Add MS 8787

BENEDETTO AVERANI: Defence of Galileo Galilei; 1695. Italian. Copy. Benedetto Averani (1645-1707) was an acclaimed Florentine man of letters, professor of Greek and Humanities at the University of Pisa from 1676. He published several rhetorical and poetical works in Latin and many studies on Greek literature; see DBI, 4 (1962), pp. 657-658. His defence of Galilei was first published from a MS. in Florence, Biblioteca Nazionale, by A. Favaro as 'La Difesa di Galileo scritta da Benedetto Averani', in Memorie della Real Accademia di Scienza, Lettere ed Arti di Modena, sez. Scienze, s. 2, vol. ii (1884), pp. 209-239. The present MS. is listed in Palma di Cesnola, no. 1300, p. 101, and in Iter Italicum, IV (1989), p. 68b. Inc. (f. 1) 'Difesa / Per il Signor Galileo Galilei', expl. (f. 39) 'contento di aver vendicato la gloria dell'insigne Linceo Galileo Galilei / Fine'. For other papers relating to Averani see Add. 4221, ff. 64-66 (biographical notice), and Add. 24125, f. 92 (letter to A. M. Salvini). Armorial bookplate of 5th Earl of Guilford on front pastedown. '60' in pencil in top left corner of front pastedown. Purchased, together with Add. 8593, 8596, and 8671, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 60 (part).

Paper; ff. 39+ii. 298 x 213mm. Horizontal catchwords on each page. One Italian hand. Late 18th-early 19th cent. quarter binding of red leather with marble paper covers on pasteboards.