Royal MS 19 B VI

TREATISE, in French, on the Passion of Jesus Christ, called in the prologue 'le saint mistere de la glorieuse piteuse et angoisseuse passion de notre seigneur et saulueur Ihesucrist'. It consists of a commentary on the incidents of the Passion as related in the Gospels interspersed with moral reflections, prayers and invocations, miracles (ff. 29 b-34 b, 6,5 b, 66), and copious extracts from the early Fathers, and from a few writers of a later date, as (f. 154 b, &c.) Hugo de Sancto Victore (d. 1141) and (ff. 57, 64, 77, 84, 110, &c.) Jean Jerson [Jean Charlier de Gerson, b. 1363, d. 1429]. The author's name is not given, but it appears that he belonged to a religious order (f. 32), that he studied at Toulouse (f. 132b), that the King of Aragon related to him, at Barcelona, a miracle in connexion with the sacramental wine, on which he notes (f 32 b) that 'Ce sanc est maintenant en notre couuent nouuel en la cite de Barcelongne en Gascongne' (probably for 'Castelongne', as at f. 139 b, though there is a small town called Barcelonne near Aire in Gascony). The date 1409 is mentioned (f. 66), and a further clue to the date of the treatise may be found in the reference (f. 140) 'Car vecy ia le xxxiie an de ce present scisme'. If this refers to the papal schism which began in 1378, the date 1409-10 is arrived at. There are at least two other copies of the treatise at Paris, viz. (a) Bibl. Nat., anc. fonds fr. 970 (see P. Paris, Les MSS. François, vii, p. 364);-(b) Bibl. de l'Arsenal, MS. 2039 (see Cat., i886, ed. H. Martin, ii, p. 382); but in neither case is the author identified. Cf. also Bibl. Mazarine, MS. 948 (Cat., ed. A. Molinier, i, p. 456). From the colophon, 'Ce liure est a frere Nicole de Montmirel, commandeur de sainct Mauluy', the present copy was evidently written for Nicholas de Montmirail, commander, 1510-1515, of St. Maulvis (Somme) in the order of the Knights Hospitallers of S. John of Jerusalem (see E. Mannier, Ordre de Malte, Les Commanderies du Grand-Prieuré de France, 1872, p. 622). Prologue beg. 'A Ihonneur et reuerence de la saincte trinite et de la glorieuse vierge Marie et de tous les esperis sains et de sainct Iehan baptiste '; treatise beg. (f. 2 b) 'Scitis quia post biduum Pascha fiet, &c.: Cest a dire, vous aultres mes disciples, saiches'; ends 'nous puissons regner en ta gloire. Amen'.

Vellum; ff. 185. 11 in. x 71/2 in. A.D. 1510-1515. Gatherings of 8 leaves (i-iii¹², xii⁷, xvii⁷), lettered, with catchwords. Sec. fol. comme dit'. Illuminated initials and twenty-three half-page miniatures of coarse execution, with borders of renaissance architecture (except the first). The subjects are:-

1. The Entry into Jerusalem. In the border (of flowers, &c., on gold, and foliated ornament in diagonal bands) are the arms of the order of S. John, gules, a cross arg., and of Montmirail, azure, a bend per bend indented arg. and gu., on a chief or a cross arg. (cf. Add. MS. 21920, f. 117, and Palliot, Science des Armoiries, p. 266) and motto 'Domine in te confido'. f. 1.

2. Christ washing the disciples' feet. f. 10.

3. The Last Supper (round table). f. 20 b.

4. The Agony of Gethsemane. f. 56.

5. The Betrayal. f. 59 b.

6. The disciples sleeping. f. 67.

7. Christ led to judgement. f. 72.

8. Christ before Annas. f. 82 b.

9. Christ brought before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrim. f. 94 b.

10. Christ led from Pilate; Pilate's wife at his side. f. 106 b.

11. Christ scourged. f. 112.

12. Christ crowned' with thorns. f. 115.

13. Christ led away from Pilate, who washes his hands. f. 123 b.

14. Christ bearing the Cross. f. 131.

15. Christ nailed to the Cross. f. 133.

16. Christ on the Cross; at the foot the soldiers casting lots. f. 139 b.

17. Christ prays for his persecutors. f. 145 b.

18. Christs commends the Virginto S. John. f. 149 b.

19. Christ dead on the Cross; on l. S. John and the Holy Women; on r. the centurion pointing to the Cross, and soldiers. Jerusalem is seen behind under a darkened sky. f. 165 b 20. S. John and the Holy Women seated at the foot of the Cross. f. 172 b.

21. The Entombment. f. 177b.

22. Resurrection of Christ. f. 183.

23. The Harrowing of Hell. f. 184.

Gauffered edges. Old Royal press-mark 'no. 1193'; cat. of 1666, f. 11; not in CMA.