Royal MS 19 A IV

FRENCH POEMS, viz.:-

1. Le 'liure de Boece de consolacion et.de confort': Boethius de consolatione philosophiae translated (both prosae and metra) into French verse in 1336 by the Dominican 'Frere Renaut de Louens' [of Louhans Saône-et-Loire]. Other copies are in Egerton MS. 2633 and a Paris MS. (now Bibl. Nat., fonds fr. 278) described by P. Paris, Les MSS. François, v, p. 55. The translator's name is given as above (as he states in the epilogue) by the initials of the stanzas of the prologue (La in the last is a mistake for Sa). Book i is in 8-line stanzas (rhymes abababab), but the translator then changes to simple couplets, giving his reason in the last stanza of bk. i. f. 1. Prologue begins:-

'Fortune mere de tristesce De douleur et daffliccion.'

Translation begins:-

'Ie soloie jadis penser Dictier enseignier et escripre.'

Epilogue ends:-

'Qui cest petit Romant a fait Et lui pardoine tout son meffait. Amen. Ci fine le cinquiesme et dernier liure de Boece de consolacion.'

2. Le Testament de Jehan de Meung: religious poem (529 x 4 lines), printed at the end of several editions of the Roman de la Rose. As compared with Méon's edition 1814, iv, p. 1, it agrees with other MSS.

(19 B. XII, Add. MS. 1613, Egerton MS. 2834) in omitting ll. 877-892 (against the Friars), 1217-1220, and 2077-2108 (part of the epilogue), and with 19 B. XII in transposing ll. 721-724, 725-728 and omitting ll. 837-840, 1049-1052. Ff. 80-87 are misbound and should follow f. 71. f. 64. Begins:-

'Li pere li filz et li sains esperis Vn dieu en trois personnes aourez et cheris.' Ends:-

'Et lui prie humblement que nous soions escript Ou saint liure de vie quil meismes descript. Amen.'

3. 'Cest le traitie de parler et de taire': poem (129 couplets) on the six points to be regarded in speaking, qui, quoi, a qui, pourquoi, quant, et comment. f. 96. Begins:-

'Iay veu maintes gens que len tenoit a saiges Meurs et anciens et de pluseurs langaiges.' Vellum; ff. 99. 111/4 in. x 73/4 in. Early XV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (iii⁶, viii¹⁰, end of art. 1, last ⁵), with catchwords. Sec. fol 'Et pour ce'. Six miniatures in French style, of poor execution and much rubbed; initials flourished in red and blue. The subjects of the miniatures are:-

1. The author or translator presents the book to a crowned personage. f. 1.

2. Fortune's wheel. f. 13 b.

3, 4. Philosophy seated, lecturing to Boethius. ff. 34 b, 47 b.

5. Philosophy and Boethius standing in conversation. f. 57.

6. jean de Meun, in bed, dictates his will. f. 64.

Perhaps no. 78 of the inventory of MSS. at Richmond Palace in 1535 (cf. 15 D. I). Old Royal press-mark 'no. 131' (Westm. invent. of 1542, Add. MS. 25469, f. 26); cat. of 1666, f. 14; not in CMA.