A catalogue of Western manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries and selected Oxford colleges

OR BROWSE BY

MANUSCRIPTS
WORKS
PEOPLE
PLACES

MS. Douce 92

Summary Catalogue no.: 21666

Contents

(fols. I r - XXV r)
Louis le Blanc (attrib.), Brief recit des roys de France
Rubric: Sensuivent les noms des xii roys de France, dont mencion est faicte en ce present traictie, qui ont este rendre graces à monseigneur sainct Denis en son eglise et abbaye en France des victoires par eulx obtenues en leurs personnes à l'encontre de leurs ennemys
Rubric: Pelerinaiges, processions, prieres et oraisons faictes monsr Sainct Denis en France par les trescrestiens Roys de France ...
Incipit: Charlemagne apres ce quil ot accorde
Explicit: a demonstrer que ledit roy loys est bon pasteur et que bien il garde conduit et gouuerne les subgectz qui est le plus grant honneur et gloire que puisse acquerir noble roy chretien

The twelve kings are listed on fols 1r-1v and are: Charlemagne, Robert, Philippe Dieu donné, Louis VII, Saint Louis, Philippe III, Philippe le Bel, Philippe VI, Charles VI, Charles VII, Charles VIII and Louis XII (who died in 1515 and was on the throne when the book was written). The last event mentioned in the text is the battle of Agnadello in May 1509.

On the text see Franck Collard, “Ranimer l’oriflamme. Les relations des rois de France avec l’abbaye de Saint-Denis à la fin du XVe siècle”, in Saint-Denis et la royauté, ed. Françoise Autrand et al. (Éditions de la Sorbonne, 1999). Four other manuscripts (BnF Fr. 5706, 5868, 5870, and 24948) present a different version of the text; the present manuscript (referred to at n. 21) seems to be a different redaction.

Fols. i r-v, XXVIr-XXIXv blank; fol. [XXX], blank, is a pastedown..

Language(s): Middle French

Physical Description

Form: codex
Support: parchment
Extent: 1 + xxx leaves
Dimensions (binding): 8.625 × 6 in.

Hand(s)

French Humanistic script (Douce Legacy [1984], no. 83)

Decoration

Related to the style of the manuscripts made for Cardinal Georges d'Amboise in the region of Rouen Pächt and Alexander i. 824, Pl. LX. Illuminated between May 1509 and May 1510 (Douce Legacy [1984], no. 83). Attributed by Caroline Zöhl (Jean Pichore : Buchmaler, Graphiker und Verleger in Paris um 1500 (Brepols, 2004), p. 188) to Jean Pichore, on whom see also F. Avril and N. Reynaud, Les manuscrits à peintures en France : 1440-1520 (1993), 411-18.

Fine miniatures. Two portraits of Louis XII: on fol. 2r, he is represented on his knees, in front of an open book in front of the high altar of Saint Denis. There is a cardinal on the king's right who is probably Georges d'Amboise (Louis XII's adviser) who died May 1510; in the other portrait, at fol. 18v, Louis XII is seated on his throne of state

Borders

Initials.

Binding

Bound in pasteboard and covered with red velvet

History

Origin: 1509–1510 ; France

Provenance and Acquisition

Francis Douce, 1757–1834

Made for Georges d'Amboise (?).

There is no evidence to show where or when Douce acquired this manuscript.

Bequeathed to the Bodleian in 1834.

Record Sources

Description adapted (September 2024) by Stewart J. Brookes and Matthew Holford from the following sources and published literature as cited, with additional description of content:
Douce Legacy (1984), no. 83
Pächt and Alexander (1966), i. 824
Catalogue of the Printed Books and Manuscripts Bequeathed by Francis Douce, esq. to the Bodleian Library (1840), p. 12
Summary Catalogue (1897)
Summary Catalogue, vol. 4, p. 518

Digital Images

Digital Bodleian (3 images from 35mm slides)

Bibliography

Abbreviations

View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.

Last Substantive Revision

2024-09-21: Description revised to incorporate all the information in the Summary Catalogue (1897) and other printed sources, with additional description.