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15th-century manuscript of the 'Mirror of the Blessed Life of Jesus Christ', a translation by Nicholas Love of the Pseudo-Bonaventure 'Meditationes Vitae Christi'.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.18.1.7

Scope and Contents

15th-century manuscript produced in England, probably London. The volume contains the 'Myrrour of the Blessed Lyf of Jesu Christ', a translation by Nicholas Love, Prior of Mount Grace Charterhouse in Yorkshire, of the Pseudo-Bonaventure 'Meditationes vitae Christi'. The work dispenses meditative and doctrinal comment on scripture and is made up of 63 chapters in 7 sections, each representing a day of the week.

The manuscript was produced for Edmund Grey, 4th Baron Grey of Ruthin, and his wife Katherine Percy. Scott dates the production of the manuscript to sometime between 1445 and 1465. He bases the approximate dating on the presence of Lord Grey's arms impaling his wife's Percy arms following their marriage, which apparently took place by 1444/5, and on the fact that Grey is not styled the first Earl of Kent, to which he was raised in May 1465.

The manuscript is written in a bastarda book hand in double columns of 34 lines each. Each section and chapter has incipits and explicits in a mix of Latin and Middle English given in red. A scribal marginal textual apparatus is evident in the margins of most folios. Pricking is evident for both the horizontal and vertical lines. Each folio has been lined on the recto and verso sides with a frame ruling in pink, except for the occasional recto side of an inserted miniature.

Each section begins with an elaborate colour foliated initial of either seven or nine lines on gold grounds. On folio 9r this initial is historiated rather than floriated. Each chapter begins with gold letters of either two or three lines on rose or blue backgrounds, with sprays of green feathering and gold motifs extending into the margins. Throughout the work there are frequent blue and gold letters of one line, with red and blue penwork. The marginal annotations are in Latin and are given in red, with initials of blue and gold with red and blue penwork. Throughout the work there is a running title in the centre of each upper margin. This is in Latin and given in red, with initials in blue or gold with penwork in red and blue.

Although the 'Mirror' was a very popular text not many copies were illustrated. This copy contains seventeen full-page miniatures, as well as fifteen full borders, and is considered to be one of the most beautifully-illuminated surviving examples among the numerous copies of this work.

There are full page illuminated miniatures on the following folios: 5v, 8v, 12v, 27v, 36v, 46v, 49v, 57v, 66v, 69v, 106v (damaged), 118v, 126v, 129v, 140v, 146v, 149v.

Some of the miniatures are on singletons inserted as an extra leaf in a quire of eight; however, the method of insertion was not consistent, as some miniatures are part of the regular quires.

There are full bar-frame conventional borders on folios 6r, 9r, 13r, 28r, 37r, 50r, 58r, 67r, 70r, 107r, 127r, 130r, 141r, 147r, and 150r. Folios 47r 119r lack a border.

For further discussion of the miniature and border work see Scott.

Horizontal catchwords are present on the following folios: 15v, 23v, 76v, 92v, 100v, 108v, 125v, 133v, 141v, 150v, and 158v.

Quire signatures in the form of lower case numbers, Roman numerals, and symbols are present on the following folios: 16r, 17r, 18r, 19r, 42r (cropped), 43r (cropped), 44r (cropped), 45r, 60r, 61r (cropped), 62r, 63r, 69r (cropped), 71r (cropped), 72r (cropped), 93r, 94r, 95r, 96r (cropped), 101r, 102r, 103r, 104r, 134r (cropped), 135r (cropped), 136r, 137r, 143r (cropped), 144r (cropped), 145r (cropped), 152r (cropped), 153r (cropped), and 154r (cropped).

There is evidence throughout the manuscript of contemporary and modern repairs to the vellum. Some leaves have been mounted on guards, and folio 106 is damaged with substantial loss of text and miniature.

Dates

  • Creation: 1445 - 1465

Creator

Language of Materials

The text is in Middle English with rubrication and scribal marginal apparatus in Latin.

Conditions Governing Access

Normal access conditions apply.

Conditions Governing Use

Normal reproduction conditions apply, subject to any copyright restrictions.

Extent

1 Volumes ; 32.5 x 22.5 x 5.5cm

Arrangement

i + 162 folios, as well as one modern paper flyleaf to the front and two modern paper flyleaves to the rear.

Collation, as recorded by Catherine Borland:

In gatherings of 8, with single leaves inserted:

a⁴(blank), b¹¹(1f containing miniature before 1 has its complement after 2 and after 5 in a single leaf guarded), c⁸,d⁹ (after 3 a single leaf guarded), e⁹ (after 3 a single leaf guarded), f¹⁰ (after 4 a single leaf guarded, and also after 6), g⁸, h⁹ (after 6 a single leaf guarded), i-n⁸ (6 containing miniature torn), o⁸, p⁹ (single leaf inserted with guard), q-r⁸, s⁹ (single leaf inserted with guard), t⁸ u⁴(2v, 3 and 4 blank).

Custodial History

The manuscript was written and illuminated for Edmund, 4th Baron Grey of Ruthin, later 1st Earl of Kent, sometime after his marriage to Katherine Percy.

On folio 5v are the arms, crest and motto of Edmund Grey and his wife, Catherine. The arms are repeated on folios 8v and 12v, the latter of which also features a depiction of Edmund and Katherine in the lower margin.

The manuscript is present in the 1807 catalogue of the Library of the Faculty of Advocates.

The previous shelfmark assigned to the manuscript by the Library of the Faculty of Advocates was '29.3.13', although this is no longer present in the volume and has since been superseded.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Presented, 1925, by the Faculty of Advocates to the nation on the foundation of the National Library of Scotland.

Bibliography

Alexander, J. J. G. 'William Abell "lymnour" and 15th century English illumination' in Artur Rosenauer and Gerold Weber (eds.) 'Kunsthistorische Forschungen: Otto Pächt zu seinem 70. Geburtstag' (Salzburg, 1972), pages 166-172; especially page 169, number 34.

Alexander, J. J. G. and C. M. Kauffmann. 'English Illuminated Manuscripts 700-1500: Bibliothèque Royale Albert 1er Exhibition Catalogue' (Bruxelles, 1973), pages 113-114, number 84.

Borland, C. R. 'Catalogue of Mediaeval Manuscripts in the Library of the Faculty of Advocates at Edinburgh', 4 Volumes. (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh, 1906-1908). Volume I, folios 179-201. NLS Reference: FR.198a/1.

'Burlington Fine Arts Club Exhibition of Illuminated Manuscripts' (London, 1908), pages 71-72, number 147.

'English Literature: An Exhibition of Manuscripts and of First and Other Early Editions. National Library of Scotland' (Edinburgh, 1962), page 2, number 9.

'Folio Catalogue of Manuscripts: Miscellaneous Manuscripts' (Unpublished manuscript, Edinburgh [18??]), folio 7. NLS Reference: FR .

Oguro, S. (ed.)'Notes on the Waseda MS of Nicholas Love's Myrrour of the Blessed Lyf of Jesu Christ; (Tokyo, 2004), pages 35-51.

Salter, E. 'Nicholas Love's "Myrrour of the Blessed Lyf of Jesu Christ"' (Salzburg, 1974), pages 1-22.

Salter, E. 'The Manuscripts of Nicholas Love's Myrrour of the Blessed Lyf of Jesu Christ and Related Texts' in A. S. G. Edwards and Derek Pearsall (eds.) 'Middle English Prose: Essays on Bibliographical Problems' (New York, 1981), pages 115-127.

Scott, K. L. 'Later Gothic Manuscripts II: 1390-1490' (London, 1996), pages 273-275, number 98.

'Summary Catalogue of the Advocates' Manuscripts' (Edinburgh, 1971), page 103, number 1303; page 136, number 1816.

Thomson, J. J. 'Love reading?' in 'Poetica', vols. 91-92 (2019), pages 93-104 and colour plate 5.

'Treasures from Scottish Libraries: Catalogue of an Exhibition held in the Library of Trinity College Dublin, 3 July - 1 August 1964' (Edinburgh, 1964), page 11, number 29.

'Treasures of the National Library of Scotland' (Edinburgh, 1979), page 9, number 7.

'Trésors des Bibliothèques d'Ecosse' (Bruxelles, 1963), pages 19-20, number 33.

Physical Description

Vellum.

The binding is modern brown leather. The front and back boards have blind-tooled borders. The back has raised bands, blind tooling, and a gold-tooled title which reads: 'MIRROR OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST'. The three edges of the leaves have remnants of gilt. The binding was repaired in 1962 by HMSO.

The modern paper flyleaves have a watermark which reads: 'BODLEIA[N]', made by J. B. Green and Son at Hayle Mill, England.

Title
National Library of Scotland Catalogue of Manuscripts
Author
National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division
Description rules
International Standard for Archival Description - General
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the National Library of Scotland Archives and Manuscripts Division Repository

Contact:
Archives and Manuscript Division
National Library of Scotland
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Edinburgh EH1 1EJ
0131 623 3700