Add MS 8793

MARCO ANTONIO ALTIERI: Li Nuptiali; late 15th-early 16th cent. Italian. Copy, late 16th cent. Dialogue on wedding rituals in Renaissance Rome by the Roman officer and historian Marco Antonio Altieri (1450-1532); cf. DBI, 2 (1960), pp. 560-561. The dialogue was first published as Li Nuptiali di Marco Antonio Altieri pubblicati da Enrico Narducci (Rome, 1873) from the autograph MS. in the Altieri library, now lost or untraceable. The present MS. was mentioned by Narducci in the list of MSS. of the text, pp. xxvi-xxvii, and was subsequently used by M. Miglio as the primary source of comparison for the facsimile of Narducci's edition, Li Nuptiali di Marco Antonio Altieri pubblicati da Enrico Narducci, introduzione di M. Miglio (Rome, 1995), pp. 40*, 77*, 78*; B.L. copy LB.31.c.10045. It is also briefly described in P. O. Kristeller, Iter Italicum, iv (1989), p. 85. The MS. is entitled (f. 1) 'Nuzziali di Marco Antonio Altieri / Discorso in modo de Dialoghi scritto a Giulio Altieri / Nel quale discorre principalmente delle ceremonie, feste, ed altri usi antichi, che si osservano nella celebrazione delle nozze con varie erudizioni, e sentenza d'autori, e parlasi ancora di alcuni matrimonii tra le famiglie romane / Et in fine un Discorso istorico politico, che si crede del medemo [sic]/ Autore'. Dedication (ff. 2-3) of the author to his son Giulio (f. 2) inc. 'Proemio delle Nuptiali di Marco Antonio Altieri a Giulio Altieri / Secundo me reduco alla memoria Iulio mio', text inc. (f. 3) 'Lo signor Gabrielle Cesarino / Et recrear la mea senile et tediosa eta', expl. (f. 159) 'secondo lo antiquo costumato con bel ordine, et modo denotata / Finiscono li nuptiali di M. Antonio Altieri'. The text is divided into three books (ff. 3, 56, 96). Followed (ff. 160-165) by a separate text, entitled 'Discorso Istorico politico si crede del medesimo Autore', inc. (f. 160) 'Sel tempo comportava ne possano del vostro requisito rascionare', expl. (f. 165) 'et de fama ad un gran pezzo acquisto appareggiarsi'. This separate text consists of sections which were published by Narducci as part of the main dialogue: cf. ed. Miglio, p. 40*, n. 55. Table of contents (ff. 166-172), added by a later hand. Owned by Frederick North, 5th Earl of Guilford, but lacking his armorial bookplate. '265' in pencil in top left corner of second modern front flyleaf verso. Purchased, together with Add. 8730, 8792, 8794, 8795, 8796, 8797, and 8798, from R. H. Evans, 8 Dec. 1830, lot 265 (part).

Paper; ff. 172. Two sets of old foliation in ink, one for the text '1-164' (ff. 1-165), and one for the table of contents '1-7' (ff. 166-172). 295 x 203mm. Horizontal catchwords on each leaf from f. 21v onwards (second hand). Two Italian hands. Guilford binding of quarter vellum with marble paper covers over pasteboards.