Add MS 8776

FALCONIERI LETTER-BOOK: Letters to Ottavio Falconieri, abbot of St. Jerome in Fiesole, as papal internuncio at Brussels (Oct. 1672 - 3 Nov. 1674); 1673-1676. Italian, and French. Mostly autograph and in cipher. The collection includes letters sent to Falconieri after his return to Rome and sudden death on 15 Nov. 1675. The authors of most of the letters are an anonymous correspondent at London and the Florentine diplomat and man of letters Lorenzo Magalotti (art. 2). The anonymous correspondent (art. 1) is possibly Girolamo Alberti, the Venetian resident at London. Some of his letters, dated 15 Nov. 1675 – 24 Jan 1676 (ff. 347-387v), postdate Falconieri's death: the last four among them (3 - 24 Jan. 1676) are addressed to one of Falconieri's brothers, possibly Paolo Falconieri, and ask that the correspondence be kept secret and the letters burnt. Other letters to Falconieri from the same correspondent in Add. 8775, art. 1 (ff. 1-5, 10-11, 15-23). Magalotti's letters (art. 2) are unsigned autographs. Other letters to Falconieri from him in Add. 8775, art. 2 (ff. 8, 59). For Falconieri see DBI, 44 (1994), pp. 385-388; for his correspondence with Magalotti cf. E. Casali, '"Messer Ottavio amatissimo". A proposito del carteggio di Lorenzo Magalotti con Ottavio Falconieri (1660-1674)', in Studi secenteschi, xxxi (1990), pp. 87-111. Title (f. 1) 'Lettere in cifra', added by a later hand. Letters and dispatches bound without chronological order. Stamp (f. 1) 'biblioth / h.f. / J770', probably from the Biblioteca Falconieri (possibly identifiable with Falconieri MS. 90 in Guilford's catalogue Add. 8220, f. 21v). Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. Purchased from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, possibly as part of lot 390, together with Add. 8699, 8731, 8733, 8765, 8770, 8771, 8773, and 8774. Contents as follows:

1. ff. 2-19v, 238-494. Letters to Falconieri from an anonymous correspondent at London [Girolamo Alberti?]; 21 Feb. 1673 - 24 Jan. 1676. Italian. Autograph, partly in cipher. Inc. 'Londra 21 giugno 1675 / In questo ponto ho consegnato'. With interlinear notes by Falconieri providing the Italian translation of ciphers. Including (ff. 394-395v, 406-410, 449-453), papers relating to Charles II of England and acts of the two English Chambers, dated 4 Feb. and 13 Apr. 1675.

2. ff. 20-54v, 56-234. [Lorenzo Magalotti], Letters to Falconieri; 26 May 1673 - 4 Aug. 1674. Italian and French. Autograph, partly in cipher. Inc. 'Vo a Bona in questo punto in fretta e in furia'. Unsigned. Including (ff. 129-129v, 136-137v) some letters to Magalotti in French. Other autograph letters of Lorenzo Magalotti to Falconieri in Add. 8775, ff. 8, 59 (unsigned), to Sir Robert Southwell in Add. 34343, ff. 105-106, 136-137, and to Henry Oldenburg in London, Royal Society Library, Early Letters Sequence, M. I, 45-52.

3. ff. 55-55v. Bardo de Bardi, Count of Magalotti, Letter to Falconieri; 16 March 1674. Italian. Autograph. Inc. 'Illustrissimo ... / Bench'io non abbia auto mai fortuna di acquistare ... Nimeguen 16 marzo 1674 / Di Vostra Signoria ... Bardi Magalotti'. The author declares himself to be a cousin of Lorenzo Magalotti.

4. ff. 235-236. Two dispatches to Falconieri, possibly from Cardinal Francesco Barberini; 9 June - 4 Aug. 1674. Italian. Partly in cipher. Inc. 'Roma 4 agosto 1674 / Non vedo lontano'. Same hand as in Add. 8775, art. 6, ff. 41, 42.

Paper; ff. 494, plus 34 unfoliated blanks (after ff. 20, 23, 38, 55, 60, 75, 81, 83, 84, 85, 110, 117, 126, 129, 146, 153, 168, 171, 172, 185, 213, 216, 235, 242, 265, 313, 333, 351, 354, 365, 453, 470, 475); ff. 164-165 bound up-side-down. 233 x 175mm. Two main Italian hands: - (1) art. 1: Girolamo Alberti? (same hand as in Add. 8775, ff. 1-5, 10-11, 15-23); - (2) art. 2: Lorenzo Magalotti. Guilford binding of quarter vellum with covers of marble paper over pasteboards. Edges partly gilt.