Book of Hours (includes part of the Office of the Dead). "Textualis hand. Six one-line illuminated initials on fields of red on one side; five one-line and one two-line on the other."

(includes part of the Litany; possibly Flemish for English market, given the litany). France or Flanders. 15th century. One leaf (18.8 x 13 cm). Textualis hand. Five large one-line initials on one side, four on the other; line-fillers.

"15th century, second half, or possibly early 16th century. One leaf (12 x 8 cm.). Southern textualis (Humanist). Recto has one two-line illuminated initial on a red and blue field with illuminated marginal vinework; verso has one two-line illuminated initial on a red and green field with illuminated marginal vinework. Both pages have some letters or words in red."

Italy; possibly, but not certainly, southern Italy (i.e., calendar lists St. Januarius, Anthony of Padua, and Athanasius, the Neapolitan). Late 15th or early 16th century. Three leaves (16 x 11.1 cm). Southern textualis hand. Ink-flourished initials in violet, red, and blue, with some gilding. Three two-line illuminated initials. One leaf with a square excised and filled with paper.

"203 x 305 mm. (8 x 12"), with pendant seal (55 mm. in diameter) attached to the bottom, folded over, portion. Single column, 19 lines of text in a very small regular gothic book hand. The seal in its original round wooden encasement. With a large and flamboyant calligraphic "Franciscus" at the beginning of the text. Rome.nnThe usual soft folds in the vellum, two small holes in the upper margin, four insignificant round wormholes in the text (three letters touched), small portion (3 mm. deep) at the top of the seal missing and two tiny chips rubbed off at the bottom (image and lettering in the wax rather muted), but the document extremely pleasing in general nevertheless, the vellum clean and fresh, and with the text all very clearly legible.nnThis document, originating from the papal curia of Julius II (pope from 1503-13), confirms that a Spanish student living in Rome, Franciscus of Salamanca, has been granted clerical status. The document indicates that Franciscus had sought a bishop resident in the Roman curia to tonsure him as a cleric, most likely with the aim of securing employment in the papal bureaucracy. the initial petition from Franciscus had resulted in the pope's ordering "G Cardinal of San Pietro in Vincoli" (that is, Cardinal Galeotto della Rovere, the pope's nephew) to select a curial bishop as the student's sponsor. The cardinal's choice fell on Franciscus, bishop of Milopotamos (a titular see in Crete), who is the originator of our document. In it, after summarizing the case as outline above, he says that by papal mandate he tonsured and conferred clerical status on Franciscus on Sunday, June 21, in St. Peter's basilica, and on the same day in the same place in the year 1506 he attached his seal to the present document prepared by a notary and witnessed by two clerics from Cordoba, Johannes de Angulo and Petrus de Angulo (perhaps brothers and apparently friends of Franciscus), attending the ceremony. First tonsure consisted of a ceremonial haircut, with small locks taken from the front, back, sides, and top of the head by an officiating bishop. Once shorn, the tonsured individual would acquire juridical status as a cleric, which removed him from the jurisdiction of secular courts and entitled him to revenues from an ecclesiastical benefice, provided he eventually obtained such a living. First tonsure did not necessarily imply the candidate would continue on to ordination as a priest. A simple cleric could marry and still maintain his clerical status in the late Middle Ages, and some clerics continued to live essentially lay lives. Petrarch, for example, supported himself as a cleric in considerable style with revenues from church livings. (Early printers, too, often enjoyed clerical status: Sweynheym and Pannartz were clerics, respectively, if the dioceses of Mainz and Cologne, and Sweynheym is known to have had an ecclesiastical living.) It seems surprising that Julius II was personally involved in this case, as the document indicates. By 1506, the third year of his pontificate, Julius had a great deal on his papal plate. His artistic projects for Michelangelo were already well underway; in the year of our document Bramante presented the pope with the initial plans for the new St. Peter's; and 1506 was also the year of the pope's famous military campaigns - which he led wearing full armor - that regained control of Perugia and Bologna for the papacy.",Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439368/datastream/PDF/view

"THREE ILLUMINATED VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAVES, FROM A GRADUAL IN LATIN. (Germany, 14th[?] century) 16 x 11 1/2." Nine lines each of music on a four-line red stave and of text in a thick, humpbacked gothic hand. Rubrics in red, typically three large initials painted in red with yellow wash, three of the leaves WITH additional complex INITIALS in black and red CONTAINING WHIMSICAL FACES, Minor soiling, other trivial defects, but generally in quite excellent condition.nnThe text here is in a curious hand that contains elements looking very much like the "hufnagal" notation that characterizes many German manuscript choir books (but, ironically, not this one); the letters "m," "n," and "i" look like so many cloves standing in an upright row.",Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439365/datastream/PDF/view

Written in French in a neat early 19th-century cursive hand. With 3 blind-stamped paper wax seals, mounted on the vellum with red wax, two with yellow and brown cloth ties. With a large coat-of-arms on the title-page and 27 smaller coat-of-arms in the genealogical tree (some being the Faesch family coat-of-arms together with the coat-of-arms of the families related by marriages, sometimes the coat-of-arms next to the Faesch coat-of-arms left blank), all hand-coloured with gouache. The genealogical tree is interconnected by green branches, painted with gouache. Sewn with yellow and brown threads, as a single quire of 4 in vellum wrappers.nnEarly 19th-century manuscript genealogical tree of the Faesch family, a prominent Swiss, French, Belgian, Corsican and Italian noble family, originating in Basel. The tree starts in the early 15th century with Jean-Rodolphe Faesch, born 1491, who was the grandson of Nicolas Faesch, who was born in 1438. It ends with Marie Valerie Faesch, born in 1804. The genealogical tree not only lists the members of this important family, but also shows besides the family coat-of-arms the coat-of-arms (as far as known) of the families that are related to the Faesch family by marriage. Many members of the Faesch family were important jurists, bankers or military officers, as is sometimes also noted in the tree. The manuscript is dated 1806 and made in Vienna, Austria and it is signed by Charles-Jean Beydaels de Zittaert (1747–1811) and Fran.ois-Joseph de Leenheer. Beydaels de Zittaert was the first king of arms of the Austrian Netherlands, head of the Burgundian Circle and head of the Chambre H.raldique, who made genealogies on behalf of noble families in the Southern Netherlands. We know less about Francois-Joseph de Leenheer, but he also signs the present work and he wrote that he was archivist at chancery of court and state. The present genealogical tree is not only a beautiful and colourful document, but also seemes to be a quite official document, ordered by the Faesch family themselves. Wrappers and margins a little dust-soiled, outer edges a little curled, but overall in good condition.,Measurements: 38.5 cm x 30 cm,Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439352/datastream/PDF/view

"(prayerbook, probably a getijdenboek or book of hours, including part of the Magnificat).nnNetherlands (probably northern). 15th century. One leaf. Textualis hand. One two-line capital and 5 one-line capitals on each page in either red or blue.nnThis is the only vernacular text in the collection. The translation is by Geert Groote.",Measurements: 14 cm x 10.25 cm,Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439349/datastream/PDF/view

FOUR VERY EARLY ILLUMINATED VELLUM MANUSCRIPT LEAVES, FROM AN ANTIPHONARY IN LATIN WITH NEUMES. PART OF THE TEXT FROM THE FEAST OF ST. AGATHA. (Germany[?], 12th century, probably before 1150) 11 x 7 1/2." Single column, 20 lines of text with neumes in a pleasing romanesque hand. Rubrics in red capitals, one-, two- and three-line capitals in brown or red. Recovered from bindings, so a bit darkened, somewhat stained in places, and peppered with very many small round wormholes; nevertheless, all but one page entirely legible (and the sense of the text on that page only slightly compromised). As in the previous two items, the neumes here are "in camp aperto" and adiastematic. Among the texts included on these four leaves are antiphons and responsories for Matins on the feast of the Purification (2 February), antiphons for the feast of Saint Agatha (5 February), and antiphons for the ninth, 10th, and 11th Sundays after Pentecost." Antiphonary, from the Feast of St. Agatha

Manuscript on vellum, in Latin. France?, ca. 1500? Folio (30.3 x 22.8 cm, 12 x 9"). [1] leaf. The ever useful Patrologia Latina gives the authorship of the text on this leaf as "Auctor incertus (Augustinus Hipponensis?)" and goes on to inform us, "Est Petri Chrysologi sermo quinquagesimus tertius, sed hic passim interpolatus, seu multis auctior sententiis, quas commonstrant ansulae. Confer Alcuini librum de Virtutibus et Vitiis, cap. 6."nnThe main text begins: "Felices pacifici, quoniam filii Dei vocabuntur. Meritum christianae virtutis vilescit in cunctis, si unitatem non habeat pacis, nec pervenit ad vocabulum filii, nisi per nomen pacifici. Pax est, quae exspoliat hominem servitute, dat nomen ingenuum, mutat cum conditione personam; ex famulo liberum, filium facit ex servo."nnThat is, the leaf contains a discussion of peace and peacemakers, based on the line in the Beatitudes "Blessed are the peacemakers . . ."(Matthew 5:9). It is written in brown ink, in a beautiful and clear gothic bâtarde script, in two columns of 40 lines. On the recto there is a three-line initial F (beginning the text "Felices pacifici . . .") with elaborate pen tracery in red extending a total of 15 lines. Some of the letters on the top line of text have some striking tall ascenders. Beneath the last line of text on the verso is "Explicit de pace."nnPatrologia Latina, XXXIX, col. 1858. Natural flaw in one margin, not touching text. Light soiling in bottom margins.",Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439343/datastream/PDF/view

Document of John Smythe of Cavendish ('Cawndyshe'), Suffolk, 4 April 1542, a feoffment to Robert Raye of Denyston, Suffolk, yeoman, of the moiety of properties in the vill and fields of Ashley, Sylverley and Cheveley in Kent, appointing Edmund Clark of Ashley his attorney, in a neat documentary script, penwork interlace initial with two fools' heads, in Latin on vellum, one membrane, 250 x 375mm, signet seal with profile bust, in dark wax, pendant on vellum tag; docketed in autograph of John Smyth on verso, 'A Feofm[en]t from me John Smythe to Rob[er]t Raye of the moyities of Honnymans Stutfelds & Boystons & divers other lands & sheepwalkes in Ashley Silverley & Cheveley 33° H.8'; framed and glazed (unexamined out of frame),The fold across the bottom of the document covers some text. The text under the fold was not captured to avoid damaging the document.,Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439314/datastream/PDF/view

"DEED relating to proceedings before the court of ('Bruic[?]nc[?]'), with mention of the parish of 'vaalon' (?Valonjou, south of Angers, Maine-et-Loire) &cnnDated: 22 Feb. 1453. French.nn(Court location might be Brissac-Quincé near Angers) ",Measurements: 29 cm x 21 cm,Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439340/datastream/PDF/view

"(Tommaso, son of the noble Niccolò, of Barbarolo, near Bologna, N. Italy) Contract of Sale for 1350 lire, in Latin with English summary, for himself and his brother Baldassare, whose share is worth 300 lire, to Gregorio and Stefano indivisibly, sons of the late Pietro Schiatino of Gena in the county of Bologna, of about a dozen properties in Barbarolo and Gena, in area about 400 tornature or Bolognese acres, including houses and land called El Pozolo [the well] and La Fornace [the bakehouse] de Gena, owing to a previous deed of 1485 and a mortgage of 1486 by Tommaso to the "Syndics of the Prisoners" ('Carcerati') in Bologna, the notary has had to introduce substantial warranties and safeguards, the properties are described in detail with their nature - oak, chestnut, etc - or use as arable, fallow or meadow, with their occupiers and bounds, 300 lire are to be invested in buying Bernardino Bianchi's freehold house in the Via Santo Stefano for Baldassare, vellum, 19 sides 11" x 7", stitched, old calculations on side 20, in the merchant-house ('fondaco') of Francesco son of the late Giacomo Ghidini, district of S. Maria by the Porta Ravegnana, Bologna, 19th June 1497 (Summary)nn_In the name of Christ, Amen, the 19th June 1497, Alexander VI being Pope. Since the noble Tommaso, son of the late Niccolò de Ricci of Barbarolo, citizen of Bologna, district of S. Paolo, for himself and his brother Baldassare, (whose portion of the estate described below is worth 300 lire) has recently promised to Gregorio son of the late Pietro Schiatino of Gena in the county of Bologna to himself and to Gregorio's brother Stefano indivisibly, at the buyers' option within the next three years (side 1, lines 1-20), a certain estate of land, of ploughland, woodland, vines, mulberry, fallow, chestnut, rocks, shrubs, and oak, with the house tiled and balconied with one granary, stable, orchard, spring, courtyard and bakehouse in Barbarolo, county of Bologna, in the place called El Pozolo, and another house tiled and roofed held by Zanoto dal Pozolo in the same place and another house and bakehouse tiled and walled in [Barbarolo] called Gena Bakehouse, beside the lands described below (1: 20-32), the description of properties continues to 3:19, followed by a summary of the right to buy, sides 4-5 deal with the gross total of 1350 lire, services due from the property, and with paying the balance of 1275 in two instalments, at 6:7 300 lire are to be used to buy for Baldassare Bernardino Bianchi's house in the district of S. Blasio, in the Via S. Stefano, the notary refers to deeds of 12 Nov 1485 and 4 Nov 1486 whereby Tommaso owes 150 lire at 8 lire p.a. on the present property to the Syndics and Procurators of the Prisoners ('Carcerati') (side 7:11 onwards). There follow detailed warranties and safeguards. Carlo, son of Luchino Galuzzi and Paolo, son of Bartolomeo lord of Gena, guarantee that Tommaso will go through with the transaction. Two of the syndics, Cristofaro Fabri, notary, and Francesco Ghidini, merchant, are present and swear that they and all the parties are over 25 (side 18). nn_Done at Bologna, in the district of S. Maria of the Porta Ravegnana [leading to Ravenna], in the merchant-house of the said Francesco Ghidini, in the presence of Giovanni Battista son of the late Floriano de Gena of the district of S. Niccolò in the suburb of S. Felice, Aloysio son of the late Leonardo Malchiavelli of the district of S. Blasio, and Battista, son of the late Giacomo Segna, of the district of S. Stefano, all citizens of Bologna, who all asserted that they knew all the contracting and aforesaid parties (side 18, 26-32)._[Notary's device embodying the lettrs 'IO']_I Giovanni son of the late Melchior Primaditi, citizen of Bologna, public notary by Imperial authority and of the Commune of Bologna found all and singular of the above in the notes, questions and writings of the late learned noble Pietro son of the late noble Antonio Malchiavelli, notary of Bologna (side 18, 33 - side 19, 2), and have therefore faithfully extracted and compiled them all by virtue of my commission concerning them by the Co-rector and Consuls of the Society of Notaries of Bologna, and have exemplified them and reduced them into this form of a public instrument. In witness whereof I have here subscribed my accustomed device and name (side 19, 2-6).__(Part transcription at beginning and end)_[Side 1]_1 In Cristi nomine Amen. Anno Nativitatis eiusdem Millesimo quadrin-_2 gentesimo nonagesimo septimo Indictione quartadecima die de-_3 cimanona mensis Junii tempore pontificatus Sanctissimi in Cristo Patris et Domini_4 nostri Domini Alexandri divina providentia Pape Sexti. Cum noviter Tho-_5 mas quondam filius Nicolai de Riciis de Barbarolo Bononie civis confinii Pauli suo_6 proprio et principali nomine et vice et nomine Baldassaris eius fratris et filii_7 dicti quondam nobili Nicolai pro quo Baldassare idem Thomas tunc de rato et rata_8 habitione solemniter promiserit Gregorio infrascriptis nominibus stipulanti_9 quantum est pro omni rata et parte dicti Baldassaris et quam dictus_10 Baldessar haberet seu habere reperiretur in infrascripta possessione ut infra_11 posita et confinata: que pars a rata ipsius possessionis et dicti Baldassaris fu-_12 it et erat tantum et pro quantitate librarum trecentarum Bononie de mo-_13 neta currenti Et quanta fuerat erat et est pro omni ressiduo_14 dicte infrascripte possessionis dare vendere et tradere tangente ipsum Thomam_15 Gregorio quondam nobilis Petri Schiatini de terra Gene comitatus Bononie_16 tunc presenti et eius proprio et principali nomine et vice et nomine Ste-_17 fani eius fratris et filii dicti quondam nobilis Petri comuniter et pro indiviso inter ipsos_18 fratres infra tempus et terminum trium annorum tunc proxime venturorum et quan-_19 docunque infra dictum tempus dictorum trium annorum ad omnem voluntatem_20 dictorum futurorum emptorum Quandam ipsorum Thome et Baldassaris pro_21 ratis et partibus predictis Possessionem terre arate arborate vidate pra-_22 tive morate beduste castaneate saxose buschive et querce-_23 te Cum domo cupata et balchionata et cum uno medali et_24 stabulo desubtus dicti medalis cum orto fonte curia et furno_25 superextantibus positis in terra Barbaroli comitatus Bononie in loco dicto El_26 Pozolo et cum una alia domo cupata et tasselata que olim fuit_27 et erat Zanoti dal Pozolo de dicta terra posita in dictis terra et loco_28 Et est cum alia domo et fornace cupata et murata posita in dicta_29 terra in loco dicto La Fornace da la Gena confinata iuxta suos confines_30 Et que possessio per dictum Thomam vendi promissa est posita tam in dicta_31 terra Barbaroli quam in aliis infrascriptis terris villis et guardiis terrarum comitatus_32 Bononie cum dictis domibus medali: ac fornace: et est distincta in infrascriptis_33 petiis terre confinans ut infra videlicet: Inprimis una petia terre arbora-_34 te vidate et ortive cum duabus domibus muratis et cupatis et tasse-_35 latis cum furno et area superextantibus tornaturarum sex posita in_36 dicta terra Barbaroli in loco dicto El Pozolo confinata iuxta viam publicam_37 a tribus lateribus iuxta rivum et iuxta alios suos confines. Item una_38 alia petia terre prative arborate vineate et beduste torna-_39 turarum quinquaginta posita in dicta terra Barbaroli in loco dicto_[Side 2]_40 Le Crede sive Le Tassinate ...__[Side 18]_26 Actum Bononie in confinio Marie Porte Ravenatis in fondaco dicti Francisci de_27 Ghidinis presentibus Johanne Baptista quondam Floriani de Gena confinii Nicolai_28 burgi Sancti Felicis Aloysio quondam Leonardi de Malchiavellis confinii_29 Blaxii et Baptista quondam Jacobi de Segna confinii Stefani omnibus Bononie civibus_30 qui omnes dixerunt et asseruerunt se dictos omnes contrahentes_31 et partes predictas cognoscere Testibus omnibus ad Predicta voca-_32 tis adhibitis et rogatis._33 [Notary's device with letters IO] Ego Johannes filius olim Melchioris de Primaditiis Bononie civis publicus_34 imperiali et communis Bononie autoritate notarius predicta omnia_35 et singula prout in notis rogationibus et scripturis olim circonspecti_[Side 19]_1 viri nobilis Petri quondam nobilis Antonii de Malchiavellis notarii Bononie defuncti inve-_2 ni. Ita ea omnia vigore commissionis de eis nostri facte per dominum Corec-_3 torem et consules societatis notariorum civitatis Bononie fideliter sumpsi scripsi_4 et exemplavi et in hanc publicam et instrumenticam formam redegi. In_5 quorum fidem et testimonium hic me subscripsi signum nomenque me-_6 um apposui consuetum.nnInteresting for several terms taken from the Bolognese dialect, including 'tornatura', 'vidata' from 'vid' (vine), 'bedusta' from 'bdost' (fallow land), and 'medalis' ('granary') from 'meder' (to reap) and 'meda' (heap of corn)._Other Bolognese families mentioned include the Foscarari (side 6, line 27), Malchiavelli (18:28 and 19:1), and Bentivogli (Francesco, 7:26). At this period Bologna was semi-independent of the Pope (Alexander VI Borgia), and from 1462-1507 was ruled by Giovanni II Bentivoglio._The Notaries at Bologna had their own Palazzo next to the Palazzo Communale, fine gothic buildings both still in existence, and occupied it till Napoleon's time._In the hand and with the device of Giovanni, son of Melchior Primaditi, notary 'by authority of the Emperor and the Commune of Bologna'. [ref: 18721]",Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439319/datastream/PDF/view

"ELIZABETH I (1533-1603, from 1558 Queen of England)] Writ addressed in her name to the Sheriff of Derbyshire (Thomas Griseley), in Latin with transcription and translation, to warn James, Thomas and Francis Barlow ('Barley' throughout the document), that they are bound by their concord with Gilbert [Talbot, 7th] Earl of SHREWSBURY (1553-1616), over "the manor of Barlow ... 50 messuages [dwellings], 20 cottages, three watermills for grain, 50 gardens, 50 orchards, 1000 acres of [arable] land, 500 acres of meadow, 1000 acres of pasture, 600 acres of wood, 1000 acres of heath and scrub, 1000 acres of moor, and lands worth £10 rent and common pasture", in Barlow Lees, Dunston, Dronfield, Chesterfield and Stavely, (all rich in coal or iron), and unless they have performed it or given "triple security for his claim", they are to be summoned to appear before the Justices [of the Common Pleas] at Westminster on the day after Trinity Sunday, the Sheriff to make sure this writ and the summons are in court, fee paid 20s to the farmer of fines, vellum, 1 x 11", Westminster, 5th May 1592nnThe Earl's step-mother was the famous 'Bess of Hardwick' (1518-1608), who inherited Hardwick from her father. At 14 she married John Barlow of Barlow, who died not long after. She persuaded her second husband, Sir Willam Cavendish, to sell his land in the South and buy Chatsworth. Her third was Sir William St. Loe, and her fourth, George, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, with whom she acted as keeper of Mary Queen of Scots. We see here her hand in securing her first husband's estates, settled (like her second and third's) on her and her heirs. (Gilbert married his stepsister Mary Cavendish but had no sons).nnWith on the verso the signatures of: Sir Edward Stanhope (c.1547-1608), Commissioner of the Fines Office from 1589 (signature a little rubbed). For his many offices, see P.W. Hasler, House of Commons, 1558-1603, III, 1981, pp. 437-439. For his signature see BL Egerton 2713, ff.303, 305 (1593). nnThomas Dudley ('Duddeley') and William Lambarde (1536-1601, the famous antiquary and topographer of Kent), two of the deputies in the Alienations Office, where fees such as the 20s were collected for writs of covenants and for licences to alienate land held of the Crown, etc.. See R.M. Warnicke, 'William Lambarde', 1973, pp. 87ff., and for his signature BL Lansdowne 54, f.172 (1587), and 65, f.191 (1590).nnThomas Griseley , Armiger (Esq.), the Sheriff of Derbyshire. [ref: 19513]",Full pdf available, https://dl.mospace.umsystem.edu/mu/islandora/object/mu%3A439518/datastream/PDF/view

"18 x 23 inches, folded. With wax seal attached by cord, in turned wooden case. Document housed in early tin case with raised dome. Handsome document with heraldic illumination at center, measuring 4 x 3 1/4 inches, showing heart pierced by tree on shield, surmounted by helmet crowned by blackamoor grasping arrow and another pierced heart, surrounded by gilt ornamented frame. Text begins "Wir Otthainrich von Gottes genaden Pffalzgrave ben Rhein des Heilegen Romischen Reichs..." etc., with elaborate calligraphic initial W. A few spots, moderate wear along folds, some darkening to illumination, otherwise nicely preserved, with Otthainrich's wax seal."