orange, king of England and statolder of the United Provinces of the Netherlands. With this treaty Louis XIV and William III agreed on the partition of the Spanish Empire between the Archduke Charles of Austria, France and the duke of Lorraine. The mention (ff. 7-7v) of Pope Innocent XII indicates that the treatise could have been written between the end of March and the Pope's death on 27 Sept, therefore before the death of Charles II (1 Nov.) and the election as his successor of Philip of Bourbon, duke of Anjou and grandson of Louis XIV. The anonymous author fiercely opposes Louis XIV's politics of expansion in Europe and puts the Italian states on their guard against him. Title (f. 1) 'Rifflessioni [sic] sopra il Trattato, el lanno concluso li due Rè di Francia, e d'Ingilterra [sic] e li Stati Generali delle Provincie Unite del Paese Basso nel gran proposito della Successione del Rè Cattolico e della Divisione della sua Monarchia...', inc. (f. 2) 'Non senza scandolo gravissimo et universale di quanti amano l'honestà, e la Giustitia Cristiana', expl. (f. 39v) 'e se fosse bisogno di sacrificar'ogni privat'interesse alla Causa pubblica, et il tutto per il tutto del qual veramente si tratta / Stampato in Colonia l'ano 1700'. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '254' in pencil in top left corner of f. 1. Purchased, together with Add. 8685, 8687, 8689, 8691, 8700, 8703, and 8708, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 254 (part).

Paper; ff. 40+i, plus one unfoliated blank after f. 1. Modern pencil foliation 1-39 (followed here), omitting one leaf after f. 32. Old foliation no. in ink '135' on f. 1. 268 x 190mm. One Italian hand. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf.