Beinecke MS 213                                                           Italy, 1541
Collection of legal documents

          A collection of copies of grants and concessions made to Jacobo
     Probo, conte di Pianelle, from Francesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua
     (1466-1519), and his son Federico II (1500-40), all of which are in
     Latin. The three documents of Francesco are dated 1496 (ff. 8r-10r),
     1514 (ff. 6v-7v), 1516 (ff. 1r-2r); the two of Federico are dated 1519
     (ff. 2v-5r) and 1526 (ff. 5v-6r). On f. 10v there is a statement by the
     notary "Castantius [sic] Iottus" authenticating these copies (dated 18
     Oct. 1541). Two documents of Ferdinand II of Aragon, King of Sicily
     (1452-1516) confirming title to the property in question (ff. 11r-14r)
     seem to have been added later by another writer. f. 14v blank

          Parchment, ff. iv (contemporary paper) + 14 (13, 14 actually
     flyleaves conjugate to ff. iii, iv in front) + ii (contemporary paper:
     the conjugate leaves to the front flyleaves), 195 x 150 (ca. 140 x 130)
     mm. Folios 1r-10v written in 26 long lines; ff. 11r-14r in ca. 30
     lines. Ruled in hard point. Single vertical (and sometimes horizontal)
     bounding lines, full across; prickings at corners of written space.
          I^^12 (the final two documents continue onto back flyleaves).
          Written in inelegant italic for ff. 1-10; a sprawling running hand
	for ff. 11-14.
          Binding: s. xv-xvi. Levantine? A single gathering backstitched to
     the vellum lining of a semi-limp pasteboard folder covered with red-
     brown goatskin with corner tongues. Blind-tooled with a cross on a
     pedestal in a border on the upper board and an X on the lower. The
     design made up of fleurs-de-lis, diamonds with concave sides and
     flowers, the flowers bordering the turn-ins. Two ribbon fastenings,
     missing. Some mold and worm damage.

          Written in Italy in 1541, with later additions; early provenance
     unknown. Presented to Yale by Carl B. Spitzer in 1955.

     Bibliography: Faye and Bond, p. 41, no. 213.

     Barbara A. Shailor