Add MS 8772

DIPLOMATIC INSTRUCTIONS AND RELAZIONI RELATING TO THE PEACE CONGRESS OF COLOGNE; 1636-1639. Italian. Copies. Compilation relating to the diplomatic mission of the legatus a latere Cardinal Marzio Ginetti. Ginetti was appointed in 1635 by Urban VIII to preside over a peace congress between France, Spain and Germany in Cologne, but left Rome only in 1636. He remained in Cologne until 1640, when after four years of unsuccessful attempts to organise the congress the Pope decided to cancel his mission. Ginetti's secretary in Cologne was Pietro Benessa, the author of the Instructions to the Cardinal (art. 1), and of the Journal of the Cologne mission (art. 4); for Cardinal Ginetti and Benessa see respectively 'Marzio Ginetti' in DBI, 55 (2000), p. 16, and 'Pietro Benessa' in DBI, 8 (1966), p. 478. Armorial bookplate of 5th Earl of Guilford with shelfmark 'L/18/E' (front pastedown). '87' in pencil in top left corner of front pastedown. Purchased, together with Add. 8391-8393, 8660, 8721, 8722, 8723-8724, 8753, 8754, and 8755, possibly 8366, 8589, and 8727, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 87 (part.).

Paper; ff. 354. Composite volume. Modern foliation in pencil 1-353 (followed here), missing one leaf after f. 6 and interrupting between ff. 7-25. Two sets of old foliations in ink: - (a) art. 1 (ff. 2-25): 1-25; - (b) art. 3 (ff. 129-177): 1-49. Each article lettered at the beginning in the top right corner (G-L). 272 x 203mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf. Three Italian hands. Guilford binding of quarter vellum with covers of marble paper over pasteboards.

Contents as follows:

1. ff. 1-123v. 'Instruttione al Signor Cardinale Ginetti destinato Legato de latere dalla Santità di Papa Urbano Ottavo. Per trattare la Pace Universale nel Congresso di Colonia ', instructions from Cardinal Francesco Barberini to Cardinal Marzio Ginetti, written by Pietro Benessa; [1636]. Inc. (f. 2) 'Le discordie e li scomponimenti tra Prencipi Cattolici', expl. 'ma che questo Capitolato con gli Eretici si facci parte'. Another copy of the text in Add. 8732, art. 1, ff. 2-194. Neither copy is listed in Pastor, vol. xxviii, 1938, p. 353. Original drafts of the instructions are in MS. Vat. lat. 6915 and in Archivio Segreto Vaticano, Misc. III, t. 36, ff. 536-670, 672-691v. Partly printed by K. Repgen in 'Die Hauptinstruktion Ginettis für den Kölner Kongress (1636)', Quellen un Forschungen aus Italienischen Archiven und Bibliotheken, xxxiv (1954), pp. 268-287. Old foliation 1-25 (ff. 2-26). Lettered 'G' and numbered 'n:^o 2' (under the title) on f. 1.

2. ff. 124-127. Anonymous letter to the Vatican from Cologne advising the Pope to end the hopeless peace mission of the legate; circa 1637. Inc. 'Già sono alcuni Mesi che celebrassimo l'anniversario del nostro arrivo in Colonia', expl. 'per sua pieta gli muova e gli disponga'. Lettered 'H' on f. 124.

3. ff. 128-177v. 'Relatione delle difficultà frapostovi nel radunar il Congresso avanti l'Eminentissimo Signor Cardinale Ginetti Legato á latere mandato da papa Urbano VIII: per trattare la Pace nel Cristianesimo del 1637: 1638, e 1639'; [1639]. Inc. (f. 129) 'Correva l'anno 1635: et il 36° delle turbolenze da Gustavo Adolfo Ré di Svetia', expl. 'a quella de Signori Cardinali Barberini, e Legato conceda ogni maggior grandezza, e felicità'. The anonymous author of the relazione was an assistant to Pietro Benessa (see ff. 132v, 177). Old foliation 1-49 (ff. 129-177). Lettered 'I' and numbered '125' in top right corner of f. 128.

4. ff. 178-353v. 'Viaggio del Signor Cardinale Martio Ginetti Legato per la Pace Universale da Roma à Colonia descritto da Monsignor Pietro Benessa, Segretario di Nostro Signore' [title added later]; [1637]. Inc. 'Con molta ragione e prudenza hà Vostra Signoria eletto per sua habitatione Roma', expl. 'si esibiva di darli se essi medesimi gl'havessero dimandati'. Lettered 'L' on f. 178.