MS. Douce 386

Summary Catalogue no.: 21961

Rubric: La somme rural

Explicit: Puis que dit et complet ay ma somme rural, dire voel che que jay oy dire de nos maistres des ruillez de droit, que les clers appellent 'de regulis juris', et sont aussy comme cas briefs, les queles je metteray aussy comme ly docteurz les mettrent (?) en Latin, et puis apres en Romant par cas briefs, que se poent et doibuent entendre, parce que autrefois ly lisans sur ce aveu et oy et porce sy tost que il ora le cas sa sapience conchoit lexposition sur che, etc.

French manual of law

With the titles 'De regulis juris'

Main text composed in 1370 (see fol. 135)

Some 'Riullez de droit' follow on fol. 135v, and a few other legal pieces

Language(s): Middle French

Physical Description

Form: codex

Support: paper

Extent: i + 160 leaves

Dimensions (binding): 16.25 × 11.375 in.

Dimensions (leaf): 398 × 265 mm.

Condition

The original manuscript had 296 leaves, here reduced by excisions at various places to 159

Layout

2 cols, c. 40-45 lines; frame-ruled in leadpoint; overall ruled space c. 270 × 175 mm. .

Decoration

Penwork initials. The miniature referred to in the sale catalogue of 1789 (see provenance) is no longer present.

Binding

Morocco, with gilt roll decoration around the edges of the covers, and gilt floral patterns on the spine, attributable to Richard ('David' or 'Davy') Wier, made for Count Justin MacCarthy Reagh at Toulouse probably in the 1770s.

History

Origin: 15th century ; France (?)

Provenance and Acquisition

'Che liure chy apertient a Jehan Marisal fitz de Nichaice[?] Marisal demorant a Lille,' 16th century (fol. 159v)

Count Justin MacCarthy Reagh: his binding; sale Leigh and Sotheby, 18 May 1789, lot 1599, bought by Douce for £0.16.0 (Douce CC 301). The catalogue refers to 'one painting in miniature', no longer present.

Francis Douce, 1757–1834

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1834. Fol. 'lxiij' had become separated before the manuscript received its current pencil foliation and was found June 1884 ('in the Oriental Room'); it is now kept as MS. Fr. c. 4, fol. 3.

Record Sources

Description adapted (September 2024) by Stewart J. Brookes and Matthew Holford from the Summary Catalogue (1897) and the Catalogue of the Printed Books and Manuscripts Bequeathed by Francis Douce, esq. to the Bodleian Library (1840), with limited additional description.

Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 617

Printed Books and Manuscripts Bequeathed by Francis Douce, p. 67