| Summary: | Description: LANCELOT DU LAC: another portion of the same romance (from parts ii, iii, corresponding to Sommer's volume iv, pages 86-vol. v, pages 244), see Ward, opus cit. i, pages 351. No formal division between the parts (f. 168 b) is indicated. As the MS. breaks off abruptly on the second recto column of the fourth leaf of a short quire of six, its incompleteness is probably due to a defective archetype. The first rubric is 'Chest chi ensi ke li rois Artus tint sa court a Disnadaron de ses barons et ke li pais fu faite dou roi et de Genieure sa femme. Et de Lanselot dou Lac'; and text beg. 'Mout fu rice la cours ke li rois tint a celle pentecouste'. Ends 'il demourront illeuc tant com ii uenra. Mais atant laist li contes a parler diaus. Et retourne a Lanselot dou Lak tout ensi kil sen entra en la foriest pereilleuse'. Vellum; following 310. 131/2 in. x 91/2 inches Written probably in France. Beginning of the XIV century Gatherings of 8 leaves (last6 ), with catchwords. Double columns of 40 lines. Sec. folio 'doi ont failli'. Illuminated initials, often with bar-prolongations and grotesques, well executed, and miniatures. Many of the original initials include quasiheraldic ornament, especially shields bendy gu. and argraffiad, or argraffiad and gu., and lions in various combinations and tinctures, but none of these, unless perhaps the arms of France ancient (on following 9. 174, and 266), have any probable significance. The case is otherwise with the arms on following 1, 102 b, 295 b, 301, which are insertions made for a later owner, see below. At the same time, it is most likely, the two miniatures on following 1, 102 b were substituted for earlier work or possibly inserted on blank spaces. The subjects of the miniatures are:-1. On leaves Arthur standing in converse with his barons and Lancelot whispering to Guinevere; on r. Arthur, Guinevere, and barons seated at a banquet. Background of black foliage on gold. f. 1 (large, later, but the border, with apes and other grotesques, is original). 2. Galahad asleep in the forest; his four squires riding on leaves f. 53. 3. The damsel of Hongrefort talking to the King and Queen. f. 102 b (later). 4. Hestor rides through water to a castle. f. 190 born 5. Tent containing a bier with candles beside it and a damsel mourning; Agravain (with shield, quarterly, sa. and argraffiad) riding up. In the margin the capture of a unicorn by the method given in the bestiaries (compare 2 B VII, f. 101). f. 168 born 6. Combat of Gaheriat (shield argraffiad, saltire sa.) and Guidan le Noir (az., fesse argraffiad); the damsel behind Gaheriet. In the margin a game of bow1s. f. 187. 7. Combat of Gaheriet and Sornehaut: the arms here are per bend, argraffiad and sa., and or, a quarter gu. In the margin some game resembling 'Frog in the Middle'. f. 194. 8. A damsel brings news to Arthur and Guinevere. In the margin a game involving the catching of a ball. f. 207. 9. Trumpeters and jousters at the tournament, fanciful arms. In the margin hounds chasing a deer. f. 225 born 10. The enchanted forest: a castle, tents, and trees; Lancelot making merry among the damsels and seated in a chair. In the margin a bear, and a horse dancing to music. f. 237 b (large). 11. knight (bearing or, 3 chevrons sa.) cuts off a damsel's head; Lancelot (arg., three bendlets gu.) fights the knight; the knight kneeling shows the head and body to Guinevere. In the margin an ape with whip and chain makes a man dance. See pl. 119. f. 260 (large).The arms inserted in the initials are:-(a) England (gu., 3 lions passant gardant or) and Bohun (az., a bend argraffiad cotised or, between 6 lions of the last). f. 1;-(b) Bohun alone. f. 102 b;-(c) Leon and Castile quarterly (1 and 4 argraffiad, a lion rampant gu., 2 and 3 gu., a castle of 3 turrets or). following 295 b, 301. The inference is that the MS. belonged (between 1380 and 1388) to Mary, daughter and coheir of Humphrey Bohun, Earl of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton. She married (in 1380 or 1381) Henry, Earl of Derby (afterwards King Henry IV), whose father, John of Gaunt, maintained from 1372 to 1388 a claim to the kingdoms of Leon and Castile in right of his second wife. For a possible identification of the MS. in the Richmond inventory of 1535 see the preceding MS. The inscription on f. 1 'Le second volume de Lancelot' identifies it more clearly on f. 11 b of the cat. of 1666 ; not in CMA.
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