During the 14th century, a great number of manuscripts of the ‘Roman de la Rose’ were produced. Many of them were very richly illustrated, as this one would have been, had the illustration scheme been completed. The fact that so many manuscripts of the work were commissioned is accounted for by the great popularity of the text, which was at the time one of the major standards of the elite culture. At the beginning of the 15th century however, perhaps because of its outstanding success, it was highly criticised by a group of intellectuals, amongst whom were great medieval figures such as Jean Gerson and Christine de Pizan. It launched what is said to be the first written literary controversy in history (cf. ‘Le Roman de la Rose au XIVe siècle’, pages 411-490).

The general description frame for manuscripts of ‘Roman de la Rose’ is given by Ernest Langlois in ‘Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose’.

(i) ‘Roman de la Rose’ by Guillaume de Lorris (folios 1–30), composed circa 1230, in French verses.

The first folio is wanting. The text begins “La matinee et atrempee” (line 125 in the edition of Félix Lecoy).

Explicit: “Se je pers votre bien vueillance / Quar je n’ay mais ailleurs fiance”.

This text of Guillaume de Lorris’ poem belongs to Langlois’ classification group II (cf. ‘Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose’, page 241 – and see folio 21: “Ne fu mie seul li gaingnons, / ainçois avoit a compagnons / une femme et un villain homme. / L’omme Malebouche se nomme / et la femme si a nom honte.”). Since the first folio is missing, it is not possible to go further in the classification of this text.

(ii) Continuation of ‘Roman de la Rose’ by Jean de Meun (folios 30 verso-157 verso), composed circa 1270.

The text is introduced by rubrication (“Cy fenist maistre Guillaume de Lorris qui commenca le Romment de la Rose, et maistre Jehan de Meun le parfist en la maniere qui cy apres s’ensuit.”).

Explicit: “Ainsi oy la Rose vermeille. / Atant fu jour et je m’esveille. / Explicit.”

This text of Jean de Meun’s poem belongs to Langlois’ classification group II (‘Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose’, page 351 – and cf. folio 60: “Et ceulx qui pouvres apperront, / leurs propres freres les herront.”). It does not include any of the variants 1 (cf. folio 30), 2 (cf. folio 70 verso: absence of the interpolated definition of love), or 3 (cf. folio 82: absence of the interpolated False Seeming’s speech on the privilege of confession). It is, however, one of relatively few manuscripts which contain the full following text: “Car li duy qui tel honte en orent, / quant ils virent que tuit le sorent, / firent des lors a huis ouvert / ce qu’ils faisoient a couvert. / N’onques puis du fait n’orent honte, / que li dieu tindrent d’eulx leur compte…” (folio 103 verso). The passage which relates to Langlois’ variant 5 does not correspond to any of the classified variants: “Quel service nous y feriez / Bien savons que que vous ne querriez…” (folio 109 verso). It is therefore difficult to assign this text to any of the families Langlois has layed out.

(iii) Testament of Jean de Meun (folios 159-190), a late poem composed by Jean de Meun (died 1305), in quatrains.

Explicit: “Et en celle maniere le nous vueille octroyer / La cour de paradis qui en vueille proyer / Jesus qui est le pris de tout notre loyer / La sainte trinite le nous vueille donner. / Explicit Testamentum Magistri Johannis de meuno”.

(i) and (ii) are written in black ink by one hand. There is an isolated capital letter at the beginning of each line. The script displays letters which belong to the bastarda (for example, ‘d’, ‘s’, ‘v’, ‘a’), and others which retain some aspects of gothic style (‘e’, ‘l’, ‘t’). It features the use of a heart symbol in lieu of the word “cueur” (for instance, on folios 31 verso and 57). (iii) is written by another hand. The elongated descenders and ascenders in top and bottom lines are reminiscent of the ornamentation of charters.

There are three annotating hands. One 17th-century hand copies some words of the text in the margins, possibly because they have become rare (“empanner”, folio 5 verso, and again “empannee” on folio 7) or because a verse looks like a good quotation (“femme plus jolie en suquerie que en cotte”, folio 9). Another 17th-century hand, far the most important of the three, provides some philological and etymological information about words of the text (folio 11 verso being one of many instances). This hand is likely to be the one that underlined many verses throughout the manuscript (evidence being, for instance, on folio 27, where the comment relates to the underlined word – “c.a.d.” means “i.e.”). The margins having been cut, many annotations are lost. The last annotating hand is of the 18th century. It provides comparative information with other manuscripts of the Roman de la Rose (on folios 33, 115 verso, 150 verso, 156 verso).

The scheme of illumination was not undertaken. There is space for miniatures on folios 1, 4, 5 verso, 15 verso, 22, 23 verso, 24 verso, 26 verso, 28 verso, 30 verso, 31 verso, 76 verso, 80 verso, 92, 108, 111 verso, 121, 141, 149 verso and 153 verso.

There are 3-line initials (with painted foliage) on folios 1, 4, 5 verso, 15, 15 verso, 22, 24, 24 verso, 25, 25 verso, 26, 26 verso, 28 verso, 30 verso, 31 verso, 53 verso, 62, 73, 75 verso, 76 verso, 80 verso, 88, 92, 95, 107, 108, 110, 110 verso, 112, 121, 140, 140 verso, 141, 149 verso and 153 verso. These are painted either in pink or blue, on a golden background, with red and blue foliage inside. The foliage border expands from the letter and is made of golden and blue stalks with leaves of a variety of shapes and colours. On folios 30 verso and 110 verso, the stalk supports the remains of a red and blue dragon.

There are a great number of 2-line champie initials, golden on a red-and-blue background (each colour being alternately inside and outside the letter).

Rubrication is abundant.

The Testament was perhaps illuminated by another artist. Each quatrain has a coloured initial letter. There are truncated blue-and-red line fillers on folio 159 recto. There is a space and gilt frame awaiting a missing large miniature at beginning of text. The frame is ornamented with gilt foliage.

The script and illumination are characteristic of the late 14th or early 15th century. Digitized manuscripts of the same period showing similar features are Bibliothèque Mazarine, MS. 341 (illumination) and Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, MSS. 1028 and 1132 (illumination and script), all consultable on the Liberfloridus database website.