MS. Fr. c. 25
Summary Catalogue no.: Not in SC (late accession)
Contents
Physical Description
Collation
Layout
Ruled in pale brown ink in two columns, with 26 lines, the top pair and bottom pair extending the full width of the page; each column with single vertical bounding lines extending the full height of the page; 25 lines of text per page; prickings survive in the three outer margins.
Hand(s)
Written in bâtarde script, often with very calligraphic ascenders on the top line (e.g. fol. 57r, 66r), occasionally incorporating human heads in profile (e.g. fol. 16r).
Decoration
Clearly intended to be a very extensively illustrated volume, with about one miniature per leaf, but none of the spaces left for them by the scribe have been filled in; none of the decorative initials have been supplied either.
Binding
A large fragment of a contemporary blind-stamped brown leather cover is stuck to fol. 208v.
Formerly bound in 'old calf over oak boards, binding badly wormed' (Sotheby's, 1947); rebound in new plain brown leather '... by E. E. W. 5.11.1948' (inscribed in pencil, fol. 208r); pairs of holes and copper-stains in the first and last parchment leaves caused by former fastenings.
History
Provenance and Acquisition
Erased original(?) medieval ownership(?) calligraphic inscription on the upper pastedown 'Ex | ...'
Inscribed, 16th(?) cent.: 'historia gallica usque initium regnum(?) t'(?) H 3' (fol. i recto).
Sir John Savile the elder (1545–1607)
Sir Henry Savile (1549–1622), provost of Eton
Sir John Savile (1818–96), his sale, Sotheby's 6 Feb. 1861, lot 29, bought by Powis for £79
Sir Thomas Phillipps (1792–1872), MS. 25028
Sotheby's 1 Dec. 1947, lot 102.
Record Sources
Bibliography
Online resources:
Abbreviations
View list of abbreviations and editorial conventions.
Last Substantive Revision
2017-07-01: First online publication.