Royal MS 20 A XII

'LIVRE DE SENECQUE des quatre vertus cardinales': French translation of the Formula Honestae Vitae, or De quattuor virtutibus of Pseudo-Seneca (S. Martin of Braga, see 8 A. XXI, art. 26, &c.), with dedication to Jean, Duc de Berry. The evidence as to the date and authorship of the translation, which is interspersed with commentary, is conflicting. It is ascribed in the present MS. and in Add. MS. 19900 to Laurens du Premierfait (see 14 E. V, 19 E. I, &c.), but these and the third Museum copy, Harley MS. 4329, in which it is not ascribed, are all of the latter half of the 15th cent. One Paris MS., Bibl. Nat. fonds fr. 1091, also attributes it to the same author; but in three Paris MSS., Bibl. Nat. fonds fr. 581, 1020, and Bibl. de l'Arsenal 5767, it is attributed to Jean Courtecuisse, afterwards (1421-1423) Bishop of Paris, and is said to have been made in 1403. Another MS. in the Bibl. Nationale, fonds fr. 190, gives the translator's name as Jehan Trousseau and the date 1372. It is printed in Vérards edition of Orosius, Paris, [1491?] without attribution but with a different preface addressed to Charles VIII, and imperfect at the end. On the other hand, in Les euures de Senecque translateez de latin en francoys par maistre Laurens de Premierfait, printed also for Vérard [1500 ?], is a translation, with a preface addressed to the Dukes of Berry and Orleans, which differs entirely from the present. Paulin Paris (Les MSS. François, ii, p. 121), L. Delisle (Cabinet des MSS., i, p. 60), and H. Hauvette (De Laurentio de Primofato, Paris, 1903, p. 19) support the claim of Courtecuisse, but the matter is obscure. Preface beg. 'A treshault et trespuissant prince Jehan filz de roy de France Duc de Berri . . . Combien mon tresredoubte seigneur que je soye tousiours tresuolentif'; text, 'Quatre manieres des vertus nous sont par moult de saiges moustrees'. Text ends 'paresche qui est deffaillant'; commentary, 'Et pour ce parle il par disiunction'. Colophon, 'Cy fine le liure de Senecque des quattre principales vertus translate de Latin en Francois par maistre Lorent de Premierfait'.

The fly-leaves (ff. i, 46) are from a 15th cent. deed in French containing mention of Ian de Tuc, bailiff of - in Flanders, and the Bishop of Tournay.

Vellum; ff. i + 46. 91/2 in. x 61/2 in. End of the XV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (last⁶). Sec. fol. Ides bons'. Coarse miniature (f. 1) of the Duke seated, receiving the book from the translator; two courtiers standing on his l. Border in Flemish style of flowers, fruit, &c., in perspective on a pale gold ground. Small illuminated initials. Not in the old catalogues.