Royal MS 1 A XX

i A. xx BIBLE, in French, from the book of Proverbs to the Apocalypse, being evidently the second volume of a complete Bible. Two leaves are missing at the begin. ning, so that the text begins at Prov. iv. ii, 'cest a dire par les voies de loiaute'. Another leaf is lost at the beginning of the New Testament (before f. 245), the text of the N. T. beginning at Matt. ii. 12, 'et il sen retomerent par autre voie'; and another before 8

f. 393, containing i john v. 16-Jude 4. The title to i Maccabees is as follows (f. 211): 'Ci finissent li xii. prophete, Et commence li larges Rois Alixandres qui fu de grece'; and the headline throughout this book is 'Alixandre'. The title tO 2 Maccabees (f. 231) is 'Ci commence le segont liure des Machabex', and the headline is 'Machabeus'. The books of the New Testament are arranged thus: Gospels, Pauline Epistles, Acts, Catholic Epistles, Apocalypse. The Epistle to the Colossians is wrongly entitled Thessalonians; each chapter of 2 Thessalonians has a separate title, and chapter iii is entitled the third Epistle to the Thessalonians; the Epistle to Titus is wrongly entitled the first Epistle to Philemon, and the Epistle to the Hebrews, which has no title, has the headline 'Ad Phylemo' throughout. At the end (f. 400) is the colophon: 'Anno milleno tricenteno duodeno. Hoc opus transcriptum est a roberto de marchia clerico. parisius in carcere mancipato. a quo velit deliberare deus qui est retributor omnium bonorum in secula seculorum Amen. Te deum laudamus et cetera'. So far as the text is concerned, this might be the second volume of the translation of the Bible made at Paris in the reign of Louis IX; but its exact agreement with another MS. in Paris (Arsenal MS. 5056), dated in 1317 and evidently copied from this MS., but possessing its first volume, shows that it is the second volume of the Bible Historiale of Guyart des Moulins (died between 1312 and 1322). The Bible Historiale, which was originally a translation and adaptation of the Historia Scolastica of Petrus Comestor, was in fact completed by the incorporation with it from the Bible of Louis IX of the texts of the books which were not included in Comestor's Biblical paraphrase. The present MS. is the earliest known copy of the Bible Historiale thus expanded (see S. Berger, La Bible Francaise au Moyen Age, 1884, PP. 187, 188, 282, 283, 385). Vellum; ft. 4oo. 10.1/4 in. x 7 in. A.D. 1312. Gatherings of 8 leaves, generally numbered at the beginning, with catchwords. At the beginning of each book (except Zephaniah, f. 201 b, where a blank space has been left) is a miniature, 2.1/2 in. square, consisting of two or three figures against a pale red or blue background, rather roughly executed. There are 48 miniatures in all; and a note of the design of each has been written in the margin, for the guidance of the illuminator. For facsimiles see PI. 4 (f. 200), and New Palaeographical Society, Facsimiles, pl. 120 (f. 66). There are occasional notes of lections in the margin. On f. 183 is the name of Roland Draper of Harbarowe [? Market Harborough, co. Leicester, or Harborough Magna, co. Warwick], in a i6th cent. hand, which has also written a note in English on f. 108. From the Theyer collection (sale-cat., no. 115; CMA. 6543).