De fabula equestris Ordinis Constantiniani Scipionis Maffeii Marchionis. Manuscript on paper, in Latin. Italy, 18th century

Folio (278x200 mm). [72] leaves in total, including 21 blank leaves. Signatures: I-II²⁰ III¹⁸ IV¹⁴. Elegant and clear cursive script with quotations in Greek and marginalia in another hand. Contemporary cardboard cover, sewn “alla rustica” with leather reinforcements on the spine, inked title (“De Fabula equestris Ordinis Constantiniani Scipionis Maffeii, Marchionis Epistola Giberto Cupero. Cum eiusd.[em] Maffeii Ep[pistu]la Dominico Theupolo patritio Veneto et Senatori”) and various manuscript shelfmarks (“7553”, “No. 290”, “B 129”) on the front cover (minor restorations to covers). An excellent, very fresh, and genuine copy.

Content:

1. 1-2 blank;
2. 3r: De fabula Equetris [sic] Ordinis Constantiniani Scipionis Maffeii Marchionis epistola;
3. 3v blank;
4. 4r: Dominico Teupolo Senatori Veneto S.P.D. Scipio Maffeius. Incipit: “Quonam meo fato Senator amplissime, factum esse putem, ut quod à me non ita pridem vir doctus […]”;
5. 6r: Viro undequaque Illustri Gisberto Cupero S.P.D. Scipio Maffeius. Incipit: “Longe serius quam constitueram, et quam tibi, Vir / Doctissime, superioribus literis premiseram, fidem meam […]”;

Epistola Dominico Teupolo Senatori.

1. 50v: explicit (“Dabam VeronaeIdibus Aug. Anni MDCCXI”);
2. 51r: Domenico Teupolo Senatori Scipio Maffeius. Incipit: “Haec sunt, Vir amplissime, quae de hac questione pro ingenii mei tenuitate disservi […]”.
3. 54-72 blank.

Maffei's brief historical treatise, addressed to the Dutch scholar and philologist Güjsbert Kuiper (Gisbertus Cuperus, 1644–1716), was published in 1712 with the false place of publication of Zurich by the printer Albert Gratz. The work likely circulated in manuscript form both before and after the printed edition appeared. In fact, it sparked much controversy and was placed on the Index in 1714.

In Rome, Maffei had undertook research aimed at refuting the antiquity of the Constantinian Order, established in 1699 by the Duke of Parma, Francesco Farnese, based on the boastful claims of a certain Giovanni Andrea Angeli, a purported descendant of the Byzantine Emperor Isaac Angelos, and later approved by the pope and the emperor. Maffei demonstrated in his short treatise De fabula Equestris Ordinis Constantiniani that no order of knighthood predated the Crusades and that Emperor Constantine had nothing to do with Angeli's imposture. The ecclesiastical authorities acted in unison against him, securing the seizure of the treatise, which was placed on the Index in 1714 as disrespectful of the papal authority. Years later, Maffei still faced intimidation and threats because of that publication (cf. G.P. Romagnani, Maffei, Scipione, in: “Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani”, vol. 67, Rome, 2006, s.v.).

Written in the spring of 1711 in Verona, the treatise was printed the following year in Paris, in strict secrecy and with a false printing place of Zurich, under the supervision of Father Bernard de Montfaucon and the Benedictine monks of the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. In it, Maffei, relying on the fact that a chivalric order dating back to Constantine cannot be authentic because the true origin of such orders dates only to the Crusades, in a clear and slightly ironic style demolishes the false diplomas and the flawed machine of antiquity that masked the imposture; he argues that papal bulls have no value if the privileges upon which they are based are invalid, and that the pope must be considered the supreme and infallible judge only in matters of faith and morals, not in those pertaining to the sciences, philosophy, and history. He concludes by stating that Pope Clement XI's approval concerned only the statutes of the new order, not the incredible Constantinian fable that was intended to serve as the foundation of the order itself. The few words of praise paid to the Farnese family did not spare the author from the duke's wrath and retaliation. At first, the latter tried by every means to prevent the spread of the booklet; then he asked Maffei to collect all the copies and send them to him. The astute Marquis did not skimp on promises to comply, nor on expressions of regret and apology; but in the meantime, his laughing behind the Duke's back was echoing all the way to the Roman Curia. He did, in fact, have some copies sent to Parma; but he also had several dozen sent to Verona, hid them in an attic of his palace, and distributed them cautiously to his friends. Farnese also promoted a few refutation attempts, which however remained unpublished or were suppressed due to their weakness (cf. G. Silvestri, Un europeo del Settecento. Scipione Maffei, Treviso, 1954, p. 30).

Scipione Maffei of Verona, a polymath scholar and man of letters, was one of the most notable figures in 18^th-century Italian culture. Educated by the Jesuits in Rome, he fought at Donauwörth in 1704. Upon his return to Italy, he became a member of the Arcadia, for which he published a volume of Rime e prose (1719) in the style of G. Chiabrera and V. Filicaia. He was one of the founders of the “Giornale de' letterati d'Italia”. He wrote on chivalric science and archaeology, laid the foundations of modern diplomatics (Istoria diplomatica, 1727), published a work on economics that had the merit of reopening the debate on usury in Italy (Dell'impiego del danaro libri tre, 1744), and compiled the most important historical work on his city published up to that time (Verona illustrata, 1732; continued in Museum Veronense, 1749). He was also interested in theater, both from a critical perspective (Dei teatri antichi e moderni, 1753) and from a creative one (his Merope, first performed in Modena in 1713, was the most famous Italian tragedy of the 18^th century prior to Alfieri).

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