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Royal MS 20 D I
- Record Id:
- 040-002107690
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-002105724
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000338.0x000239
- LARK:
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Royal MS 20 D I
- Title:
- Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César, second redaction
- Scope & Content:
-
This manuscript contains the earliest surviving copy of the second redaction of the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César, probably produced in the 14th century. This version focuses on Troy, eliminating the biblical histories and the history of Alexander and integrates portions of the prose translation of the Roman de Troie (5th version) by Benoit de Sainte-Maure and passages from French translations of Ovid's Heroides (see Jung, La Légende (1996), pp. 440, 506). The revision did not achieve the popularity of the original text (which survives in around seventy manuscripts), and is now preserved in only thirteen manuscripts. The text is drawn from a variety of sources, covering ancient history from Thebes in the time of Oedipus to Rome in the time of Pompey.
Incipit: 'Uns roys estoit adonc en Thebes riches et puissans'; explicit: 'par trestot le monde. Et ce fu lan quil ot vii.e anz que la cite de Rome avoit este conmencie a faire'. Colophon, 'Ici finies les livres des estolres dou conmencement dou monde cest dAdam et de sa lignie et de Noe et de la sene lignie et des xii filz Israel et de la destrucion de Thebes et dou conmencement dou regne de Femnie et lestoire de Troie et dalixandre li grant et de son pere et de Cartaie et dou conmencement de la cite de Rome et des granz batailles que li Romain firent iusque a la naisance nostre seignor Iesu Crist quil conquistret tot le monde'. This colophon follows the colophon of the first recension (cf. Vienna, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek MS. 258).
The direct copies of Royal MS 20 D I, produced in France, are: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, ms. fr. 301, and Stowe MS 54. Paris, ms. fr. 301 was probably illuminated by Perrin Remiet (the 1st painter, according to Avril, 'Trois Manuscrits Napolitains' (1969), see Provenance) and includes four miniatures (ff. 25r, 59r, 134v, 147r) copied from Royal MS 20 D I (ff. 26v, 67r, 154r, 169r).
Decoration:
4 full page miniatures in colours, silver, and gold, damaged (ff. 26v, 67r, 154r, 169r).
297 miniatures in colours, some in colours and gold, in the lower margins.
2 small miniatures in colours, integrated in columns of the text of the Wheel of Fortune (f. 163v) and Ulysses and Penelope (f. 191r).
Numerous instructions to illuminators in French (some of which are transcribed below), some with space left for miniatures (ff. 246v, 249v, 250r, 252r-254v, 255v, 256v-257r, 259v, 261r, 263r, 264v, 266r, 269v, 273v, 274v, 282v, 308v, 311v).
Historiated initials including Helen (f. 27r), Priam (f. 38v), other heroes of the Trojan war (ff. 82v, 86v, 93r, 104v, 109v, 117v, 125v, 130v, 134v, 138v, 140r, 141r, 143v, 145r, 149v, 153v, 155v, 156r, 158r, 172r, 191r), Aeneas (f. 194r), Romulus (f. 223v), and Mithridates (f. 344r).
Numerous ornamental initials in colours and gold, at the beginning of books. Initials in blue with red pen-flourishing or in red with purple pen-flourishing.
According to Avril, 'Trois Manuscrits Napolitains' (1969) and 'Un atelier "picard"' (1986), the illuminations are the work of Neapolitan artists collaborating with a Picard illuminator who was active in Naples (see initials and borders on ff. 246r and 251r). The same artist also illuminated a copy of the Faits des Romains, Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, ms. fr 295, and collaborated with three Italian artists on a breviary, Naples, Biblioteca nazionale, Ms. I. B. 24. According to Sagesse, 'Cristophoro Orimina' (2010), the four full-page miniatures might have been painted by the Neapolitan artist, Cristophoro Orimina.
The subject of miniatures are:
f. 1r, Discovery of infant Oedipus.
f. 2r. Death of Laius.
f. 2v, The Sphinx being slain.
f. 6r, Adrastus disarming Tydeus and Polynices.
f. 8r, Tydeus visiting Eteocles.
f. 10r, Ambush attack on Tydeus.
f. 11r, Tydeus and Lycurgus's daughter.
f. 12v, Adrastus presiding at a council.
f. 15v, Camp of Adrastus; serpent's head being given to the Queen.
f. 16v, Siege of Thebes.
f. 17r, Jocasta reproving Eteocles.
f. 17v, The tame tiger being slain.
f. 18r, Battle-scene.
f. 18v, Chariot of Amphiaraus and a battle scene.
f. 19v, Death of Eteocles and Polynices, three scenes.
f. 20v, Meeting of Adrastus and Theseus, two scenes.
f. 21r, Theseus taking Thebes.
f. 21v, Voyage of Cretans against Athens; land battle.
f. 22r, Minotaur.
f. 22v, Battle-scene.
f, 23v, Battle-scene.
f. 24v, Voyage of Hercules; land battle.
f. 25r, Combat of Theseus and Hercules with two Amazons; peace-making.
f. 25v, Meeting of Hercules and the Queen of the Amazons.
f. 26r, Combat of Hercules with the giant.
f. 26v, Troy, Rome, Constantinople, and Galata (full-page miniature).
f. 33v, Jason in the Argos, yoking the oxen and slaying the dragon.
f. 34v, First expedition against Troy.
f. 35r, Greek army approaching Troy.
f. 35v, Fight of Laomedon and Nestor.
f. 36r, First destruction of Troy.
f. 37v, Medea killing her children in the chariot; Jason mourning at a table.
f. 38r, Hercules slaying the Hydra; Hercules shooting Nessus.
f. 41r, Rebuilding of Troy.
f. 46v, Gift of the Palladium.
f. 47r, Voyage of Paris.
f. 49v, Meeting of Paris and Helen; fight in the temple.
f. 50v, Helen being kidnapped, with an inscription, 'La prise Helene; le castel'.
f. 52v, Priam and Hecuba meeting Paris and Helen.
f. 53r, Marriage of Paris and Helen.
f. 58r, Greek ships at Athens.
f. 60r, Siege of Lyrnessus.
f. 60v, Siege of Tenedos.
f. 61v, Ulysses and Diomedes under the golden pine; and Ulysses and Diomedes being received by Priam.
f. 62v, Achilles fighting with Teuthras, King of Mysia, with an inscription, 'La bataile dachiles et de un roy de Damas'.
f. 66v, Greek fleet (half-page miniature).
f. 67r, Greek fleet at Troy (full-page miniature).
f. 69v, Agamemnon pitching a camp.
f. 70r, The Greek army outside Troy's lines of defence.
f. 72v, Death of Patroclus.
f. 73r, Meriones rescuing the corpse of Patroclus.
f. 74v, Prowess and peril of Hector.
f. 75v, Battle, with an instruction reading, 'Le curre de Fion'.
f. 77v, Greek army led by Thoas fighting the Trojans; Hector asking for reinforcements.
f. 78v, Hector killing Meriones.
f. 79r, A truce between the Greeks and Trojans, with an instruction reading 'La concorde'.
f. 82v, Palace of Priam.
f. 83r, Hector and Achilles fighting.
f. 83v, Prowess of Hector.
f. 87r, Achilles rescuing Agamemnon from Hector.
f. 88r, Menelaus unhorsing Paris in front of Helen.
f. 88v, Thoas and Achilles fighting with Hector.
f. 89v, Hector and Helen; Priam holding a council in his palace.
f. 90v, Hecuba and Helen receiving the Trojan princess.
f. 93v, Hector killing two kings.
f. 94v, A centaur-archer being killed.
f. 95r, Capture of Antenor.
f. 98v, Battle.
f. 99r, Parley of Hector and Achilles.
f. 101v, Cressida received by the Greeks.
f. 102v, Calchas and his daughter, with an instruction reading 'Comme Calcas vint contre sa fille'.
f. 105r, Hector killing Felix and Xanthippus.
f. 105v, Achilles slaying Lychaon and Euphorbius.
f. 106r, Hector and Achilles fighting.
f. 106v, Cressida receiving Troilus's horse.
f. 107r, Troilus unhorsing Achilles.
f. 108r, Hector in the Chamber of Beauty.
f. 110v, Hector and Andromache; Andromache appealing to Priam; Priam forbiding Hector to go to the battle.
f. 111r, Battle.
f. 111v, Troilus and Diomedes fighting.
f. 112r, Battle.
f. 112v, Hector joining the fray.
f. 113r, Hector and Achilles fighting.
f. 113v, Death of Hector.
f. 114r, Hector’s body laid in a tent.
f. 114v, Women mourning over Hector.
f. 117r, Dispute of Palamedes and Agamemnon.
f. 117v, Priam joining the fray.
f. 118r, Sarpedon killing Neoptolemus.
f. 120r, Agamemnon fetching provisions.
f. 121r, Anniversary lamentation over Hector.
f. 122v, Hecuba speaking to Priam.
f. 123v, Achilles holding a council, with an instruction reading 'Le parlement dachilles'.
f. 126r, Prowess of Deiphobus.
f. 126v, Wounding and death-bed of Deiphobus.
f. 127r, Death of Palamedes.
f. 127v, Greeks burning their ships.
f. 128r, Achilles playing chess and the death of Deiphobus.
f. 130v, Trojans issuing from the city.
f. 131r, Battle.
f. 131v Nestor, Diomedes, and Ulysses appealing to Achilles.
f. 134r, Council of the Greeks.
f. 135r, Diomedes being wounded.
f. 135v, Battle.
f. 136r, Diomedes being tended by Cressida.
f. 138v, Agamemnon and Nestor appealing to Achilles; Achilles and Myrmidons.
f. 139r, Prowess of Troilus.
f. 139v, Troilus and queen Hecuba, with an instruction reading. 'Come la reyne desarme Troilus'.
f. 140v, Battle.
f. 141r, Battle.
f. 141v, Achilles receiving his arms.
f. 142r, Achilles and Troilus fighting.
f. 144r, Death of Troilus in battle.
f. 144v, Achilles and Memnon fighting.
f. 145r, Death of Memnon.
f. 145v, Hecuba mourning over Troilus.
f. 146r, Tombs of Troilus and Memnon; Hecuba and Paris.
f. 148r, Murder of Achilles and Antilogus.
f. 148v, Mourning for Achilles; Achilles’s tomb.
f. 149v, Trojans issuing from the city.
f. 150r, Paris attacking the Greeks.
f. 150v, Death of Paris.
f. 151r, Greek camp; Trojans mourning over Paris.
f. 151v, Trojans mourning over Paris; Paris’s tomb.
f. 153r, Priam meeting Penthesilea.
f. 154r, City of Troy with battle scenes below (full-page miniature).
f. 155v, Battle.
f. 156r, Pyrrhus joining the battle.
f. 156v, Pyrrhus unhorsing Polydamas and Philimenes; Penthesilea unhorsing Ajax.
f. 157r, Penthesilea releasing Philimenes; Pyrrhus and Penthesilea giving speeches.
f. 157v, Prowess of Penthesilea.
f. 158r, Death of Penthesilea.
f. 158v, Prowess of Ortia.
f. 159r, Fight of Ortia and Pyrrhus; flight of the Amazons.
f. 159v, Council of the Greeks; Antenor and others addressing Priam.
f. 161r, Plots and councils in Troy.
f. 162r, Antenor with olive branch on the walls of Troy and Antenor in the Greek camp.
f. 164r, Grief of Priam; Helen speaking to Antenor.
f. 165v, Eagle with a human head carrying off Trojan sacrifices; Hecuba offering sacrifice at Hector's tomb.
f. 166r, Theft of the Palladium; the Greeks receiving the Palladium.
f. 166v, Philimenes taking away the body of Penthesilea.
f. 167r, Oaths of the Greeks and Trojans.
f. 167v, The Trojan horse.
f. 168r, The Greeks burning the camp and manning of the fleet.
f. 168v, Return of the Greeks to shore.
f. 169r, The sack of Troy (full-page miniature).
f. 170v, Trojan captives and the Greek council deliberating on their fate.
f. 171r, Finding of Polyxena.
f. 172r, Death of Polyxena.
f. 172r, Death of Hecuba.
f. 174r, Death of Ajax.
f. 175v, Departure of the Greeks.
f. 176r, Departure of Antenor.
f. 176v, Greek ships being wrecked during a storm at sea.
f. 177r, Shipwreck of Ajax Oileus.
f. 178v, Nauplius misleading and attacking the Greek ships.
f. 179r, Death of Assandrus and the murder of Agamemnon.
f. 180r, Battle and the reconciliation of Diomedes and Aegiale.
f. 180v, Death of Clytemnestra and the capture of Aegisthus.
f. 181r, Return of Menelaus and Helen.
f. 181v, Ulysses in Crete.
f. 185r, Ulysses in Ithaca.
f. 185v, Pyrrhus finding Peleus; Pyrrhus slaying Menalippus and Pleisthenes.
f. 186v, Pyrrhus being crowned and the tomb of Memnon.
f. 187r, Pyrrhus and Hermione and the flight of Andromache.
f. 188v, Pyrrhus at Delphi; the murder of Pyrrhus; Peleus and Thetis at Delphi.
f. 189v, Telemachus being imprisoned in Cephalenia; Ulysses building a castle.
f. 190r, Telegonus wounding Ulysses.
f. 191v, Ulysses reconciling Telegonus and Telemachus; the mourning for Ulysses; Telemachus being crowned king of Ithaca.
f. 191v, Landomacha arriving at Troy; battle; Drual being hanged.
f. 192r, Imprisonment of Calchas; Menelaus fleeing and being taken hostage by pirates.
f. 192v, Speech of Landomacha; rebuilding of Troy; Landomacha getting married.
f. 193r, Wars of Landomacha; the king of Georgia ceding his lands; the king of Armenia in a mountain fortress.
f. 193v, Imprisonment of the king of Armenia and the tomb of the king of Armenia; Landomacha and Thamyris and the tombs of Landomacha and Thamyris.
f. 194r, Voyage of Aeneas from Troy.
f. 196v, Aeneas arriving to shore.
f. 197r, Dido greeting Aeneas and a banquet.
f. 199r, Suicide of Dido; Aeneas sailing at sea.
f. 200v, Building of Aegesta; fire on the ships.
f. 201r, Theseus slaying the Minotaur; Ariadne.
f. 202r, Aeneas and his companions having a meal at the sea shore and eating their plates (illustration of Iulus, Aeneas 's son’s words: ‘Heus, etiam mensas consumimus’, Virgil, Aeneid, 7.116).
f. 202v, Building of Lavinium.
f. 205r, Turnus besieging Ascanius.
f. 206r, Sortie of Nisus and Euryalus.
f. 206v, Nisus slaying Volscens.
f. 207v, Turnus pursuing a phantom Aenas.
f. 209v, Turnus speaking to Latinus; Camilla and her followers.
f. 210r, Death of Camilla.
f. 211r, Battle.
f. 212r, Battle.
f. 212v, Death of Turnus.
f. 215r, Exposure of the infant Cyrus.
f. 216r, Persians being rallied by their women.
f. 217v, Cyrus’s surprise attack.
f. 218v, Cyrus attacked by Tomyris and the death of Cyrus.
f. 219v, Battle with Amazons (?).
f. 221v, Expedition of Xerxes.
f. 222r, Leonidas attacking the Persians.
f. 222v, Battle of Salamis.
f. 223r, Battle of Plataea.
f. 224r, Exposure of Romulus and Remus.
f. 225r, Building of Rome and the death of Remus.
f. 225v, Rome and the rape of the Sabines.
f. 227r, Battle with the Sabines.
f. 227v, Rape and suicide of the Sabines.
f. 231v, Fight with the Tarquins.
f. 232v, Coriolanus being petitioned by his mother.
f. 233v, The Fabii at Cremera.
f. 235r, Death of Virginia.
f. 136v, Battle with Brennus.
f. 237r, Gauls in Rome.
f. 239v, Curtius descending into the earth.
f. 240v, Torquatus fighting with the Gauls.
f. 242r, Corvinus fighting with the Gauls.
f. 244v, Battle with the Samnites.
f. 246r, Theatre at Tarentum and a naval battle.
f. 247v, Battle with Pyrrhus and elephants.
f. 248v, Pyrrhus receiving envoys.
f. 249r, Rout of the elephants.
f. 251r, Battle with the Carthaginians.
f. 257v, Battle with the king of Corsica and Sardinia, with an instruction reading, 'Uno bataille en mer de Romains contre Haimanem le roy de Corce et de Serdaigne qui i fu mors.'
f. 258r, Naval battle.
f. 259v, Regulus and the serpent.
f. 259r, Battle before Carthage.
f. 260r, Naval battle.
f, 263v, Naval battle.
f. 264r, Naval battle.
f. 267v, Death of Hamilcar.
f. 269r, Defeat of the Gauls.
f. 270v, Hannibal's ships; Hannibal addressing his troops.
f. 271r, Siege of Saguntum.
f. 272r, Taking of Saguntum.
f. 273r, Hannibal passing the Mons Jovis.
f. 274r, Battle of Ticinus.
f. 275v, Hannibal and his elephants crossing the Alps in winter.
f. 276r, Battle of Trasimenus.
f. 277r, Battle of Cannae.
f. 279r, Battle of Nola.
f. 279v, Defeat of Hasdrubal in Spain.
f. 280v, Hannibal before Rome.
f. 281r, A storm separating the armies.
f. 282r, Battle between Hannibal and the Romans, with an instruction reading, ‘Bataille pres dune montaigne de Hanibal et des Rommains qui furent desconfit.'
f. 283v, The Romans and the Carthaginians prisoners; and Romans attacking a city, with an instruction reading, 'Comment li Romain pristrent la cite de Marroc et manderent les gens prisons a Rome.'
f. 284r, Battle of Baecula.
f. 284v, Capture of Tarentum by the Romans.
f. 285r, Battle and siege of a city.
f. 286r, Battle of Metaurus.
f. 288r, Scipio defeating Hasdrubal and Syphax.
f. 290r, Parley of Hannibal and Scipio.
f. 291r, Battle of Zama.
f. 292r, Scipio entering Carthage and burning the ships.
f. 296r, Glabrio defeating Antiochus.
f. 296v, Sea battle with Hannibal.
f. 297r, Sea battle with Hannibal.
f. 297v, Sea battle with Hannibal and the suicide of Hannibal.
f. 298r, Defeat of the Galatians.
f. 299v, Battle of Pydna.
f. 300v, Triumph of Aemilius Paulus.
f. 302v, Combat of Scipio Africanus minor and a Celtiberian.
f. 304r, Carthaginians surrendering their arms and forging new ones.
f. 305r, Siege of Carthage.
f. 306r, Siege of Carthage.
f. 306v, Sale of captives and the burning of Carthage.
f. 307v, Siege of Corinth.
f. 309r, Battle of Appius Claudius Pulcher with the Gauls.
f. 311r, Battle of Mancinus with the Numantines.
f. 314r, Battle of Scipio before Numantia.
f. 315r, Battle of Scipio before Numantia.
f. 316v, Sortie from Numantia.
f. 317r, Burning of Numantia.
f. 319r, Taking of a castle in the Servile War.
f. 320r, Battle of Publius Crassus and Aristonicus.
f. 323v, Building of Carthage, with an instruction reading, 'Comme Cartage fu restoree'.
f. 324v, Death of Caius Gracchus.
f. 327r, Battle of king Marcius with the Gauls.
f. 330v, Battle with Jugurtha.
f. 332r, Triumph of Marius.
f. 334v, Defeat of Caepio by the Gauls.
f. 335v, Battle of Aquae Sextiae.
f. 336r, Suicide of the women of the Teutones.
f. 337r, Death of the Cimbrian women.
f. 338r, Revolt of Saturninus in Rome.
f. 340r, Caesar defeated at Samnium.
f. 341r, Siege of Asculum.
f. 342v, Sulpicius Rufus defeating the Marsi.
f. 343v, Battle in Thrace.
f. 345v, Battle between Sertorius and Octavius in the Forum.
f. 347r, Victory of Sulla at the Colline Gate.
f. 347v, Death of Marius the younger.
f. 348v, Pompeius defeating Domitius.
f. 349v, Battle between Pompeius and Sertorius.
f. 351r, Siege of a city in Spain.
f. 354r, Defeat of Archelaus at Chaeronea.
f. 356r, Lucullus's messenger entering Cyzicus.
f. 357r, Defeat of Varius off Lemnos.
f. 358r, Pompeius destroying the pirates.
f. 359r, Night-attack on Mithridates.
f. 361r, Suicide of Mithridates.
f. 361v, Siege of a city in Syria.
f. 362v, Pompeius in Jerusalem.
f. 363r, Triumph of Pompeius.
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Royal Collection
Royal Manuscripts Digitisation Project - Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002105724
040-002107690 - Is part of:
- Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X : Royal Manuscripts
Royal MS 20 D I : Histoire ancienne jusqu'à César, second redaction - Hierarchy:
- 032-002105724[1831]/040-002107690
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
-
363 folios.
- Digitised Content:
- http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?ref=Royal_MS_20_D_I (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- French
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1325
- End Date:
- 1345
- Date Range:
- c 1330-c 1340
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
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- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Parchment codex.
Dimensions: 335 x 235 mm (text space: 215 x 140 mm).
Foliation: ff. [iii] + i + 363 + [iii] (f. i is a medieval parchment flyleaf; all unfoliated flyleaves are medieval parchment leaves).
Collation: i-ii8 (ff. 1-16); iii4 (ff. 17-20); iv6 (ff. 21-26); v-xxiv8 (ff. 27-186); xxv8-1 (ff. 187-193); xxvi-xxvii8 (ff. 194-209); xxviii6 (ff. 210-215); xxix-xxxi8 (ff. 216-239); xxxii6 (ff. 240-245); xxxiii-xlvi8 (ff. 246-357); xlvii8-2 (ff. 358-303). Catchwords and bifolium signatures. Correction sign 'cor xxvii' (f. 254v).
Layout: Written in two columns of variable number of lines.
Script: Gothic.
Binding: British Museum/British Library in-house binding. Gilt edges.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin: Italy (Naples).
Provenance: a member of the Anjou family of Naples (perhaps Robert of Anjou (b. 1277, d. 1343), king of Naples and titular king of Jerusalem): the arms of Anjou, Anjou-Naples, Anjou-Hungary, and Anjou quartered with Provence, assigned to Greek heroes in the miniatures (e.g., ff. 21v, 35r, 35v, 88r), with the modified arms of Jerusalem (f. 138v).
Charles V (b. 1338, d. 1380), king of France: the manuscript can be identified with the 'Dez faiz de Troye, des Roumains, de Thèbes, de Alexandre le Grant, hystorié au commencement, escript de lettre boulenoise, et sont les ystoires par les marges très anciennes' listed in the catalogue of his Louvre library composed after his death in 1380, no. 93 (see Delisle, Recherches (1907), II, no 1211).
Charles VI, king of France: inherited by him with the Louvre Library; a note in the catalogue of 1380 recording a withdrawal of the manuscript by the king before his pilgrimage to Mont Saint-Michel, c. 1393-1394, 'Le roy le print quant il ala au Mont Saint Michel' (See Avril, 'Trois Manuscrits Napolitains' (1969)).
Jean of Valois, (b. 1340, d.1416), duke of Berry: included in the inventory of his library of 1413, no. 61: 'Item un livre des Histoires de Troye, d'Alixandre et des mains, ouquel fault le commancement, lequel fut du roy, et au commancement du secont feuillet a escript: etfait; et est couvert de cuir vert, fermant à deux fermouers de laton' (see Delisle, Recherches (1907), II, no 226).
Renaut (or Regnault) du Montet, Parisian libraire, probably responsible for supervising the production of the copy of this manuscript, identified with Paris, Bibliothèque nationale, fr. 301: a note recording a missing quire in his possession that was given to the Parisian illuminator Perrin Remiet (or Remy), active 1368, or c. 1396-1420 : 'Ci faut le secomt cayer que maistre Renaut doit avoir, qui fut baille / a Perrin Remiet po[ur] faire lenluminure de lautre cayer' (f. 8r); probably to be identified with the Neapolitan manuscript copied for Jean, duke of Berry, for which Bureau de Dampmartin, duke's agent, paid an unnamed libraire in 1402 (see Rouse and Rouse, Manuscripts (2000), I).
List of contents, 15th century (f. i verso).
Inscribed: 'Vive le roy noble Henry / O misericordia of the Taxe', 15th century (f. i recto).
The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): probably to be identified with 'La destruction de Thebes' included in the list of books in Henry VIII' library at Richmond Palace of 1535, no. 104; and in the catalogue of 1666, Royal Appendix 71, f. 11r.
Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.
- Source of Acquisition:
- Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.
- Administrative Context:
- Italy (Naples).
- Information About Copies:
-
Full digital coverage available for this manuscript, see Digitised Manuscripts http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/.
- Publications:
-
P. Meyer, 'Les premières compilations françaises d'histoire ancienne', Romania, 14 (1885), 36-81 (p. 50).
H. Omont, 'Les manuscrits français des rois d'Angleterre au château de Richmond', in Etudes romanes dédiés à Gaston Paris (Paris: É. Bouillon, 1891), pp. 1-13 (p. 11).
Léopold Delisle, Recherches sur la Librairie de Charles V, 2 vols (Paris: Champion, 1907), II, nos. 226, 1211.
George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), II, pp. 375-77.
Fritz Saxl and Hans Meier, Catalogue of Astrological and Mythological Illuminated Manuscripts of the Latin Middle Ages, 4 vols (London: The Warburg Institute, 1953), III: Manuscripts in English Libraries, pp. 223-42.
Fritz Saxl, 'The Troy Romance in French and Italian Art', in Lectures, 2 vols (London: Warburg Institute, 1957), I, pp. 125-38 (pp. 135-36).
Robert L. Wyss, Dei Caesarteppiche und ihr ikonographiches Verhältnis zur Illustration der 'Faits des Romains' im 14. und 15. Jahrhundert (Bern: K. J. Wyss, 1957), p. 61.
François Avril, 'Trois Manuscrits Napolitains des Collections de Charles V et de Jean de Berry', Bibliothèque de l'École des Chartes, 127 (1969), 291-328 (p. 295 n. 3, 300-07, 309, 311-14).
Hugo Buchthal, Historia Troiana: Studies in the History of Mediaeval Secular Illustration (London: The Warburg Institute, 1971), pp. 16, 30, 33, 36, 39, 41.
Jaroslav Folda, Crusader Manuscript Illumination at Saint-Jean d'Acre, 1275-1291 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976), p. 142, n. 114.
Bernhard Degenhart and Annegrit Schmitt, 'Frühe angiovinische Buchkunst in Neapel', in Festschrift Wolfgang Braunfels, ed. by Friedrich Piel and Jörg Träger (Tübingen: Wasmuth, 1977), pp. 71-92 (pp. 71, 88, n. 2).
Patrick de Winter, 'Copistes, éditeurs et enlumineurs de la fin du XIVe siècle: La production à Paris de manuscrit à miniatures', in Actes des 100e congrès national des Sociétés Savantes, Paris 1975 (Paris 1978) 173-98 (p. 176, n. 2).
Janet Backhouse, The Illuminated Manuscript (Oxford: Phaidon, 1979), pl. 45.
Bernhard Degenhart and Annegrit Schmitt, Corpus der Italienischen Zeichnungen 1300-1450, part 2 in two volumes (Berlin: Gerb. Mann, 1980), II, p. 279.
Clem C. Williams, 'A case of Mistaken Identity: Still Another Trojan Narrative in Old French Prose', Medium Aevum, 53 (1984) 59-72 (pp. 60, 61, 62).
François Avril, 'Un atelier 'picard' à la cour Angevins de Naples', in 'Nobile claret opus': Festgabe für Frau Prof. Dr. Ellen Judith Beer zum 60. Geburstag, Zeitschrift für Schweizerishe Archäologie und Kunstgeschichte, 43 (1986), pp. 76-85 (p. 76, fig. 2).
Fake? The Art of Deception, ed. by Mark Jones, Paul Craddock, and Nicolas Barker (London: British Museum, 1990), no. 37 [exhibition catalogue].
Jonathan J. G. Alexander, Medieval Illuminators and their Methods of Work (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992), pp. 50 n. 85, 135, fig. 231.
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- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)