Add MS 8728

FRANÇOIS ANNIBAL D'ESTRÉES: Memoires sur la régence de la reine Marie de Médicis; 18th cent. Italian translation. Possibly imperfect. Italian translation of the memoirs of François Annibal Duc d'Estrées, Marquis de Cœuvres and Maréchal de France, relating to the regency of France by Marie de' Medici until the death in 1617 of her Prime Minister, the Florentine adventurer Concino Concini, Count Della Penna and Marquis d'Ancre. D'Estrées apparently wrote his account between 1617-1642, during the reign of Louis XIII, at the request of Cardinal Richelieu (d. 1642), who exploited it to a great extent for his own memoirs. Possibly revised at the time of the regency of Anne of Austria (1643-1651), d'Estrées' memoirs were revised again and anonymously published by the Jesuit father Pierre le Moyne in 1666. Three editions printed by three different publishers are: Les Memoires de la regence de la reyne Marie de Medicis (Paris: chez Claude Barbin, 1666), of which B.L. copy 9210.a.16; same title (Paris: Chez Thomas Iolly, 1666), of which B.L. copy G.15399; Memoires d'estat; Contenans les choses plus remarquables arrivées sous la Regence de la Reyne Marie de Medicis, & du Regne de Louys XIII (Paris: Chez Denys Thierry, 1666), of which B.L. copy 285.c.33. The same text was reprinted in Mémoirs particuliers pour servir à l'histoire de France sous le règnes de Henri III, Henri IV, sous la régence de Marie de Médicis et sous Louis XIII, t. ii (Paris, 1756), and in the historical collections of Petitot, Collection des Mémoires..., s. ii, t. xvi (Paris, 1827-1829) and M. Michaud-M. Poujoulat, t. vii (Paris, 1837) and t. vi (Paris, 1853). Le Moyne's edition also included an account of the siege of Mantua (1629-1630), description of the conclave of Pope Gregory XV (1621), and letter from D'Estrées to Louis XIII concerning the same conclave. See P. Bonnefon, Mémoires du Maréchal d'Estrées sur la régence de Marie de Médicis (1610-1616) et sur celle d'Anne d'Autriche (1643-1650) (Paris, 1910), pp. xxiii-xxvi, 321 n. 1. For le Moyne see A. de Backer-A. de Backer, Bibliothèque des écrivains de la Compagnie de Jésus..., s. i (Liège, 1853), pp. 498-501. The present MS. is an Italian translation of Le Moyne's edition printed by Denys Thierry. Title (f. 1) 'Memorie di Stato Contenenti le cose più notabili accadute nella Reggenza della Regina Maria de Medici e del Regno di Ludovico XIII. Con la Relazione dell'assedio di Mantova, e del Conclave di Gregorio XV. e d'una lettera scritta dall'Autore al Re di Francia incontanente dopo il Conclave. Tradotte dal Francese nell'idioma Italiano da D.P.G.'; title repeated in abridged form on f. 2. Lacking the relazione concerning Gregory XV's conclave and d'Estrées' letter to Louis XIII. Note by a later hand (f. i verso) 'Manca la relazione del Conclave di Gregorio XV, e la lettera al Rè di Francia'. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. ‘119’ in pencil in top margin of f. i. Purchased, together with Add. 8718, 8720, and 8729, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 119 (part).

Contents as follows:

1. ff. 3-3v. 'Cortese Lettere [sic]', preface to the reader by le Moyne; 1666. Inc. 'E' necessario, che sappi essere queste Memorie state fatte da un personaggio di gran qualità’, expl. 'Lettera scritta dall'Autore al Re non men curiosa, et utile delle Relazioni. e vivi felice'. Cf. Les Memoires de la regence... (Paris: Denys Thierry, 1666), pp. a ij-a iij verso (with a slightly different explicit).

2. ff. 4-64. ‘Memorie Di Stato Contenenti le cose più notabili accadute sotto la Reggenza Della Regina Maria de' Medici, e del Regno di Ludovico XIII’, d'Estrées' memoirs revised by le Moyne; 1666. Inc. (f. 4) 'La morte funesta, e deplorabile d'Henrico il Grande', expl. 'd'acquistar la Contea di Monbeliard per ritirarvisi'. Cf. Les Memoires de la regence... (Paris: Denys Thierry, 1666), pp. 1-245, and P. Bonnefon, Mémoires du Maréchal d'Estrées... (Paris, 1910), pp. 1-160.

3. ff. 65-76v. ‘Relatione Dell'assedio di Mantova’; 1666. Inc. ‘Il Duca Vincenzo Gonzaga lasciati dopo la sua morte tre figliuoli maschi’, expl. ‘et andò ad alloggiare à Menar à dodici leghe da Mantova’. Cf. Les Memoires de la regence... (Paris: Deny Thierry, 1666), pp. 247-296, and P. Bonnefon, Mémoires du Maréchal d'Estrées..., Appendice (Paris, 1910), pp. 321-345.

Paper; ff. 76+ii. Old foliation in ink 1-72 (ff. 4-76), repeating no. 36. 346 x 235mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. Two Italian hands.