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A book of two Italian tales of Amery Abbat and Theodore of Trapani and Mr Francis...

Catalogue reference: HMS/4/28

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This record is a file about the A book of two Italian tales of Amery Abbat and Theodore of Trapani and Mr Francis... dating from n.d. [early 17th century].

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Full description and record details

Reference
HMS/4/28
Title
A book of two Italian tales of Amery Abbat and Theodore of Trapani and Mr Francis of Pistoia (Hardwick MS 63)
Date
n.d. [early 17th century]
Description

This manuscript of two stories is written in the same secretary hand throughout. The first story (folio 1-11) begins "In the time when the good King William reigned in Sicily, there was within the same isle a gentleman called Mr Amerig Abbat." It recounts the tale of Abbat's daughter and a young man called Theodore, assumed to be Turkish by Abbat and baptised and renamed Peter. Peter is taken under Abbat's guardianship and the story revolves around the love that grows between Abbat's daughter and Peter.

The second story (folios 12-16) begins: "There was a knight in Pistoja called Mr Francis, a man endowed with great riches." The story tells of Mr Francis, knight and Governor of Milan, who owned many beautiful horses, and his dealings with a man named Zyma.

Inserted inside the front cover is a folio of possible research notes including a note about a house steward's account book, a transcription of some pages of the first story and a partial transcription of HMS/4/10: "In honoreum illustrissimi DD Verulamij, Vicecomitis Sti Albani, Magni Sigilli Custodis..." (possibly a dedication to Lord Francis Bacon) and the start of a transcription of a letter beginning "To my lord deputies right noble lordship".

There is a 20th-century transcription of the first few pages of the second story, written on Edensor headed paper at the back of the book, probably in Arthur Strong's hand.

Note

Mention of this volume can be found in the Royal Commission on Historical Manuscripts, Third Report (1872) p.44.

Held by
Devonshire Collection Archives, Chatsworth
Former department reference
HM/63
Physical description
1 volume; 16 folios (32pp) and 9 loose inserted folios
Dimensions
167(w) x 220(h) x 11(d) mm
Immediate source of acquisition
This was likely a possession of the 2nd Earl of Devonshire who was immersed in Italian culture and indeed travelled there with his tutor Hobbes in the 1610s.
Physical condition
20th-century binding.
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/6c5cbcd2-8fc1-41f8-afa7-009579defa07/

Series information

HMS/4

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A book of two Italian tales of Amery Abbat and Theodore of Trapani and Mr Francis of Pistoia (Hardwick MS 63)