Royal MS 19 B XVII

'LA LEGENDE DOREE en francois que frere Iehan de Vignay translata de latin en francois' (so colophon): version made circ. 1340 of the Legenda Aurea of Jacobus de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa (cf. 10 B. XII, art. 3, &c.). The transiator mentions his previous translation of 'Le mireoir des hystoires du monde' for Jeanne de Bourgogne (d. 1348), wife of Philip VI of France. The festivals of the church are arranged in their calendar order among the saints, as in the Latin text of Graesse's edition (1846) and the French text of the Lyons ed. of 1483, not grouped at the beginning as in the earlier French ed. [1480?]. The additional series of saints which follows the Dedication of a Church in Graesse and the 1480 ed. is not included, though the name of one of them, S. Eloy, appears here in the table of contents (f. 3, after S. Andrew), but with no corresponding legend in the text. The table also includes S. Tiburtien (after S. Laurence) who is not in the text, but omits S. Machaire who does appear in his proper place. Ff. 33, 34 are wrongly bound and should precede f. 31. Other copies are in Add. MS. l6907, Egerton MS. 645, and Stowe MSS. 50, 51 (two vols., apparently the source of the ed. of 1480?). Translator's prologue (f. 2) beg. 'Monseigneur saint Ieroisme dit ceste auctorite'; author's prologue, 'Tout le temps de ceste uie est deuise en iiii. parties'; text (f. 5), 'Lauenement nostre seigneur est fait par iiii. semaines'. Ends 'habiter en dieu par gloire, la quelle chose cilz nous veulle donner qui vit et regne par tous les siecles des siecles. Amen'. Colophon, 'Ci fenist la legende' (&c., as above), followed by the rubric 'Ceste legende fut escripte lan mil ccc. quatre vins et deus'.

Vellum; ff. 355. 12 in. x 81/2 in. A. D. 1382. Written and illuminated in France. Gatherings (beg. f. 5) of 8 leaves, lettered, with catchwords. Double columns. Sec. fol. in preface '-ces en ce temps'; in text 'doctour'. Good French illuminated initials, miniatures, and partial borders. The first miniature and the four compartments of the second are enclosed in frames made of tricoloured bands of the same shape as in 15 D. VII, 16 G. VII. The others (square frames, backgrounds in squares or diaper, or brocaded, rarely of gold) are not quite so good. The subjects are:-

1. S. Jerome seated: an angel giving him a scroll. f. 2.

2. In four compartments (ace plate 108), viz.:-(a) Coronation of the Virgin: a curtain behind supported by angels;-(b) Men saints in two groups: in front of the l. group SS. Peter and Paul;-(c) Women saints in two groups: S. Agnes on the l., S. Catharine on the r.,-(d) The Last judgement: the Virgin baring her breast and S. John interceding. In the centre between the four compartments is Christ in Glory; between the outer edges of the compartments the emblems of the Evangelists, with minute scrolls of their names' f. 5.

3. S. Andrew with small saltire cross. f. 9 b.

4. S. Nicholas and the three children in the tub. f. 14.

5. Incredulity of S. Thomas. f. 18b.

6. The Nativity. f. 21 b.

7. Martyrdom of S. Stephen. f. 26.

8. S. John Baptist with Holy Lamb (by mistake for the Evangelist). f. 28.

9. Slaughter of the Innocents. Herod, in red, seated on l.: an executioner holding one child: mother seated on r. f. 30 b.

10. S. Thomas of Canterbury standing, with cross and book. f.33 b.

11. The Circumcision. f. 36 b.

12. The Epiphany. f. 39 b.

13. S. Hilary standing, with crozier and book. f. 44.

14. S. Marcellus saying mass: the lady kneeling. f. 46.

15. S. Antony with T on shoulder, staff and book, standing in fire. f. 46.

16. S. Sebastian between two archers. f. 48.

17. S. Agnes with lamb, book, and palm. f. 50.

18. S. Vincent with book, in a blue dalmatic fringed with gold. f. 51 b.

19. S. John the Almoner kneeling before the Virgin, who is crowned and carries a palm branch. f. 55 b.

20. S. Paula at the Holy Sepulchre. f. 59.

21. S. Julian killing his parents. f. 61 b.

22. Septuagesima. A bishop preaching. f. 63b.

23. Candlemas. Presentation in the Temple. f. 68.

24. S. Agatha in prison visited by S. Peter and attendant with candle and box of medicine. f. 73.

25. S. Peter in cathedra. f. 76 b.

26. The apostles in prayer to God: behind, unnimbed, SS. Matthias and Joseph Barsabas. f. 78 b.

27. S. Gregory inspired by the Dove. f. 80 b.

28. Installation of S. Benedict. f. 86 b.

29. The Annunciation. f. 91.

30. The Crucifixion. f. 94.

31. The Resurrection. f. 99.

32. Consecration of S. Ambrose. f. 105.

33. S. George in armour riding over the dragon: the princess kneeling on l. f. 109 34. S. Mark with scroll and emblem. f. 111.

35. Decoliation of S. Marcellinus, the Pope. f. 113 b.

36. Death of S. Peter Martyr. f. 116 b.

37. S. Philip standing bound before the statue of Mars, from which a dragon flies overhead: Scythians on r. f. 122.

38. S. James the Less, standing, with book. f. 122 b.

39. Invention of the Cross. S. Helena and attendants on l. direct Judas, who is digging out the Cross: a devil behind. f. 126.

40. S. John in cauldron over a fire: two attendants, one with bellows, the other with ladle. f. 129.

41. The Ascension. f. 131 b.

42. Descent of the Holy Ghost. f. 135.

43. S. Barnabas standing, with book. f. 143 b.

44. Nativity of S. John Baptist child in cradle, angel above. f. 148- 45. Martyrdom of S. Peter. f. 153 b.

46. S. Paul with sword. £ 159.

47. S. Margaret, holding a cross, issuing from the back of a dragon. f. 167 b.

48. S. Alexis led into a church. f. 168 b.

49. S. Mary Magdalene holding a box of ointment. f. 170 b.

50. S. James with staff and book and shell on hat. f. 176 b.

51. S. Christopher. f. 180.

52. S. Martha with aspergillum, holding the dragon by her girdle. f. 186.

53. S. Peter, holding key, led out of prison by an angel. f. 190 b.

54. Invention of S. Stephen. f. 193.

55. S. Laurence in dalmatic, holding gridiron and book. f. 204.

56. S. Hippolytus torn by horses. f. 209 b.

57. The Assumption: unusual form of mandorla resembling gathered frilling. f. 216.

58. S. Bernard preaching. f. 220 b.

59. S. Bartholomew with knife and book. f. 225 b.

60. Herodias receiving S. John Baptist's head from Salome. f. 235 b.

61. S. Lupus with book and cross. f. 240 b.

62. S. Giles caressing hind with his r. hand and holding arrow in his l. f. 242.

63. Nativity of the Virgin. f. 243.

64. S. Chrysostom reading. f. 253b.

65. S. Matthew writing. f. 260.

66. SS. Cosmas and Damian seated, with caskets. f. 266.

67. S. Michael transfixing dragon with his cross. f. 268 b.

68. S. Jerome, as monk, seated, with lion. f. 273 b.

69. S. Remi standing, in mitre and cope (pluviale), with cross. f. 276.

70. S. Francis of Assisi teaching friars. f. 277 b.

71. S. Margarita called Pelagius (probably a variant of S. Maria called Marinus, see Acta SS. 17 July) seated in a small fenced hermitage. f. 283 b.

72. Decollation of SS Dionysus, Rusticus, and Eleutherius. f. 285 b.

73. S. Leonard standing, holding the chains of two kneeling prisoners. f. 289.

74. S. Luke seated, with scroll and emblem. f. 291.

75. SS. Simon and Jude with spear and book. f. 297.

76. All Saints: S. Peter with book and key, and S. Paul with sword, in the front row. f. 302 b.

77. All Souls. Office of the dead. f. 306 b.

78. S. Martin on horseback, dividing his cloak with beggar. f. 312.

79. S. Clement, with one key, holding the hand of S. Peter, who carries two. f. 323.

80. S. Catharine: wheel in r., palm in l. hand. f. 327 b.

The outer half of f. 355 (perhaps with original ownership note) has been torn off. On the fly-leaf (f. 1 b) are illuminated the arms of Beaufort, Quarterly, France and England, all within a bordure gobony arg. and az., surmounted by a ducal coronet. The page is filled with a design of sprigs of red roses, &c., in which the badge, a portcullis or, chained arg., occurs four times, and the motto on four scrolls 'Me sovent sovant'. The Beauforts who bore or claimed the title of Duke of Somerset were John 1443-1444, Edmund 1448-1455, Henry 1455-1464, and Edmund 1464-1471. The motto was afterwards used (in a slightly altered form 'Souente me souenne') by Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, whose mother was a daughter of Edmund, 2nd Duke of Somerset (see Cotton MS. Vespasian F. XIII, f. 53). On f. 5 is the autograph inscription, 'My tryst ys. Arundell', of Thomas Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel (1488-1524). The MS., however, does not appear to have belonged to his grandson Henry Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, or to Lord Lumley, but is probably no. 119 of the MSS. of Henry VIII at Richmond Palace in 1535 (see 15 D. I) ; cat of 1666, f. 11 b; not in CMA.