Beinecke MS 548
France, s. XVII 1
Michel Vanier, Treatise on modesty in women, in French

ff. 1r-28v	Hic liber de puellarum papillis turpiter nudatis virorumque conspectui persaepe 
flagitiossime expositis Michaelis Vanieri est Cisterciensis Romani monasterii. A.D. VIII id. 
Aprilis Anno Domini Iesu Crist M CCC LXXIII [title on first flyleaf v]. Gette li oeilx sur mon 
labour, o tu lectour et tu, prude pucelle, oi ma parolle et l'aureille preste a mon desvys sur aucuns 
motz que te diray briefvement sur l'abus de la nudete de gorge et des tetons des fames ... a 
l'instinct de la nature et en ung mot a la glore et a la utilite voire dez fillies et dez fames. Cy fine.


Parchment, 140 x 110 mm., ff. II (parchment) + 28 + II (parchment).

I-VII 4.

Double ruling in lead for one column of 17 lines, 90 x 68 mm.

One hand, writing pseudo-Gothic handwriting in a fancy spelling. 

Rich decoration in bright colours: initials and borders poorly imitating various late medieval 
styles of illumination. Historiated initial containing a woman (f. 1r), and marginal pictures: a 
dragon devouring a naked woman (f. 13v), grotesques (f. 21v), a woman standing on a grotesque 
head (f. 27v). All pictures are of a crude execution.

Binding s. XVII: gold-tooled brown calf over bevelled boards, with a frame of  small metal nails 
on each cover and two engraved metal clasps (one missing) attached to the rear cover. Gold-
tooled spine with four raised bands. Gilt edges.

On the first flyleaf recto the inscriptions "Cil document apartient a Jehan Saultier cytoien de 
Sainct Claude an de grace M CCCC LXXXII" (imitation of s. XV documentary Gothic 
cursive) and "Elisabeth de la Ryve nee Imsuttor a Penize ce 13 novembre 1603"  (documentary 
Gothic cursive). A third inscription is crossed out: "Pierre Etienne Godin etudiant en theologie a 
Geneve 13 septembre ******" (probably s. XVIII). At least the first of these ownership 
inscriptions as well as the entire text are a forgery, written in a language purported to date from 
the fourteenth century (6 April 1373 is the date given in the title, the Latin of which is as clumsy 
as the French of the text). The author, purported to be a Roman Cistercian, is  unrecorded and 
the sincerity of his moral purpose is dubious. On the rear paste-down is written in pencil, s. XX: 
"4350. 1 vol.". Gift of Thomas E. Marston, November 1974.

Albert Derolez

Updated 27.11.2007