DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14714#0054
DESCRIPTION OF MS.
LES MERVEILLES DU MONDE,
IN THE BIBLIOTHEQUE ROY ALE, PARIS.
F all the treasures of the illuminator's art preserved in the Bibliotheque Royale, none is more worthy of careful
examination than the volume in question; a present from Jean ' Sans Peur,' Duke of Burgundy, to his uncle the Duke of
Berri; executed, doubtless, between 1404, the year of his accession to the title, and 1419, when he was assassinated at
Montereau. It is mentioned by Silvestre as " one of the finest monuments of the period;" and we may readily suppose,
that a book intended as a present to the Duke of Berri, at once the most distinguished connoisseur and most munificent patron of
art of the age, was confided to an illuminator of the highest talent,, with directions to spare no labour in its embellishment. The
book which is entitled " Les Merveilles du Monde," contains the travels, &c. &c. of Marco Polo, Mandeville, Frere Oderic
Mineur, and others ; and every page of it has been decorated by the artist with illuminated ornaments more or less rich. The
ordinary pages are in the same style as most works of the period, of which the border attached to this description will convey a
good general idea : but the pages forming the commencement of each book are quite peculiar in design, and unlike anything else
of the period that I have seen. The one which I have selected to illustrate this work, though not the most rich and unusual in its
character, presents perhaps on the whole a better idea of the illuminator's general intention than any other single page ; while the
fact that it illustrates an event in early English adventure, gave it another claim to my choice. Many of the miniatures represent
the wonders of distant countries in a manner showing that the illuminator was imbued with the conviction that, " travellers see
strange tilings:" and others, representing customs and events in different parts of the world, equally display the anxiety of the
artist to impart the full spirit and meaning to the extraordinary facts of the differant narrators. Some of these old pictures are in
a more loose style than the one in our plate, but all those at the head of chapters or books are fully equal to it.
____CTjl GREAT additional interest is given to the miniatures, with which this rich volume is profusely
iry.j i" illuminated, from the circumstance that the artist has abandoned the very general custom of
nBwmif^EKZm?W$fM tne Peri°d> of filling up the background with a tesselated or mosaic pattern, composed of small squares,
(M^P^^Vf'flWiPL3ai^«J or other figures, of gold, blue, black, and other colours ; which, in addition to destroying the ellect of
ljKffgMB«SMWTM i the composition deprived us of the invaluable records of architecture, furniture, agricultural implements,
P ^MSS^jl^Sr^S^^^U scenelT' c^-c- &c-> a'ding to compose the background of a complete picture. The miniature representing
" ^nSj^r^tsjBl-^gJ Mandeville taking leave of the King previous to his departure, in the plate opposite, exhibits, notwith-
standing its defective drawing, a much bolder and grander style than the more highly wrought and
l/^Lr •it^>r$~ ^HH.iiLf |y| more intricate works of the middle and end of the same century: indeed, both border and picture
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BW contain even something of the fine simplicity and decision of the well-marked and complete style of the
12th century; from some fine specimens of which, either in stained glass or illumination, our artist, not imp ossibly, drew his inspira-
tion. The writing is quite upright, and, as usual, more regular and neat in character than that which generally prevailed towards
the middle and end of this century : and for those who shun the trouble of deciphering the old character, I subjoin the text as
follows, with a literal translation. Above the miniature is, " Icj commence le livre de Mesire Guillaume de Mandeville ;" " Here
begins the book of Sir William de Mandeville." Below, is the title of the picture : " Comment Mesire de Mandeville s'en ala
oultre mer ;" "How Sir de Mandeville went beyond sea." Then commences a sort of prologue, as follows:—" Comme il soit
ainsi que la terre d oultre mer e'est assavoir la sainte terre de promission en tres toutes les terrcs e'est la plus excellente et la plus
digne et dame souveraine de toutes autres terres, et benoite et saintifie et consacree du precieux corps et du precieux sang notre
seigneur Ihesus Crist. Ou ly pleut soy enombrer en la glorieuse vierge Marie et prendre char humaine et nourric^n et la terre
marcher et environner de joies, et la voult il maint miracle faire et prcschier et enseigncr la foy et la loy de nous Crestiens, comme a
ses enfans, et de cette terre voult singuliere ;"—which may be rendered pretty literally as follows :—" As it is thus that the land
beyond the sea, that is, the holy land of promise, is among all other lands the most excellent, , and sovereign lady of all other lands,
blessed and sanctified, and consecrated by the precious body and by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Where it
pleased him to be born of the glorious Virgin Mary, and assume human flesh and become an infant, and walk the earth and cover
it with joy ; and where it pleased him to perform endless miracles, and preach and teach the faith and the law of us Christians, as
to his children, and of that land desired singular, &c. etc.:" wdiich is sufficient to show, if all the rest of the chapter did not
exemplify it, that the main object of Sir William's travels was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land; and that we are indebted to his
piety, as much as to his adventurous spirit, for one of the most interesting books of early travel, though less extensive than the
better-known work of Marco Polo. The illuminator has not forgotten to place the badge of the crusader on his breast, nor the gold
spurs of knighthood on his heels.
LES MERVEILLES DU MONDE,
IN THE BIBLIOTHEQUE ROY ALE, PARIS.
F all the treasures of the illuminator's art preserved in the Bibliotheque Royale, none is more worthy of careful
examination than the volume in question; a present from Jean ' Sans Peur,' Duke of Burgundy, to his uncle the Duke of
Berri; executed, doubtless, between 1404, the year of his accession to the title, and 1419, when he was assassinated at
Montereau. It is mentioned by Silvestre as " one of the finest monuments of the period;" and we may readily suppose,
that a book intended as a present to the Duke of Berri, at once the most distinguished connoisseur and most munificent patron of
art of the age, was confided to an illuminator of the highest talent,, with directions to spare no labour in its embellishment. The
book which is entitled " Les Merveilles du Monde," contains the travels, &c. &c. of Marco Polo, Mandeville, Frere Oderic
Mineur, and others ; and every page of it has been decorated by the artist with illuminated ornaments more or less rich. The
ordinary pages are in the same style as most works of the period, of which the border attached to this description will convey a
good general idea : but the pages forming the commencement of each book are quite peculiar in design, and unlike anything else
of the period that I have seen. The one which I have selected to illustrate this work, though not the most rich and unusual in its
character, presents perhaps on the whole a better idea of the illuminator's general intention than any other single page ; while the
fact that it illustrates an event in early English adventure, gave it another claim to my choice. Many of the miniatures represent
the wonders of distant countries in a manner showing that the illuminator was imbued with the conviction that, " travellers see
strange tilings:" and others, representing customs and events in different parts of the world, equally display the anxiety of the
artist to impart the full spirit and meaning to the extraordinary facts of the differant narrators. Some of these old pictures are in
a more loose style than the one in our plate, but all those at the head of chapters or books are fully equal to it.
____CTjl GREAT additional interest is given to the miniatures, with which this rich volume is profusely
iry.j i" illuminated, from the circumstance that the artist has abandoned the very general custom of
nBwmif^EKZm?W$fM tne Peri°d> of filling up the background with a tesselated or mosaic pattern, composed of small squares,
(M^P^^Vf'flWiPL3ai^«J or other figures, of gold, blue, black, and other colours ; which, in addition to destroying the ellect of
ljKffgMB«SMWTM i the composition deprived us of the invaluable records of architecture, furniture, agricultural implements,
P ^MSS^jl^Sr^S^^^U scenelT' c^-c- &c-> a'ding to compose the background of a complete picture. The miniature representing
" ^nSj^r^tsjBl-^gJ Mandeville taking leave of the King previous to his departure, in the plate opposite, exhibits, notwith-
standing its defective drawing, a much bolder and grander style than the more highly wrought and
l/^Lr •it^>r$~ ^HH.iiLf |y| more intricate works of the middle and end of the same century: indeed, both border and picture
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^BW contain even something of the fine simplicity and decision of the well-marked and complete style of the
12th century; from some fine specimens of which, either in stained glass or illumination, our artist, not imp ossibly, drew his inspira-
tion. The writing is quite upright, and, as usual, more regular and neat in character than that which generally prevailed towards
the middle and end of this century : and for those who shun the trouble of deciphering the old character, I subjoin the text as
follows, with a literal translation. Above the miniature is, " Icj commence le livre de Mesire Guillaume de Mandeville ;" " Here
begins the book of Sir William de Mandeville." Below, is the title of the picture : " Comment Mesire de Mandeville s'en ala
oultre mer ;" "How Sir de Mandeville went beyond sea." Then commences a sort of prologue, as follows:—" Comme il soit
ainsi que la terre d oultre mer e'est assavoir la sainte terre de promission en tres toutes les terrcs e'est la plus excellente et la plus
digne et dame souveraine de toutes autres terres, et benoite et saintifie et consacree du precieux corps et du precieux sang notre
seigneur Ihesus Crist. Ou ly pleut soy enombrer en la glorieuse vierge Marie et prendre char humaine et nourric^n et la terre
marcher et environner de joies, et la voult il maint miracle faire et prcschier et enseigncr la foy et la loy de nous Crestiens, comme a
ses enfans, et de cette terre voult singuliere ;"—which may be rendered pretty literally as follows :—" As it is thus that the land
beyond the sea, that is, the holy land of promise, is among all other lands the most excellent, , and sovereign lady of all other lands,
blessed and sanctified, and consecrated by the precious body and by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. Where it
pleased him to be born of the glorious Virgin Mary, and assume human flesh and become an infant, and walk the earth and cover
it with joy ; and where it pleased him to perform endless miracles, and preach and teach the faith and the law of us Christians, as
to his children, and of that land desired singular, &c. etc.:" wdiich is sufficient to show, if all the rest of the chapter did not
exemplify it, that the main object of Sir William's travels was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land; and that we are indebted to his
piety, as much as to his adventurous spirit, for one of the most interesting books of early travel, though less extensive than the
better-known work of Marco Polo. The illuminator has not forgotten to place the badge of the crusader on his breast, nor the gold
spurs of knighthood on his heels.