Beschreibung:

LONG AUTOGRAPH LETTER ABOUT THE FALL OF NICCOLÒ CAPPONI AS LEADER OF THE REPUBLIC OF FLORENCE, deliberately unsigned ('I have not appended a signature...'), to 'P' [possibly the papal ambassador Pier Francesco Portinari with whom Capponi had been in contact], giving a detailed and dramatic account of the as yet unresolved events in Florence leading to the fall of Capponi as Gonfaloniere; he relates how, through carelessness of the courier, on 15 April 1529 during the elections for six new officials, a bundle of letters from Giachonotto Serragli in Rome to Capponi was intercepted and read by a rival Jacopo Gherardi, who, thus learning of arrangements of secret meetings to discuss topics 'dangerous and rash to commit...to a letter' and concluding that this represented a danger to the State, confronted Capponi who at first made light of the matter and then begged Gherardi not to tell anyone about it; Gherardi encouraged Capponi to be of good spirit but immediately showed the letters to the Magistrates, Capponi was accused of treachery before the Senate and, despite making a long speech in his own defence, was deposed; the writer goes on to report how a new law was immediately promulgated governing the conduct of the Gonfaloniere and other high ranking officials ('...only allowed to open public or private letters given to him alone...'), and how the Capponi family tried to obtain bail for Niccolò through an appeal to the new Gonfaloniere Carducci ('...They say that he continually protests his innocence...'), but the Senate opposed bail and the final decision is still awaited ('...A severe judgement is desired by many. I, for several reasons, expect a ...light sentence...'); he ends by commenting that this was an appalling mistake by the courier but that, as far as he is able, he 'will not allow it to go unavenged...', in Latin, 4 pages, quarto, original dispatch slits, trace of seal, recipient's endorsement ('Del casa di Nicco Capponi'), Florence, 20 April 1529