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The Holograph of Milton's Letter to Holstenius

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2021

Joseph McG. Bottkol
Joseph McG. Bottkol*
Affiliation:
Rome (Mount Holyoke College)
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Abstract

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Type
Notes, Documents, and Critical Comment
Information
PMLA , Volume 68 , Issue 3 , June 1953 , pp. 617 - 627
Copyright
Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1953

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References

page 617 note 1 The most authoritative recent account of Holstenius' life and work is that of Roberto Almagià, L'Opera Geografica di Luca Holstenio, Studi e Testi, 102 (Vatican City, 1942).

page 617 note 2 Joannis Miltonii Angli, / EPISTOLARUM FAMILIARIUM / LIBER UNUS: / QVIBVS I Accesserunt, Ejuadem, jam olim in Col- / legio Adolescentis, / PROLUSIONES / Quaedam / ORATORIAE. // LONDIN1, / Impensis, Brabasomi Ayimert sub Signo / Trium Columbarum Via vulgo / Cornhill (blackletter) dicta, An. Dom. 1674. I have used the copy In the Barberini Collection in the Vatican Library.

page 618 note 3 Frans Ehrle, “Bibliothektechnisches aus der Vatikana,” Zentralblar Fur Bibliotheks uesen, xxxiii, 7. u. 8. Heft (Juli-August 1916), p. 220: “Wie es leider im vorigen Jahr hundert in den römischen Privatarchiven ein weitverbreiteter Gebrauch war, so wähle sich auch Mgr. Pieralisi sen. von Zeit zu Zeit aus den Archiven eine Anzahl Bündel aus,sortierte die in ihnen enthaltenen Schriftücke nach sehr subjektiven und schwankenden Kriterien und liess sie zu neuen Handschriften der Bibliothek zusammenbinden.”

page 618 note 4 It hi difficult to discover much about Colvill. He is listed as a student at the Scots College in Rome for the year 1608. See W. E. Brown et al., The Scots Collge. Rome (London, 1930).

page 619 note 5 William Metham has been almost as elusive as Colvill. The Liber Ruber Venerabilis Collegii Angloum De Urbe (Pars.Prima. Nomina Alumnorum. II. A.D. 1631-1783) ad. Dr. Wilfrid Kelly (London, 193) lists him as a student in 1644 (p. 29): “Gulielmus Manerius (vero nomine Mettamus) Eboracensis annum agens 18. habeas Confirmationem admissusest inter alumnos SSmi Domini nostri Innocenti X ... de mandato EmmI Card11s Bar berini Protectorii Sub Rde Patre Roberto Staffordo Huius Collegii Rectore die 22 Seplem bris 1644. Die 27 Octobris proxime sequentis ingressus est Tyrocinium Socielatis hic Romae apud S. Andream ingenti sua gaudio. . . relicto apud reliquos socios suos magno sui desiderio, et aestimatione. egressus est postea e Societate” The archives of the Venerable English College, kindly opened for me by the Rev. H. E. G. Rope, contain Metham's autograph statement of his birth and parentage (Scritture, xxv, sub 1644) which begins:“Ego Gul: Mettamus Eboracensis annum agens 18 Audomari educatus...” He gives his father as “Jordanus Mettamus Eques Auratus”; for this family see Joseph Gillow,A Literary and Biographical History, or Biographical Dictionary of the English Catholics (London, n.d.), iv, 570-572.

page 620 note 6 The positive identification of an autograph of two words is perilous, but I have found sufficient common characteristics between this filing notation and Holstenius'formal hand to convince myself- See especially his copious annotations, particularly the lists of authors,in APPLANOT IIEPHIAOTE ETEEI NOT IION TOT ((Basel, 1533) in the Biblioteca Angelica in Rome (B.B.12.18).

page 623 note 7 See Filippo de' Rossi, Ritratto di Rama Moderna (Rome, 1645), p 222: “... II son tuosissimo Palazzo della Cancellaria, architettura di Bramante, habitatione pre tempore de' Sig. Card. Vicecancellieri di S. Chiess, hoggi posseduto dal Sig Cardinal Francesco Barberino Vicecancelliero.” Of Cardinal Francesco's library in the Palazzo Barberini we read (Ibid., p. 273): “Vi e la Libraria dell'Eminentissimo Cardinal FRANCESCO di libri rari in ogni sorte di scienze, e di pretiosi manuscritti ripiena, & vn nobiliaaimo studio di medaglie, e d'altre cose rare con gran spesa da tutte le parti del Mondo raccolte; e perchead vtile del publico possa seruire, vi tiene Custodi.”

page 623 note 8 For aid in deciphering the monogram, and for the sketch, I am indebted to my wife,Rosalie Horton Bottkol; also to Mr. Peter Riesenberg of Columbia University.

page 624 note 9 For the conjecture of a copy made a day later, I am indebted to Mr. Peter Partner, of Magdalen College, Oxford.

page 625 note 10 It has been suggested to me that accipiutur in Aylmer is a simple misreading for the holograph's arripiuntur. If so, it is the only example of such an error of transcription in the whole letter. Milton's r's are most clearly distinguishable from his r's For double compare accesseram (19) or accidissel (36).

page 625 note 11 Of Saint Anselm's Priory, Washington; editor of the Defensio Secunda and the De fensio Pro Se in the Columbia Milton The best traditions of Benedictine erudition and generosity are exemplified in his constant Kindness to Americans working in the Vatican Library.