Kings MS 321

RIME di Francesco Petrarca, viz.:-

1. Il Canzoniere. f. 1. The order is generally the same as in Mestica's edition (Le Rime di Franc. Petrarca, Firenze, 1896), except that Son. lx and Son. lxi (f. 13 p 127), Sest. vi and Son. clxxix (f.29 306 ), Sest. vii and Son. cci (f. 31, p. 330) are respectively transposed, and the sequence after Son. ccxc (f. 43, p. 475) is Son. ccciv, cccix, ccxci-ccciii, cccx-cccxii, Canz. xxvii, xxviii, Son. cccxiii-cccxvii, cccv, cccvi, cccviii, cccvii, Canz. xxix. Canz. xviii (f. 21) has four more lines than the printed text (p. 209). Madr. iv (f. 17 b) includes the ten lines (1-10) beg. 'Donna mi vene spesso ne la mente' (see Mestica, p. 172, note). At the end of the Canzoniere, and in the same hand, are several poems by Andrea da Badagio, viz. : (a) 'Chosi nel mio parlar vogli eser aspro'. At the end. 'Scrito per mano de Andrea da Badagio in le prison de Venexia 1400'. f. 48;-(b) 'Scrisse Dante del infero a pieno'. f. 49;-(c) 'Alma gientil tanto piatosa e dura'. f. 49;-(d) 'Volgie or mai inver di me la fronte'. f. 49 b;-(e) ' Dous frere vn songie ma retret'. Title, Composito per lo deto Andrea in conforto dun suo compagno abandonato da sua dona'. f. 49 b;-(f) 'Bon fine or mai al mio doglioso fato'. Title, ' Fato per lo stesso Andrea parlando a la fortuna'. f. 49 b. The two following leaves (ff. 50, 51), which were originally left blank, contain an index of first lines to the Canzoniere in a 16th cent. hand. The references, however, are not to the present MS., which has no old foliation.

2. I Trionfi, viz. d'Amore, f. 52; della Pudicizia, f. 54b; della Morte, f 55b; della Fama, f. 58; del Tempo, f.62; dell' Eternità, f.63. The chief variations from Mestica's text (M) are: (a) In the Trionfo d'Amore Canto iv is omitted, being placed after the Tr. della Fama (f. 59);-(b) In the Tr. della Fama ll. 1-21 of Canto i agree with M, but the next 142 lines are there given in an Appendix (p. 670) ; and the rest of the Canto (f. 60), after 24 lines beg. 'Da poi che morte triompho nel uolto', which in M are in a foot-note (p. 604), agrees with M 11. 25-130 (pp. 607-614). At the end (f. 64), in the same hand, are the two Latin notes relating to Laura printed in the Venice ed. of Petrarch, 1473, and subsequently, viz. his note in a MS. Virgil, now in the Ambrosian Library, Milan, beg. 'Laurea propriis uirtutibus illustris', and an extract from his letter to Jacopo di Colonna, Bishop of Lombez, beg. ' Qvid ergo ais finxisse me'.

Vellum ; ff. 64. 12⁷/₈ in. x 9³/₄ in. In double columns. Art. 1 apparently written by Andrea da Badagio at Venice in or about 1400; art. 2, by a different hand, early XV cent. Gatherings, i¹⁰- vi¹⁰, vii¹⁰ (blank after 4). In art. i initials of poems are in burnished gold on pink or blue panels, and line-initials are touched with yellow. Illuminated borders of conventional foliage with blackedged gold studs at the beginning of the two parts of the Canzoniere (ff. 1, 34). The large initials on the same pages contain portraits of Petrarch, and on f. 1 there is also a small miniature of Laura in a wide-sleeved green gown, holding a chaplet. In art. 2, the spaces left for initials of poems are not filled in. Binding of red morocco with tooled panel, &c. (18th cent.), lettered 'sonetti di Petrarca MS.'; marbled end-papers. Belonged to Joseph Smith, Consul at Venice (Bibl. Smith., p. ccclxii, col. i).