Royal MS 19 D IV-V

19 D. IV, V

THE SAME WORK, but in the less amplified form called by Berger 'petite bible historiale', though in certain respects (e.g. by inclusion of Baruch) it approximates to the type of bible moyenne (Berger, La Bible française au Moyen Âge, pp. 213, 393). In two volumes. The rubric at the end of Comestor's prefatory letter (f. 3) states that the author has 'escript le texte de la bible premierement de grosse lettre, et puis apres en ord[r]e les hystoires de plus delie lettre un poi, et quant il y a poi a esposer ar hystoires ie les ai mises en gloze, et ai poursuiui mon ouurage en ceste maniere iusques en la fin'. Actually, however, the only distinction made by the scribe is by underlining the 'glossae' and 'incidences' in red. The general contents of the work coincide with 15 D. III as far as the end of 4 Kings (f. 224 b), where the present MS. adds Des Moulins' 'Glosa. Notez ci que lystoire de Thobie deuroit selonc le maistre en hystoires tantost siuir apres le quart liure des roys, mais iai ci mis deuant Thobie les paroles Salemon et le commencement et la fin du liure Iob, pource quil gisent en la bible devant Thobie. Et nepourquant ne deussent il mie estre en cest liure, car il ne sont mic liure hystorial, ne li maistres nen traite mie en hystoires. Mais ie les ai mis en cest liure pour la bonte et la biaute deus en tel ordre comme il gisent en la bible' (cf. 19 D. II). Then follow Petit Job and (f. 226) Tobit and the rest of the history to the end of Esther. The Psalter is preceded by the rubric, (f. 264 b) 'Ci commencent les paraboles ou le psautier', and beg. 'Beneurez est li homs qui nala pas el conseil des felons, et qui nestut pas en la uoie des pecheurs'. It is followed by twelve canticles and the litany with Norman saints, which concludes vol. i. Vol. ii (the contents of which are the same as 1 A. XX, except for the addition of Baruch) contains the Sapiential Books (a few words are omitted at the end of Proverbs) and Prophets (including Baruch, but not Jeremiah's Prayer), all from the biblical text, followed (f. 147 b) by the two books of Maccabees in a form which is neither a plain biblical text, like 15 D. III, nor Des Moulins' paraphrase, as in 19 D. III, but is the biblical text interspersed with a few notes, mainly from Comestor. Book i beg. 'Apres ce que Alixandres filz le roy Phelippe de Mace. doine qui issi de la terre de Chim'; ends 'au temps que la sainte cite de Iherusalem estoit habitee des Iuis en toute pais et cetera'. Book ii beg. 'Li luif qui sont en Iherusalem et en la region de Iudee'; ends 'ma parole sera donc yci finee'. The Gospels are given in the biblical text (f. 173 b), except that copious glosses are interspersed in the first two chapters of S. Luke, and the Pauline Epistles, Acts, Catholic Epistles, and Apocalypse are also in the biblical form. By blunders of the scribe the Epistle to Titus is written twice and the Epistles of S. John are all headed with the name of S. Peter.

Vellum ; ff. 300, 312. 173/4 in. x 13 in. Written perhaps in England in the first half of the XIV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (last of vol. i⁴), partly numbered at end (xiii of vol. i is numbered xiiii and the numeration then ceases), with catchwords. Double columns of 48 lines. Sec. fol., vol. i, 'De la fornication'; vol. ii, 'rees . cest a dire'. Illuminated initials, with border-prolongations, birds, &c., and miniatures, mostly of poor execution, on gold or diapered blue or pink backgrounds. In one quire only (vol. i, ff. 65-72), the initials are flourished in gold and black or blue and red. The subjects of the miniatures are:-

1. Eight compartments, viz. (a) The Creator with globe on knee;-(b) The Creator with sun and moon on a table and hammer in hand;-(c) Creator with fish ;-(d) Creation of Eve;-(e) Ordinance concerning the tree;-(f) The Fall: serpent with human head;-

(g) Expulsion from Paradise;-(h) Adam and Eve toiling. In the margin seven medallions with scrolls, viz. (i) Noah, with pruning hook-Ego plantami vineam;-(ii) Abraham, with sword-Constitui-circumcisionem;-

(iii) Moses, with tables-Dilige dominum deum tuum;-(iv) Isaiah, with book -Vox clamantis in deserto-(v) Job, with hand to face-Quare de uulua eduxisti me;-(vi) David, with harp-Domine ne in furore tuo arguas; -(vii) Solomon, with book-Diligite iusticiam qui iudicatis. f. 1.

2. First day of Creation: Creator with large sphere horizontally divided into white and black. f. 4.

3. Second day: Creator with concentric red and purple rings. f. 4.

4. Third day: the same with two other rings added and earth with trees and grass in the centre. f. 5.

5. Fourth day: creation of sun and moon. f. 5 b.

6. Fifth day: creation of fish and fowls. f. 6.

7. Sixth day: creation of Adam. f. 6 b.

8. Rivers of Paradise. f. 8.

9. Creation of Eve. f. 8 b.

10. The Fall, as in no. 1. f. 9 b.

11. Expulsion from Paradise. f. 11.

12. Sacrifices of Cain and Abel. f. 13. Murder of Abel. f. 12.

14. The Lord, with book, speaking to Noah, who is building the ark. f. 14 b.

15. Sarah brought to Pharaoh. f. 20.

16. Birth of Jacob and Esau. f. 30 b.

17. Jacob's dream: the descending angels head-downwards. f. 33 b.

18. Joseph put into the well. f. 40.

19. Joseph brings Jacob to Pharaoh. f. 46 b.

20. Jacob's twelve sons. f. 51.

21. Offerings at the altar. f. 79b.

22. Moses and Aaron, with rods, counting the people. f. 90.

23. Moses writing; water issuing from the rock. f. 111 b.

24. Joshua (?) beside a stream issuing from a rock; Divine figure with orb issuing from a cloud. f. 128.

25. Battle-scene. f. 136.

26. Micab, his mother, and the image. f. 144 b.

27. Elimelech pointing to the sun standing still. f. 146 b.

28. Elkanah seated between Hannah and Peninnah. f. 149.

29. David has the Amalekite slain. f. 164 b.

30. Death of Absalom. f. 174.

31. Crowning of Solomon. f. 179.

32. Fall of Ahaziah. f. 201 b.

33. Job (an absolute skeleton) on a dunghill; his wife pointing at him. f. 224 b.

34. Worshippers kneeling before an idol; Tobit on l. kneeling in the opposite direction. f. 226.

35. Jews coming to Gedaliah. f. 231.

36. Ezekiel's body dragged over rocks by two horses. f. 233 b (defaced).

37. Susanna accused by the elders. f. 240.

38. Death of Holofernes. f. 245.

39. Ahasuerus, Esther and others at table. f. 255.

40. Vagosus, with spear and with lion's head on shield, sent on a mission by Artaxerxes Ochus. f. 261.

41. David with harp. f. 265.

42. Dominus illuminatio: Christ touching David's eyes. f. 269b.

43. Dixi custodiam: D., kneeling, points to his mouth; Divine head above on r. f. 272 b.

44. Dixit insipiens: fool, scantily clad, with club and loaf. f. 275 b.

45. Salvum me fac: D., crowned, lying in water; Christ, with orb, issuing from a cloud above. f. 278 b.

46. Exultate deo: D. playing on three bells with two hammers. f. 282.

47. Centate domino: two priests at desk. f. 285.

48. Dixit dominus: the Father points to the Son seated an His r. f. 289.

In vol. ii:-

49. Solomon with book, instructing Rehoboam. f. 1.

50. S. reading from a book to three men standing. f. 13b.

51. S., with the bride seated by him. f. 17 (defaced).

52. S. discoursing to four men standing. f. 19.

53. S. reading from book to three men standing. f. 26 b.

54. Isaiah seated on l.; an angel with scroll from above points to the ox and ass. f. 46.

55. Jeremiah seated; the Lord from a cloud touches his lips. f. 70.

56. J., standing, moums over the city. f. 94 b, 57. Baruch, seated on l., reads to the king and others. f. 96 b.

58. Jeremiah, standing on l., discourses the people seated. f. 99.

59. Ezekiel seated on l.; on r. water issuing from a rock, and above, the heads of the four beasts issuing from a cloud. f. 100.

60. Nebuchadnezzar sends Jehoiakim to prison. f. 119 b.

61. Hosea seated between two female figures, each with a child (both representing Gomer ?). f. 128.

62. Joel seated on l., addressing the people seated on the ground. f. 131 b.

63. Amos standing; above, angel with scroll; on r. a dark gateway. f. 132 b.

64. Obadiah seated; above on r., angel with scroll. f. 135 b.

65. Jonah emerging head-foremost from the fish; on r. Nineveh. f. 136.

66. Micah seated ; above, angel with scroll; on r. a falling city. f. 136 b.

67. Nahum seated; above, angel with scroll; on r. an idol on a pedestal. f. 138 b.

68. Habakkuk standing, turned to l.; behind him a man ill-treating another on the ground. f. 139 b.

69. Zephaniah standing; above, angel with scroll; on r. an idol on a pedestal. f. 140 b.

70. Haggai standing on r.; above, angel with scroll. f. 142.

71. Angel with scroll on l.; Zechariah seated, with book, on r. f. 142 b.

72. Malachi standing; above, angel with scroll; on r. an altar, on which a kneeling man is offering a lamb. f. 146 b.

73. Alexander, crowned, in bed; three men at his bedside. f. 147 b.

74. Jews receiving a letter. f. 163.

75. Five Jews (three with books) standing in converse. f. 173 b.

76. Baptism of Christ, in heaped-up water; S. John on r.; angel above on l. holding Christ's garment. f. 191.

77. S. Luke writing at desk. f. 203.

78. S. john writing at desk, with emblem. f. 225.

79. S. Paul seated beside desk, with hands uplifted in prayer. f. 240.

80. S. Paul standing on l. with a book in each hand; that in his l. he gives to one of a group of men standing on r. f. 246.

81. S. Paul seated writing; a man standing on l. with book. f. 252.

82. S. Paul seated writing; a man seated on l. talking to him; another standing behind on r. with book. f. 256 b.

83. S. Paul seated writing on l.; the saints of Ephesus (three nimbed figures within a wall) on r. f. 258 b (defaced).

84. S. Paul seated writing ; a man standing on r. with book. f. 261.

85. S. Paul seated writing; a man seated on r. with book. f. 262 b.

86. S. Paul seated writing; two men (Silvanus and Timotheus ?) standing on r. with books. f. 264.

87. S. Paul seated writing between Silvanus and Timotheus. f. 265.

88. S. Paul seated writing; a man seated on l. talking. f. 266.

89. S. Paul seated at desk hands a book to a man standing on r. who also holds another book. f. 268.

90. S. Paul writing at desk holds one end of a scroll ; a man standing on l. holds the other. f. 269.

91. S. Paul seated writing on l.; on r., within a wall, Titus reading the letter. f. 270.

92. The Son seated on the Father's right. f. 271.

93. The Ascension. f. 275b.

94. S. James writing at desk. f. 291.

95. S. Peter writing at desk; Jews standing on r. f. 292 b.

96. S. Peter writing at desk. f. 294.

97. S. Peter (by mistake for S. John) writing at desk. f. 295 b.

98. The same; a man and two children standing on r. f. 297.

99. The same; a man with book standing on r. f. 297b.

100. S. Jude writing at desk. f. 297 b.

101. Christ standing, holding in His r. hand seven stars; His l. hand on the head of S. John, who is kneeling on r.; seven candlesticks scattered over the background. f. 298.

On the edges is a painted design including two coats of arms (paly of six, or and az., alternating with, apparently, gu., a fess or). The arms are somewhat indistinct and the second coat is possibly meant for gu., a fess between six crosses crosslet or, the arms of Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick, in which case the MS. probably belonged to Sir Matthew Gurney of co. Som., who bore the paly coat as above, and married (after 1362) Alice Beauchamp, daughter of Thomas, Earl of Warwick (d. 1369), and widow of John, Lord Beauchamp of Hache (she d. 1384). Vol. i has the old Royal press-mark 'no. 97' (Westm. invent. of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, f. 5), and vol. ii an erased press-mark 'no. 1368'. Cat. of 1666, f. 14 (?) ; not in CMA.