Beinecke MS 351               France, ca. 1525
Pigafetta, Journal of Magellan's Voyage (in Fr.)

Restricted material. May not be seen without the permission of the appropriate curator.

1.  f. 1r Notes in a later hand; f. 1v inscription, see Provenance.  [Title,
f. 2r, in blue:]  Navigation et descouurement de la Inde superieure et isles
de Malucque ou naissent les cloux de Girofle faicte par Anthoine Pigaphete
Vincentin Cheuallier de Rhodes Commanceant en lan Mil V^^cc et xix.
[dedication, in red:]  Anthoyne Pigaphete Patricie Vincentin et Cheuallier de
Rhodes a Illustrissime et tres excellent Seigneur Philippe de Villers L
[erasure] leadam inclite grand Maistre de Rhodes son seigneur
esserueratissime.  f. 2v blank

2.  ff. 3r-98v Prologue de Anthoine Pigaphete sur le present liure sien
traictant.  La nauigation des isles de Malucque...Chapitre Premier.
Pource quil y a plusieurs gentz curieux (tres illustre et tres reuerend
Seigneur) qui non seullement se contentent descoutter et scauoir...au tres
illustre et noble seigneur Philippes de Villiers Lisleadan tres digne grand
maistre de Rhodes. Fin.  f. 99r ruled, but blank; f. 99v continues notes from
f. 1r

     A journal of Ferdinand Magellan's voyage around the world in 1522, written
by Antonio Pigafetta (ca. 1480/91 - ca. 1534), an Italian gentleman from
Vincenza who survived the trip.  Beinecke MS 351, the text of which is divided
into 57 numbered chapters, is the most complete and most handsomely produced
manuscript of the four surviving witnesses to the text; the original, probably
in Italian, is now lost.  The two other French manuscripts, also copied in the
first half of the 16th century, are Paris, B. N. MSS fr. 5650 and fr. 24224;
the only manuscript extant from the Italian tradition is Milan, Biblioteca
Ambrosiana MS L. 103 Sup., of approximately the same date as the French
manuscripts.  An abridged French text was printed at Paris for Simon de Colines,
Le voyage et navigation faict par les Espaignolz es Isles de Mollucques (no
date, probably ca. 1526-36); for a modern edition see J. Denuce, Pigafetta:
Relation du premier voyage autour du monde par Magellan 1519-22, Recueil de
voyages et de documents pour servir a l'histoire de la geographie 24
(Antwerp and Paris, 1923) pp. 29-225 (MS 351 = C), with a description of the
Beinecke manuscript on pp. 11-14.

     Parchment (fine), ff. i (paper) + ii (parchment) + i (original parchment
flyleaf) + 98 (foliated 2-99) + ii (parchment) + i (paper), 276 x 184 (195 x
122) mm. 27 long lines, or in 2 columns for vocabulary lists (ff. 19v-20r,
51v-53r, 83r-84v).  Ruled faintly in red ink; single inner vertical and
horizontal bounding lines; double outer vertical bounding lines; additional
ruling in outer margins for notes; all bounding lines full length and full
across.
     I-XII^^8, XIII^^2.
     Written in elegant humanistic bookhand with script often resting above the
rulings; marginal notes and headings in a more cursive script that inclines
toward the right.
     Twenty-three beautifully drawn and illuminated maps, mostly full-page,
surrounded by gold frames, and with scrolls superimposed that contain the
identifying legends for islands and land masses.  Subjects of maps are as
follow; we give the title as it appears in the text of the manuscript:  f. 21r
figure du destroict Pathagoniques.  De la region de Pathagonie, Mer ocean, De
la mer Pacifique, Et aultres Capz; f. 23r figure des isles infortunees; f. 25v
figure de lisle des larrons et leurs barquettes [with two figures in a boat];
f. 29r figure de lisle des bons signes.  Et des quatre aultres isles Cenalo,
Hinnangar, Ibusson, Abarien; f. 35v figure du cap de Gatighan, Des isles de
Mazzaua, Bohol, Ceilon, Baibai, Polo, Canighan, Tigobon, et Pozzon [legends on
scrolls not filled in]; f. 53v Cy apres sont figurees les isles de Zzubu,
Mattan, et Bohol; f. 54r En lautre figure est lisle de Panilonghon; f. 56r
figure de lisle de Caghaian; f. 57r [no title] Isle of Pulaoan; f. 62v figure
de lisle de Burne et du lieu ou sont les fueilles vifues; f. 65r figure des cinq
isles Benaian, Calagan, Butuan, Cippit et Maingdanao; f. 66r figure des isles
Zzolo, Cauit, et aultres; f. 67v figure des isles Ciboco et aultres; f. 68r
figure des isles Sanghir, Nuzza, Cheai, Camanuzza, Cheaua, Lipan, Cabaluzzar,
Cabiao, Cauiao; f. 69r figure des isles Meau, Paginzzara, Zzoar, etc.; f. 85r
figures des isles Giailolo, Mutara, Tarenate, et Chir; [cartouche on map:]
Toutes les isles en ce liure mises.  sont en laultre Emispere du monde aux
Antipodes; f. 85v figure des cinq isles ou naissent les cloux de girofle et de
leur arbre [with drawing of clove tree]; f. 87r figure de isles de Bacchian,
etc.; [legend on map:]  En ceste isle habitent les Pigmei; f. 87v Aultre figure
des isles Ambalao, Ambon, Tenetun, Lumatola, et Sullach; f. 88v figure des isles
Bandan, Zzorobua, Rossonghin, et aultres; f. 90r figure des isles Zzolot,
Nocemamor, et aultres; f. 92r figure des isles Timor, Cabanaza, et aultres; f.
93r figure de la grand mer.
     Decorative initials, 4- to 3-line, rose or blue highlighted with white, on
gold rectangular grounds edged in black, contain flowers in contrasting colors
or strawberries and green and chartreuse leaves.  Gold initials, 2-line, on red
rectangular grounds or on red and blue grounds (divided diagonally or
horizontally) with gold highlights.  Gold paragraph marks, 1-line, on
rectangular grounds that alternate red and blue, with gold highlights;
rectangular line-fillers in red and gold, also highlighted with gold.  Headings
for chapters and titles for maps within text, as well as notes in margin
entered by same scribe, in red or blue.
     Binding:  s. xix.  Red goatskin, gold-tooled.  Bound by Duru in 1851 (note on
f. i verso).  Disbound and mounted for photographic reproduction for the
facsimile edition by Harold Tribolet at the Extra Bindery of the Lakeside Press.
Rebacked with extraordinary skill.

Written in France ca. 1525.  Although some scholars have suggested that Beinecke
MS 351 is the dedication copy presented to the Grand Master of Rhodes by
Pigafetta, there is no firm evidence to support this hypothesis; all four extant
manuscripts contain the dedicatory inscription to the Grand Master (see art. 1).
First known owner is Jean Cognet, gentleman of the chamber and apothecary of
Jean de Guise (1498-1550), Cardinal of Lorraine (f. 2r:  anagram of Cognet:  "Ne
age cito"; arms on f. 1v:  azure, a chevron or between three lilies argent);
his presentation to Christophe de Gastinois, the Cardinal's secretary
(inscription on f. 1v:  "Viro clarissimo, eruditissimo, et integerrimo,
Christophoro Gastynaeo, Illustrissimi Cardinalis a Lotharingia ex consilijs
secretioribus Senatori, et libellorum supplicum Magistro dignissimo Ioannes
Cognetius eidem Principi a Pharmacis et Cubiculis hunc librum D. D." with
Gastinois arms in wreath above:  azure, a fess
argent, in chief 3 estoiles or, in base a phoenix or rising from flames proper).
Belonged to the Abbey of St. Leopold at
Nancy; inscription in upper margin of f. 1v:  "Sancti Leopoldi Nanceiani an.
1720."  Unidentified notes of s. xix on ff. 1v and 99v discuss the possibility
that MS 351 is the original dedication copy.  In 1841 the French geographer R.
Thomassy ("La relation du premier voyage autour de monde a-t-elle ete
composee en francais par Antoine Pigaphete...,"  Bulletin de la
Societe de Geographie, 2nd ser. 20 [1843] pp. 165-83) examined the
manuscript when it was in the library of a certain M. Beaupre, a judge at
Nancy, presumably Jean-Nicolas Beaupre, (1795-1869; Dictionnaire de
Biographie Francaise, v. 5, p. 1163).  Sold by Potier in Paris, March 1851
(no. 506); Felix Solar sale (Paris, Techener, April 1861, no. 3238).  From the
collection of Guglielmo Libri (1802-69); his sale (Sotheby's, 25-29 July 1862,
no. 456) where it was acquired by Sir Thomas Phillipps (no. 16405; tag on spine,
note on f. i verso).  Robinson sale (Cat. 83, 1953, pp. 96-105); purchased from
the Robinsons in 1964 by Edwin J. Beinecke for the Beinecke Library.

Bibliography:  H. Harrisse, Bibliotheca Americana Vetustissima...
Additions (Paris, 1872) p. xxxii.
     J. A. Robertson, Magellan's Voyage around the World (Cleveland, 1906) v.
2, pp. 260-64.
     T. E. Marston, "Around the World in 1080 Days," Gazette 39 (1965) pp.
101-04.
     R. A. Skelton, Magellan's Voyage: A Narrative Account of the First
Circumnavigation by Antonio Pigafetta (New Haven, 1969) v. 1:  Introduction
and translation of text, v. 2:  facsimile, in color, of Beinecke MS 351.
     L. Peillard, Pigafetta:  Relation du premier voyage autour du monde par
Magellan 1519-22 (Geneva, 1970) pp. 52-56.

Barbara A. Shailor