Oxford, Bodleian Library, Douce 178
lestoire de merlin (title in explicit)
General information
| Folios | 421 |
| Language | Language object (48) |
| Approx. date | ?1270 to 1299 |
| Date notes | On art historical grounds, '1270-1300' (Fabry-Tehranchi 2011, 45). This date is also suggested by the Lancelot-Graal project. Jonas gives 1270-1275. Arthurian Fiction has two date ranges 1270-1285 and 1300-1325. |
| Place(s) of production | Northern Italy'Bologne / Venise' (Fabry-Tehranchi 2011, 45). Arthurian Fiction suggests Bologna. |
| First words of second recto folio | [f. 2ra] stre nos sauons que uos estes ue / nus dedíeu . |
| First words of last recto folio | [f. 417ra] Sí refírent tant lí romaín qe |
| Incipit | [f. 1ra] CIl qui la hautece / et la seíngnorie de / si haute estoire co(m) / me est cele del gra / al met en escrit pa(r) / lecomandement / del grant mestre |
| Explicit | [f. 417rb] Einssi / comme li contes le uos deuísera / ca auant : // Ci fíne lestoíre de merlín: // <Apres uient la marche de gaule: > // |
Material
| Material: | Material object (4) |
| Watermark: | |
| Condition: | Very good quality parchment, with only occasional small holes and sewn tears. f. 1r is particularly worn, and many of the historiated initials elsewhere have also sustained damage. The codex has been trimmed considerably. |
Structure
| Collation: | 1-18819720-528536 |
| Quire structure: | 18 quaternions, a quaternion wanting its final leaf, 33 quaternions, no doubt one quaternion wanting its final two leaves. |
| Quire marks: | |
| Catchwords: | |
| Catchword disposition: | MSCatchwordDisposition object (4) |
Physical description
| General illustration: | Two illuminated miniatures, at the start of the 'Estoire' on f. 1ra (column-width; height: 13 lines), and at the start of the 'Merlin' on f. 149ra (height: 11 lines). The same artist was likely responsible for the historiated initials that illustrate the first three quires of both the 'Estoire' and the 'Merlin'. These are mostly 8 lines in height and employ gold, green, orange, red, pink, and blue. For the remainder of the codex, the historiated initials are rather less refined, with considerably less use of gold. |
| General decoration: | Paragraphs are marked throughout by decorated initials (height: chiefly 3 lines). For the first three quires of the 'Estoire' and the 'Merlin', the letters are in blue or pink against a gold ground, with in-fill in red, pink, blue, and cream. They are otherwise pen-flourished in red or blue, with decoration in the opposing colour. Guide letters are present. Majuscules are sporadically highlighted red. |
| Evidence of readership: | Manicula, nota marks, and doodles in several hands. As well as synoptic headings in French, there are comments in Occitan, e.g. the upper margin of f. 99r: 'Aísi dessotz so(n)t los noms ??...??'. One reader showed particular interest in Dodinel, writing his name in the margin dozens of times towards the end of the volume. At the base of f. 148r there is an erased coat of arms. |
| Foliations description: | Modern pencil numbering in upper right corner of recto sides. Two folios were initially omitted, giving rise to ff. 125a, 125b, 243a, and 243b. |
Mise en page
| Description 1 | |
| Page sampled | f. 10r |
| Layout | MSLayout object (3) |
| Page dimensions | 316x216 (mm) |
| Justification | 241x161 (mm) |
| Columns | 214mm between columns Column ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) ) |
| Lines | 45Line ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) ) |
| Rubrication | No tituli in red ink. |
| Writing above top line? | False |
| Sample page layout: | |
| Description 2 | |
| Page sampled | f. 399r |
| Layout | MSLayout object (3) |
| Page dimensions | 315x216 (mm) |
| Justification | 239x163 (mm) |
| Columns | 216mm between columns Column ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) ) |
| Lines | 44Line ruling present in Colours object (4) (RulingMaterials object (3) ) |
| Rubrication | No tituli in red ink. |
| Writing above top line? | False |
| Sample page layout: | |
Hand(s)
| Level of Execution: | Execution object (4) |
| Script | Script object (1) |
| Folio range | From 2ra to 63vb |
| Date | ?1275 to 1325 |
| Scribe description: | A carefully copied southern textualis that displays the following characteristics: two-compartment 'a' (open upper bow); tall, round, or occasionally trailing 's' in final position; 'u' in initial position (chiefly). Tironian 'et' occurs without a bar. |
| Notes | |
| Level of Execution: | Execution object (4) |
| Script | Script object (1) |
| Folio range | From 64ra to 148ra |
| Date | ?1275 to 1325 |
| Scribe description: | Distinguished from Hand #1 by its greater angularity, the absence of trailing 's', and the zigzag shape of majuscules. |
| Notes | |
| Level of Execution: | Execution object (4) |
| Script | Script object (1) |
| Folio range | From 149ra to 212vb |
| Date | ?1275 to 1325 |
| Scribe description: | Similar to, or same as, Hand #1. |
| Notes | |
| Level of Execution: | Execution object (4) |
| Script | Script object (1) |
| Folio range | From 214ra to 417rb |
| Date | ?1275 to 1325 |
| Scribe description: | Same as Hand #2. |
| Notes | |
Provenance
| Description | f. 417rb below the expunged catchword for the (missing) 'Prose Lancelot': A . ANNE . DE . GRAVILLE . / SVIS . | |
| Date | ?1510 to 1545 | |
| Place | Place object (1) | |
| Ownership | Person object (46) | |