Royal MS 18 E III-IV

'LE LIVRE de Valerius Maximus', &c.: the same work as in 17 F. IV. In two volumes. Colophon, 'Cy fine le ixe liure de. Valerius Maximus commencie a translater par reuerende personne maistre Simon de Hesdin jusques au viie liure et paracheue par noble homme Nycolas de Gonnesse'.

Vellum; ff. 342, 329. 18 3/4 in. x 13 1/2 in. A. D. 1479. Gatherings of 8 leaves (in vol. i, xvii⁶, xxviii⁶, last ⁴ ; in vol. ii, iii², end of table). Double columns of 39 lines. Sec. fol. of vol. i in table 'comment Denis', in text 'Salustius'; vol. ii in table 'du roy', in text 'cestoit plus'. Executed, doubtless at Bruges, for Edward IV. Illuminated initials and borders of flowers, fruit, birds, &c., on a plain ground, and nine large miniatures, carefully executed. Other initials in gold, flourished, or red and blue. In the borders are Edward IV's arms (with crown, Garter and crest, a white lion) and two recumbent shields (for his sons) differenced (except no. 1) with labels of three and five points, also banners of English arms supported by angels, Yorkist badges, &c. The subjects are:-

1. Translator at work: inscriptions on the background 'De anno 1479. Je suis bien toudis joieulx'. For similar inscriptions cf. 14 E. V (f. 313 b, &c.), 19 E. V, and perhaps 18 E. VI, See pl. 106 (reduced). f. 24.

2. 'Concilium.' f. 133.

3. A man with his hand in a lion's mouth: a boy whipping a top. f. 227.

4. A knight unhorsed. Woodcut in Hewitt's Ancient Armour (1860), suppl., p. 500. f. 292.

5. Clemency of a conqueror: a city in the background. Vol. ii, f. 19.

6. Rape and suicide of Lucretia. A head-dress reproduced in Strutt, Dress and Habits, ii, pl. cxxv, fig. 11. f. 71.

7. Gyges consults the oracle. f. 109.

8. Horatii and Curiatii. f. 163.

9. Women complain of the Lex Oppia. A figure in Strutt, op. cit., ii, pl. cxxix, fig. 4. f. 229.

Nos. 28, 29 of cat. of MSS. at Richmond Palace in 1535 (cf. 15 D. I); cat. of 1666, f. 12 b; not in CMA.