The Negotiations of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey

  • Reference
    • GB 133 Eng MS 882
  • Dates of Creation
    • 17th Century
  • Language of Material
    • English
  • Physical Description
    • 282 x 190 mm. 1 volume (ii + 355 + i folios); Binding: full bound in vellum over boards, tooled in gilt.

Scope and Content

The volume contains seventeenth-century copies of letters sent to and received from the ambassadors of Henry VIII at Rome, with the Emperor and elsewhere. Entitled: The Negotiations of Thomas Woolsey, Cardinall on the title-page, which is also annotated in a later hand: 'I believe several of the letters & State Papers in this Vol. have not been published. 3 or 4 are printed in the Collections at the end of Dr Fiddes' Life of Wolsey from a M.S. in the Yelverton (L. Sussex's) Library [M.S.S. Angl. P.3.5288] "The Negotiations of Thomas Woolsey, Lond. 1641. 4to" are nothing more than his Life by Cavendish.'

[Richard Fiddes (1671-1725), The life of Cardinal Wolsey: with several copper plates (London: printed for John Barber, 1724); George Cavendish (b. 1494, d. in or before 1562?), The negotiations of Thomas Woolsey, the great Cardinall of England: containing his life and death, viz. 1. The originall of his promotion. 2. The continuance in his magnificence. 3. His fall, death, and buriall / Composed by one of his owne servants, being his gentleman-usher (London: printed for William Sheeres, 1641); the latter work was formerly attributed to the author's brother, Sir William Cavendish.]

Custodial History

Former owners: Richard Farmer DD (1735-1797), Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and Librarian of the University (inscription 'R. Farmer' inside front cover); the manuscript was Lot 8102 in the sale of Farmer's library in 1798 (see A Catalogue of the Extensive Library of the late Revd. Richard Farmer, D.D., p. 371, where a letter relating to the manuscript is quoted); Dr W.A. Copinger (bookplate), being Lot 398 (2) in the Copinger sale of 1910, where it was purchased by Ernest Hartland.

Related Material

The contents correspond closely with those of British Library Harleian MS 6260 .