Beinecke MS 35 (olim Z111. + 0134n)                                       Spain, 1550
Carta Ejecutoria (in Sp.)

     1. f. 1r    [Title, in same hand as text:] Executoria de fidalguia de
     Lope goncalez de Ualdes y Pedro goncalez de Ualdes hermanos uezinos del
     lugar de uillar del aguila.

     2. ff. 1v-52v    Carta ejecutoria, or letter of nobility, issued in the
     names of Lope Goncalez de Valdes and Pedro Goncalez de Valdes, by the
     authority of Charles V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, dated 12
     September 1550 in Granada. Seal missing.

     3. ff. 52v-53v    Official recording of the document in Villar del
     Aquila (Huete), dated 21 October 1550 (signed by scribe inside back
     cover: Don Antonio Larrillo).

          Parchment, ff. 54 (contemporary foliation begins on 2), 325 x 226
     (230 x 156) mm. Written in 36 long lines; double vertical and double
     upper horizontal bounding lines, full across. Ruled in ink; prickings
     in margins for bounding lines only.
          Consists of a single gathering.
          Written in round gothic by one scribe who added decorative designs
     in upper and lower margins. Addition on ff. 52v-53v by Don Antonio
     Larrillo is in a similar hand.
          The ornamentation of the codex is poorly executed. Folio 1v:
     miniatures representing the crowning of the Virgin (upper left) and the
     arms of the Goncalez de Valdes family (bottom: quarterly per cross
     potence gules throughout, first and fourth argent, 3 bars azur between
     10 roundels chequy or and gules; second azur, a sword palewise argent,
     hilted in base or, between 4 fleur-de-lis or; third or, a tower triple-
     towered argent with a lion dormant brown [sic], langued gules, in chief
     a crescent argent); f. 2r: miniature of Justice, with scales (lower
     half of page). Both folios have elaborate decorative borders in gold
     and colors that are badly rubbed. Folios 4v and 52r have historiated
     initials with portraits of a seated king (Rey Don Iohan?). Twenty-five
     small painted initials, 7- to 5-line; gold letters with black pen
     designs on white-decorated blue and dark red backgrounds.
          Binding: Bookblock laid in a contemporary vellum wrapper with an
     envelope flap.

          Written in Granada and Villar del Aguila in 1550; early provenance
     unknown. Pencil notation inside front cover: "22/1.450". Gift of the
     Yale Library Associates in 1931.

     Bibliography: De Ricci, v. 1, p. 169, no. 35.

     Barbara A. Shailor