Beinecke MS 662
France (Loire valley), s. XV 3/4
Hours, use of Paris

ff. V-VI ruled but blank

1. ff. 1r-12v	Calendar in French, two pages (r and v) for each month, in red and black. Feasts 
are mentioned on all days. Computistical data: Golden Number and Day Letter. Many saints are 
repeated on several days and even more are recorded under false days. The feasts that are 
inscribed on exact data seem to point to Northern France: Albinus (1 March), Landericus (14 
July, but also 10 June), Crown of Thorns (11 August), Audomarus (9 Sept., but also 16 August), 
Caprasius (20 Oct.), Amandus (26 Oct.), Genoveva (26 Nov., but also 5 Jan.).

2. ff. 13r-19v	Gospel Lessons.		f. 20r-v ruled but blank

3. ff. 21r-43v	Hours of the Virgin, Matins and Lauds.

4. ff. 44r-45r	Hours of the Cross, Matins (heading on f. 43v).

5. ff. 45v-46v	Hours of the Holy Spirit, Matins (heading on f. 45r).

6. ff. 47r-52v	Hours of the Virgin, Prime (heading on f. 46v: "Ad Terciam").

7. ff. 52v-53v 	Hours of the Cross, Prime.

8. ff. 53v-54r	Hours of the Holy Spirit, Prime.

9. ff. 54v-58v	Hours of the Virgin, Tierce.

10. ff. 58v-59v	Hours of the Cross, Tierce.

11. ff. 59v-60r		Hours of the Holy Spirit, Tierce.

12. ff. 60v-64v	Hours of the Virgin, Sext.

13. ff. 64v-65v	Hours of the Cross, Sext.

14. ff. 65v-66r		Hours of the Holy Spirit, Sext.

15. ff. 66v-70v	Hours of the Virgin, None (heading on f. 66r).

16. ff. 70v-71v	Hours of the Cross, None

17. ff. 71v-72r		Hours of the Holy Spirit, None.

18. ff. 72v-79r		Hours of the Virgin, Vespers (heading on f. 72r).

19. ff. 79r-80r		Hours of the Cross, Vespers.

20. f. 80r-v		Hours of the Holy Spirit, Vespers.

21. ff. 81r-85v		Hours of the Virgin, Compline (heading on f. 80v).

22. ff. 85v-86v	Hours of the Cross, Compline.

23. ff. 86v-87v	Hours of the Holy Spirit, Compline.		f. 88r-v ruled but blank

24. ff. 89r-91v		Salve mater dolorosa ... (RH 18018).

25. ff. 92r-95v		Obsecro te ... (the heading "Devota oratio" is on f. 91v).

26. ff. 95v-96v	O intemerata ... Qui autem non manducaverit, non habebit vitam eternam. 
Et //.

27. ff. 97r-115v	Penitential Psalms, Litany and Prayers.

28. ff. 115v-161v	Office of the Dead ("Ad Vesperas mortuorum" ).		ff. 162-163 
ruled but blank


Parchment, ff. II  (paper) + II (parchment) + II (ff. V-VI) + 163 + II (parchment) + II (paper),  
180 x 125 mm.

I-II6 (ff. 1-12), III-XI8 (ff. 13-84), XII4 (ff. 85-88), XIII-XXI8 (ff. 89-160), XXII4 (-4, ff. 161-
163). Catchwords in small Semihybrida Formata (Bastarda) appear approximately in the middle 
of the lower margin of ff. 28, 44, 52, 68, 76, 84, 104, 112, 120, 128, 144, 	152 and 160, i.e. at 
the end of quires IV, VI-VII, IX-XI, XIV-XVII and XIX-XXI.

Ruled with red ink for one column of  14 lines below top line, 90/92 x 60/61 mm. Ruling type 13. 
The Calendar has red ink ruling for one column of 17 lines below top line, same dimensions and 
ruling type, but with three additional vertical lines at left within the writing space.

The Calendar is copied by a scribe writing Northern Gothica Textualis Formata, Variant III in the 
Oeser system; the text is by another scribe, writing Variant IV in the Oeser system, in two sizes.

Headings in red. Heightening of the majuscules in yellow. Rectangular line-fillers in blue and red 
with white pernwork and some gold. 1-line dentelle initials with a blue and red background. 2-
line foliate initials alternately in blue and red. These are accompanied by a rectangular unframed 
outer-margin acanthus border. Arch-topped miniatures above three lines of text, with 3-line 
foliate initial and full acanthus border, framed in red and often containing grotesques: on ff. 13r 
(St. John on Patmos; various grotesques), 21r (Annunciation; grotesques playing various 
instruments),  32v (Visitation; grotesque and camel-like animal), 44r (Crucifixion), 45v 
(Pentecost), 47r (Nativity; battle between man and rabbit, both riding beasts),  54v (Annunciation 
to the Shepherds; grotesque), 60v (Adoration of the Magi; grotesque with staff), 66v (Flight into 
Egypt), 72v (Presentation; two fighting grotesques, one carrying a man with sword on its 
shoulders), 81r (Coronation of the Virgin; battle between two men, one riding a lobster), 89r 
(Lamentation; three devils playing string instruments), 97r (David praying; various grotesques), 
116r (Job on the Dungheap). The illumination is influenced by the style of Jean Fouquet (d. 
1480) and the manuscript belongs to a group that has been called the "Fouquet Workshop Books 
of Hours".

Binding s. XVI/XVII: brown morocco over pasteboard, covers and spine elaborately gold-
tooled. Gilt edges.

Count Mielzynski, Pawlowice (Poland): on the front pastedown is written, in the same hand "40" 
and "Pawlowice 1846". Sold ?? 1927 by Count Max Mielzynski to Frank Altschul, New York. 
Given by Margaret A. Lang in memory of Frank Altschul, 1986??

Bibliography:
De Ricci, Census, p. 1651, no. 2.
Stephen C. Clancy, Books of Hours in the "Fouquet Style": The Relationships of Jean Fouquet 
and the "Hours of Etienne Chevalier" to French Manuscript Illumination of the Fifteenth Century 
(dissert. Cornell University, 1988).
id., "A New 'Fouquet Workshop' Book of Hours at the Beinecke Library", Manuscripta, 35 
(1991), pp. 206-228, pls.

Albert Derolez

R 16.02.09