Add MS 8721-8727

Italian and Latin. Copies. Letter-books containing the dispatches to and from Roberto Ubaldini, Bishop of Montepulciano, as papal nuncio to France 20 Sept. 1607 - 8 Sept. 1616. Most dispatches are sent to or from Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V and Secretary of State. Other recipients include Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, Ubaldini's predecessor to the nunziatura to France (4 Dec. 1604 - 20 Sept. 1607), Pope Paul V, the papal nuncios to Spain, Colonia, Prague, Turin, Venice, Avignon, and in particular the nuncio to Flanders Guido Bentivoglio, Archbishop of Rhodes and Ubaldini's successor as nuncio to France (8 Sept. 1616 - 4 Apr. 1621), the Queen of France Marie de' Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo II de' Medici, Cardinal Roberto Bellarmino, and other prominent ecclesiastical and lay figures. A letter to Cardinal Borghese from St. Francis of Sales, bishop of Geneva is also included (Add. 8722, art. 2). Another collection of Ubaldini's dispatches from the nunziatura to France in Add. 26874. Add. 8723, 8724 and 8727 belonged originally to the same set of volumes. Add. 8725 and 8726 are both stamped (f. 1) 'biblioth / h.f. / j770 and are identifiable with Falconieri MSS. nos. 44 and 45 in Guilford's catalogue, Add. 8220, f. 21v. Armorial bookplates of the Hon. Frederick North, later 5th Earl of Guilford, pasted onto the front pastedowns of Add. 8721, 8722, 8723, 8724, and 8727. Add. 8725 and 8726 were also owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lack his armorial bookplate. '87' in pencil in top left corner of front pastedowns of Add. 8721, 8722, and 8723, which were purchased, together with Add. 8391-8393, possibly 8366, and 8589, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 87 (part). Same lot 87 possibly included also Add. 8727. '396' in pencil in top left corner of front pastedowns of Add. 8725 and 8726, which were purchased from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 396 (part).

Paper. Seven volumes.