Harley MS 4374/1

Contents:

Valerius Maximus, translated by Simon de Hesdin and Nicolas de Gonesse, Les Fais et les Dis des Romains et de autres gens (the first of 6 volumes):

ff. 1r-2v: Translator's prologue;

ff. 2v-4v: Author's prologue;

ff. 4v-80v: Book 1, Religion and miraculous events (continued in Harley 4374/2).

This copy of the work is now bound in 6 volumes; the other volumes are Harley 4374/2, Harley 4374/3, Harley 4375/1, Harley 4375/2 and Harley 4375/3.

Decoration:

1 full-page three-part miniature, in colours and gold (f. 1r). 8 small column-wide miniatures with large decorated initials and column-wide three-sided or partial foliate borders, in colours and gold (ff. 16r, 25r, 29v, 31v, 39v, 56r, 68v, 77v). Large decorated initials, in colours and gold. Small initials in gold with blue pen-flourishing or in blue with red pen-flourishing. Line fillers decorated in gold and blue. Capital letters highlighted in yellow.

The subjects of the miniatures are:

Book 1

f. 1r: Chapter 1 (in 3 tiers), upper tier: Valerius Maximus presents his book to Tiberius, seated in his court; mid tier: ten sons of Rome are sent to Etruria for religious instruction (left), Metellus forbids the Consul, Postumius to leave Rome (centre), Rome is conquered by the Gauls (right); lower tier: Numa Pompilius, King of Rome, threatens his people with death if they do not perform religious duties (left), Jehoiachin, King of Judah, in prison, hears Ezechial prophesying (centre), Publicius Malleolus murders his mother and is placed in a sack to be thrown into the sea as punishment (right);

f. 16r: Chapter 2, Apollo punishes Roman soldiers, who have taken off his golden garment, by cutting off their hands;

f. 25r: Chapter 3, A statue of Venus with women, a man and soldiers in the foreground;

f. 29v: Chapter 4, Three ravens dropping a roof tile in front of the feet of Tiberius Gracchus, seen as a bad omen;

f. 31v: Chapter 5, An army before the citadel of Rome;

f. 39v: Chapter 6, Lucius Aemilius Paulus and his daughter Tertia with her dying dog Persa; in the background the young Servius Tullius, son of a slave, is asleep in the palace, his head catches fire, but it does not harm him;

f. 56r: Chapter 7, Death of Alexander foretold by the talking tree and Alexander on his deathbed;

f. 68v: Chapter 8, Castor and Pollux intervening in the battle of Lake Regillus;

f. 77v: Chapter 9, A woman who gave birth after she had died.