London, British Library, Additional 19669

Cy commence le tresor des ystoires compile . De la bible . De Justin . De Jo / sephe . des ancie(n)netes . de titus livi(us) . De saluste . De Julle celse . Et de Lucain . Et de Suetone

» Full parent manuscript detail

General information

Folios235
7 frontend papers
4 backend papers
LanguageLanguage object (3)
Approx. date?1250 to 1275
Date notescf. Oltrogge 1989, 266: third quarter of the thirteenth century. The hand (two compartment 'a', the upper compartment of which is open; straight and round 's' in final position) supports this date. The use of uncrossed tironian 'et' is noteworthy and may point towards an early rather than later date.
Place(s) of productionNorthern France
cf. Oltrogge 1989, 266.
First words of second recto folio[f. 5ra] herete dou grant heritaige queil auoit per /
First words of last recto folio[f. 238r] sen repaira a rome Que pompeius randi /
Incipit[f. 4ra] Cy commence le tresor des ystoires compile. De la bible. De Justin. De Jo / sephe des ancie[n]netes. De titus liuius. De saluste. De Julle celse. Et de Lucain et de suetone. / Quant diex ot fait leciel (et) laterre (et) les aigues / douces (et) salees (et) lesoloil (et) lalune (et) les estoiles / (et) il ot achascun coumande selonc son ordre / Cest adire que li solaux . luifist leior . (et) enlu / minast par sagrant clarte tout lemonde . (et) / lalune (et) les estoiles randissent luminaire . / (et) clarte alanuit . qui estoit tenebreuse (et) noire . / Il fist les oisiaux enlair . (et) les poissons es ai / gues (et) les bestes en terre detoutes mennieres / par saseule parole . (et) si fist les aubres fruit por / ter et semence . (et) les herbes uerz (et) plaisanz (et) / beles dediverses samblances . Apres il fist le /
Explicit[f. 238rb] Et adonques q(ua)nt pompeius fu reuenuz en lacite derome furent si trestoutes / les granz batailles apaisies sicome eu / tropius raconte quil nen estoit nu / le qui granment fust greuable par / trestout lemonde // pauca sciant, de se diffidant si(n)t (et) egeni / Sic Rege subdittos dire tira(n)ne tuos // (late 14th or 15th c.hand) Ce liure est a Jehan Dauerton //

Related MS

Oltrogge 1989, 15.
RelationshipType object (7)Manuscript object (274)

Oltrogge 1989, 15.
RelationshipType object (7)Manuscript object (75)

Material

Material:Material object (4)
Watermark:na
Condition:Generally in good condition. One miniature has been excised (f. 52v. ). Some imperfections in the vellum: holes (e.g. ff. 55, 61, 183), tears (ff. 177, 182). Damage (stained by damp, grease) on folios 158 to162. The pages were trimmed some time after the fifteenth century.

Structure

Collation:

1-298 303

Quire structure:The manuscript is built of regular quaternions. The final quire is irregular and consists of three folios.
Quire marks:MSQuiremarkDisposition object (61)
Catchwords:14th c. addition (f. 219v).
Catchword disposition:MSCatchwordDisposition object (12)
MSCatchwordDisposition object (20)

Physical description

No. of illustrations:35
General illustration:Miniatures (height: 11-12 lines) generally occur in the middle of a paragraph. They are framed in broad blue and pink borders. The background is gilt, with some elements of decor. Usually in two registers, representing four scenes (sometimes two or three). Historiated initials (general height: 6-7 lines; f. 5, height: 14 lines).
General decoration:Paragraphs are introduced by a rubric, generally followed by a pen-flourished initial (height: 2 lines, alternating blue and red, flourishes in the contrasting colour). Historiated initials mark the beginning of chapters. They are painted on a blue or pink background; the background of the eye of the letter is gilt. These historiated initials tend to grow into marginal lists, sometimes decorated with half-palmets or dragons. Little use of line-filling devices. The marginal decoration on f. 4r, which consists of acanthus leafs in blue, green and red, blue multifoils and flowers in green, red and blue and vine or ivy with gilded leafs was added in the fifteenth century, as were the arms of the d'Averton, centered in the lower margin. These arms also occur on f. 45r, f. 112r and f. 238r.
Evidence of readership:f. 4r: coat of arms (Averton). f. 45r: coat of arms (Averton). f. 57r: drawing of a city (next to: 'Que Dardanus fu lapremiere semence detroie') f. 112r: coat of arms (Averton). f. 179r: nota sign next to the paragraph 'Que seruulus / scipio (et) semproni(us) bleses alerent en aufriq(ue)'. f. 202v: maniculum pointing towards the passage recounting Hannibal's death. f. 238r: annotation in Latin added below the text 'pauca sciant, de se diffidant si(n)t (et) egeni / Sic rege subdittos, dire tira(n)ne tuos' (Quote from Jean Gerson, 'Sermo coram rege ex parte universitatis', tertia veritas', quoted from Aristotle 'Politicorum'). This is probably not the hand of Jean d'Averton. f. 238r: coat of arms, 'Ce livre est a jehan daverton'
Foliations description:Older foliation in arabic numerals in the upper right corner of the recto (f. 188-194, f. 204). This foliation does not take into account the flyleaves (223 is modern 226). Modern foliation in the same location.

Mise en page

Description 1
Page sampled9r
LayoutMSLayout object (3)
Page dimensions320x240 (mm)
Justification235x170 (mm)
Columns2
15mm between columns
Column ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) )
Lines40
Line ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) )
RubricationRed ink is used for decoration (initials) and rubricated tituli (justification to the right)
Writing above top line?False
Sample page layout:

Hand(s)

Level of Execution:Execution object (4)
ScriptScript object (4)
Folio rangeFrom 1ra to 238rb
Datec. 1250 to 1300
Scribe description:Littera textualis rotundus with double compartment 'a', the upper bow of which is unclosed, exclusive use of uncial 'd'; 'i' is marked with a slanting hairstroke only when confusion is possible; descenders of 'p' and 'q' generally curve to the right; use of straight and round 's' in final position, but with preference of the round form. Abbreviations include nasal mark, also used for q(ue), superscript 'a', tironian 'et', 'p' with crossed descender and -'us' abbreviation. Punctuation by punctus elevatus. Correction by expungations, strike-through and interlinear or marginal addition.
Notes

Provenance

DescriptionJean d'Averton, lord of Belin
Datec. 1456
PlacePlace object (1)
OwnershipPerson object (20)