_Pallavicino and the Conte d'Olivares._--I have in my possession an old
Italian MS., 27 pages of large foolscap paper. It is headed "Caduta del
Conte d'Olivares," and at the end is signed "Scritta da Ferrante
Pallavicino," and dated "28 Genaro, 1643." Of course this Count
d'Olivares was the great favourite of Philip IV. of Spain; but who was
Pallavicino? Could it have been the Paravicino who was court chaplain to
Philip III. and IV.? or was he of the Genoese family of Pallavicini
mentioned by Leigh Hunt (_Autobiography_, vol. ii. p. 177.) as having
been connected with the Cromwell family? What favours the latter
presumption is, that a gentleman to whom I showed the MS. said at once,
"That is Genoa paper, just the same I got there for rough copies;" and
he also told me that the water-mark was a well-known Genoa mark: it
consists of a bird standing on an eight pointed starlike flower.
If any one can give me any likely account of this Pallavicino, or tell
me whether the MS. is at all valuable in any way, I shall owe him many
thanks.