Hard-coded id of currently selected item: . JSON version of its record is available from Blacklight on e.g. ??
Metadata associated with selected item should appear here...
Royal MS 20 D II
- Record Id:
- 040-002107691
- Hierarchy Root Ancestor Record Id:
- 032-002105724
- MDARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100000000338.0x00023a
- LARK:
- ark:/81055/vdc_100182437155.0x000001
- SLARK:
- Format:
- ISAD(G)
- Reference (shelfmark):
- Royal MS 20 D II
- Title:
- Le Roman de Tristan en prose
- Scope & Content:
-
This manuscript contains a copy of the second part of Le Roman de Tristan en prose, attributed to Hélie de Borron (fl. 13th century), and written in Middle French prose.
Contents:
ff. 2r-315r: Le Roman de Tristan en prose, written in Middle French, imperfect at the beginning, lacking the first section; the text beginning, 'Or dit li contes que quant li rois Marc ot abatu monsengnor Y[vein]', and ending, 'et de la furent trouvees a porter premierement robes noires. Explicit', and a colophon, 'Ci faut li romanz de Tristran et diseult la b[l]onde de Cornoalle'. At the top of the last leaf (f. 315) several lines are torn from each column.
The manuscript contains a number of added texts:
f. 1r: A set of verses on prognostication for the year beginning on the 1st of January, attributed here to the prophet Ezekiel, written in Middle French; the text beginning, 'En terre de labour et de promission'; added in a 14th-century hand.
f. 1v: A rondeau in Middle French, beginning, 'De bien seruir a mon pouoir Ie feray mon leal deuoir'; added in a 15th-century hand.
f. 315r-v: Added pen-trial in various hands.
Decoration:
According to Jaroslav Folda, the manuscript's artist worked in Paris and his style closely resembles that of the artist of historiated initials in Tours, Bibl. Mun. MS 951 (Vulgate Lancelot-Grail cycle) and Brussels, Bibl. Roy., MS 9492-3 (Histoire d'Outremer) (see Fulda, Crusader Manuscript Illumination (1976), pp. 121-24, 126, 128, 151, 197-98, no. 15).
60 large historiated initials in colours and gold (ff. 2r, 6v, 7v, 10v, 13v (x 2), 15v, 19v, 22v, 24r, 25v, 28r, 30r, 31v, 33r, 38v, 39r, 39v, 42v, 56r, 61v, 70v, 73v, 74v, 99v, 102r, 107v, 111v, 161v, 174r, 176r, 185r, 188v, 223r, 225r, 228v, 238r, 245r, 252v (x 2), 253v, 254r, 261v, 265r, 267v, 270v, 276r, 276v, 278r, 283r, 290v, 291v (x 2), 292r, 301r, 303v, 308r, 310v, 311r, 314v).
3 large initials in colours and gold with partial bar borders and foliate and/or zoomorphic motifs (ff. 123r, 139v, 146v).
Initials in gold on pink and blue grounds. Very small initials in gold with blue pen-flourishing (f. 171r-v).
The subjects of the historiated initials are as follows:
f. 2r: King Mark defeats Yvain of the white hands.
f. 6v: Gaheriet bids King Mark farewell.
f. 7v: Keu and King Mark hold a shield.
f. 10v: Three knights riding.
f. 13v: Dynas meets Keus and Gaheriet; they dine with him.
f. 15v: Tristan in prison with Palamedes and Dynadan.
f. 19v: Tristan on horseback before a prison door.
f. 22v: Tristan as a meal in a noble's house.
f. 24r: Tristan on horseback, with two figures.
f. 25v: A tournament.
f. 28r: Tristan and Palamedes talking.
f. 30r: Tristan with a maiden who is lamenting over the body of a knight.
f. 31v: Tristan talks to a widow.
f. 33r: Tristan rides away from his companion (Keu or Dynadan)
f. 38v: Tristan before Arthur with a book; ?Morholt in the background.
f. 39r: A valet tells King Mark about Tristan's deeds.
f. 39v: King Mark gives instructions to his agents.
f. 42v: King Mark with Lamorat who is sorrowful.
f. 56r: Four knights beaten by Palamedes.
f. 61v: Palamedes and Dynadan stand beside their horses.
f. 70v: Gawain speaking to his fellow knights.
f. 73v: King Mark and King Arthur talk.
f. 74v: King Arthur and knights lament Tristan's departure.
f. 99v: King Mark seated at table (damaged).
f. 102: Tristan and Yseult with Lancelot at Logres.
f. 107v: Tristan on horseback blowing his horn.
f. 111v: Tristan and Yseult are reunited.
f. 161v: Palamedes and the two kings riding.
f. 174r: A hermit speakikng to King Arthur.
f. 176r: Arthur and one of the twelve kings crowned at Camelot.
f. 185r: Galaad takes leave of his companions.
f. 188v: Galaad rescues Melian.
f. 223r: Galaad rides with a squire.
f. 225r: Perceval and Galaad fight with swords.
f. 228v: Perceval speaks to an anchoress.
f. 238r: Lancelot stays with a hermit.
f. 245r: Boors meets a cleric.
f. 252v: Galaad finds the head of Lancelot's grandfather at a boiling spring; he tests the water with his hand.
f. 253v: Galaad at a tournament.
f. 254r: Galaad rides in front of Lancelot.
f. 261v: Galaad with a hermit.
f. 265r: Galaad, Boors and Perceval on the shore beside a boat.
f. 267v: The Temptation of Adam and Eve.
f. 270v: Galaad, Boors and Perceval on a boat at sea.
f. 276r: Boors bids farewell to his companion.
f. 276v: King Mark misses Yseult.
f.. 278r: Galaad rides out.
f. 283r: Galaad arrives at a monastery.
f. 290v: Lancelot in a boat at sea with his horse.
f. 291v: Galaad and a companion find Tristan lying wounded in bed; Mark in a boat with a companion.
f. 292r: Tristan rides out.
f. 301r: Mark at Yseults's tomb (damaged).
f. 303v: Galaad is offered a meal in the home of a young widow with two children.
f. 308r: Lancelot's boat arrives at Corbenic.
f. 310v: Palamedes at Arthur's court.
f. 311r: Galaad embraces the blind King Mordrain
f. 314v: A knight arrives by boat from Camelot.
- Collection Area:
- Western Manuscripts
- Project / Collection:
- Royal Collection
- Hierarchy Record Ids:
- 032-002105724
040-002107691 - Is part of:
- Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X : Royal Manuscripts
Royal MS 20 D II : Le Roman de Tristan en prose - Hierarchy:
- 032-002105724[1832]/040-002107691
- Container:
- View / search within Archive / Collection: Royal MS 1 A I-20 E X
- Record Type (Level):
- File
- Extent:
-
1 volume
- Digitised Content:
- http://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_100182437155.0x000001 (digital images currently unavailable)
- Thumbnail:
-
- Languages:
- French, Middle
- Scripts:
- Latin
- Start Date:
- 1295
- End Date:
- 1305
- Date Range:
- c 1300
- Era:
- CE
- Access:
-
Please request the physical items you need using the online collection item request form.
Digitised items can be viewed online by clicking the thumbnail image or digitised content link.
Readers who have registered or renewed their pass since 21 March 2024 can request physical items prior to visiting the Library by completing
this request form.
Please enter the Reference (shelfmark) above on the request form.If your Reader Pass was issued before this date, you will need to visit the Library in London or Yorkshire to renew it before you can request items online. All manuscripts and archives must be consulted at the Library in London.
This catalogue record may describe a collection of items which cannot all be requested together. Please use the hierarchy viewer to navigate to individual items. Some items may be in use or restricted for other reasons. If you would like to check the availability, contact our Reference Services team, quoting the Reference (shelfmark) above.
- User Conditions:
- Letter of introduction required to view this manuscript.
- Physical Characteristics:
-
Materials: Parchment.
Dimensions: 335 x 230mm (text space: 265 x 160mm), written in two columns.
Foliation: ff. 315 (+ 1 unfoliated paper and 1 unfoliated parchment flyleaf at the beginning and at the end).
Horizontal catchwords. Quire signatures.
Script: Gothic.
Binding: British Museum in-house. Brown half-leather binding, with the Royal arms and the date 1757 gold-stamped on the upper and lower covers. Rebound 8 January 1953.
- Custodial History:
-
Origin:
Paris, France.
Provenance:
Mary de Bohun (c. 1370-1394), daughter of Humphrey Bohun (see Fulda, Crusader Manuscript Illumination (1976), pp. 121-24, 126, 128, 151, 197-98, no. 15).
Elizabeth Kirkeby: inscribed in the 15th century with her name, '[Eli]zabeth Kykeby' (f. 315v) and the motto, 'entier en tout' (f. 1v, 112v, 113).
Admiral Prigent de Coëtivy: inscribed in the 15th century with his signature and mottos, 'a belle merciis' and 'dame sans per' (f. 1v).
Gorge Nessefeld, perhaps to be identified with the Captain of Vire in Normandy for Henry VI in 1420 (see Middleton, 'The Manuscripts', 2006): inscribed in the 15th century, Cest liure cy est a G[e]orge Nessefeld' (f. 1v).
G. Hermanville: inscribed with his name in the 15th century, and with the following verses: 'Charles de Hermanuille vint /sua vn cheual qui valloit vint. /Vn vol de chiunc (?) sus son heaume /Bien sanbloit sire dun roieaume' (f. 1v).
The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): in the catalogue of 1666 (Royal MS Appendix 71, f. 13r).
Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library.
- Publications:
-
H. L. D. Ward and J. A. Herbert, Catalogue of Romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum, 3 vols (London: British Museum, 1883-1910), I, pp. 361-62.
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. 377-78.
R. L. Curtis, 'The Problems of the Authorship of the Prose Tristan', Romania, 79 (1958), 314-38 (p. 325).
Jacqueline Thibault Schaefer, 'The Discourse of the Figural Narrative in the Illuminated Manuscripts of Tristan' in Word and Image in Arthurian Literature, ed. by Keith Busby (New York: Garland, 1996), pp. 174-202 (p. 179).
Donal Byrne, 'The Hours of the Admiral Prigent de Coëtivy (1)', Scriptorium: Revue internationale des études relative aux manuscrits, 28 (1974), 248-61 (p. 248).
Jaroslav Folda, Crusader Manuscript Illumination at Saint-Jean d'Acre, 1275-1291 (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1976), pp. 121-24, 126, 128, 151, 197-98, no. 15.
Ceridwen Lloyd-Morgan, 'A Hitherto Unnoticed Fragment of La Queste del Saint-Graal', Bulletin bibliographique de la Société Internationale Arthurienne, 31 (1979), 203-15 (p. 204).
Michelle Szkilnik, L'Archipel du Graal. Étude de l'Estoire del Saint Graal (Geneva: Droz, 1991), p. 39 n. 20.
Roseline Claerr-Harrouët, 'Une famille de bibliophiles au XVe siècle: les Coëtivy', Bulletin et Mémoires de la Société archéologique du département d'Ille-et-Vilaine, 102 (1999), pp. 139-99
Jaroslav Folda, Crusader Art in the Holy Land: From the Third Crusade to the Fall of Acre 1187-1291 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005), p. 525.
Jacqueline Thibault Schaefer, 'Modulations of Moduli in the Tristan Illuminated Manuscripts: Secular "Tryst" and Biblical "Temptation" Scenes', in Manuscripts in Transition, Corpus of Illuminated Manuscripts of the Low Countries, 15, ed. by Brigitte Dekeyser and Bert Cardon (Leuven: Peeters, 2005), pp. 139-48 (p. 144 n. 36).
Roger Middleton, 'The Manuscripts', in The Arthur of the French, ed. by Glyn S. Burgess and Karen Pratt , Arthurian Literature in the Middle Ages, 4 vols (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2006), IV, pp. 8-92 (p. 80).
Diane E. Booton, Manuscripts, market and the transition to print in late medieval Brittany (Farnham: Ashgate, 2010).
- Material Type:
- Archives and Manuscripts
- Legal Status:
- Not Public Record(s)