Uppsala, University Library, Nordin 164. Gustav Fincke’s copybook 1561–1566 Cataloguer Ville Walta Finnish Literature Society (SKS) Codices Fennici Creative Commons BY 4.0 Uppsala University Library Nordin 164 1560s, Finland <persName role="owner">Gustav Fincke</persName>’s copybook for 1561–1566, mainly containing letters from and to King Erik XIV.

Fol. 1r: a saec. XIX note on the contents of the manuscript (see below). (Fol. 1v is blank.)

Fol. 2r: a saec. XVIII note on the contents of the manuscript and on Gustav Fincke’s career. (Fol. 2v is blank.)

Fols. 3r–136r: <persName role="owner">Gustav Fincke</persName>’s copybook. Notes related to sending or receiving the letters are added before or after the texts on numerous occasions.

[3r] (Erik XIV’s letter to Gustav Fincke and Erik Spora, 28 February 1561). Wår synnerlige gunst... [136r] … (Erik XIV’s letter to Gustav Fincke, imperfect, no date) så myckidh han finnes haffue rätt till|

(Fols. 136v–139v are blank.)

 Paper 139 folios. 20,5 33 16,5 28 Fols. 3–10 are slightly smaller: 20 × 30,5. Two sets of modern foliation. One, which includes the modern flyleaves, stamped (or typewritten?) in the upper right margin (1–139). And another (1–134) written beside the first one in pencil starting from the actual text (fol. 3r) and ending with the last written page (fol. 136r). Here, the first foliation is followed. 22 + IV10 + 1 + (VIII-1)26 + VIII42 + XVI74 + III80 + IX98 + X118 + 11129 + IV137 + 2139

The first two leaves (fols. 1–2) are flyleaves added at a later date, probably during the rebinding. The last leaf (fol. 139) is also a later addition. Fol. 11 has apparently come loose from the quire containing fols. 12–26 and been pasted onto a small stub after fol. 10. The binding is tight and some leaves have been pasted to each other in the gutters (fols. 119–129). Leaves have also, occasionally, been pasted to each other where the quire changes. Fol. 138, which seems to stem from the original manuscript, has been pasted to the later flyleaf (fol. 139).

At the beginning of the manuscript (until fol. 30) many leaves have been conserved by the pasting of a thin, whitish paper on to the verso sides of the leaves. The paper is transparent, but renders the text on the verso-sides very pale. There is staining and fraying of the edges visible on several leaves.

 One unruled column with a varying number of lines.

Several hands of saec. XVI writing in stints of varying lengths. One hand, producing a well-practised cursive, regularly appears until the end of copying for the year 1564 (fol. 80r). After this, several other hands are mainly responsible for the text, writing more rapid and careless cursives.

Simple pen-drawn flourishing added to some majusculees appearing at the beginning of the letters. The addressee of the letters is occasionally marked with a different type of script.

Modern, light brownish cardboard bindings, which are especially worn at the spine. Paper pastedowns.

The manuscript principally contains copies of Gustav Fincke’s (d. 1566) and King Erik XIV’s correspondence between 1561 and 1566, during which time Fincke was Governor of Finland. The copying was done by several scribes, presumably Fincke’s secretaries, who worked serially as the letters came in and went out (they proceed chronologically).

The manuscript belonged to the collection of Gustav Fincke’s copybooks (the rest of which are now housed in the Swedish National Archives).

Currently, the manuscript belongs to the Nordinska Collection (gathered by Bishop Carl Gustav Nordin, d. 1812), which came to Uppsala University Library in 1814. Modern shelf-mark ‘Nordin 164’ on the inner front cover and on a paper label pasted to the spine. An older shelf-mark ‘Vol. 36’ on the inner front cover. Fol. 1r (in a hand of saec. XIX): ‘Coll. Nordin. Bibl. Reg. Acad. Upsal. Historica Suecana. Historia Regum. Ericus XIVus. Copie-Bok eller Afskrifter af K. Erics till Landshöfdingen och Kubernatorn i Finland Gust. Fincke 1561–1566’.

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