Harley MS 4375/1

Contents:

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

ff. 1r-44v: Book 5, Humanity and Clemency;

ff. 45r-76v: Book 6, Loyalty;

ff. 77r-84v: Book 7, Happiness (continues in Harley 4375/2).

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

Decoration: 3 full-page miniatures, in colours and gold (ff. 1r, 45r, 77r). 18 small column-wide miniatures with large decorated initials and column-wide three-sided foliate borders, in colours and gold (ff. 11v, 15v, 25v, 31r, 33r, 38r, 39v, 42r, 43r, 50v, 55r, 62v, 65v, 68r, 70r, 70v, 72v, 79r). 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 5

f. 1r, Chapter 1, (in 3 tiers), upper tier: The Roman Senate releases nearly 3 000 Carthaginian prisoners out of clemency, refusing to accept ransom that is offered, with a white dog in the foreground; mid tier: King Syphax of Numidia, who died in captivity, is given a proper burial at public expense; and Sophonie, sister of Hasdrubal and wife of Syphax, is beheaded; lower tier: Pompey is beheaded after the battle of Pharsalia and Caesar weeps on seeing his severed head;

f. 11v: Chapter 2, Veturia, mother of Coriolanus and Volumnia, his wife, bring his children and plead with him to make peace with Rome

f. 15v: Chapter 3, Romulus is put to death by the ungrateful Romans;

f. 25v: Chapter 4, A woman is kept alive in prison by her daughter, who feeds her milk from her breast (above) the prison warden recognises her loyalty to her mother (below);

f. 31r: Chapter 5, Drusus, on campaign in Germany, is taken seriously ill and on his deathbed he awards the consulship to his brother Tiberius, who has hastened from Italy to be by Drusus' side;

f. 33r: Chapter 6, Curtius, on his horse, plunges into the chasm that has appeared in the forum, sacrificing himself to the gods of the Underworld for the good of Rome

f. 38r: Chapter 7, The doctor takes the pulse of Antiochus, diagnosing his illness as passion for his stepmother, Stratonice, who stands beside the bed;

f. 39v: Chapter 8, Lucius Brutus orders his sons to be punished and killed for supporting a conspiracy against the freedom of the Roman Republic;

f. 42r: Chapter 9, A father who has discovered his son is plotting to kill him gives his son a sword and offers his throat to be cut, but the son repents;

f. 43r: Chapter 10, A man continues to do his duty though he has just been given news of his son's death.

Book 6

f. 45r : Chapter 1 (in 3 tiers): upper tier: Appius Claudius awards Virginia to Marcus Claudius as his slave, Virginius stabs his daughter to save her from this fate and Appius Claudius kills himself in prison; tmid tier: he daughter of Pontius Aufidianus is betrayed by her tutor, Fannius Saturninus and Aufidianus, her father, slays them both; lower tier: Publius Maenius or Premenius puts a man to death for kissing his daughter and Quintus Fabius Maximus Servilianus has his son whipped for lax morality;

f. 50v: Chapter 2, Privernium is captured and the leader of the city stands up to the Romans;

f. 55r: Chapter 3, Marcus Manlius driving the Gauls from the citadel of Rome;

f. 62v: Chapter 4, Manlius Torquinatus restores the Romans' pride by his stirring speech after they are defeated at Cannae;

f. 65v: Chapter 5, Camillus dispensing justice to the people of Falerii;

f. 68r: Chapter 6, Romans treating captives justly;

f. 70r: Chapter 7, Wives who are loyal to their husbands;

f. 70v: Chapter 8, A slave is submitted to torture rather than giving evidence against his master, Marcus Antonius;

f. 72v: Chapter 9, Manlius Torquatus is sent to labour in the countryside by his father; later he is successful in battle.

Book 7

f. 77r: Chapter 1 (in 3 tiers), upper tier: Quintus Metellus dies in the midst of his family after a happy life; mid tier: Gyges, King of Lydia, learns from the oracle that the poor man, Sophidius, is happier than he is; Gyges takes a ring that has the power of making him invisible from an equestrian statue; lower tier: Candaules, King of Lydia, reveals the beauty of his queen to the arch-priest Gyges, who slays him, takes the crown and marries the widowed queen;

f. 79r: Chapter 2, Wise statements from the rulers of Rome.