Harley MS 4375/2

Contents:

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

ff. 85r-122r: Book 7, Happiness (continued from Harley 4375/1); on f. 102v a rubric states Nicolas de Gonesse's translation begins here;

ff. 123r-178v: Book 8, Justice and education (continues in Harley 4375/3).

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 4375/1 and Harley 4375/3.

Decoration:

1 full-page miniature, in colours and gold (f. 123r). 22 small column-wide miniatures with large decorated initials and column-wide three-sided or partial foliate borders, in colours and gold (ff. 90v, 96r, 102v, 106v, 113r, 118r, 120r, 135v, 138v, 140r, 141r, 142v, 144r, 151v, 153r, 155v, 157v, 159r, 160v, 161v, 167r, 171v). 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 7 (continuation)

f. 90v: Chapter 3, Junius Brutus kissing the earth while making sacrifice to the gods at Delphi;

f. 96r: Chapter 4, The Romans throw loaves of bread from the walls to trick the Gauls ('fra[n]coys'), who are besieging Rome;

f. 102v: Chapter 5, Elections in the Campus Martius;

f. 106v: Chapter 6, Citizens of Casilinum boil leather in water to eat during Hannibal's siege;

f. 113r: Chapter 7, A young man argues in the Forum to have his father's will rescinded;

f. 118r: Chapter 8 (incorrectly numbered 9 in the rubric), The mad Tuditanus as a jester scattering money while his relatives plead to have his will overturned;

f. 120r: Chapter 9 (incorrectly numbered 10 in the rubric): Quintus Caecilius on his deathbed giving rings to Lucius Lucullus, while secretly he has made Pomponius Atticus his heir;

Book 8

f. 123r: Chapter 1 (in 3 tiers), upper tier: The Romans and Albans, ready for battle, agree to settle the dispute by combat between the three Horatii and the three Curatii; mid tier: the last surviving, Horatius slayes his two remaining opponents; lower tier: Horatius kills his sister when she laments the death of one of the Curatii, her betrothed, he is condemned by the king but appeals successfully to the people;

f. 135v: Chapter 2, Marcus Cato passes judgement between Claudius Centumalus and Calpurnius Lanarius;

f. 138v: Chapter 3, A woman pleads a case before magistrates; Hortensia, daughter of Quintus Hortensius, upholds the rights of married women when the triumvirs have placed a heavy property tax on them;

f. 140r: Chapter 4, A slave is tortured and taken to be put to death;

f. 141r: Chapter 5, A man pleads before the court but the prisoner is convicted

f. 142v: Chapter 6, Marius with the cap of liberty on his standard, urges the slaves to take up arms and save the city from Sulla and his army;

f. 144r: Chapter 7, Plato learning from the Egyptian elders (above); Solon and others who were dedicated to learning (below);

f. 151v: Chapter 8, Scaevola hails Scipio and Laelius, who are playing a board game (above); Socrates and Homer playing musical instruments (below);

f. 153r: Chapter 9, Valerius Publius rescues the Republic with his eloquence in support of the Senate's power;

f. 155v: Chapter 10, Julius Caesar's eloquence is applauded;

f. 157v: Chapter 11, Sulpicus Galus gives a learned lecture on the eclipse of the moon to dispel the army's superstitious fears (above); men are fooled by Praxiteles' realistic marble statue of Vulcan's wife, and horses are fooled by statues of mares (below);

f. 159r: Chapter 12, Iphigenia is sacrificed by Agamemnon at Aulis;

f. 160v: Chapter 13, Plato and Euclid are approached for their opinions on art;

f. 161v: Chapter 14, Roman men and women in old age:

f. 167r: Chapter 15, Gaius Fabius is punished for inscribing his name on his work on the walls of a temple;

f. 171v: Chapter 16, Statues of Scipio, Caesar, Cato and other famous Romans in the temple of Jupiter, look down on a crow sent by the gods to help Marcus Valerius in his fight against a Gaul.