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Detailed record for Royal 16 G VII
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| Title |
Les anciennes hystoires rommaines (Part 1, l'Histoire ancienne jusqu'a César: ff. 1-214v, Part 2, Li Fet des Romains: ff. 215-390v) |
| Origin |
France, Central (Paris) |
| Date |
Last quarter of the 14th century |
| Language |
French |
| Script |
Gothic |
| Decoration |
1 half-page miniature in 7 panels in colours and gold with scenes of the Creation, with a full bar border with vine leaf extensions, 2 large initials in colours and gold, and animals in the margins (f. 11). 1 half-page miniature in 4 panels in colours and gold with scenes from the life of Caesar, a full bar border with vine leaf extensions, 2 large initials in colours and gold, and birds in the margin (f. 219). 54 column miniatures in colours and gold (in quatrefoil frames with foliate or diapered grounds) (ff. 20v, 28, 37v, 46v, 51v, 54, 67v, 70, 82, 95v, 99, 107v, 121, 125, 133 v, 143, 146, 151, 159v, 168, 173v, 179v, 191v, 202, 209, 229, 234, 235v, 238v, 243, 247, 249, 251, 254v, 260, 272, 275v, 284v, 295v, 299v, 305v, 307, 313v, 320, 326v, 333, 339, 343, 350, 362, 366, 375, 380, 389). Partial bar borders with vine leaf extensions (some with dragons), and initials in colours and gold with vine motifs (ff. 1, 1v, 20v, 28, 37v, 46v, 51v, 54v, 67v, 70, 82, 95v, 99, 107v, 121, 125, 133v, 143, 146, 151, 159v, 168, 173v, 179v, 191v, 202, 209, 215, 229v, 234, 235v, 238v, 243, 247, 249, 251, 254v, 260, 272, 275v, 284v, 295v, 299v, 305v, 307, 313v, 320, 326, 333, 339, 343, 350v, 362, 366, 375, 380, 389). Large initials in blue with red pen-flourishing and in gold with black pen-flourishing. Small initials in blue with red penwork decoration, or in red or gold with black penwork decoration. Rubrics in red. Line fillers in blue and red. Paraphs in blue or red. Capitals marked in yellow. |
| Dimensions in mm |
410 x 275 (285 x 180) in two columns |
| Official foliation |
ff. 390 (+ 1 unfoliated paper flyleaf + 3 unfoliated ruled parchment leaves at the beginning + at the end (2 of the parchment leaves are pasted to marbled endpapers) |
| Form |
Parchment codex |
| Binding |
BM/BL in-house. Rebound in 1981. |
| Provenance |
Added marginal drawing in brown ink with the caption, 'Bose a Bylyngate' written in a 15th-century hand (f. 205).
Inscribed in a 15th-century hand, 'memorandum ţat Sir Henry Slyfeld' (f. 24).
?Shelfmark of a very large number in black ink (Carley's 'Old Large Number') 94.
George Rodiot: his name inscribed (f. 216v); also inscribed in Greek in a 16th-century hand (f. 217).
The Old Royal Library (the English Royal Library): Westminster inventory number 'no. 94' (f. 1), included in the inventory of books in the Upper Library at Westminster of 1542; in the catalogue of 1666, Royal Appendix 71, f. 14v.
Inscribed in 1625, 'King Charles God blesse him and longe to rainge' and 'Salisbery the 6th of Sept. 1625' (f. 57v).
Presented to the British Museum by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. |
| Notes |
f. 29 is torn; the lower half is missing.
Instructions for the illuminator (?) (e.g. f. 173v (bottom margin, almost effaced).
Part I contains sections I-X of the first redaction of the text (see Jung pp 337-40);
(incipit): 'A mon commencement soit la grace. Ci empres sont nommes les liures principaulz'
Part I (explicit): ' 'fust greuable par tres tout le monde'.
Part II (inicipit): 'Chascuns homs a qui diex'
Part II (explicit): 'don’t il orent occis Cesar'
For descriptions of the miniatures see the BL Manuscripts Catalogue: http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/manuscripts/HITS0001.ASP?Vpath=html/39397.htm&Search='anciennes+hystoires'&Highlight=T. |
| Select bibliography |
George F. Warner and Julius P. Gilson, Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Old Royal and King’s Collections, 4 vols (London: British Museum, 1921), II, p. 212.
Louis-Fernand Flutre, Les Manuscrits des Faits des Romains (Paris: Hachette, 1932), pp. 41-42.
David John Athole Ross, Alexander Historiatus: A Guide to Medieval Illustrated Alexander Literature (London: Warburg Institute, 1963), p. 19.
Loren MacKinney, Medical Illustrations in Medieval Manuscripts, Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 5, 2 parts bound together (London: Wellcome Historical Medical Library, 1965), with Thomas Herndon, Part II, Medical Miniatures in Extant Manuscripts: A Checklist, no. 58.
Doris Oltrogge, Die Illustrationszyklen zur 'Histoire ancienne jusqu'a César', European University Studies, 28 (Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1989), pp. 271-73.
Marc-René Jung, La Légende de Troie en France au moyen age (Basel & Tubingen: Francke Verlag, 1996), pp. 337-40, 343, 355-56.
J. P. Carley, 'Marks in Books and the Libraries of Henry VIII', Papers-Bibliographical Society of America, 91 (1997), 583-606 (p. 606).
Histoire Ancienne jusqu'a César (Estoires Roger), ed. by Marijke de Visser-van Terwisga, 2 vols (Orleans: Paradigme, 1999), vol 1 [an edition of the text], vol 2, p. 13.
Hanno Wijsman, 'Two Petals of a Fleur: The 'Copenhagen Fleur des Histoires' and the Production of Illuminated Manuscripts in Bruges around 1480', in Fund og Forskning I Det Kongelige Biblioteks, 47 (2008), 17-72 (p. 63, n. 87). |
| Last revised: 18 September 2009 |
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f. 11
Creation |
f. 20v
Marriage of Abraham |
f. 28
Sacrifice of Isaac |
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f. 37v
Jacob wrestling with an angel |
f. 46v
Joseph receiving his bretheren in Egypt |
f. 51v
Ninus killing the king of Bactria |
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f. 54
Finding of Oedipus |
f. 67v
War between Athens and Crete |
f. 70
Return of the Argonauts |
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f. 82
Dido welcoming Aeneas |
f. 95v
King receiving a letter |
f. 99
Combat between Brutus and Tarquin |
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f. 107v
Three kings of Media |
f. 121
Philip of Macedon and Olympias |
f. 125
Coronation of Alexander |
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f. 133v
Alexander fighting with elephants |
f. 143
Messenger from Tarentum at Rome |
f. 146
Messenger from Tarentum at Carthage |
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f. 151
Death of Hannibal |
f. 159v
Siege of Saragossa |
f. 168
Siege of New Carthage |
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f. 173v
Philip V of Macedon receiving a letter |
f. 179v
Taking of Carthage |
f. 191v
Rebuilding of Carthage |
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f. 202
Pompeius besieging Ascalon |
f. 209
Sulla defeating Archelaus |
f. 219
Birth of Julius Caesar |
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f. 219
Life of Julius Caesar |
f. 219
Life of Julius Caesar |
f. 219
Birds |
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f. 219
Bird and grotesque |
f. 229v
Defeat of Catiline |
f. 234
Pompeius entering Jerusalem |
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f. 235v
Caesar in battle |
f. 238v
Caesar in battle |
f. 243
Caesar in battle |
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f. 247
Caesar in battle |
f. 249
Caesar in battle |
f. 251
Caesar's troops |
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f. 254v
Caesar in battle |
f. 260
Caesar in battle |
f. 272
Caesar in battle |
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f. 275v
Caesar's troops |
f. 284v
Caesar in battle |
f. 295v
Crossing the Rubicon |
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f. 299v
Women of Rome |
f. 305v
Pompeius' dream |
f. 307
Caesar dividing the treasure |
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f. 313v
Surrender of Africanus |
f. 320
Speech of Lentulus |
f. 326v
Pompeius attacked |
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f. 333
Pompeius receiving a letter |
f. 336
Caesar besieged in Alexandria |
f. 339
Combat of Caesar and Pompeius |
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f. 343
Meeting of Pompeius and his wife |
f. 350
Escape of Pompeians |
f. 362
Caesar attacking Alexandria |
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f. 375
Caesar fighting with Juba |
f. 380
Battle of Munda |
f. 389
Murder of Caesar |
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