Royal MS 16 F IX

This manuscript contains a copy of the Histoire de Troie (History of Troy), an anonymous French prose translation of the Historia destructionis Troiae (History of the destruction of Troy), written by the Italian judge and poet Guido delle Colonne (fl 13th century). This is the first of five French translations, apparently made at the command of the mayor of Beauvais for Charles V or Charles VI of France in 1380, according to the rubric. It is divided into 35 books; not all are numbered.

Two moralizing poems have been inserted in the text (ff. 11r-v and ff. 22v-23r); the first is addressed to ‘Lamedon’ (Laomedon), while the second follows the episode of the abduction of Helen.

There are five other manuscripts containing the same version of this translation: Amiens, Bibliothèque municipale MS 1193; Brussels, Bibliothèque royale de Belguique MS 09240; Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS fr. 22553; and Torino, Biblioteca Nazionale universitaria MSS 1624 and 1632.

Contents:

ff. 1r-101v: Histoire de Troie, a French translation of Guido delle Colonne, Historia destructionis Troiae; beginning, 'Combien que tous les iours les anciennes choses communement soyent mises en oubly pour la cause des nouveles’.

Decoration:

34 miniatures in colours and gold with partial borders, at the beginning of books (ff. 1r, 3r, 4r, 8v, 11v, 14v, 17v, 20r, 24v, 25v, 28r, 30r, 32v, 39r, 47r, 48v, 50r, 51v, 55r, 58r, 60v, 62v, 64r, 66v, 71r, 73r, 76r, 81r, 85r, 88r, 92r, 95v, 98v). Foliate initials in colours and gold at the beginning of books. Numerous small initials in gold on blue and rose grounds with penwork decoration in white and ivy extensions. Pen-flourishing and cadels in brown in upper and lower margins.

The subjects of the miniatures are as follows:

f. 1r: Prologue, The translator in his study reading;

f. 3r: Book 2, Jason and Hercules in the Argo land on the shores of Troy;

f. 4r: Book 3, Jason at King Aetes' palace, feasting with the king and Medea;

f. 8v: Book 4, The first destruction of Troy: a soldier (?Hercules) and tents on the shore at Troy, with ships docked among rocks;

f. 11v: Book 5: Priam and Hecuba ride towards the ruined city of Troy;

f. 14v: Book 6, Antenor kneels before Priam, telling him about the Greeks;

f. 17v: Book 7, Paris kneels before Priam outside Troy to receive his orders; two ships await;

f. 20r: Book 8, Paris and armed soldiers attack and kill Greek citizens in Athens;

f. 24v: Book 9,The Greek fleet outside Athens;

f. 25v: Book 10, Agememnon conferring with three other Greek kings;

f. 28r: Book 11, Achilles brings Calchas to Agamemnon; soldiers besiege Troy;

f. 30r: Book 12, Agamemnon divides the spoils of the City of Tenedos;

f. 32v: Book 13, Achilles and Thesalus fight in the battle of Mysia (‘Mese’);

f. 39r: Book 15, The Greek and Trojan armies meet at the gates of Troy;

f. 47r: Book 16, A Greek envoy (?Achilles) enters Troy;

f. 48v: Book 17, The fourth battle between the Greeks and Trojans;

f. 50r: Book 18, Priam and his council meet in his palace;

f. 51v: Book 19, Dolon presents the Greek envoys, including Diomedes and Ulysses, to King Priam;

f. 55r: Book 20, Achilles strikes Hector with his lance;

f. 56r: Book 21, The Greek and Trojan armies meet;

f. 58r: Book 22, Priam, Hecuba (or Andromache) and the Trojans mourn at the tomb of Hector;

f. 60v: Book 23, The ninth battle and the death of the King of Persia;

f. 62v: Book 24, Achilles sends a messenger to Hecuba asking for the hand of Polyxena;

f. 64r: Book 25, The tenth battle; the Greek army pass through a gully;

f. 66v: Book 26, A battle on horseback between the Greeks and Trojans, with Troilus and Diomedes jousting;

f. 71r: Book 27, The murder of Achilles by Paris in the Temple of Apollo;

f. 73r: Book 28, Priam and ?Agamemnon negotiating from their tents;

f. 76r: Book 29, Antenor kneels to Priam urging for peace;

f. 81r: Book 30, The sacred Palladium of the Trojans is given by the priest Thoans to Antenor;

f. 85r: Book 31, Polyxena is slain by Pyrrhus in front of Hecuba at the tomb of Achilles;

f. 88v: Book 32, Agamemon is murdered in his bed by Aegisthus;

f. 92r: Book 33, Orestes murders Aegisthus to avenge his father’s death;

f. 95v: Book 34, Pyrrhus murders his uncles, Philisthines and Menelippus;

f. 98v: Book 35, Ulysses throws a spear at his son, Telegonus (Thelegone).