Add MS 38120

Les Trois Pèlerinages, three poems composed in 1330-1358 by Guillaume de Diguleville (or Degulleville, Deguileville), a monk of Chaalis in Valois.

ff. 1r-110r: Pèlerinage de Vie Humaine, prologue and four books containing the first recension of the text, an allegory of the pilgrimage of the soul in this world;

ff. 111r-197r: Pèlerinage de l'ame, a further allegory of the soul's pilgrimage, with the last 132 lines omitted.

ff. 199r-277v: Pèlerinage de Jésus Christ, a version of the Gospel story.

f. 277v-279r: Diguleville's prayer with the rubric, 'Cy sensuit loroison du pelerin contenant en brief tout le pelerinage que Jhesucrist fist en ce monde'.

Other copies of one or more of the three poems are in Additional 22937, Additional 25594 and Harley 4399.

Decoration:

Two half-page tinted drawings (ff. 1r and 199r) and 144 column-width tinted drawings. Initials in rose and blue on gold grounds with foliate decoration and partial foliate borders in rose and blue, at the beginning of each of the three poems (ff. 1r. 111r, 199r). Numerous small, framed initials in gold on blue and rose grounds with penwork decoration in white. Cadels on the top line. Catchwords.

The subjects of the images are:

f. 1: Guillaume preaching to seated figures, with a view of the Heavenly Jerusalem;

f. 1v: Guillaume asleep, dreaming of Jerusalem; the angel guarding the gate of the city;

f. 2r: Pilgrims with wings outside the walls of the Heavenly Jerusalem, watched by St Benedict, St Augustine and St Francis;

f. 2v: Pilgrims climbing over the walls on the ladder of Humility, using a ladder and a rope;

f. 3r: God's Grace (Grace-Dieu), a crowned woman, talking to a pilgrim (?Guillaume de Deguileville), tonsured, wearing a monk's habit;

f. 4v: Grace leads the pilgrim to the city;

f. 5r: The pilgrim is baptised by a priest, with Grace watching;

f. 5v: Moses as a bishop with a crozier hands a book to the pilgrim; the pilgrim receives a bottle of ointment from a bishop and another bottle is brought by a cleric;

f. 8r: A priest performs a marriage; a monk being tonsured by Moses, represented as a bishop, with the pilgrim and Grace watching;

f. 9r: Two clerics holding candles, standing either side of a bishop, watched by a cleric holding a book;

f. 10r: Reason preaching to three seated clerics;

f. 11v: The pilgrim receiving the spear and keys from Moses, dressed as a bishop;

f. 13r: Reason, the pilgrim and Moses;

f. 13v: Reason talking to the pilgrim;

f. 14r: Grace talks to a veiled figure representing Nature;

f. 17v: Nature pleading with Grace;

f. 18r: Moses with Penance, holding a mitre and Charity, holding a charter with a hanging seal, watched by two pilgrims;

f. 23r: The pilgrim and Grace;

f. 28r: The pilgrim is given the scrip or pilgrim's bag from an open chest by Grace;

f. 30v: Grace gives the pilgrim his staff;

f. 31v: Grace teaching the pilgrim about his staff;

f. 32r: Grace shows the pilgrim his knight’s arms and apparel, hanging on a rail; Grace giving the pilgrim his tunic;

f. 33r: Grace teaching the pilgrim about his tunic;

f. 34r: Grace telling the pilgrim to put on his hauberk, or coat of armour;

f. 36r: Grace gives the pilgrim his scabbard;

f. 37v: The pilgrim, fully armed, is instructed by Grace;

f. 39v: Grace with the pilgrim, who discards his armour; the pilgrim wears his robe;

f. 40r: Memory, with eyes in the back of her head, is brought before the pilgrim by Grace;

f. 41v: Moses blessing the pilgrim;

f. 42v: The pilgrim sets off, with Memory carrying his possessions behind; the pilgrim they meets an old man with a stick who represents Misunderstanding;

f. 43r: Reason intervenes;

f. 43v: Reason gives Misunderstanding a letter; the pilgrim reads the letter;

f. 47v: Reason speaks to the pilgrim, with Memory behind;

f. 51v: The pilgrim floating in the water with his soul flying above him;

f. 52r: Reason talking to the pilgrim about the body and soul;

f. 53v: The pilgrim meets Idleness, a woman seated in front of a hedge, and Industry, a man mending a net;

f 57r: The pilgrim speaking to Grace over a hedge;

f. 58r: The pilgrim has his foot bound with rope held by Sloth, who is holding an axe under his arm;

f. 59v: Sloth attacks the pilgrim with an axe;

f. 60r: The pilgrim escapes;

f. 60v: The pilgrim meets Pride, holding a mirror, on the shoulders of Flattery, with a horn, club and bellows;

f. 67r: Envy, Treachery, and Slander: Slander, holding a spear upon which are pierced five (?) human ears, Treachery, holding a dagger and box, are seated on the back of Envy kneeling on all fours; all three are wearing wimpled veils;

f. 71v: The pilgrim has fallen to the ground and is attacked by Slander, Envy and Sloth; the pilgrim meets anger, a hairy figure with a scythe in his mouth, a sabre at his side and rocks in his hands;

f. 73r: Memory walks behind the pilgrim, carrying his possessions;

f. 74r: The pilgrim meets Avarice, a woman with many arms, including claws, and holding scales, begging bowl, a bag and a small figure with a spike on her head;

f. 74v: The pilgrim and Avarice standing next to a church, with a chessboard between them;

f. 83r: The pilgrim meets Gluttony, a woman with a long nose and a bag, and Lust, a figure with a veil covering his head, riding a wild boar, holding the head of a beautiful woman and a spear;

f. 86v: The pilgrim is struck down to the ground and attacked by the vices;

f. 87r: The pilgrim is rescued by Grace, holding a banner with the words ‘Grace Dieu’, and giving him his staff;

f. 88r: The pilgrim kneels before the Virgin and Child;

f. 91r: Grace and the pilgrim stand before a wooden barrel with an eye crying tears into it;

f. 92v: The pilgrim stands before a symbol of the sea with a figures drowning and angels coming to save him;

f. 93r: The devil with his net for fishing souls from the sea;

f. 93v: The pilgrim with Heresy, wearing a wimpled veil, carrying a bundle of sticks on her back;

f. 95v: The pilgrim meets a winged woman with feathered feet, throwing a ball in the air, representing Youth;

f. 97r: The pilgrim flies off on the back of Youth above the sea and Tribulation, a figure holding pincers and a mallet;

f. 99v: The pilgrim has fallen into the sea, and Tribulation attacks him with a mallet and pincers;

f. 100v: Grace shows the pilgrim the ship of religion that has come to ferry him across the sea;

f. 101v: The guard of the ship, representing the fear of God, comes to attack the pilgrim with his mace;

f. 102v: Lesson offers a bowl of honeyed food to the pilgrim, Abstinence stands beside a table at which three people are seated, eating; the pilgrim and the Virtues;

f. 103r: The pilgrim and Worship with musical instruments and an angel and a woman standing behind her; the pilgrim and Grace with Chastity and a woman making a bed;

f. 105v: Obedience ties up the pilgrim with a rope;

f. 106r: The pilgrim meets Illness, carrying a load on her back, and Old Age with crutches over her shoulder;

f. 107v: The pilgrim lying down, with Illness and Old age tending him; Pity speaks to them;

f. 109r: Death with a scythe and coffin stands before the dying pilgrim and Grace.

Pelerinage de l’ame:

f. 111r: The pilgrim’s soul leaves his body

f. 111v: An angel and a devil carry the pilgrim’s soul over the sea;

f. 113v: Judgement: two souls standing in flames, accompanied by devils, and three angels above;

f. 119r: The pilgrim’s soul before St Michael and Justice;

f. 120r: The pilgrim and Sinderesis, the Worm of Conscience stand before the angels, with a devil representing the Enemy, seated behind;

f. 121v: The Worm of Conscience accuses the pilgrim and the Enemy takes notes;

f. 128v: Grace holds out the scales to weigh the pilgrim’s soul and an angel holds a list;

f. 131v: Souls fly to heaven and the pilgrim watches with an angel;

f. 133v: The false pilgrims in Hell;

f. 135r: The pilgrim’s soul in Purgatory with a devil holding a club;

f. 137v: Angels rescuing souls from Purgatory;

f. 139r: An angel showing the pilgrim a vision of Hell;

f. 143r: The pilgrim and an angel stand before skeletons lying on the ground;

f. 147r: Three souls of hypocrites hanging with their feet in the flames, stoked by a devil with bellows;

f. 149v: Souls of tax gatherers racked on a wheel turned by a devil, with a crowned figure watching from a tower;

f. 151v: The avaricious are clubbed by a devil and usurers are forced to drink molten bronze;

f. 152v: The vengeful and vindictive are tied up by devils, and put into the fiery pit, watched by the pilgrim and an angel;

f. 153r: The gluttonous are tormented by having their tongues pulled through an incision in their necks;

f. 154r: Lechers are thrown into the fiery pit;

f. 155r: The pilgrim and Grace watch as two naked figures play with an apple between a green tree and a dry tree (the apple symbolizes Christ);

f. 163v: The pilgrim’s soul and the angel stand before tombs with effigies of donkeys;

f. 164v: Lady Doctrine licks the head of a pilgrim (to ameliorate his ugliness with virtues);

f. 167v: The pilgrim’s soul standing with the angel, who indicates a knight on horseback with spear and golden shield, and a statue of Nebuchadnezzar on a platform;

f. 179v: The pilgrim’s soul and the angel watch souls of pilgrims rising up to the angels in heaven, with devils beneath;

f. 199r: The pilgrim is asleep in a garden with apple trees and birds, and beside him is an old man;

f. 202v: Mercy pleading with the Holy Spirit as a bird with a halo;

f. 203v: Truth addressing the Holy Trinity;

f. 205r: The angel Gabriel kneels in front of the Holy Trinity;

f. 206v: The Annunciation;

f. 208r : The angel Gabriel showing God the Virgin Mary;

f. 210v: The Magnificat, at the Visitation of the Virgin and St Elizabeth;

f. 211r: Joseph wishes to leave the Virgin Mary;

f. 213r: Joseph speaking to an old woman;

f. 214v: The Virgin with the naked infant Christ on her knee, is brought cloths to wrap him in;

f. 215v: The angels appear to the shepherds;

f. 216v: The Circumcision;

f. 217r: The Magi present their gifts to Christ and the Virgin;

f. 218v: The old woman tells the Virgin Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt;

f. 220v: The Virgin offers the infant Jesus to God;

f. 223: The old woman says goodbye to Mary and Joseph;

f. 225r: The Flight to Egypt;

f. 225v: Joseph leads Mary and Jesus on the donkey, and behind them the infants are massacred;

f. 229: Mary and Joseph talk to the young Jesus;

f. 229v: Saint John holding the Lamb and preaching;

f. 230r: The wedding at Cana;

f. 233r: Christ speaking to a young and an old woman, representing the New and Old Testament Law;

f; 233v: The New Law gives the tablets and mantel to the Old Law and breaks her spear;

f. 234v: The baptism of Christ;

f. 235v: Temptation of Christ;

f. 236r: Temptation of Christ;

f. 237r: Christ speaking to the Disciples;

f. 249r : Christ distributes the loaves and fishes;

f. 251r: Christ raising Lazarus from the Dead;

f. 252r: Christ on the donkey entering Jerusalem;

f. 253r : The Last Supper;

f. 254v: Christ washes the disciples’ feet;

f. 255v: Christ’s agony in the garden, with three Disciples sleeping;

f. 256v: The Betrayal: Judas kisses Christ in front of the Disciples and soldiers;

f. 258v: Judas tries to return the bag of gold to Christ’s enemies;

f. 259r: Christ is whipped before Pilate;

f. 260v: Christ carries the cross, helped by the Virgin;

f. 261v: The Crucifixion;

f. 266v: Christ’s body is taken down from the Cross by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus;

f. 267r: The Entombment of Christ;

f. 267v: Christ appears to the women in the garden;

f. 271r: The Resurrection;

f. 275r : Pentecost, the Holy Ghost comes down in the form of a dove.

Illuminations attributed to the Ravenelle master, who also worked on Add MS 25884, Harley MS 4381and 4382 and Royal MS 17 E iii (see Sandgren 'Johannete Ravenelle' (2002)). The iconography is related to that of three manuscripts from the Paris atelier of the Master of the Pilgrimages of the Duke de Berry: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France ms français 377 (c.1390), Paris, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, ms français 1647 (c.1403) and Paris, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, ms français 829 (1400-1405).