Sloane MS 2435

Contents:

ff. 1r-76v: Aldobrandino da Siena, Le Régime du corps, a handbook on health, composed for Beatrice de Savoie (b. 1220, d. 1266), according to the prologue; the contents are based mainly on Latin translations of Arabic medical texts. There are 68 manuscripts surviving in two textual families, A and B, and the text in this manuscript is version B (also in Sloane MSS 3525 and 2806), though it has a unique dedication to an unidentified 'Benoit de Florence' (see Fery-Hue, ‘Le Régime du corps', 1985).

ff. 77r-132v: Gautier of Metz, L'Image du monde in verse, composed in 1245 as stated at the end.

This is one of the earliest surviving copies of both texts.

Decoration:

1 miniature in colours and gold (f. 1r). 77 historiated initials in colours and gold, some also with hybrid creatures. Circular diagrams (ff. 91v-93v, 94v-95v,112v-117v). 12 partial borders in colours and gold or with pen-flourishing in red and blue, some with dragons or hybrids (ff. 1r, 5r, 10v, 15v, 16r, 25r, 26r, 27v, 28v, 55r, 69r, 122v). Large initials in colours, some with animal heads, animals, and/or bodies, on gold grounds. Small initials in gold with blue and red penwork decoration. Rubrics in gold or red. Line-fillers in red, blue, and gold. Large initials in red with blue pen-flourishing, and in blue with red pen-flourishing. Small initials in blue or red (ff. 77r-78r). Instructions to the rubricator in the margins (e.g., f. 52v, 69r).

Subjects of the images in the Régime du corps:

f. 1r: The Creation of the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire, and a 'TO' map of the world; below, the author wearing robes and a cap, writing in a book;

f. 1v: Book 1, Chapter 1, 'de l'air' (on the air), two figures looking out of the window of a tower;

f. 2r: Chapter 2, 'dou mengier' (on eating), a man and woman at a table, one eating, one carving;

f. 5r: Chapter 3, 'dou boire' (on drinking), two figures with goblets, one drinking, the other holding a jug;

f. 7r: Chapter 4, 'dou dormir et dou vellier' (on sleeping and waking), a figure sleeping above and two figures playing dice, below;

f. 7v: Chapter 5, 'dou travillier et dou reposer' (on working and resting), a figure resting above, and a figure chopping a log with an adse, below;

f. 8v: Chapter 6, 'dou baignier' (on bathing), a male and female figure beside each other in two canopied tubs; the initial rests on the back of a hybrid creature with a hood and beard;

f. 9v: Chapter 7, 'dabiter avoec feme' (on cohabitation with a woman), a couple in bed together;

f. 10v: Chapter 8, 'coment on sedoit garder de courous' (on avoiding anger), a man playing a rebec or stringed instrument above, and a sorrowful woman seated, with head in hand, below;

f. 11r: Chapter 9, 'dou saignier' (on bloodletting), a doctor cauterizing a patient in his left arm;

f. 14r: Chapter 10, 'de ventouser' (on cupping), a woman applying cups to the back of another figure to purge the blood;

f. 15v: Chapter 11, 'dou sansues'(on leaching), a figure seated with his feet in a stream, to allow leeches to suck his blood;

f. 16r: Chapter 12, 'dou purgier' (on purging), a figure drinking from a bowl, being instructed by a doctor in a red robe;

f. 21r, Chapter 13, 'dou vomir' (on vomiting), a figure being held with his head over a basin;

f. 22r: Chapter 14, 'coment on se doit garder de pestilence', (how to avoid pestilence) a nocturnal scene with a fox, rats, toads and a lizard;

f. 23r: Chapter 15, 'coment on doit so[n] cors garder es iiii parties de lan' (how to care for the body in each of the 4 seasons), four figures in different outfits representing the four seasons; the initial rests on the back of a hybrid creature with a hood and beard, and a snail shell;

f. 25r: Chapter 16, 'coment on doit conoistre les viles p[ar] plus seurement manoir' (how to live safely in cities), two figures entering a city gate above, and three figures leaving through the gate, below;

f. 26r: Chapter 17, [co]m[en]t on doit se garder ki violt cheminer et errer par cemin' (how to take care on the road), a figure on horseback with a hat and cloak;

f. 27v: Chapter 18, '[com]ment la feme puet garder puis ke li est encainte et coment ele se puet aid[er] a delivrer' (care of a woman in pregnancy and childbirth), a pregnant woman being instructed by a doctor;

f. 28v: Chapter 19 [no rubric], a woman showing her breast to another woman; a leering figure standing on top of the frame;

f. 31r: Chapter 20, ['co]m[en]t lon se doit garder es iiii eages et tarder de viellece a soi maintenire ione' (how to take care of oneself in each of the four ages), four figures representing the ages of man;

f. 32v: Book 2, Chapter 1, 'coment cascuns doit garder cascne membre de son cors par lui' (on the care of each part of the body) a man having his hair washed by a woman';

f. 34v, Chapter 2, 'c[om]ent on doit les iex garder en sante' (the care of the eyes), a doctor pouring liquid from a flask into the eye of a figure;

f. 35v: Chapter 3, 'des orilles' (the ears), a doctor inserting a rod into the ear of a figure who is holding his other ear;

f. 36r: Chapter 4, '[co]m[en]t on doit garder les dens' (the care of the teeth), a figure pointing to his teeth is addressed by a doctor;

f. 37r: Chapter 5, '[co]m[en]t on doit garder le visage' (the care of the face), a woman is instructing and giving a pot to another woman;

f. 38v: Chapter 6, '[co]m[en]t on doit garder le cuer (the care of the heart), a figure holding his heart is given instructions by a doctor;

f. 40r: Chapter 7, '[co]m[en]t on doit garder le foie' (the care of the liver), a figure with his hand over his liver being instructed by a doctor;

f. 41r: Chapter 8, 'del cuer' (on the heart), a figure holding his heart, being given instructions by a doctor holding a pot;

f. 42r-44r: Book 3, Chapter 1, 'de tos bles et premierement dou forment' (on the kinds of grain, firstly of wheat), the initial rests on the back of a hybrid creature with a hood and a dragon-like body; 7 initials with different types of grains growing, and 1 with a sack of grain (f. 44r);

ff. 44r: Chapter 2, 'de tous buverages et premierement du aue' (on drinks, and firstly on water), with a stream flowing into a pool;

f. 44v: 'de vin' (on wine), a tonsured monk or cellarer holding keys, drinking from a goblet while filling a jug from a vat;

f. 45r: 'de vin de pomes' (on cider), a man crushing apples with a malet';

f. 45v: 'de vert jus' (on grape juice), a man stirring a green substance in a wide tray; 'de vin aigre', a seated man with a green flask of vinegar being heated over a fire;

f. 46r: 'de moures' (on mulberries), a man stirring red berries in a vat;

f. 46r: Chapter 4, 'de toutes manieres de cars (meat)', a stag, wild boar and an ox;

f. 46v: 'de car de pork', a man with an axe about to slaughter a pig;

f. 47r: 'de car de buef', a bull with horns;

f. 47v: 'de car de mouton', a sheep; 'de car de bouch', a goat with long horns;

f. 48r: 'de car de chievre', a female goat with horns;

f. 48v: 'car de cierf' (on venison), two deer with large antlers; ' de car de lievre; a hare; 'de car d'ors', a man with a club catching a bear;

f. 49r: Chapter 1, 'de toutes manieres de cars d'oiseaux premieremont de geline' (on bird meat, firstly chicken), a hen and chicks;

ff. 49v-51r: 10 initials with birds including pigeons doves, partridges, pheasants, peacocks and swans;

f. 51r: Chapter 2, 'De car de pasellas et de tous autres petis oiseles' (on the meat of sparrows and small birds), 3 initials including quails, plovers and blackbirds;

f. 53r: Chapter 4, 'de toutes manieres de leuns, et premerem[en]t de feves' (on pulses and first ly on beans), two bean stalks; this initial is supported by an elephant-like creature;

f. 55r: Chapter 5, 'de toutes manieres de fruis' (on kinds of fruit), two figures picking figs from a tree;

f. 61v: Chapter 6, 'de toutes manieres derbes' (on herbs), two plants;

f. 66r: Chapter 7, 'de tous poisons' (on fish), fish swimming in water;

f. 68: Chapter 8, 'de toutes manieres does, de lait de fromage', (on eggs, milk and cheese) baskets of eggs;

f. 69r: 'de toutes manieres de fromages' (on kinds of cheese), round cheeses on shelves;

f. 69v, 'de lait' (on milk), a tub of milk,

f. 71r: Chapter 9, 'de toutes manieres despices de poiv[r]e' (on kinds of pepper), a bag of peppercorns; this initial is supported by a creature with a beard, a cockscomb and donkey ears;

f. 73v: Book 4, 'Phisanomie', a doctor pointing at two naked figures;

L'image du monde:

f. 85: Part 1: 'Des III manieres de gens que li philosophe poserent au monde (on the 3 estates), a tonsured cleric, a knight with a shield and a peasant with a spade;

f. 90v, 'De la forme du firmament' (on the form of the world), God holds a 'TO' globe;

ff. 91v-93v, 94v-95v: Geographical diagrams and maps;

ff. 96v-101v: 'Des diversites d'Ynde' (on the diversity of India), images of the creatures, cities and plants of India;

f. 104r: Part 2: 'De la maniere des bestes' (on the types of animals), a fox pretending to be dead and a magpie trying to peck its tongue;

f. 104v: 'De la maniere des oisiaus' (on the types of birds), an eagle;

f. 107v: 'Les div[er]ses fontaines' (on types of springs), three springs with streams of water on a mountain;

f. 108v: 'Coment la terre crolle et fent' (how the earth quakes and cracks), the earth with fissures and cracks;

f. 109v: 'Coment nues, pluiis gelees tempes tonoires et espars aviene[n]t' (how clouds, rains, frosts, tempests, thunder and lightnings come about), the earth and sky;

f. 112v-113v: Astronomical diagrams;

f. 114r-117v: Part 3, Diagrams of the earth, sun, moon and eclipses;

f. 131v: 'Ymage du monde', a circular diagram with the words, 'Prendes le daeraine figure qi est en le fin dou livre pour cesti'.

The hybrid creatures on the terminals are by the same artist as those in a Bible, Paris, Bibliotheque Mazarine, 13, according to Stone, Gothic Manuscripts (2014), p. 302.