DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14722#0163
111
THE LIBER REGALIS OF WESTMESTSTER A XD THE
CORONATIOJST BOOK OF RHEIMS.
EEFEKENCE TO THE PLATE.
Illuminated Heading and Miniature of the Coronation Commencement of one of the Charters of the same King.
of King Eichard IL, from the Liber Begalis. Specimen from the Corouation Book of Rheims, at the
Autograph of the same King. bottom.
THE Liber Hegalis lias been justly described as " one of the most curious, authentic, and important manu-
scripts relating to the coronation of the kings and queens of England which exists." It is, therefore,
with much pleasure that I am now enabled, for the first time1, by the kind perinission of the Dean of West-
minster, to present a fac-simile of one of its illuminations, representing the coronation of King Richard II.,
by whom it was presented to the abbots of Westminster, (in the possession of whose successors it has ever
since remained,) and at whose coronation, in 1378, it is stated to have been used. When it is recollected that
this monarch fmished Westminster Hall; that he gave divers sums for rebuilding part of the old portion of West-
minster Abbey, together with the revenues of the Priories of Stoke-Clare and Folkstone; that he likewise granted
lands to this church of the yearly value of .€200, and gave a ring of great value to St. Bernard's shrine;2 that he
also bequeathed most of his jewels to the same use3 (although the injunctions of his will were not allowed to be
enforced); that he lies buried in the A.bbey, where his monument still remains, and his cognizance, the white hart,
is still to be seen, painted of a colossal size, on the wall over the door leading to the east cloister from the
south aisle; and that there is still preserved in the Jerusalem Chamber an original portrait of him, we may
easily couceive how much he was attached to Westminster and its noble buildings, which doubtless led to the
circumstances which render the volume in question so interesting.
The Liber Regalis is a thin folio of only 37 leaves, or 74 pages, measuring 10^ inches by 7, written in a bold
modern Gothic character, with 23 lines in a page. The frontispiece to the volume represents the coronation
of the king, copied in my plate. This likeness of the king differs considerably from the portraits which have
come down to our times, and which have been published in the Vetusta Monumenta, and by Fenn, Shaw, and
others, but more closely resembles his effigy upon his tomb. It is to be observed, that in the other illumina-
tions of the volume the same likeness is preserved. It will be seen that the dresses of the two courtiers are
divided exactly in half, one side being blue and the other pinkish red. Now, Chaucer, who wrote during the
reign of Bichard II., expressly mentions this fashion as being very prevalent; and in the CottonianMS. marked
D 6, there is an illumination representing John of Gaunt sitting to decide the claims on the coronation of his
nephew Richard II., in which the long robe is divided in half; one side being blue, and the other white, being
the colours of the house of Lancaster. The peculiar cut of the sleeves, narrow at the wrist and brought far
over the back of the hand, the form of the hat, and short pointed beard, are also characteristic of this foppish
period. They may also be seen in the Royal MS., 20 B 6, of the same date.
The back-ground of the illuminations in the Liber Regalis is of highly burnished gold, with scrolls, repre-
sented by minute punctures upon the surface of the gold.
The ornamental heading of the accompanying plate represents the commencement of the MSS., written in a
fine modern Gothic text; the directions for the ceremonial being, of course, as was usual, rubricated, (whence the
term rubric came to be applied to the directions for the Service of the Church in general,) the prayers being
1 Mr. Strutt, in his " Eegal and Ecclesiastical Antiquities," pub- to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, as Mr. Planche has stated
lished an engraying asserted to hare been made from the Liber in his new edition of that work. 2 Eym. Fced. viii. 76.
Eegalis,butwhichwas,infact,takenfromanothermanuscriptbelonging 3 ITeale and Brayley's " Westminster Abbey," p. 89.
1
THE LIBER REGALIS OF WESTMESTSTER A XD THE
CORONATIOJST BOOK OF RHEIMS.
EEFEKENCE TO THE PLATE.
Illuminated Heading and Miniature of the Coronation Commencement of one of the Charters of the same King.
of King Eichard IL, from the Liber Begalis. Specimen from the Corouation Book of Rheims, at the
Autograph of the same King. bottom.
THE Liber Hegalis lias been justly described as " one of the most curious, authentic, and important manu-
scripts relating to the coronation of the kings and queens of England which exists." It is, therefore,
with much pleasure that I am now enabled, for the first time1, by the kind perinission of the Dean of West-
minster, to present a fac-simile of one of its illuminations, representing the coronation of King Richard II.,
by whom it was presented to the abbots of Westminster, (in the possession of whose successors it has ever
since remained,) and at whose coronation, in 1378, it is stated to have been used. When it is recollected that
this monarch fmished Westminster Hall; that he gave divers sums for rebuilding part of the old portion of West-
minster Abbey, together with the revenues of the Priories of Stoke-Clare and Folkstone; that he likewise granted
lands to this church of the yearly value of .€200, and gave a ring of great value to St. Bernard's shrine;2 that he
also bequeathed most of his jewels to the same use3 (although the injunctions of his will were not allowed to be
enforced); that he lies buried in the A.bbey, where his monument still remains, and his cognizance, the white hart,
is still to be seen, painted of a colossal size, on the wall over the door leading to the east cloister from the
south aisle; and that there is still preserved in the Jerusalem Chamber an original portrait of him, we may
easily couceive how much he was attached to Westminster and its noble buildings, which doubtless led to the
circumstances which render the volume in question so interesting.
The Liber Regalis is a thin folio of only 37 leaves, or 74 pages, measuring 10^ inches by 7, written in a bold
modern Gothic character, with 23 lines in a page. The frontispiece to the volume represents the coronation
of the king, copied in my plate. This likeness of the king differs considerably from the portraits which have
come down to our times, and which have been published in the Vetusta Monumenta, and by Fenn, Shaw, and
others, but more closely resembles his effigy upon his tomb. It is to be observed, that in the other illumina-
tions of the volume the same likeness is preserved. It will be seen that the dresses of the two courtiers are
divided exactly in half, one side being blue and the other pinkish red. Now, Chaucer, who wrote during the
reign of Bichard II., expressly mentions this fashion as being very prevalent; and in the CottonianMS. marked
D 6, there is an illumination representing John of Gaunt sitting to decide the claims on the coronation of his
nephew Richard II., in which the long robe is divided in half; one side being blue, and the other white, being
the colours of the house of Lancaster. The peculiar cut of the sleeves, narrow at the wrist and brought far
over the back of the hand, the form of the hat, and short pointed beard, are also characteristic of this foppish
period. They may also be seen in the Royal MS., 20 B 6, of the same date.
The back-ground of the illuminations in the Liber Regalis is of highly burnished gold, with scrolls, repre-
sented by minute punctures upon the surface of the gold.
The ornamental heading of the accompanying plate represents the commencement of the MSS., written in a
fine modern Gothic text; the directions for the ceremonial being, of course, as was usual, rubricated, (whence the
term rubric came to be applied to the directions for the Service of the Church in general,) the prayers being
1 Mr. Strutt, in his " Eegal and Ecclesiastical Antiquities," pub- to the Dean and Chapter of Westminster, as Mr. Planche has stated
lished an engraying asserted to hare been made from the Liber in his new edition of that work. 2 Eym. Fced. viii. 76.
Eegalis,butwhichwas,infact,takenfromanothermanuscriptbelonging 3 ITeale and Brayley's " Westminster Abbey," p. 89.
1