Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, fonds français 122
General information
| Folios | 3224 frontend papers4 backend papers |
| Language | Language object (44) |
| Approx. date | 1344 |
| Date notes | Dated in the colophon f. 322ra |
| Place(s) of production | TournaiStones; Combes 2009 |
| First words of second recto folio | [f2ra] et li chevaliers apierchoit bien . quil ne li |
| First words of last recto folio | [f. 322ra] castiel iourtrouueroie monsigneur u uif i mort, (et) |
| Incipit | [f. 1ra] Chi deuise li maistres co(m)ment lanc(elot) ala ou Royau / me de gorre pour rescourre la Royne genieure : Et / co(m)met il passa le pont del espee qui estoit fais si / trenchans de tous costes que nulle chose plus . (et) / lanc(elot) passa outre a genous a moult grant paine [f. 1rb] Et qua(n)t il fu outre le pont si se combati a .ii. lyons / (et) a .I. lupart qui estoient fait par enchantement Et co(m)ment meleagans li fiex au Roy Baudemagut / se combati a lanc(elos) (et) li fist asses paine (et) trauail . (et) la royne genieure (et) li roys baud(emagut) estoient ou chastiel [f. 1ra]Or dist li contes que q(ua)nt li / ch(eualie)rs de la charete se fu partis / de la cymentiere si chevauca / avoec la puchielle qui moult le requeroit de sauoir son non . |
| Explicit | [f. 322ra] Ensi sen ala li rois luors auuoecques larche / veske . (et) auuoecques bleobleheris . et usa a / uuoecques aus le remanaut de sa uie pour la / mour de n(ost)re signeur . Si se taist ore atant maistres / gautiers map de lestoire lanselot . Car bien atout / tuenet afin se lont les coses qui en auinnrent / Et desiue chi son liure Ci outreement que apres / lui nenportoit nus riens conter qui nen mentist Explicit dou roumant lancelot et dou saint greal / et dou roumant de la mort au roi artus . Qui chi / dedens chest liure sont desiuet . et acomplit outre / ement . et contient .lxciii. coijiers . et fu desiues . le lundi prochain deuant le iour de paskes flories / en marc . lan mille .CCC. xliiii. |
Material
| Material: | Material object (4) |
| Watermark: | |
| Condition: | Good quality parchment (few stitches, e.g. f. 33); in good condition (no tears, stains). |
Structure
| Collation: | |
| Quire structure: | The first quire in the manuscript is numbered xxix (f. 9v); the last but one quire is numbered lxviii (f. 321 v). Either the copy was divided over two codices or the first 28 quires had already been lost when the manuscript was bound in its current binding. The manuscript consists of regular quaternions except for the first two quires. |
| Quire marks: | MSQuiremarkDisposition object (10) |
| Catchwords: | |
| Catchword disposition: | MSCatchwordDisposition object (3) |
Physical description
| General description: | f. 218v: the Quest begins with a single column miniature accompanied by a long rubric. f. 219 begins with a larger initial (height: lines) and an L border spanning the height of the page. The Lancelot propre ends: Ensi fenist maistres / gautiers map son liure . et commence le greal. The rubric stresses Galahad's descent. f. 256va: Comment Galaad (et) Percheual sentrefirent / moult grant ioie (et) puis se p(ar)ti galaad de percheual. f. 272rb: dont atant se taist li co(ntes) / quil ne dist plus des auentures dou saint greal. Historiated initial (height: 8 lines) representing Gautier Map writing. Apres chou que maistres / gautiers map ot trait des auentures dou greal asses soufissaument |
| No. of illustrations: | 120 |
| General illustration: | Generally, single column miniatures of circa 12 lines in a double frame (a fine goldleaf line as outer frame and a red and blue bars decorated with geometric patterns in white as inner frame). From the frames sprout tendrils with vine or ivy Monochrome backgrounds (red, blue and gold) decorated with geometric patterns, diaper pattern or vine. Little background (long-stemmed trees) or architecture. Long figures in upright position with expressive gestures. Miniatures have been numbered (f. 36: 10 ) in arabic numerals (crayon?). However, this must have happened when the manuscript had already lost its first 28 quires. Half page miniatures: f. 1r: Lancelot crossing the sword bridge f. 80v: Com(m)ent li contes des broches emprist .I. tour / noy contre le roy nabor [etc.]. No border decoration. f. 137v: Chi deuise li contes co(m)ment lanc(elot) deliura tous / chaus de la karolle del enchantement la ou il / estoient [etc.] no border decoration. f. 198v: Chi deuise li contes co(m)ment li roys artus fist / uenir deuant lui tous les compaignons de la queste . pour raconter lor auentures quil / auoient trouuet . Et lanc(elot) raconta les auen / tures tout premierement (et) me sire Ga(uvain) apries / Et li clerc les metoient en escript ; simple L border |
| General decoration: | The text is structured by means of champ initials (height: 2 lines, decorated with tendrils with gilded leafs). Larger divisions of the narrative are accompanied by decorated initials (red or blue, height: 6 lines, illuminated with goldleaf) on a coloured background, some of which are decorated with vine or ivy. Two types of decorated initial occur: the first is decorated with foliate patterns, the other is historiated with faces. Illustration generally occurs near one of these decorated initials and is accompanied by rubricated captions. Border decoration occurs near decorated initials and consists of red and blue baguettes with goldleaf, mostly starting with a dragon (e.g. f. 146rb, f. 160v), sometimes with an antropomorphous, animal or hybrid figure (e.g. f. 208r, f. 211v, f. 275v) and ending in a tendril with coloured leafs (red, blue, gilt). Occasionally the border is inhabited (e.g. f. 303v, rabbit). |
| Evidence of readership: | Pastedown: (15th c., second half?) Des histoires et Livres en francoys pul.to f.fo / Entre la premiere Et seconde croysees / Contre la muraille vers les fosses Later: Second Volume de Lancelot du lac flyleaf 1r.: Volume de 322 feuillets / 26 mai 1887 flyleaf 1v: Ici e change en u dans certains temps presents. Niunt je our vient viunent. 23 vo. f. 303 r (littera cursiva): tous .x. en bien A Iaques |
| Foliations description: | Modern foliation (ink) in arabic numerals in the top right corner of the recto side of the page. |
Mise en page
| Description 1 | Two columns (vertical through lines), lines are ruled within the column, horizontal through lines above and below the first and last line of writing. |
| Page sampled | f. 122r |
| Layout | None |
| Page dimensions | 419x315 (mm) |
| Justification | 293x215 (mm) |
| Columns | 226mm between columns Column ruling present in Colours object (7) (RulingMaterials object (6) ) |
| Lines | 50Line ruling present in Colours object (7) (RulingMaterials object (6) ) |
| Rubrication | Only used for captions accompanying the illustrations. |
| Writing above top line? | False |
| Sample page layout: | |
Hand(s)
| Level of Execution: | None |
| Script | Script object (4) |
| Folio range | From to |
| Date | None |
| Scribe description: | Northern textualis rotundus. Two-compartment 'a' (fully closed box-'a'). Exclusive use of uncial 'd'. Exclusive use of round 's' in final position. Trailing 's' is used at the end of the line. 'i' is marked by a diacritical slanting hairline. Word-separation is not marked. Exclusive use of crossed tironian 'et'. Characteristic is the frequent occurence of a vertical hairline at the end of the headstroke of 't' in final position. From f. 122 to f. 169: litterae elongatae at the top of the columns appear; sometimes decorated with flowers / heads. |
| Notes | Interlinear and marginal corrections written with a pen with a very fine nib throughout the manuscript. |