Add MS 45029

NARRATIVE ACCOUNT of the visit of the Emperor Charles IV to his nephew Charles V of France in Paris; Dec. 1377-Jan. 1378. French. A contemporary copy of the official narrative drawn up under the direction of Charles V himself, for which see A. Molinier, Sources de l'Histoire de France des origines aux guerres d'Italie, iv, 1904, p. 83, no. 3421. Imperfect at the beginning (lacks the first membrane), opening with the words (31 Dec. 1377) 'Et dict le Dur de Bourbon que le roi le salvoit'. The full text of the chronicle is printed by Th. Godefroy, Entreveues de Charles IV Empereur...et de Charles V, 1613, pp. 47-137; it was also incorporated in Christine de Pisan's 'Livre des fais et bonnes meurs du sage Roy Charles V' (ed. S. Solente, Paris, 1936-1940, ii, pp. 89-131, cf. i, pp. xxxviii seqq.) and, sometimes in full, sometimes in a shortened form, in the official chronicle of the reigns of John II and Charles V that serves as the continuation both of the chronicle of Guillaume de Nangis and of the Grandes Chroniques. As part of the latter it was printed from Paris, Bibl. Nat. MS. fonds français 2813 b R. Delachenal, Chroniques des règnes de Yean II et Charles V, Sociètè de I'Hist. de France, 1910-1916, ii, pp. 193-277, cf. i, pp. iii, xi, xxvi, and elsewhere. The present MS. contains references (f. 3) not found in the printed text, to various rolls, including 'Le Role qui parle des mes & entremes des diners & souppers qui solennelment ont este faiz' (lines 30-31), 'Rolle qui particulerement parle de laournement & parement des maisons & chapelles du palaiz' (lines 65-66), etc. At the end of the narrative (f. 9) is a list, with valuation, of the presents given by Charles V to the Emperor and his suite headed 'Ce sont les dons que le Roy a donnez a lempereur de Romme son oncle au Roy des Rommains son filz aux dux barons chevaliers & autres qui sont venus en sa compaignie par deuers le Roy'. This is apparently the only surviving copy of the official roll of presents, see Delachenal, op. cit., ii, p. 27 seq.; for orders of Charles V relating to the presents see also Delisle, Mandements et Actes divers de Charles V (Collection de Documents inedits sur 1'Histoire de France, 1st ser., Paris, 1874), nos. 1587-1610 passim. Cf. also Brit. Mus. Quart., xii, 1937-1938, pp. 86-87. Vellum roll of 9 membranes, now bound as 9 ff. 540 mm. x 245 mm. XIV cent. (after A.D. 1377). Written, on the recto only, in France. Presented by Major P.J.S. Pearson-Gregory, M.C.