London,
British Library,
Additional manuscripts 38658-38659
Godfried Croenen
Jean Froissart, Chronicles, Book I. Manuscript currently bound in two volumes but
originally conceived as a single manuscript, ca. 1410–1420
Contents:
vol. 1, fol. 1r–72v:
Jean Froissart,
Chronicles, Book I, first part,
rubric: "Cy commencent les croniques que fist
maistre Jehan Froissart qui parlent des nouvelles guerres de France,
et d’Angleterre, d’Escoce, d’Espaigne, et de
Bretaigne, lesquelles sont divisees en quatre parties. Prologue. ", inc. : "Affin que honnourables avenues", expl. : "en la duchié de
Bretaigne et es marches voisines" final rubric: "Cy fine la premiere
partie de ces croniques. Et cy aprés s’ensuit la seconde partie qui commence a parler des guerres
de Bretaigne."
vol. 1, fol. 73r–vol. 2, fol. 1r:
Jean Froissart,
Chronicles, Book I, second part,
rubric: "Comment le duc de
Bretaigne morust sans hoir masle. Et des grans guerres qui a cause de ce advindrent", inc. : "Assavoir est que quant", expl. : "et autres terres
plusieurs" final rubric: "Cy fine la seconde partie de ces croniques des
nouvelles guerres de France, d’Angleterre, d’Escoce et d’Espaigne auxi et par especial du temps de Phelippe de
Valoys et commence la tierce partie qui parle du temps du roy Jehan comment
le roy Phelippe trespaça a Nogent."
vol. 2, fol. 1r–91r:
Jean Froissart,
Chronicles, Book I, third part,
, inc. : "En l’an mil trois cens cinquante a
l’entree du moys d’aoust", expl. : "du roy de Navarre et de ceulx
d’Evreux" final rubric: "Ci fine la tierce partie et commance la
quarte."
vol. 2, fol. 91r–222v:
Jean Froissart,
Chronicles, Book I, fourth part,
rubric: "Et premierment comment le corps
du roy Jehan fut honnorablement enseveli et de la pourveance que le roy Charles fist a son couronnement et comment les Françoys et Navaroys s’ordonnerent a bataille", inc. : "Aucques en ce temps", expl. : "sur l’enclos de Coustentin. Explicit."
Physical description:
Parchment of good quality with
small repairs. Parchment sewn on vol. 1, fol. 18, fol. 25, fol. 34, fol. 53, fol. 58, fol.
113, fol. 122, fol. 124, fol. 127, fol. 130, fol. 131, fol. 139, fol. 150, fol. 156, fol. 158; patches on vol. 1, fol. 29, fol. 31, fol. 37, fol. 44, fol. 46, fol. 77, fol. 109, fol. 112, fol. 115, fol. 116, fol. 122, fol. 132, fol. 163; small holes in
the parchment on vol. 1, fol. 21, fol. 26, fol.
27, fol. 37, fol. 45, fol. 58, fol.
62, fol. 118, fol. 147, fol. 152, fol. 153, fol. 154, fol. 156, fol. 160,
fol. 161
432 (177 + 255) folios. Pages measure 380 mm by 290 mm.
Written space 243 mm by 185 mm.
Modern foliation in pencil.
Collation: first volume 21 quires,
1–20
8, 21
4 (+ 1 after 4); second volume 29 quires, 1–28
8, 29
3, flesh side out. Catchwords
in the lower right-hand corner of the last page of each quire, mostly written by the scribe. No signatures visible. Secundo folio: "a qui je
vueil".
Layout:
Ruled in leadpoint for 2 columns of 42 (41–43) lines. Prickings for vertical ruling in the lower
margin still visible; the other prickings trimmed by the binder.
Scribal Hands:
Copied by two fifteenth-century hands in cursiva libraria. The scribes
wrote both text and rubrics.
The first scribe has copied the first 13
quires of the first volume, as well as the first folio of quire 14 (vol. 1, fol. 1r–105v).
The second scribe has copied the rest of the first
volume (fol. 106r–165v) and continued the text into what is now bound as the
second volume. The second scribe’s hand is similar to the writing of the first scribe, but can
nevertheless be distinguished from it on palaeographical grounds. He also executed some other
aspects of his work differently from the first scribe. He added the guide letters for the champ
initials clearly in the margin or in the intercolumnar space, which resulted in them remaining
visible most of the time, whereas the first scribe must have written them in the empty space left
for the initials, as they are no longer visible in the quires copied by him. The second scribe also
framed the catchwords with punctuation marks, unlike the first scribe, who simply wrote the
catchword without any marks or framing.
Decoration:
The manuscripts contains 13 miniatures by the Giac Master. Small parchment
tabs added to the folios of vol. 1 which contain miniatures. Chapter beginnings are indicated by
rubrics followed by two-line champ initials (guide letters often still visible). Paraphs are executed
in the same style. Miniatures are normally followed by larger illuminated initials, several of them
containing the same armorial shield.
vol. 1, fol. 1r: four-part opening miniature representing the following scenes:
- A king of England, most plausibly Richard II,
receives a book from the chronicler, who kneels before him. The Plantagenet leopards are shown
reversed. Two counsellors stand behind the throne, both holding a mace of office.
- Charles IV of France, accompanied by two courtiers holding a mace of
office, welcomes to his court Queen Isabella of England, his sister, who wears a robe
bearing the arms of France and England, and his nephew the future Edward III, wearing
a cape with the Plantagenet leopards. Isabella is accompanied by two
ladies-in-waiting.
- Queen Isabella, crowned, and prince Edward, wearing a hat, accompanied by soldiers of their expeditionary force make landfall
outside a fortified town with crenellated battlements and corner towers. Townsfolk are leaving
the town through the gate to welcome them. The scene most plausibly depicts Isabella’s landing at Orwell near Harwich in Essex.
- A force of
infantry men on the left of the scene use longbows and lances to attack a castle or walled city on
the right. Soldiers are defending the open gate, while archers are shooting down from the
crenellated walls. This probably represents the siege of Bristol.
Marginal decoration with acanthus leaves in green, blue, red and gold. In the decorative borders
four pairs of knights in full body armour fighting each other with swords and longbows.
vol. 1, fol. 23v: battle of Cassel. Two armies of footsoldiers meeting
for battle in a field. On the left the French army with a banner with the French royal arms (France
modern). On the right the Flemish army. Gold baguette with vine leaves in the space between the
colums and extending into the top and bottom margins. Instructions to the illuminator in the
bottom margin, erased.
vol. 1, fol. 36r: battle of Cadzand. On the left two ships with soldiers
armed with pikes and longbows attacking a castle or fortified town on the shore situated on the
right. The castle is being defended by solders, some of whom are exiting through the open gate.
Golden baguette with vine leaves in the left margin extending into the top and bottom margins.
vol. 1, fol. 60r: battle of Sluys. Four ships, two on the left and two
on the right, attacking each other. One of the ships on the left has a banner with the English royal
arms flying from the mast. In the foreground a grassy shore line. Golden baguette with vine leaves
in the left margin extending into the top and bottom margins. The miniature has been damaged
by rubbing. Instructions to the illuminator (two lines) in the bottom margin, erased.
vol. 1, fol. 72r, col. A: a city surrenders to John of Montfort, duke of
Brittany. On the left an army of mounted knights led by the duke who wears a heraldic
overcoat with the arms of Brittany (hermine) approach
a walled city on the right. A banner with the same arms is flying above the army. Three unarmed
figures leave the city through the open gate holding the city keys in front of them.
vol. 1, fol. 72r: an army of soldiers in full body armour attack a walled city on
the right with lances. The city is defended by solders, some of whom are defending the open gate.
The text on the page is framed by gold baguettes with vine leaves in the margins.
vol. 1, fol. 92r: battle of Quimperlé. Two armies of footsoldiers, the
one on the right is defeated and is being pursued by the army on the left. Golden baguette with
vine leaves in the left margin extending into the top and bottom margins. Instructions to the
illuminator (2 lines) in the bottom margin, erased.
vol. 2, fol. 1r: two-part miniature: - coronation of King
John II. The king is seated on a throne situated in a gothic building whose outer walls the
artist has not drawn so as to give the viewer a view of the insde. The king wears a robe with the
royal arms. He is being crowned and blessed by two prelates standing on his left and right, who
wear capes with the same heraldic arms and who put an open crown on his head. They are
accompanied by tonsured figures standing behind them on left and a group of courtiers or
noblemen on the right.
- Execution of the count of Guines. On a
wooden scaffold a blind-folded person only wearing a white hat puts his head
on a block, while the executioner, who stands to the right, waves his axe ready to behead him.
The spectacle is being watched by a group of courtiers and soldiers on foot and on horseback who
stand in front of the scaffold.
The text on the page is framed by gold baguettes with
vine leaves in the margins.
vol. 2, fol. 91v: funeral of King John II. A bier draped in the royal
arms (France ancient). Before the coffin a figure draped in a heraldic cape
with the same arms accompanied by pleurants standing behind him. At the head of the coffin three
tonsured monks dressed in white singing from a service book. Two candles on long gilded candle
holders in front of the coffin. Diapered background. Golden baguette with vine leaves in the left
margin extending into the top and bottom margins. Instructions to the illuminator in the bottom
margin, erased.
vol. 2, fol. 170r: death of Sir John Chandos. Two armies of
footsoldiers engaged in a battle. A large figure of a knight in full body armour lying on the ground
in the centre of the painting. Golden baguette with vine leaves in the intercolumnar space
extending into the top and bottom margins. Instructions to the illuminator (2 or 3 lines) in the
bottom margin, erased.
vol. 2, fol. 193r: battle of La Rochelle. Two ships with soldiers
engaged in battle. In the foreground on the right a walled city with two unarmed figures watching
from sea battle from the crenellated walls. They represent the citizens of La Rochelle
who refused to help the earl of Pembroke. Golden baguette with vine leaves in the left
margin extending into the top and bottom margins. Instructions to the illuminator in the bottom
margin, erased.
vol. 2, fol. 199r: Bertrand du Guesclin, recognisable by his
armorial overcoat in the middle of a battle scene. Golden baguette with vine leaves in the left
margin extending into the top and bottom margins. Instructions to the illuminator in the bottom
margin, erased.
vol. 2, fol. 222r: battle between the garrisons of Cherbourg
and Montebourg. Two armies with footsoldiers and mounted men at arms
engaged in battle. Golden baguette with vine leaves in the left margin extending into the top and
bottom margins.
History:
The manuscript was probably produced in Paris by or for the libraire
Pierre de Liffol. The manuscript contains various notes or instructions in blind point whose
purpose is not always clear but who must have had a function in the production process. Some
of these seem to be folio numbers: in vol. 1, fol. 2v, in the upper margin, there
is a note "IIIe fuellet"; similar notes are found in the bottom margin
of fol. 9r ("VIIIe") and fol. 12r ("XIIIe"). These notes seem to suggest there may originally have been
a blank folio before the current fol. 1, which acted as cover. Chapters have been numbered per
part in a small cursive hand in brown or black ink. These numbers were probably meant as guides
for these numbers to be added in red, as has happened on occasion (vol. 1, fol. 10r and fol. 110r). On vol. 1, fol. 71r in the bottom margin
a letter "y" is written in black ink. On vol. 1, fol. 9r there is a
number written in blind point next to a champie initial: "LXIIII". This is possibly
a count for the initials. On vol. 2, fol. 174v there is a marginal note against a
correction to a name in the text.
The commissioner or original owner was probably a member of the Flemish Roubaix family, as is indicated by the heraldic shields with their arms ermine, a chief gules painted in the initials on vol. 1, fol. 1r, fol. 23v, 36r, 60r, 73r, vol. 2, fol.
1r, fol. 170r and fol. 222r. The most likely
first owner was John III of Roubaix, lord of Herzele, who was first chamberlain of Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy. John was made knight of the order of the
Golden Fleece at the foundation of the order in 1430. He died in 1449 (Grand
armorial équestre, ed. Pastoureau et Popoff, II, pp. 186 and 280, nos. 541 and 1040).
Bibliography
Catalogue of the Additions to the Manuscripts in the British Museum in the Years
MDCCCCXI–MDCCCCXV (London: British Museum, 1925), pp. 188–9
Godfried Croenen, Mary Rouse and Richard Rouse, ‘Pierre de Liffol and the Manuscripts of Froissart’s
Chronicles’, Viator, 33 (2002), 261–93 (in particular 285)
Laetitia Le Guay, Les Princes de Bourgogne lecteurs de Froissart. Les rapports
entre le texte et l’image dans les manuscrits enluminés du livre IV des Chroniques, Documents, études et répertoires publiés par l’Institut de Recherche et d’Histoire
des Textes ([Paris / Turnhout]: CNRS
Éditions / Brepols, 1998) (listed p. 153)
Valentina Mazzei, ‘An Edition and Study of Besançon Municipal Library ms. 864
(Jean Froissart’s Chroniques, Book I, ‘A’ redaction)’ (PhD thesis University
of Sheffield, Department of French, 2008), pp. 139–40
Richard Rouse and Mary Rouse, ‘Some Assembly Required: Rubric Lists and Other Separable
Elements in Fourteenth-Century Parisian Book Production’, in “Li premerains
vers”: Essays in Honor of Keith Busby, ed. by Catherine
M. Jones and Logan
E. Whalen (Amsterdam — New York: Rodopi, 2011), pp. 405–16 (pp. 409–10)
Alberto Varvaro, ‘Il libro I delle Chroniques di Jean Froissart. Per una
filologia integrata dei testi e delle immagini’, Medioevo Romanzo, 19 (1994), 3–36 (here
p. 9, 15–6)
Inès Villela-Petit, ‘Le Maître de Boèce et le Maître de Giac, enlumineurs de la
guerre’, Art de l’enluminure, 31 (2009), 24–44 (here p. 27–8 and 44)
Susan Wales, ‘Froissart, Book I: Manuscripts and Texts’ (PhD Thesis,
Sydney, 1988) (the manuscript is incorrectly listed as the
Clumber MS
, vol. II, p. 2)
