Lansdowne MS 1178

folio.

A large and elegant Volume neatly written and illuminated, containing a French translation by Pierre Berccure or Bercheur, of the first ten books of Livy. The work commences with a dedication to John II. King of France, in which the author states that he had undertaken his translation at the King's particular command, notwithstanding the great difficulties that he had to encounter, some of which are thus detailed : "Et certes combien que la treshaulte maniere de parler et la tres parfonde Latinite que a le dit aucteur soit excedent mon sens et mon engin comme les constructions dicelluy soient si trenchies et si brieves si suspensives et si destranges que au temps de maintenant pou de gens sont qui lea saichent entendre ne par plus forte rayson ramener en Francois; neantmoins ay je prins le labour de le translater pour obeir avous qui estes mon seigneur, et pour faire prouffit a tous ceulz qui par moy Jentendrout et lorront." He then enumerates his other works, which are "1. Reductoire Moral. Le secont eat Repertoire Moral. Le tiers est Breviare Moral. Le quart si est la Massemonde et la Rescription. Le quint est ceste translacion de Tytus Livius." He concludes with assigning a reason for a table that follows of Latin words for which none that were equivalent could be found in the French language and which he had therefore been compelled to render in a circuitous manner. Of the translator Pierre Bercheur, or as he is Latinized Petrus Berchorius, several particulars have been given by Mr. Warton in vol. ii. of his History of English Poetry, and at the end of his Dissertation on the Gesta Romanorum in the sarne work; but the learned and elegant author has certainly failed in his effort to prove Berchier the author of the Gesta. More concerning him way he also found in the Bibliotheque Françoise of La Croix du Maine as edited by Mons. Rigoley de Juvigny. He was Prior of the monastery of Saint Eloy at Paris, of the order of Saint Benedict, and died in 1362. There is a magnificent copy of Bercheur's Livy among the Royal MSS. in the British Museum 15 D vi. being the whole of his translation. Another copy, less complete but infinitely curious, as being in the Languedocian dialect, is in the Harleian Collection, N^o 4893. The present MS., which was purchased at the sale of Count Macarthy's duplicates, &c. in 1789, is in very fine preservation and decorated with neat illuminations of historical subjects at fo. 1. 19. 53. 90.

139 b. 164 b. 196 b. 222. 248, 248 b. 274 and 316. on most of which are the arms of Dauphiné and Champagne quartered, and the device of a basket surmounted with a crown, perhaps belonging to Charles Dauphin of France the son of King John.