YALE UNIVERSITY
BEINECKE RARE BOOK AND MANUSCRIPT LIBRARY
GENERAL COLLECTION OF RARE BOOKS AND
MANUSCRIPTS
MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE MANUSCRIPTS
Marston MS 180 France, 1410-13
Historical roll chronicle, in French
Column I:
Cy sensuiuent les papes qui ont este a Romme depuis nostre saulueur
Ihesucrist Iusques au pape alixandre qui regna en l'an M.iiii.#c. et
ix.
Nostre sauueur ihesucrist qui est sans fin et sans comencement premier
tressaint pere fist en humanite en cest monde...Urbain qui
estoit arceuesque de saint nicholas de bar fut pape l'an M.iii#c lxxviii et
fut sacre le Iour de pasques en la cite de rome a tres grant solemnite.
Et apres sy commenca la diuision en saincte eglise de quoy ce fu dommaige
et pitie pour toute chretiente.
Chronology of the popes from Peter to the antipope John XXIII.
The text ends with Urban VI (1378-89), the last Pope elected before the
Great Schism, and the diagram ends with John XXIII (antipope 1410-15).
However, the rubric cites Alexander V (1409-10) as the last pope of
the list.
Column II:
Cy sensuiuent les empereurs qui ont regne a Romme depuis Iulles cesar
Iusques a loys de bauiere qui fut empereur en l'an M.iii#c .xxviii. et
combien que chascung a regne et leur mort. Othouian auguste fut empereur
Et fut auant nostre seigneur xiiij. ans Et depuis l'aduenement de nostre
seigneur. xv. ans se Dient aucunes croniques et...Et apres regna loys de
bauiere et lors les romains firent vng antipape. Cy ne parle plus des
empereurs.
Chronology of the rulers of the Empire from Augustus to Louis of Bavaria,
Holy Roman Emperor from 1328-47.
Column III:
Cy sensuiuent les lignies des Rois de france Et comment les generations
sont descendues l'une de l'autre Et comment Ilz sont faillies Et si parle en
brief de leurs faiz Et en quel temps ilz ont regne et combien et ou ilz
gisent Et quieulx enfans ilz ont eu Et en quel temps la cite de lutesse
fut commencie et comment elle fut nommee paris Et comment le royaulme de
gaule fut nomme france. Aux nobles qui ayment biaux fais et bonnes
hystoires vuelx escripre et enseignier au plaisir de dieu qui soit a
mon commencement...[The genealogy ends in two paragraphs at the bottom of
the roll. The left paragraph begins with the coronation of Charles VI;
the right paragraph discusses the reign of Charles V.] [on left:] l'an
M. iii#c iiii#x#x le dimenche iiij#e iour de nouembre fut couronne Charles
vi#e...Si furent les corps dez Iiufs ramenez et aucuns des biens maiz ce fut
poix. [on right:] Charles qui estoit regent et duc de normendie fut
couronne l'an M. iij#c. 1xiiii...Et tant fist a l'ayde de dieu et de ses freres
que il mist le royaume en bon point et fut preudomme et saige et bien
gouuerna son royaulme tant comme il vesquist.
Chronology of the Monarchs of France, beginning with the Trojan nobles and
concluding with Charles VI, king from 1380-1422.
Column IV:
Cy sensuit les Rois qui ont regne en engleterre depuis Ihesucrist et
depuis le temps Iulles cesar Iusques au Roy richart Et combien que
chascung a regne Iusques a l'an M.iiii#c ou environ. Lud fut roy de la
grant bretaingne qui de present est nommee engleterre...Et apres ce fut
renuoye en france la royne d'engleterre que le roy richart auoit eu
espousee dame ysabel de france qui depuis fut duchesse d'orleans.
Chronology of the kings of England, from King Lud in the time of Julius
Caesar to King Henry IV (d. 1413).
Parchment roll composed of 8 membranes (numbered with contemporary Roman
numerals on dorse) overlapping ca. 10 mm. at the seams; 5,660 x 640 mm.
Written in 4 columns: double vertical bounding lines and single lower
horizontal bounding line. Additional double rulings between text columns
for genealogical diagrams. Ruled in lead. Rulings for text in brown ink.
Prickings in left and right margins.
Written in batarde script by a single scribe.
Text is accompanied by parallel schematic genealogical diagrams in red
consisting of connected roundels inscribed with the names of various
rulers in succession, between the columns. The genealogical diagrams are
periodically interspersed with 58 roundels framed in red with lively pen
drawings in brown ink with washes in blue, pink and green, depicting
cities and churches whose foundations are ascribed to particular rulers or
occurred during their reigns. Each of the genealogical diagrams begins at
the top of the text with a roundel, depicting respectively (I) Mount
Calvary, (II) Rome, (III) Venice (whose foundation is ascribed to Trojan
nobles) and (IV) London. Included are drawings of Constantinople, Hagia
Sophia, Santiago de Compostela; the majority of the drawings appear in the
chronology of the French monarchs, with depictions of Paris, St. Genevieve,
St. Denis, St. Martin-de-Champs, and others. The buildings are all late
medieval in character and do not bear resemblance to the monuments
themselves. For a similar, though somewhat later French roll chronicle,
see New York Public Library MS 124, reproduced in The Secular Spirit: Life and
Art at the End of the Middle Ages, exhib. cat. (New York: Metropolitan Museum
of Art, 1975) p. 166, no. 184; other historical rolls noted by C. Camus,
Notices et extraits des manuscrits...v. V, pp. 147-54, and M. Francois,
Les Tresors des Bibliotheques de France IV (Paris, 1936) pp. 172-75.
Four illuminated initials, 4-line, at the top of each column, blue with
white filigree against gold ground with stylized foliage or geometric
patterns in red and blue. At the top of each initial, black inkspray
with gold leaves; at the first initial (left column), decoration extends
into the left margin to form a partial border. Numerous smaller initials,
2-line, gold on blue and mauve grounds with white filigree. Headings in red.
Unbound.
Written in France, sometime between the elevation of antipope John XXIII
in 1410 (cf. Col. I) and the death of King Henry IV in 1413 (cf. Col. IV);
provenance unknown. Filing notes on dorse: "7 9#e#m#e [?] 1701 Genealogie des
Roys et Empereurs." Purchased from Maggs Bros. of London in 1958 by L. C.
Witten (inv. no. 2171), who sold it in 1959 to Thomas E. Marston
(bookplate).
Bibliography: Faye and Bond, p. 84, no. 180.
Exhibition Catalogue, pp. 218-19, no. 44.
The Medieval Book, pp. 92-95, no. 91, with plate.
Barbara A. Shailor