Manuscript on parchment (poor quality) of 1) Herman de Valenciennes, Bible. 2) Herman de Valenciennes, L'Assomption de Notre Dame. Often found, as here, following the poem on the Bible by the same author. 3) Petrus Alphonsus, Disciplina clericalis, followed by three moral precepts. 4) Poem in Anglo-Norman on Genesis. 5) Robert de Ho, Les Enseignements de Robert de Ho. 6) Extract from the romance Partenopeus de Blois. 7) Vie de saint Eustache. 8) Letter of Prester John to Emperor Manuel Comnenus, tr. into Anglo-Norman verse by Raoul d'Arundel; this is the earliest translation of the letter (ante A.D. 1200), and the only one known in French verse. 9) Guillaume le Clerc, Bestiaire. 10) Notes on the influence of the moon. 11) Le voyage du Chevalier Owen au purgatoire de saint Patrice. 12) Wace, Roman de Brut. Some 15th-century glosses, in Middle English and Latin, occur in the text
Description:
In Anglo-Norman and Latin., Script: Written by 6 scribes in large gothic bookhand. Scribe 1: ff. 1r-75r, 111r-130v, 153r-183v (characterized by decorative descenders in final line of text); Scribe 2: ff. 75r-97v (z with small horizontal crossbar); Scribe 3: ff. 98r-110r, 131r-152v, 189r-201v, 212v-216v (exaggerated ascenders in top line of text); Scribe 4: ff. 184r-188v; Scribe 5: second column of f. 201v (crude script); Scribe 6: ff. 202r-212r, 216v-224v (poorly formed)., 4-line initials, divided blue and red (ff. 111r, 153r, 189r), with penwork in red and blue or red only. 3- and 2-line initials, red with blue penwork or vice versa (quire VI lacks flourishes on initials). Paragraph marks in red or blue; some rubrics at beginning of articles. 1-line initials stroked with yellow or red. Ink drawings in margins include King Arthur (f. 189r)., Early repairs with parchment throughout; no loss of text. Waterstains, ff. 221v-224r. Rubbing on f. 224v has caused some loss of text in col. a., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Diced red/brown calf, gold-tooled.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Anglo-Norman poetry, Bestiaries, Christian poetry, French, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Romances, Anglo-Norman
Manuscript on parchment of Matthew of Westminster, Flores historiarum. Written presumably at the Cluniac priory of St. Saviour, Bermondsey, Surrey
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in bold gothic textura; x is crossed., Rubrics, often accompanied by notes to rubricator in well formed current Anglicana script. Decorative initials not filled in. Numerous pen trials and crude drawings in margins (e.g., ff. 28r, 46v, 47r, 63r)., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Blind-tooled brown calf with a gold-tooled title. Parchment flyleaves (formerly pastedowns) from a Missal (England, 15th century) much rubbed and worn, and with offset impression from original binding of corner tongues and four attachments. Gothic textura. Fine blue initials with intricate herringbone penwork designs in red. Headings in red; paragraph marks in blue.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut, New Haven., and Great Britain
Subject (Name):
Paris, Matthew, 1200-1259.
Subject (Topic):
Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Latin literature, Medieval and modern, Manuscripts, Medieval, Missals, and History
Manuscript on parchment (sheepskin?) of Roman de Gui de Warewic. With so-called Roman de Herolt d'Ardenne, in fact the final part of art. 1, dealing with Guy's son Reinbrun, followed by 4 verses apparently not found in other manuscripts
Description:
In French., Script: Written probably by one hand in Northern Gothica Textualis Libraria, with loops or bold and calligraphic extensions at the ascenders at the top line., Red heightening of the majuscules. 2-line flourished initials in red and blue, with extensions in the margins or in the intercolumnar space; the alternance of red and blue initials is mostly not respected., The manuscript is waterstained and considerably trimmed. Many lower edges are defective., and Binding: Ca. 1900 de luxe gold-tooled maroon morocco over cardboard in brown leather box, by Riviere & Son; gold-tooled armorial stamp in the middle of the front cover. Gold-tooled spine with five raised bands and title "ROMANT DE GUI DE WARWIC ET DE LA BELLE FELICE". Gilt edges.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Topic):
Anglo-Norman literature, Guy of Warwick (Legendary character), Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment (soft, furry; trimmed) in two parts, the first of which has several distinct formats. Part I: 1) Pierre de Peckham, La lumiere as Lais, lacking all of Book I and part of Book II. Part II: 2) Edmund Rich, St., abp. of Canterbury, Speculum amicicie, also known as Speculum religiosorum or Speculum ecclesie, in a French translation. 3) Poem on the love of God and the hatred of sin. 4) Hymn based on the "Iesu dulcis memoria" (14 quatrains). 5) Appeal of Christ to sinner. 6) Collection of recipes
Description:
In French., Script: Part I: Written in gothic textura by two hands: Scribe 1) ff. 1r-71v; Scribe 2) ff. 72r-85v. Part II: Written in gothic textura by two hands: Scribe 1) ff. 86r-99v (column 1); Scribe 2) ff. 99v (column 2)-110v., Decoration, Part I: One historiated initial, f. 16v, Master expounding to a pupil, figures predominantly pink and blue on a pale purple and gold diapered ground; blue initial with white filigree and pink and green curling vine serifs on a pink ground with white ivy; ground framed by a thick gold band, edged in black. Two styles of minor decoration that correspond to work division of the two scribes: ff. 1r-71v, 2-line initials, blue or gold with red or blue penwork with flourishes; 1-line initials, blue or gold; numerous line-fillers, almost every line in different styles, blue and gold; first letter of each verse stroked in red. ff. 72r-85v, 2-line initials, blue with red penwork and flourishes. No line-fillers. First letter of each verse stroked in red. Rubrics throughout. Part II: Decorative initial, divided red and blue, 4-line, on f. 86r, with blue and red flourishes and design cascading down inner margin. 2-line initials, blue, with red penwork and flourishes. 1-line initials, red or blue. Rubrics throughout. Very crude drawings (16th century) added on f. 111r-v., and Binding: Nineteenth century. Brown, hard-grained goatskin, blind- and gold-tooled. Bound by F. Bedford (London, active 1851-ca. 1883). Title on spine: "Lume As Lais/ Poemes francais MS. XIV siecle".
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Pierre, de Peckham, -1293.
Subject (Topic):
Devotional literature, French, French literature, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Literature, Medieval, and Manuscripts, Medieval
Manuscript on parchment. With graded calendar, in red and black, lacking January and February; the qualifier "pape" erased or crossed out
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written by a single scribe in elegant gothic textura (larger size for the Canon), with standard musical notation of Canon, etc., Sumptuous full bar borders surrounding text and running between text columns, alternating red and blue segments, divided by gold panels, from which sprout short sprigs of ivy (blue, red, pink with white highlights, often in a guilloche pattern) and daisy buds, gold cusped corners, filled with ivy or strapwork with flower terminals; the whole further embellished by hair-spray with gold balls and flowers; the gold with simple punches throughout. On the same folios, 7- to 5-line initials, blue and/or red with white highlights, filled with red, pink, and blue ivy or strapwork on irregular gold grounds, with simple punches. Elaborate 3- and 2-line initials throughout, pink and blue, filled with ivy, trailing pink and blue ivy, on irregular gold grounds extending with ivy into border, embellished with gold balls and hair-spray. 2- and 1-line gold initials throughout, with elaborate purple penwork designs, often far into margins; long (up to 10-line) I-initials in the same manner. 2- and 1-line blue initials throughout with red penwork; long I-initials in same manner. 1-line gold initials with simple brown penwork. Line-fillers in the litany, blue and gold. Two leaves, probably with miniatures of the Maiestas Domini and Crucifixion, have been removed before the Canon (after f. 136)., First four leaves are stained and trimmed, but with no loss of text., and Binding: Twentieth century. White, gold-tooled pigskin over wooden boards. Gilt edges. Bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe (London, 1901 to the present).
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Missals
Manuscript on parchment of a sumptuously illuminated and exceptionally well preserved manuscript of East Anglian origin
Description:
In Latin., Script: Written in fine gothic bookhand., Eight of the original ten historiated initials survive. The initials are pink and blue with white filigree and dots on f. 7r incorporating intertwining leaves in pink, blue, green and orange; the figures predominantly orange, and purple with some pink, blue and green, on elaborately tooled gold, set against square grounds, quartered blue and red, with diapering. Each initial with a lavishly ornamented full border incorporating spiraling foliage, large oak leaves, flowers, knots, grotesques, and quatrefoils framing additional figures. 2-line initials for Psalms, pink and/or blue, with white filigree and dots, filled with spiraling ivy, large leaves and dots, blue, green and orange, occasionally a fleur-de-lis, flower, or diaper pattern, on gold, against pink and blue grounds, with white filigree and dots, most connected to bar borders, pink, blue, orange and gold with floral, ivy and grotesque terminals. 1-line initials for verses, gold, thickly edged in black, against irregular pink and blue grounds with white filigree and dots. Many varied line fillers in red and blue., Lower right corners of ff. 42 and 85 excised., and Binding: Sixteenth century, perhaps at Oxford. Caught-up sewing on twelve tawed, slit strap supports, only four of them laced into beech boards, the others cut off at the edges of the spine. The spine is square and the bands prominent and defined. Covered in dark brown calf, blind-tooled with two concentric frames of medallion heads and arabesques, with thistles in the outer corners of the inner panel and an ornament with a cherub's head on it in the center. Nails for catches but no marks of them on the leather, stubs of two straps on the upper board.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment of a Psalter, with astrological notes, a Calendar, and other litanies and prayers
Description:
In Latin., Written by two scribes in tiny gothic textura. Scribe 1: ff. 2v-91v; Scribe 2: ff. 91v (last folio of quire 8)-95v. Several later hands have added scribbles, prayers, and inscriptions on ff. 1r-2r, 10r, 95v, 96r, 97v, 98r, 99r., Small (6-line) and rather crude historiated initials. The initials for Ps. 52 (the Fool) and Ps. 109 (the Trinity) are missing. In each initial, the figure drawn in black and colored pink, green, and/or blue on a gold ground; the initials attached to cusped, tapering bar border, blue, red, and gold, with white highlights, with ivy terminal, black with red and green leaves. Gold and blue calligraphic initials (2-line), with blue and red penwork respectively; 1-line initials, alternating red and blue. KL monograms, gold on red and blue, with white highlights. Because the initial I was placed in the margin without an inset space in the text, the illuminator often missed it (e.g., for Ps. 70 on f. 42r; for Ps. 113 on f. 62r, and for Ps. 125 on f. 68v)., and Binding: 15th-16th centuries. Resewn on three two-layered tapes of tawed skin attached to wooden boards. The endband cores are of tawed skin with a tawed skin braid at the head, a new endband added at the tail. The spine is square and the cover adhered to it. Covered in tawed skin, originally pink, with corner tongues. Cover repaired at spine and two corners and two silver clasps added. In a flexible grey leather pouch.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Astrology, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, and Psalters
Manuscript on parchment of a Psalter-Hymnal, written for a Benedictine monastery. On the rear flyleaf, a fragment of the Gospel of Mark, 1:24-31 and 36-42, in West-Saxon translation
Description:
In Latin and Anglo-Saxon., Script: Copied by three scribes, all writing Northern Gothica Textualis Formata. The fragment is copied in careful Anglo-Saxon Minuscule., The decoration consists of 1-line plain initials alternately in red and blue in the text; 2-line flourished initials in blue with red penwork with marginal extensions; 3- and 5-line litterae duplices with partial or full penwork borders (J-motifs) as indicated in art. 2. Litterae duplices also on ff. 116r, 133v, 143v (artt. 3, 6 and 7)., and Binding: Original undecorated leather over oak boards (?). Spine with three raised bands. Traces (?) of one clasp.
Subject (Geographic):
Connecticut and New Haven.
Subject (Name):
Benedictines. and Catholic Church
Subject (Topic):
Liturgy, Hymns, Illumination of books and manuscripts, Medieval, Manuscripts, Medieval, Monasticism and religious orders, and Psalters