Royal MS 19 D III, ff 1r-288v

A summary of the contents:

Translator's prologue: rubric: 'Cy com[m]ence le prologue du translateur qui translate et mist de latin en francois la bible hystorial selons les hystoires scolastiques.'; incipit : 'Pource que le dyable...' (f. 1r); explicit: 'Et en lan de grace mil CC ^xxIIII et XVII au iour saint remy fu ie elleu et fait doian de saint pierre daire dont iestoie chanoine si com[m]e dit est devant' (f. 1r) This refers to the author, Guyart des Moulins' election as dean of St Peter's church at Aire (near St Omer) in 1297.

Chapter list from 'Le livre de genesis' to 'Le livre de lapocalipse'(f. 1r-v); the preface addressed to the Archbishop of Sens, incipit: 'Cy supplie le translateur a l'eurevesque de sens pour corriger son ouvrage...' (ff. 1v-2r); translator's note, incipit: 'Cy doit en savoir que iai translate..'(f. 2r); prologue incipit: 'En palais du roi et dempere[ur]...'(f. 2r); table of rubrics to Genesis (f. 2r-v).

Genesis to Job (ff. 3r-244v) beginning with the rubric 'Cy com[m]ence la bible en francois translatee selon les hystoires escolastres....'(f. 3r)

Preface of Jean de Blois: incipit: 'Comme il soit ainsi que selon la doctrine du philosophe....'; explicit: 'Si men passe pour cause de brievete.' (f. 256r);

Psalms (ff. 257r-288r);

Decoration: 1 large miniature in colours and gold, with full foliate borders, at the beginning of Genesis (f. 3). 54 one-column miniatures in colours and gold, with full or partial foliate borders, at the beginning of each book and prologue. Preliminary marginal drawings (ff. 12v, 13v, 16, 20, 42, 58, 91, 181, 192v, 206v, 216v). Foliate initials in colours and gold with foliate extensions, some with partial borders, at the beginning of books and other major text divisions. Initials and paraphs in gold on blue and rose grounds with penwork decoration in white. Line-fillers in gold, blue, and rose with penwork decoration in white.

The subjects of the miniatures are:

f.1r, The author (translator?), in a red robe and blue hat, writing at a desk.

f. 3r, Large image of the Creator, standing, in a white robe spangled with gold, with a pair of compasses in His left hand, in front of a red mandorla composed of seraphim, against a blue background formed entirely of angels. Beneath His feet is a semicircle of white sea? enclosing a small green semicircle of land. In the inner border are medallions of red and blue angels and a saint preaching from a flower.

ff. 3v-6r, The six days of Creation.

f. 7r, The seventh day of rest.

f. 7v, The ordinance concerning the tree. Adam's head is completely twisted back to listen to the Creator.

f. 8r, The creation of Eve from Adam’s rib.

f. 8v, The Fall: Eve giving the apple to Adam watched by the serpent with the head of a mischievous young man.

f. 9v, Expulsion from Paradise.

f. 12v, Building of the ark.

f. 13v, The ark, with three decks: beasts below, men in the middle, and birds above.

f. 14v, Noah makes a sacrifice to God after the flood.

f. 15r, Shem and Japheth covering Noah after he has drunk wine.

f. 16r, Building of the tower of Babel.

f. 20r, Abraham receiving three angels.

f. 21r, Destruction of Sodom.

f. 23r, The angel appearing to Abraham as he is about to sacrifice Isaac.

f. 28r, Jacob's dream.

f. 31r, Jacob wrestling with the angel.

f. 33r, Joseph is sold as a slave by his brothers.

f. 42r, Pharaoh ordering the Israelites into bondage.

f. 50r, Moses holding his rod, with the Israelites beside the Red Sea, which is scarlet in colour and contains the outlines of the drowned Egyptians and their horses.

f. 58r, Aaron in the tabernacle.

f. 66r, Priests sacrificing at the altar at the beginning of Leviticus.

f. 74r, The Lord speaking to Moses and the people. The Israelites have oriental dress and scimitars.

f. 91r. Moses speaking to the people at the beginning of Deuteronomy.

f. 104r, Joshua crowned.

f. 110v, Battle-scene, including a shield with coat of arms with three red birds on a white ground.

f. 120v, Israelites, with scroll reading, 'Donne nous Roy', appealing to Samuel.

f. 133r, The Amalekite kneeling before David. David's standard is a red harp on a blue ground.

f. 144v, Anointing of Solomon.

f. 162r Ahaziah falling from his window at the beginning of the Book of Kings.

f. 181r, Three patriarchs seated, and in front a number of smaller figures representing their descendants.

f. 192v, Solomon kneeling, with God in a cloud on the left.

f. 206v, Jeremiah mourning with the porch of the Temple on the left.

f. 210v, Nehemiah offering wine to Artaxerxes and the queen.

f. 216v, Return of the Jews.

f. 222v, Blinding of Tobit.

f. 227r, Judith killing Holofernes in his bed.

f. 235r, Esther kneeling before Ahasuerus, who points to a gallows on which are Haman's ten sons.

f. 240r, The High Priest John meeting Vagosus.

f. 243v, A messenger kneeling before Job; on the right a fire falling from heaven on his family; behind, the Devil flying over the sea; and above, the Almighty in a cloud between two pairs of angels.

f. 245v, Job, naked on a dunghill, visited by three friends.

f. 256v, David enthroned, with harp at the beginning of the Book of Psalms.

f. 260v, Anointing of David (Psalm 27, numbered XXVI).

f. 263v, David between two rocks; the Lord in a cloud (Psalm 39, numbered XXXVIII).

f. 266r, The fool with cap and bells, club, and hawk on fist (Psalm 53, numbered LII).

f. 269r, David in water; the Lord in a cloud above, with high peaked cap (Psalm 69, numbered LXVIII).

f. 273r, David enthroned, playing on five bells attached to a disk suspended from the roof (Psalm 81, numbered LXXX).

f. 275r, Four singers reading a scroll on desk, with words and music (Psalm 98, numbered xxIIII.XVII).

f. 278r, The Trinity. (Psalm 110, numbered CIX).