Royal MS 17 F VI-VII

17 F. VI, VII

'LA FORTERESSE de la Foy': French version by Pierre Richart, dit l'Oiselet, curd of Margnes (dioc. Arras), of the Fortalitium Fidei, a Latin work (printed, Strassburg, 1473?, &c.) generally attributed (see Sbaralea, Suppl. Wadding Scriptt. Ord. Min., p. 10) to Alphonso de Spina, a Franciscan converted from judaism (Bishop of Thermopylae, 1491), writing (see vol. i, ff. 120, col. i, 1. 4 from foot, 163, col. ii, last 1. but one) at Valladolid in 1458-1460. Neither author nor translator is named here, but the translator's name is given by an imperfect MS. at Berne (see H. Hagen, Cat. Codicum Bernensium, 1875, p. 103). Other copies of the French are 19 E. IV (see below), Paris, Bibl. Nat. fonds fr. 20067-9 (Omont's cat., p. 1), Brussels MS. 9007 (Van den Gheyn's cat., iii, p. 104), and Valenciennes MS. 244 (A. Molinier's cat., 1894, p. 298). In five books, the first general, the others devoted to the attacks of heretics, Jews, Saracens, and devils respectively. Bound in two volumes, but with original continuous foliation and table of rubrics to the whole prefixed to vol. i. Translator's prologue (f. 22) beg. 'Aux vrais catholiques fideles et loiaux christiens de tous estas . . . sachent tout que la cause principale'; author's prologue (f. 23), 'Turris fortitudinis a facie inimici: ces parolles sont escriptes en la psaulme lxe et signifient en francois'; and book i (f. 26), 'Adfin donques que ordre soit doiine par lequel on puist auoir congnoissance'. Book v ends 'benediction et action de graces sans fin. Amen'; followed by the translator's epilogue (vol. ii, f. 162 b), beg. 'A toy aussi, mon benoit createur, soit de ma part loenge'. Ending 'le tout puissant pere eternel qui na commencement ne fin. Amen'. Colophon, 'Ce present volume a este fait et adcomply a Lille en Flandres par la main Jehan du Quesne' (cf. 16 G. VIII, which is dated 1473, and 17 F. I).

Vellum; ff. 290, 162. 20 1/4 in. x 14 1/4 in. Written at Lille by J. du Quesne (al. du Chesne), late XV cent. Gatherings (beg. f. 26) of 8 leaves (vol. i, last¹⁰, vol. ii, last⁴), with catchwords sometimes at right angles, sometimes parallel to the text. Double columns. Sec. fol. in table 'contient treize'; in text 'crestiens dont'. Five large miniatures with borders (foliage, fruit, flowers, birds, and grotesques, space left for arms) on a pale gold (nos. 1, 4) or plain Initials (except on the illuminated pages) in gold flourished with black, or blue flourished with red. Each of the miniatures represents the Fortress in the centre of a landscape, with figures at the windows and the four Doctors of the Church and others standing below; but the details vary, viz.:-

1. At centre window women with scrolls. S. Jerome without lion,turned to window: S. Gregory with book; SS. Augustine and Jerome without croziers. On r. four women, on l. three; in front an officer and four men entrenching. vol. i, f. 26.

2. On ramparts a king, cardinal, bishops, and others; at centre window a man and woman. S. Greg. turned to window; S. Jer. with lion; SS. Aug. and Amb. with croziers, one with a book. On r. four women, one with a sack of gold; on l. two wounded women and a soldier; in front three soldiers and a man entrenching. f. 10l.

3. At centre window an emperor and a woman. S. Jer. without lion ; S. Greg. with book; SS. Aug. and Amb. without croziers, one turned to window, the other with book. On r. women and one man; on l. crowd of Jews attacking; in front a soldier, a dog pursuing a duck on the moat. See pl.

103. f. 146.

4. At centre window women with scrolls. S. Jer. with lion; S. Greg. with cross and book; SS. Aug. and Amb. with croziers. On r. three women; on l. a monk, three women and a man; in front three soldiers (one a Saracen) and a man entrenching. vol. ii, f. 1.

5. On ramparts a king and others. at centre window an emperor and woman with scroll. Devils in the air, one gnawing the scroll. SS. Aug. and Jer smite devils with croziers; S. Greg. with book and cross; S. Jer. with cross. On l. a man and six women. Mountainous background. f. 129.

No. 22 in cat. of MSS. at Richmond Palace in 1535 (see 15 D. I); cat. of 1666, f. 11 or 13; not in CMA.