| Summary: | Description: HUTH BEQUEST. Vol. IV. Romance of Merlin, et cetera, in French prose. The MS. has no marks of division, except into chapters and paragraphs; but it contains three distinct works, all belonging to the Arthurian cycle, and more particularly to the group associated with the name of, Robert de Boron (see Romania, xxiv, pages 473). The first two, of which many other copies exist, appear to be at any rate based on Robert's actual compositions; but the third, although it introduces his name repeatedly as author, evidently does so merely as a literary device, and must be regarded as the work of another writer, who wished to bridge over the gap in the "Robert- cyklus." It is only extant in the present MS., and is of special interest as the principal source of Bks. i-iv of Malory's Morte Darthur. The whole contents of the volume are fully discussed by Gaston Paris in his introduction to Merlin, edited by himself and J. Ulrich for the Soc. des anc. textes français, 1886. 1. Joseph of Arimathaea: the prose romance corresponding to Robert de Boron's poem, sometimes called the Petit Saint Graal. Printed by E. Hucher, Le Saint-Graal, i, 1875, p. 209, with collations from this MS. on pp. 335-364; also by G. Weidner, Der Prosaroman von Joseph von Arimaathia, 1881. The passage naming "Messires Roberz de Borron" as author in the Cangé MS. (Hucher, p. 275) is much condensed here (f. 18 b), and merely says "Ore dist apries cis contes," etc., without mentioning the author's name. Beg. imperf. (wanting a leaf), "fust boins desciples Ihesucrist." Ends "Et se ie le laissoie atant ester, uns ne saueroit que ees iiij. parties seroient deuenues, ne por quel senefiance je les auoie departies." f. 1. 2. Merlin: the story of his marvellous birth, and of his life down to the coronation of Arthur. Answering to fr. ib-lxxvii b of the early printed Merlin (Paris, A. Vérard, 1498), vol. i, and attributed in some MSS. to Robert de Boron, but generally regarded as a prose rendering of his almost entirely lost poem. Printed from this MS. by G. Paris and J. Ulrich, Merlin, i, pp. 1-146. Other copies are in Add. MSS. 10292 (printed by H. 0. Sommer, Le Roman de Merlin, 1894, pp. 1-92) and 32125, and Harley MS. 6340 (see H. L. D. Ward, Cat. of Romances, i, 1883, pp. 343-4). Beg. "Chi endroit dist li contes que moult fu iries anemis." Ends "Ensi fu Artus esleus a roi, et tint la terre et le regne de Logres lone tans a pais." f. 18 b. 3. Suite de Merlin: a continuation of the above, narrating various adventures of Arthur and his court, including the magical imprisonment of Merlin by Niviene in the "forest perilleuse." The source of Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur for almost the whole of Bk. i, ch. 19-Bk. iv, ch. 29. Printed from this, the unique, MS. by G. Paris and J. Ulrich, Merlin, i, p. 147-ii, p. 254; and analysed by H. 0. Sommer in his studies on Malory's sources (Morte Darthur, iii, 1891, pp. 58-148). Such expressions as "Me sires Robiers de Berron, qui cest conte mist en eserit" (f. 91), "Si comme meismes (for messires?) Robiers de Borron le deuisera apertement en son liure" (f. 116 b), etc., seem to indicate Robert de Boron as the author; but G. Paris has shown (Merlin, i, pp. xxv sqq.) that the work is a compilation made by a somewhat later writer to complete the cycle by linking the Merlin-romance to the Quest of the Saint Graal. Beg. "Ore dist que vns rois aprez le couronnement le roi Artu vint a vne grant court." Wants a leaf after f. 101, and two leaves after f. 133. Ends "Et deuisera dune autre matier[e] qui parlera dou graal, pour chou que cest li commenchemens de cest liure." f. 74. Vellum ; ff. ii + 226. 11 1/2 in. x 8 1/2 in. Beg. of xiv cent. Gatherings of 8 leaves (xi6), i and xiv wanting a leaf each, xviii wanting two leaves. Double columns. Sec. fol. (now f. 1) "fust boins desciples." Illuminated by French artists of average merit with 71 miniatures, mostly enclosed within large initials, to which partial borders of foliated bars, with birds, grotesques, and monsters, are attached; and with numerous smaller initials in gold and colours, chiefly decorative, but occasionally enclosing figures. For f. 160, see Cat. of Huth Bequest, pl. 4. Apparently belonged to the philologist Charles Du Fresne, Sieur Du Cange (b. 1610, d. 1688), a note on f. 1 being pronounced by a subsequent owner "de la main du fameux Mr Du Cange d'Amiens." On the same page is the signature of [Jacques Joseph Guillaume Pierre, Comte de] Corbière (Minister of the Interior, etc., d. 1853). Inside the cover, "No 261." Huth Bookplate. The Huth Library, iii, pp. 954-7.
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