Manuscript on paper (trimmed), with parchment bifolios interspersed, of Julius Caesar, Commentary on the Gallic Wars, translated into French by Jean Duchesne. Written for Jacques Donche, counselor of Charles the Bold of Burgundy
Description:
In French., Watermarks: similar to Briquet Armoires: Trois fleurs de lis 1741., Script: Written in neat batarde script by Hellin de Burchgrave., Ten half-page miniatures, each in an arched frame composed of two thin bands, gold and red highlighted with white, edged in black, the arch with tiny cusps; beneath, initials, 6-, 4-, or 3-line, blue or blue and red with white highlights on a gold ground of irregular shape conforming to the letter, edged in black, with serifs protruding into the left margin; filled with green and/or red and crimson trilobe leaves on curling stems with white and/or yellow highlights, or with a blue, green, crimson, and gold diapered ground with white highlights. Three smaller miniatures, 12- or 14-line, occasionally cut off at the upper edge so as to fill only part of a line of text; frames rectilinear, otherwise identical to those described above, Beneath, 2-line initials, blue, with white highlights, filled with trilobe leaves, as above, once (f. 25r) with one leaf of spiky acanthus added, and once (f. 256r) with a pink ground with gold filigree. There is a blank space on f. 27r for another miniature of this type. Other decoration consists of 2-line calligraphic initials, paragraph marks, line fillers (spirals and heraldic dragons), page and chapter headings, all executed in red. The first one or two lines of some books (as well as occasional lines within the text) are underlined in red., A few folios have tears in the margins., and Binding: Eighteenth century. Spattered and gilt edges. Red goatskin, gold-tooled, with the arms of Eugene of Savoy on cover and his monogram on spine.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Gaul
Subject (Name):
Caesar, Julius.
Subject (Topic):
French literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript of parchment roll composed of 8 membranes, written in 4 columns. Column 1) Chronology of the popes from Peter to the antipope John XXIII. 2) Chronology of the rulers of the Empire from Augustus to Louis of Bavaria, Holy Roman Emperor from 1328-47. 3) Chronology of the Monarchs of France, beginning with the Trojan nobles and concluding with Charles VI, king from 1380-1422. 4) Chronology of the kings of England, from King Lud in the time of Julius Caesar to King Henry IV (d. 1413).
Description:
In French., Script: Written in batarde script by a single scribe., Text is accompanied by parallel schematic genealogical diagrams in red consisting of connected roundels inscribed with the names of various rulers in succession, between the columns. The genealogical diagrams are periodically interspersed with 58 roundels framed in red with lively pen drawings in brown ink with washes in blue, pink and green, depicting cities and churches whose foundations are ascribed to particular rulers or occurred during their reigns. Each of the genealogical diagrams begins at the top of the text with a roundel, depicting respectively (I) Mount Calvary, (II) Rome, (III) Venice (whose foundation is ascribed to Trojan nobles) and (IV) London. Included are drawings of Constantinople, Hagia Sophia, Santiago de Compostela; the majority of the drawings appear in the chronology of the French monarchs, with depictions of Paris, St. Genevieve, St. Denis, St. Martin-de-Champs, and others. The buildings are all late medieval in character and do not bear resemblance to the monuments themselves., Four illuminated initials, 4-line, at the top of each column, blue with white filigree against gold ground with stylized foliage or geometric patterns in red and blue. At the top of each initial, black inkspray with gold leaves; at the first initial (left column), decoration extends into the left margin to form a partial border. Numerous smaller initials, 2-line, gold on blue and mauve grounds with white filigree. Headings in red., Binding: Unbound., and Art. 3 also known as "A tous nobles."
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., France, Great Britain, and Holy Roman Empire
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Church history, Chronology, Kings and rulers, Legends, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript of Honore Bonet, L'Arbre des Batailles. With Diego de Valera, Espejo de verdadera nobleza, translated into French by Hugues de Salve; and other treatises on arms
Description:
In French., Script: Written in formal batarde script. Folios 7r-9r, also in formal batarde, but in a different hand., The fine miniatures, by the Master of Bruges of 1482, are in arched frames composed of thin gold and pink bands. Between ff. 147r and 152r there are sixty-three painted armorial bearings, perhaps a later addition (16th century?) as indicated by the type of pigment, the occasional lack of correspondence with the original preparatory drawings, and the fact that some drawings were never overpainted. 5-, 4-, 3-, and 2-line initials, gold, edged in black, against irregular blue and red grounds with white highlights. 1-line initials in the table of contents, red and blue, with guide-letters to illuminator; ff. 7r-9r (the section for the L'Arbre des batailles) in darker shades and without notes, suggesting, as does the change of hand, that this section of the table as well as the portion of the text to which it refers were added to the manuscript in a second stage of its production. Paragraph marks, 1-line, red and blue. Pages foliated in red, upper right recto. Headings in red throughout., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Edges gilt. Purple goatskin case with brilliant gold tooling and elaborate doublures.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., Burgundy (France), and France
Subject (Name):
Bonet, Honoré, fl. 1378-1398.
Subject (Topic):
Chivalry, Heraldry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on paper (unidentified watermark) of a List of English Knights with Blazons. The names of the knights are arranged by counties. The manuscript was originally part of a larger manuscript
Description:
In French., Script: Copied by one hand in Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary)., Edges and folds of most leaves repaired., and Binding: Twentieth century. Half leather (dark brown sprinkled calf) over cardboard covered with blue-grey marbled paper. On the spine gold-tooled inscription "ENGLISH KNIGHTS. MS - ABOUT - 1480".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Heraldry, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
Manuscript on paper and parchment (trimmed) of 1) Grantz Geantz, a poem explaining the origin of the Giants that occupied England before the arrival of Brutus and the Trojans. 2) A Latin summary of art. 1. 3) Roman de Brut, a chronicle of England from Aeneas to King Edward II (1307-1327). 4) Sequence to the Roman de Brut, dealing with the reign of King Edward III (1327-1377). 5) Unidentified poem in English on the countries and peoples of Asia, Africa and Europe. 6) Account of the relations between Church and State under popes Gregory VII (1073-1085) and Alexander III (1159-1181), and especially of the conflict between King Henry II of England (1154-1189) and Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury
Description:
In Anglo-Norman, English, and Latin., Script: Copied by two hands: Section I is in Gothica Cursiva Antiquior Libraria (Anglicana); Section II, including the explicit formula of art. 3 on f. 118v, is in Gothica Cursiva Libraria (Secretary)., The decoration of Section I consists of 2- or 3-line flourished initials, blue with red penwork. On ff. 1r and 5r (artt. 1 and 3) 5-line flourished initials in the same colours. In Section II art. 4 is decorated with 2-line flourished initials in the same colours but of a different style, with marginal extensions; at the beginning (f. 119r) a 3-line flourished initial in gold with purple penwork; in art. 4 also red headings and red or blue paragraph-marks. Artt. 4-5 are undecorated., and Binding: Twentieth century. Dark blue velvet by C. Lewis. On the spine the 19th-century brown leather title-label has been pasted with the gold-tooled inscription: "LES VEULZ CRONIKES D'ANGLETRE APPELLEZ LE BRUTE - PLUSEURS AUTRES NOUELLES CRONIKES - MS. IN MEMBRANIS". At the bottom of the spine small paper label with printed number 3338. Gilt edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Great Britain
Subject (Topic):
Anglo-Norman literature, Church history, English literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and History
