Add MS 27539

Contents:

A universal chronicle, including genealogical chronicle of the kings of France up to King Louis XI. Each column of text is accompanied by a genealogical diagram. Begins imperfectly, as the upper part of the first membrane is lacking, incipit ‘... de tous biens … ne doleur ne fain.’

Membranes 1-3: Biblical and ancient history up to the time of Christ, based on Peter of Poitiers, Compendium historiae in Genealogica Christi in two columns.

Membranes 4-17: The genealogy is divided into four columns with biblical history followed by the succession of popes until Urban VI in 1378 (column 1); the history of emperors (Roman and medieval) until Ludwig IV of Bavaria in 1328 (column 2), the genealogy of the kings of France until Louis XI in 1461 (a version of the ‘A tous nobles’ text, but excluding the prologue), the genealogy of the kings of England until Henry IV (including a parallel genealogy of the early Latin kings of Jerusalem until Jean de Brienne).

Explicits: Column 1 ‘Urbain qui estoit arcevesque de Saint Nicolas de Bar fut pape l’an mil III^c LXXVIII, et fut sacré le jour de Pasques en la cité de Romme a tresgrande solennité.Cy ne parleray plus des papes pour la division qui a puis esté en saincte Eglise que Dieu vueille amender. Amen. Explicit.’; column 2 ‘En l’an mil III^c XXVIII fut couronné empereur de Romme Loys de Baviere. Et lors les Rommains firent a Romme ung antipape. Explicit. Cy finent les empereurs de Romme.’; column 3 ‘Le sacre fut fait de Loys XI^e de ce nom a Rains la veille de la my aoust le XIIII^e jour dudit mois l’an mil IIII^c LXI.’; column 4 ‘et fut Henry de Lenclastre couronné roy d’Angleterre leque (sic) a fait mourir des plus nobles du royaume d’Angleterre sicomme les croniques le dient plus a plain. Explicit. Cy finent les roys d’Angleterre.’

The contents and decoration are related to Paris, BnF MS Fr. N.a. 1495 and Princeton, NJ, Princeton University Art Museum, Ms 5 (fragment), according to Fagin Davis (La Chronique Anonyme, 2014) who attributes the miniatures to the atelier of Maitre Francois).

The dorse of the roll is blank (dorse abbreviated as d).

Decoration: 50 medallions containing miniatures in colours of biblical and historical events and persons. Two biblical diagrams of the twelve tribes of Israel and the six gates of Jerusalem. At the upper edge of the roll, a border in the left margin with foliate decoration in colours and with a heraldic shield left blank. Initials and paraphs in gold on blue and/or rose grounds. Rubrics in red ink. A genealogical diagram made up of roundels in red containing captions in brown ink and linked by red lines.

The scenes in the roundels depict the following subjects:

Membrane 1: Adam and Eve kneel before God (right); an angel gives Adam and Eve clothing, with apple trees in the background (left);

Membrane 2: Adam plants seeds (centre); Noah boards the ark (centre)

Membrane 2/3: An angel flies down to grasp the knife that Abraham is holding up to sacrifice Isaac, who kneels on an altar (left); building the tower of Babel, or 'Babiloine' (right);

Membrane 3: Joshua in medieval armour with a sword (right);

Membrane 4: The destruction of Troy, with four roundels beneath containing the descendants Aeneas, Paris, Turcus, son of Troilus and Helenus escaping from the city in ships (right); David enthroned, with a diagram of the tribes of Israel above (left);

Membrane 5: Brutus (his descendance is shown from Aeneas) and his army sailing to Albion (column 4); the foundation of Sicambria by Priamus (column 3); the destruction of Samaria (column 2); the destruction of Jerusalem (column 1);

Membrane 5/6: Nebuchadnezzar is chopped into 300 pieces and fed to birds of prey, with body parts lying on the ground (column 2); Romulus and his followers abduct the Sabine women (column 3);

Membrane 6: The capture of Babylon; the Persian King Ahasuerus crowns Esther (column 2);

Membrane 7: Alexander the Great in medieval armour holding a sword (column 2); Judas Maccabeus with a lance and shield; the Nativity of Christ, with Mary, and Joseph kneeling, the Christ child lying naked on the ground, and the ox and the ass in the stable (column 1);

Membrane 8: Christ seated cross-legged, holding the cross in a landscape with Jerusalem in the background; the Britons battle the Romans (column 4); the first Pope enthroned in Rome (column 1); the murder of Julius Caesar by Brutus in his palace (column 2);

Membrane 9: Frankish soldiers leaving Sicambria in a ship; the Frankish army fighting the Romans, (column 3); Lucius, the first Christian king of Britain wearing ermine and seated on a throne with a sceptre and a bishop standing beside him (column 4);

Membrane 9/10: 'Conam', or Conan Meriadoc, founder of Brittany in his palace with sceptre and ermine (column 4);

Membrane 10: Pharamond, king of the Franks, enthroned and crowned by two men (column 3); the baptism of Clovis by two prelates (centre);

Membrane 11: 'Anglist' soldiers, or Angles, betray and kill 3000 Britons (column 4); Dagobert supervises the building of Saint-Denis with two figures watching (centre); the battle between King Arthur and Mordred (column 4);

Membrane 12: The destruction of Britain by 'les africoins' (column 4); Pepin seated on a throne, is addressed by a figure to his right (centre)

Membrane 13: William the Conqueror enthroned (right); Hugues Capet enthroned (centre); Pope Gregory enthroned (column 1); Godfrey de Bouillon in a ship embarking on a crusade;

Membrane 14: Charlemagne enthroned (column 2), , Louis IX (Saint Louis) enthroned being crowned by two prelates (centre); Godfrey de Bouillon as king of Jerusalem (column 4);

Membrane 15: Philippe VI de Valois enthroned with an attendant (column 3);

Membrane 16: King Edward I of England enthroned with an attendant (column 4); the capture of King Jean II at the battle of Poitiers (centre); Charles V enthroned with one attendant (centre),

Membrane 17: Charles VI enthroned with one attendant; Charles VII enthroned, Louis XI enthroned.