Royal MS 19 B XV

The Apocalypse in Anglo-Norman with commentary and with the prologue of Gilbert de la Porrée translated into Anglo-Norman.

The illuminations include 73 miniatures in colours and gold, the subjects of which are as follows:

f. 1r, Paul preaching.

f. 1v, John and representatives of the churches.

f. 2r, The Son of Man between the seven candlesticks, with John at the left.

f. 2v, John asleep among rabbits; an angel issuing from a cloud touches his shoulder.

f. 3r, John seated, writing; an angel stands behind his desk.

f. 5v, John mounts a ladder to the opened doors of heaven; an angel takes him by the wrist.

f. 6r, In a mandorla between the four beasts, Christ in Majesty between seven small candlesticks, gold diapered background: on the left, John and the angel. Below, the 24 elders, seated and crowned.

f. 7v (top), In a mandorla between the four beasts, God enthroned, with a book in His left hand: below, the elders cast down their crowns.

f. 7v (bottom), On the left in a mandorla, God enthroned, in His right hand the book with seals; in centre the angel; on the right, John and the elder.

f. 8r, Above, in centre, in a mandorla, God enthroned; the Lamb is shown both in a medallion on the left, with seven horns and eyes, and passing over to the mandorla to touch the book: below, the elders with harps and vials: the beast, in the corners.

f. 9r, Above, in a mandorla between four groups of six angels, God enthroned: below, two groups of fourteen kneeling figures: the beasts in the corners.

f. 9v (top), John on the left; the rider on the white horse: in a semicircle above, the man.

f. 9v (bottom), John on the left; the rider on the red horse; on the right, men killing one another; above, the lion.

f. 10r, John on the left; the rider on the black horse; above, the calf.

f. 10v, Issuing from the mouth of hell, the rider on the pale horse; John on the right; above, the eagle.

f. 11r, John on the left; five souls, the first two being given robes by two angels on the right, the last three kneeling.

f. 11v, John on the left; the earthquake, with fallen stars and ruins scattered over a hill. Through holes in the hill appear the dead.

f. 12r, John on the left; in the centre a mandorla, enclosing a ship on the sea, between four angels holding the winds; on the right, the fifth angel.

f. 12v, Above, in the centre, in a mandorla between the four beasts, God enthroned with the Lamb in His right hand and the book in His left; below, three rows of adoring angels: the multitude with palms in a fourth row below.

f. 13r, John and the elder, who wears a crown.

f. 13v, On the left, in a medallion above, God the Father: below, an altar, and on the right, angels with trumpets and censer and pouring the fire on the earth.

f. 14r, The first angel blows a trumpet; the first vision (fire from the heavens fall upon the earth).

f. 14v, The second angel blows a trumpet; the second vision (the sea being poisoned as a fiery mountain is cast into the sea).

f. 15r (top), The third angel blows a trumpet; the third vision (a star falling from heaven).

f. 15r (bottom), The fourth angel blows a trumpet; the fourth vision (part of the sun, moon, and waters smitten,and the eagle).

f. 15v, The fifth angel blows a trumpet; the fifth vision (the opening of the Bottomless Pit).

f. 16r, The sixth angel blows a trumpet; the sixth vision (the loosing of the four angels bound in the River Euphrates).

f. 16v, The horses and their riders.

f. 17r, The angel seated on an arc of cloud, his feet on the sea and land; an inverted rainbow behind his head.

f. 17v, A lion's mouth and on an inverted arc of cloud six heads representing the seven thunders: below, on the left, the angel, and on the right, John about to write in the book.

f. 18r, The angel gives John a flowering reed.

f. 18v, God gives John a measuring rod: the temple on the right.

f. 19r, Two witnesses hold gloves; a king (the beast) seated, with sword: behind him a knight in armour, with arms on shield (gules, three bars or).

f. 20r, In the left margin, the seventh angel with trumpet; the king, seated, gives orders to an executioner who tramples on three blindfolded corpses and is about to behead a fourth victim; on the right, a fifth not yet blindfolded emerges from a door, and two figures at the door point to the executioner and to him.

f. 20v, The woman: from an upright arc of cloud on each side of her issue three heads representing thunders: in the left arc, John; in the right arc, foliated ornament.

f. 21r, The dragon: above, on the right, the woman in bed, and her child being caught up to heaven.

f. 21v, Michael and three angels spear the dragon.

f. 22r, Two angels proclaim salvation.

f. 22v, Above, in an inverted arc of cloud, the woman flying. Below, five men warr with the dragon, armed with spear, cross-bow, axe, sword; one bears a shield of arms (gules, a bend or between two besants).

f. 23r, The beast rises from the sea; the dragon.

f. 23v, Six kneeling figures worship the beast: in front, five corpses of saints mostly in armour, two with shields of arms (gules, a chevron or between three besants, and gules, a fess or between four besants).

f. 24v, The image of the first beast and five worshippers: in the centre, the beast rises from the earth: on the right, an executioner and two victims.

f. 24r, John on the left; the Lamb on the mount, worshippers kneeling on each side.

f. 26r, John on the left; the flying angel and eight kneeling figures.

f. 26v, The second flying angel; the Lamb on the mount and in front an altar with cup surrounded by fire.

f. 27r, John on the left: in centre above, the Son of Man with crown and sickle on an inverted arc of cloud: below, the Son of Man reaps, and an angel emerges from a door.

f. 27v, John on the left; angel with sickle above, angel issues from the altar; below, the wine-press: on the right, the flood comes up to the horse-bridles.

f. 28r, John on the left; above, seven angels with plagues (in vials); below, seven angels with harps.

f. 28v, Lion-headed beast on the left; angels with plagues issuing from the Temple.

f. 29r, John on the left; an angel empties the first vial: men look on.

f. 29v, Second and third vials emptied.

f. 30r, Fourth vial emptied on the sun, which emits red rays upon dying men.

f. 30r, Fifth vial emptied on a throne decorated with lions' heads; men bite their tongues; on the right, the sixth vial emptied into Euphrates.

f. 30v, John on the left; frogs emerge from the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and two false prophets.

f. 31v, An angel empties the seventh vial; above, an angel issues from the Temple; below, Babylon falls in ruins; thunders, and men hidden in the earth.

f. 32r, John on the left; the angel speaks to him from above and points to the whore sitting on the waters; the whore, in dull purple, sits on the beast and holds a cup.

f. 32v, John on the left; the angel on a mound; the whore sits on the waters.

f. 34r, John on the left: the angel above; below, ravens and wild beasts among the ruins of Babylon.

f. 34v, Angel beckons to four figures with gloves issuing from the gate of Babylon.

f. 35v, The angel with the millstone.

f. 36r, Above, in the centre, in a mandorla, God enthroned; on either side and below, worshippers; the beasts in the corners.

f. 37r, The Rider on the white horse and his followers; John above, on the left.

f. 37v, On left, the angel; on the right, in a tree and on the ground the fowls, and a rabbit in a hole.

f. 38r, A king and warriors kneeling; angels smite them from above; in the centre, a beast rises out of the earth and birds devour the slain; on the right, the Rider on the white horse.

f. 38v, Above, the angel with key, below, the dragon chained; in the centre, the locked door, and on the right, three souls look out of the mouth of hell.

f. 39r, Six judges seated; on the right, an angel raises the souls of the slain witnesses.

f. 40r, Above, in the centre, in a mandorla, God enthroned, with the books; on either side worshippers; below, souls in the mouth of hell.

f. 40v (top), An angel on the left; the new heaven and earth (three trees).

f. 40v (bottom), John on the left; the angel on a mound: the new Jerusalem.

f. 41v, John on the left; the angel above points to the walls of the new Jerusalem.

f. 43v, Above, in an inverted arc of rainbow, God the Father, holds the Lamb; below, John on the left; the city and the tree of life; in front, the river.

f. 44v, John on the left, raised by the angel; above, the head of God.

f. 45r, John kneels before Christ.