Royal MS 20 B I

'FLAUE VEGESCE de la choze de cheualerie': the French translation [by Jean de Vignay ?] of the De Re Militari of Vegetius, see above, 17 E. V, art. 2. For certain difficulties in the attribution to J. de Vignay, arising from the early date of one of the Cambridge MSS. (Caius College, 424), see P. Meyer in Romania, xxxvi (1907), p. 523. In the present MS., though the language is somewhat modernized as compared with the Caius MS., it is much less so than in 17 E. V. The text is preceded by a table to the chapters of the four books, 'Ci commencent les tytrez qui sont diz lez reberches [i.e. rubriches] des chapistres du liure qui est nomme Flaue Vegesce' (&c.). Translator's preface beg. 'Ainsi comme dit selonc le philosophe lettre si est garde destoire'; author's preface, 'Es anciens temps fu continuee lestude'; text, 'Nous ne veons par nulle autre chose le peuple Rommain'. Ends 'que lancienne doctrine nen a moustre. Explicit Vegesce de cheualerie'.

A brief English abstract of the contents of the four books is appended (f. 31 b) in a 15th cent. hand.

Vellum; ff. ii + 31. 10 in. x 63/4 in. First half of XIV cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (ii-iv lettered a-c), with catchwords. Double columns. Sec. fol. in table '-pistres du secont'; in text 'Es anciens'. Miniatures and initials to each book and border (f. 1) illuminated probably in England; other initials flourished in red and blue. The subjects of the miniatures are:-

1. Two compartments, each representing a kneeling figure (author and translator ?) offering the book to a king (or emperor?). In the border are six heads, some of them crowned. f. 1.

2. Two knights meeting. f. 10.

3. A king, with orb in band, giving instruction. f. 15.

4. Siege of a castle. f. 25 b.

On ff. i b, ii are scribblings (15th cent.) relating to bonds of a London goldsmith, but these are probably leaves inserted by a binder. Cat. of 1666, f. 11; not in CMA.