Royal MS 19 E II-III

19 E. II, III

ANCIENNES CHRONIQUES de la Grande Bretagne, or romance of Perceforest, professedly a French translation made by a monk of S. Landelin at Crespin, for William, Count of Hainault, of a work which a clerk named Cressus of the household of Alexander the Great wrote in Greek and partly translated into Latin, and which Count William found in an abbey called 'Wortimer' on the Humber when he visited England in 1307: the third and second volumes (numbered in wrong order) of the work (complete in six volumes) of which vol. i is 15 E. V, see above. The format, however, differs considerably from that MS., the columns being broader, and of 37 instead of 39 lines, and the miniatures much more numerous. The hand is not that of David Aubert. Both the present volumes are very imperfect, the missing portions in vol. ii (19 E. III) being a quire after f. 4 containing the beginning of ch. 1 of vol. ii of the text (ff. 1-4 contain table of contents and 'petit prologue'); four quires after f. 20, part of ch. 6-12; a quire after f. 58, part of Ch. 25, 26; a quire after f. 120, part of ch. 41; and a quire or more at the end, part of ch. 62 and ch. 63, 64. In vol. iii (19 E. II) the first three quires of text are all missing except the two inner leaves of quire i (ff. 4-5, ff. 1-3 being table and prologue), which contain a fragment of ch. 2 of vol. iii, the rest of ch. 1-4 and part of ch. 5 being lost; six leaves after f. 30, part of ch. 9-11; a pair of leaves after ff. 63, 69, part of ch. 17, 19; a pair of leaves after ff. 78, 82, part of ch. 22, 23; a quire after f. 107, part of ch. 28; a pair of leaves after f. 328, part of ch. 47, 48; and one (?) leaf at the end. For fuller description see Ward, Catalogue of Romances, i, p. 377, where references are given to the pages of the 1528 edition. A small portion of Vol. i was reprinted from the 1531 edition, with bibliographical note, at Macon in 1907; see also G. Paris in Romania, xxiii (1894), p. 78.

Vellum; ff. 304 (19 E. III) and 378 (19 E. II). 19 in. x 14 in. Written in Flanders, end of XV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (in 19 E. III i missing, iv-vii missing, ix⁶, xiii missing, xviii⁶, xxii missing, xxiv⁴, xxix⁹, xxx⁷, xxxiv⁴, xxxvii⁶, xli⁴, xlv⁶; in 19 E. II i wants outer six, ii, iii missing, iv⁸, originally 10, including a pair of leaves inserted after the seventh, but first and last are missing, vii wants inner six, xii wants outer two, xiv wants second and seventh, xviii missing, xxiv⁶, xxvi⁴, xliv⁹, xlvii⁴, originally⁶, but wants inner two, liv missing), catchwords and lettering cut off. Double columns of 37 lines. Sec. fol. in table (19 E. III), 'comment ilz trouuerent'; and (19 E. II) 'deuant le chastel'; sec. fol. of text missing in each case. Small illuminated initials and fairly well executed miniatures in Flemish style with border (of flowers, fruit, insects, birds, &c., in perspective on gold ground) at head and foot of column connected by a narrow vertical strip of similar ornament. The directions to the illuminator are mostly cut off but part of one remains at f. 216 of 19 E. III. The subjects are:-

In vol. ii (19 E. III):-

1. Estonne, Comte des Desers, meets the servant of Narsis, who points out a castle and bridge. f. 37.

2. The Queen at the castle window and four knights sent by Britus outside. f. 70.

3. Troilus de Royalville, on foot, rescues two damsels from violence. f. 109 b.

4. Lionnel du Glac and the old man of the Forest aux Merveilles. f. 133.

5. A damsel, riding on a side-saddle, accosts the twelve knights. f. 152.

6. Two knights jousting, and two others in the distance looking on. f. 216.

7. Gadiffer of Scotland and the damsel Pierrote riding on the adventure of the steep mountain. f. 275 b.

In vol. iii (19 E. II):-

1. Troilus showing Lionnel the castle which he built for him. f. 54 b.

2. Gadiffer finds Pierrote ill in bed. f. 105.

3. A knight receiving a ring from one of the twelve maidens for his victory in the tourney. f. 129 b.

4. Gadiffer talking to Flavine, he and his squire sitting on the ground and the horses resting. f. 144.

5. The Gilded Knight meets the strange beast of many colours. f. 166.

6. A knight (bearing or, a doubleheaded eagle az.) approaching a castle. f. 216 b.

7. Perceforest, with sceptre, and two courtiers, and workman with reliquary, from which the carved snakes are falling to the ground; a building (the temple) behind on l. Peacock in border. f. 244.

8. A lady gives Troilus a cup to drink. f. 376 b.

9. Two knights fighting in the lists; ten ladies above. f. 305.

10. Gadiffer finds-the damsel lamenting; two knights fighting on r. f. 318 b.

11. Lionnel releases the three women from the fire. f. 348 b.

On 19 E. II, f. 1, is an old numbering (of uncertain origin) 383. Possibly this, rather than 14 E. IV, is no. 45 of the cat. of MSS. at Richmond Palace in 1535 (see 15 D. I) ; cf. cat. of 1666, f. 13.