Add MS 12531

Entry in the British Museum Catalogue of Additions:

'ELEVEN LEAVES of a very richly illuminated but unfinished Genealogical Work on vellum, designed to shew the descent and alliances of the Royal Houses of Spain and Portugal, from the earliest period to the beginning of the 16th century; executed, in all probability, by Simon Benichius or Bening, of Bruges, and other Flemish artists, for the Infante Don Fernando, third son of Emanuel, and brother of John III. Kings of Portugal, by Mary of Arragon and Castile. He was born in 1507, and died in 1534. [See Damiaõ de Goes, Chronica do Rey Dom Emanuel, pt. ii. c. xix. Lisb, 1619. Guieciardini, Descrittione de tutti i Paesi Bassi, p. 128. Antv. 1588. Lobkowitz, Philippus Prudens, p. 165. Antv. 1639. Sanderus, Flandria Illtustrata, tom. i. p. 210. Col. Agr. 1641. Faria y Sousa, Europa Portuguesa, tom. ii. pt. 4. c. 1. Lisb. 1679. De Sousa, Historia Gcnealogica da Casa Real Portugueza, tom. i. p. xxx. Lisb. 1735. and Nagler, Neues AllAllgemeines Künstler-Lexicon, vol. i. p. 414. Münch. 1835.] Large Folio. [12,531.]

A brief description of the several subjects of this splendid work is here annexed. The headings and names are throughout in Portuguese. i. A leaf intended for the Prologue, for which a vacant space is left. At the head are the arms of Portugal, richly emblasoned, with a label of three points arg. for difference, the first and third points charged with Leon and Castile quarterly, being, apparently, the armorial distinction of the Infante Don Fernando. On the sides are supporters, two savage men proper, each holding a shield, bearing the following device, per pale arg. and gu. a brazen serpent on a cross or, standing on a mount vert, with the motto SALVS VITE on a scroll. On the border are represented subjects of a mythological character. ii. A leaf intended for the generation of Magog, with a blank space left for the explanatory text. On the border are very spirited figures of eleven giants, or fabulous personages, in various attitudes, representing the descent from Unor to Bonfind. iii. " Tronco dos Reyes de Liam e Castela ;" being a table of the first Kings of Spain (or rather of the Asturias), after the invasion of the Moors, viz. from Favila, father of Pelayo l., to Vilmeran, son of Alfonso 1. A. D. 757. At the foot is represented a battle, probably that of St. Maria de Cobadonga, fought in 718. iv. Intitled " Tronco dos Reyes d'Aragam," containing the first Kings of' Navarre, from Don Iñigo Arista, who died about A.D. 888, to Don Sanc ho Abarca, who died in 926. On the margin are three miniatures; i. The Coronation of Garcia Inhegez, when young; ii. The death of Garcia and his Queen Urraca, with the posthumous birth of Sancho Abarca; iii. A miraculous vision of a cross. At the foot is a battle, probably the defeat of the Moors, by Sancho Abarca, before Pamplona. v. Continuation of the preceding; viz. from Garcia, son of Sancho Abarca, to Sancho III. and his sons, Fernando, Garcia, and Ramiro, Kings of Castile, Navarre and Arragon. At the side is the battle gained over Almanzor and at the foot are representations, i. of the lists prepared for the combat between Ramiro and his half brothers, who had accused their own mother of adultery ; ii. Fernando and Garcia on their knees before their father Sancho, asking pardon, while Ramiro is standing by them. vi. Table showing the descent of Don Henry of Portugal from Stephen, King of Hungary. At the foot are representations, i. of an army under Don Henry's banner, leaving Portugal to compose the differences between Castile and Arragon; ii. Don Henry leaving Portugal, in a galley bearing his arms, for the Holy Land, to assist Baldwin, King of Jerusalem. vii. viii. " Tavoa primeira dos Reyes de Portugal," namely, from Alfonso Anriquez, who died in 1185, to Alfonso II., who died in 1223; shewing also the descent of the latter from Raymond Berengarius, Count of Barcelona. At the foot are representations of Lisbon, and Santarem, on the Tagus, with the proclamation of Alfonso as king,, in 1139, after the battle of Aurica. On the left margin are painted, i. the vision which appeared to him before the battle, and ii. the battle in which he defeated Alfonso Raymond, King of Castile. On the right margin are two battles with the Moors. ix. Table shewing the descent from Sancho Capello and Alfonso III., sons of Alfonso II., to Alfonso IV. do Salado (who died in 1357) and his children. At the foot is the battle of Salado, fought in 1340. x. Table to shew the connexion of the House of Portugal with England and Burgundy, viz. from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, to Maximilian, son of Eleanor of Portugal, who married Mary, daughter of Charles the Bold, of Burgundy. On the margin are portraits of the Dukes of Burgundy descended from John King of France. xi. An unfinished table, in outline, intended to shew the descent of John II., King of Portugal, who died in 1495, from John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster.'