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Royal MS 17 E VII vol 1
- Record Id:
- 040-002107407
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-002105724
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000338.0x000226
- LARK:
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Royal MS 17 E VII vol 1
- Title:
- Guyart des Moulins, Bible historiale
- Scope & Content:
-
Guyart des Moulins, Bible historiale (Bible historiale complétée moyenne according to Berger 1884), a French adaptation of Petrus Comestor's Historia scholastica with additional books supplied from the French translation of the Bible made at Paris c. 1250; bound in two volumes. The first volume includes: Genesis-Psalms. For the second volume see Royal MS 17 E VII, vol 2
The contents (a table of rubrics preceding each book, except where otherwise stated) are as follows:
Guyart des Moulins's preface of 1297, rubric: 'Ci commence la Bible hystoriaus ou les hystoires escolastres', incipit: 'Pour ce que li dyables' (ff. 1r-1v); a table of rubrics to the whole work (differing from the actual contents of the manuscript; Ruth is included in the table of rubrics of Judges) (ff. 1v-2r); Peter Comestor's preface, rubric: Ce est une lectre que li maistres en hystoires qui Pierres prestres de Treves...' (with the mistake of Treves for Troyes), incipit; 'A honorable pere', (ff. 2r-2v); Guyart des Moulins's note on translation, incipit: 'Ci doit en savoir', with a table of rubrics to Genesis (ff. 2v-3r); Book 1: Octateuch (ff. 3r-121r); Book 2: 1-4 Kings (ff. 121r-186r); Book 3: 'Le grant Job': the biblical text of the book (ff. 186r-197r); Book 4: 'Job le petit': Des Moulins' abridgement (ff. 197r-198r); Book 5: Tobit (ff. 198r-202v); Book 6: 'Les livres Iheremie, Ezechiel, Daniel et Susanne': the paraphrase by Comestor and des Moulins, with a single table of rubrics (ff. 202v-214r); Book 7: Judith (ff. 214r-122r); Book 8: Esther (without a table) and an appendix to Esther in ten chapters (with a table). Colophon, 'Ci fine le livre Hester la Royne. Ci apres encommencent les paraboles Salemon. Escript lan cinquante et six [1356/7] le douzieme iour de Janvier' (ff. 222r-230r); Book 9: Psalter, with eleven Canticles (Te Deum, but without Benedicite) and prose Litany with Norman saints. Psalter incipit: 'Beneures est li homs qui nala pas en conseil des felons' (ff.). Colophon, 'Ci fine le psautier en francois. Ci doit venir apres li livres des paraboles Salemon' (ff. 231r-264).
Decoration:
1 large miniature partially in grisaille, colours and gold, with a full border containing historiated medallions, at the beginning of the text (f. 1r). 51 one-column miniatures partially in grisaille, colours and gold, and large foliate initials in colours and gold with marginal extensions forming partial borders, some with dragons, at the beginning of each day of Creation and each biblical book. Sketches (ff. 16r, 17r, 17v, 24v) or written instruction to illuminators (ff. 11v). Small foliate initial in colours and gold throughout the text. Initials in gold with black pen-flourishing, or in blue with red pen-flourishing. Running titles in gold and blue with red and black pen-flourishing. Line-fillers in red and blue. Catchword decorated with animals or human figures and highlighted in yellow (e. g., ff. 12v, 36v, 84v). Cadels and descenders in the form of leaves or animal or human heads (e. g., ff. 52r, 63v, 93v, 94r, etc.), or marginal drawings (e.g., ff. 154r, 201r, 206r).
The subjects of the miniatures are:
f. 1r, The Trinity, with the Four Evangelists and busts of Prophets in medallions in the border.
f. 2v, Peter Comestor at work.
f. 2v, Peter Comestor presenting the book to the Archbishop of Sens.
ff. 3r-6r, Days of Creation.
f. 6v, God enthroned.
f. 6v, Creation of Eve.
f. 7r, God forbidding Adam and Eve to eat fruit from the tree.
f. 7v, The Fall.
f. 8v, Expulsion from Paradise.
f. 9r, Sacrifices of Cain and Abel.
f. 9v, Cain killing Abel.
f. 11v, Noah's ark.
f. 16r, The Call of Abraham.
f. 17r, Battle of Siddim.
f. 17v, Abraham's sacrifice.
f. 24v, Birth of Jacob and Esau.
f. 27r, God talking to Jacob in his dream.
f. 27r, Jacob's dream of the ladder to heaven.
f. 32r, The sale of Joseph.
f. 41r, Moses before Pharaoh.
f. 53r, Moses receiving the tables of the Law.
f. 65r, Moses and the priestly robe.
f. 74r, Moses being ordered by God to number the people.
f. 91v, Moses speaking to the people.
f. 104v, Joshua being ordered by God to lead the people over the Jordan.
f. 111r, Battle with the Canaanites.
f. 121v, Hannah praying.
f. 134v, David mourning for Saul.
f. 147v, Unction of Solomon.
f. 166v, Elijah carried to heaven.
f. 186v, Job with his wife and friends.
f. 197r, Job and his possessions.
f. 198r, Captivity of Tobit.
f. 202v, Death of Gedaliah.
f. 214v, Building of Ecbatane.
f. 217r, Judith slaying Holofernes.
f. 222r, Esther and Ahasverus feasting.
f. 227r, Alexander kneeling to the high priest.
f. 231r, David with musical instruments.
f. 235v, David pointing to his eye (Psalm 26).
f. 238r, David pointing to his lips (Psalm 38).
f. 241, Fool with a bauble, a loaf, and a dog (Psalm 52).
f. 243v, David in water (Psalm 68).
f. 247r, David playing on four bells (Psalm 80).
f. 250r, Two singers at desk (Psalm 97).
f. 253v, The Trinity (Psalm 109).
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Royal Collection
Royal Manuscripts Digitisation Project - Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002105724
040-002107407 - Is part of:
- Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X : Royal Manuscripts
Royal MS 17 E VII vol 1 : Guyart des Moulins, Bible historiale - Hierarchy:
- 032-002105724[1566]/040-002107407
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
- 264 folios.
- Digitised Content:
- http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_17_E_VII_Vol_1 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- French
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1356
- End Date:
- 1357
- Date Range:
- 1356-1357
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
- Restrictions to access apply please consult British Library staff
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- User Conditions:
-
Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript.
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Parchment codex.
Dimensions: 390 x 290 mm (text space: 260 x 190 mm).
Foliation: ff. [iv] + i + 264 + [iv] (f. i is a medieval parchment flyleaf; all unfoliated flyleaves are modern paper leaves).
Collation: vol. 1: i-xix12 (ff. 1-228), xx2 (ff. 229-230), xxi-xxii12 (ff. 231-254), xxiii10 (ff. 255-264); catchwords and bifolium signatures.
Layout: Written in three columns.
Script: Gothic. Colophon: 'Escript l'an Cinquante et six / le douzieme jour de Janvier' (vol. 1, f. 230r); an acrostic, the initials of which when read backwards give the date 'mile trois cens cinquante sept' (1357) (vol. 2, f. 241r).
Binding: Post-1600. Royal library binding of brown leather with the royal arms and a date of 1757; gilt edges.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin: France (Paris). Completed on 12 January, 1357.
Provenance:
Charles V (b. 1338, d. 1380), perhaps made for him as the dauphin of France (1349-1364) and duke of Normandy (1355-1364): a lion used as his symbol (in Royal 17 E VII, vol 2, f. 1r).
Thomas Langton (b. c.1430, d. 1501), bishop of Winchester and archbishop-elect of Canterbury, several times ambassador to France (1467-1485), inscribed with his name 'Thomas langton' (Royal 17 E VII, vol. 2, f. 242r).
John Theyer (bap. 1598, d. 1673), antiquary: his monogram (f. i verso), a note in his hand (f. 9r); included in the catalogue of his library left to his grandson Charles Theyer (b. 1651): see E. Bernard, Catalogi librorum manuscriptorum Angliae et Hiberniae, 3 vols. (Oxford: Sheldonian, '1697', but 1698?), II, no. 6439.
Robert Scott (b. c. 1632, d. 1709/10), London bookseller: included in the catalogue of John Theyer’s manuscripts in his possession, made in 1678 by William Beveridge and William Jane, Royal Appendix, 70, no. 3.
Charles II (b. 1630, d.1685), king of England, Scotland, and Ireland: purchased for the royal library from Scott together with other 311 manuscripts from Theyer's library.
Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.
- Information About Copies:
-
Full digital coverage available for this manuscript, see Digitised Manuscripts http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/.
- Publications:
-
Walter de Gray Birch and Henry Jenner, Early Drawings and Illuminations: An Introduction to the Study of Illustrated Manuscripts (London: Bagster and Sons, 1879), p. 9.
Samuel Berger, La Bible française au moyen âge. Étude sur les plus anciennes versions de la Bible écrites en prose de langue d’oïl (Paris: Imprimerie Nationale, 1884), pp. 203, 214, 381, 388.
J. A. Herbert, Illuminated Manuscripts (London: Methuen, 1911), p. 245.
[J. A. Herbert], Illuminated Manuscripts and Bindings of Manuscripts Exhibited in The Grenville Library, Guide to the Exhibited Manuscripts, 3 (Oxford: British Museum, 1923), no. 112.
Schools of Illumination: Reproductions from Manuscripts in the British Museum, 6 vols (London: British Museum, 1914-1930), VI: French: Mid 14th to 16th Centuries, pl. 2.
George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), II, pp. 260-61.
Eric G. Millar, Souvenir de l’exposition de manuscrits français à peintures organisée à la Grenville Library, British Museum, en janvier-mars, 1932 (Paris: Société Française de Reproductions de Manuscrits à Peintures, 1933), p. 28, pl. XXXIII.
Millard Meiss, French Painting in the Time of Jean de Berry: The Late XIV Century and the Patronage of the Duke, 2 vols, National Gallery of Art Kress Foundation Studies in the History of European Art, 2 (London: Thames and Hudson, 1967), pp. 20, 204, fig. 375, 383, 384.
La Librairie de Charles V (Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, 1968), no. 166 [exhibition catalogue].
François Avril, 'Une Bible Historiale de Charles V', Jahrbuch der Hamburger Kunst Sammlungen, 15/16 (1970), 45-76 (pp. 45, n. 5, 49, n. 9).
Andrew G. Watson, Catalogue of Dated and Datable Manuscripts c. 700-1600 in The Department of Manuscripts: The British Library, 2 vols (London: British Library, 1979), I, no. 904.
Patrick M. de Winter, 'The Grandes Heures of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy: The Copyist Jean l'Avenant and his Patrons at the French Court', Speculum, 57 (1982) 786-843 (p. 794, n. 31).
Christopher De Hamel, A History of Illuminated Manuscripts, (Oxford : Phaidon, 1986), p. 148.
Margaret T. Gibson, The Bible in the Latin West, I: The Medieval Book, (Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1993), no. 21.
Janet Backhouse, The Illuminated Page: Ten Centuries of Manuscript Painting in the British Library (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1997), no. 105.
Akiko Komada, 'Les illustrations de la Bible historiale: les manuscrits réalisés dans le Nord', 4 vols (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, University of Paris IV, 2000), III, no. 36.
The Libraries of King Henry VIII, ed. by J. P. Carley, Corpus of British Medieval Library Catalogues, 7 (London: The British Library, 2000), p. xxvii, n. 17.
Carra Ferguson O'Meara, Monarchy and Consent: The Coronation Book of Charles V of France: British Library MS Tiberius B VIII (London : Harvey Miller, 2001), pp. 265-71, 332 n. 7, pls 101, 102.
Katarzyna Płonka Bałus, Vita Christi [et] Vengance de Nostre Seigneur Jhesu Christ: Zagadnienia treści, stylu i funkcji miniatur rękopisu 2919 w Bibliotece Czartoryskich (Cracow: Universitas, 2004), pp. 105-06.
Margaret Scott, Medieval Dress & Fashion (London: British Library, 2007), pl. 65.
Scot McKendrick, John Lowden, and Kathleen Doyle, Royal Manuscripts: The Genius ofIllumination (London: British Library, 2011), no. 22.
Kathryn A. Smith, ‘Found in Translation: Images Visionary and Visceral in the Welles-Ros Bible’, Gesta 59: 2 (2020), 91-130 (p. 92). - Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)