Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts

Help Us Save the St Cuthbert Gospel for the Nation

Broadcaster Melvyn Bragg has endorsed the British Library’s appeal to acquire the 7th-century St Cuthbert Gospel for the nation, as we enter the final phase of our £9million appeal.

Bragg featured the Gospel on his recent Radio 4 series, In Our Time: The Written World, which charted the development of the written word throughout history. As the earliest surviving intact Western book, the St Cuthbert Gospel is the starting point for the history of the book as we know it today. He has described it as “unique, British and one of the great glories among books”. Read the blog entry by Tom Morris, producer of The Written World, which describes the first time he and Melvyn Bragg set eyes on the St Cuthbert Gospel.

The Gospel, which retains its original red leather binding, looks exactly the same today – inside and out – as it did to the monks who created it fourteen centuries ago.

Claire Breay, Lead Curator of Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts at the British Library, says “By acquiring the St Cuthbert Gospel, the Library will be able to preserve and provide access to it for present and future generations. We have also developed an innovative display partnership with partner organisations in the North East which will allow the Gospel to be exhibited in the region where it was created for 50% of the time that it is on display.”

The appeal has already received outstanding support from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund and the Garfield Weston Foundation, and it has also resonated with donors across the country. £7.25million has been raised in less than a year and the Library is now working to close the remaining gap by the end of March.

This is your chance to get involved. For more information about the St Cuthbert Gospel appeal and to give online, please visit support.bl.uk. You can read more about the St Cuthbert Gospel here.

The Wheel of Fortune

Detail of a miniature of the Wheel of Fortune with a crowned king at the top, from John Lydgate's Troy Book and Siege of Thebes, with verses by William Cornish, John Skelton, William Peeris and others, England, c. 1457 (with later additions), Royal 18 D. ii, f. 30v.

Historical and legendary figures were often used as models in the education of princes and other young nobles. See our Facebook page for the Instruction section of our Royal exhibition, which features many of these so-called 'Mirrors for Princes'.  The legend of Troy was particularly popular because all European royalty traced their descent from Trojan heroes.  In the fifteenth century the poet John Lydgate (d. c. 1451) provided an English version of these stories, which had previously only circulated in French and Latin.

The present manuscript (Royal 18 D. ii) was commissioned by Sir William Herbert (d. 1469) and his wife Anne Devereux (d. c. 1486), who are depicted in a large image with their arms and motto, kneeling before an enthroned king (see below).  It is likely, therefore, that the Herberts presented the copy to a king, although opinions differ about whether this was the Yorkist Edward IV (r. 1461-1483) or the Lancastrian Henry VI (r. 1422-61, d. 1471).  Lydgate himself was a Lancastrian supporter, as is clear from the text of his prologue, which praises Henry V.  The inclusion of this prologue makes it more likely that this book was intended as a gift to Henry's son, Henry VI.

The illumination pictured above - the Wheel of Fortune - is unique amongst the seven extant illuminated copies of the Troy Book.  The Rota Fortunae was a concept familiar to the medieval reader, and this image would have reminded the viewer of the fragility of power, a lesson appropriate to either of the manuscript's possible royal recipients.  In the miniature, a crowned king is shown sitting atop a gold wheel, which is being turned by a crowned personification of Fortune. Other richly dressed figures are toppling from the wheel - a fitting metaphor for the shifting fortunes of the Lancastrian and Yorkist kings.

Detail of a miniature of a king enthroned surrounded by courtiers with Sir William Herbert and his wife, Anne Devereux kneeling before him, wearing clothes decorated with their coats of arms, from John Lydgate's Troy Book and Siege of Thebes, with verses by William Cornish, John Skelton, William Peeris and others, England, c. 1457 (with later additions), Royal 18 D. ii, f. 6.

Royal 18 D. ii is currently on display in the exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination (until 13 March 2012), and is also featured in the Royal app, available for iPhone, iPad or Android.

- Royal Project Team

Which Royal Manuscripts Should We Digitise?

Miniature of God the Creator, from a Bible Historiale, France (Clairfontaine and Paris), 1411, Royal 19 D. iii, vol. 1, f. 3

We are pleased to announce that the British Library has recently been awarded a research grant by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to facilitate on-going research for the Royal project.  Each year the AHRC provides funding from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities.  Only applications of the highest quality are funded and the range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK. 

The British Library's Royal project is funded by the AHRC as part of its Digital Transformations in Arts and Humanities theme and contributes to a package of measures aimed at developing innovative approaches to archiving, accessing and using data in the arts and humanities.  This package of measures is supported as part of the additional investment to enhance the national e.infrastructure for research, announced by the Government in October 2011.

An important part of this new research grant will enable us to digitise fully a number of the manuscripts that are currently featured in the exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination; these manuscripts will soon be freely available to all on our Digitised Manuscripts site.   So far we have selected 41 manuscripts from the current Royal exhibition to be included on Digitised Manuscripts; please see the list below.

One of the principal goals of our follow-on Royal project is to be responsive to current research needs, and to select manuscripts for digitisation that will have the biggest impact in these areas. To that end, we would like to invite your thoughts and ideas about which manuscripts should be included in our final list.   It will be possible to select another 6 - 10 manuscripts to be digitised in full (depending, of course, on their length); we would love to hear your feedback.

We have already selected for digitisation the 41 items in the list below.  Please send your suggestions for other candidates to royal-manuscripts-digitization@bl.uk or in the comments to this post.  The only 'rule' is that the manuscript should be one that is currently on display in the exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination; for more details on the manuscripts please see our Facebook albums.

 

Royal Manuscripts for Digitisation

Royal 1 C. vii	The Rochester Bible, England (Rochester), second quarter of the 12th century
Royal 1 D. ix	The Cnut Gospels, England (Christ Church, Canterbury), c. 1020
Royal 10 E. iv	The Smithfield Decretals, France (Toulouse?), c. 1300 and London, c. 1340s
Royal 12 C. viii	Pandolfo Collenuccio, Apologues, Italy (Rome and Florence), c. 1509 – c. 1517
Royal 13 B. viii	Gerald of Wales, Topographia Hibernica, England (Lincoln?), c. 1196 - c. 1223
Royal 14 E. iii	Estoire del Saint Graal, France (Saint-Omer or Tournai?), first quarter of the 14th century
Royal 14 E. iv	Jean de Wavrin, Recueil des croniques d’Engleterre, France (Lille) and Netherlands (Bruges), c. 1470 – c. 1480
Royal 15 D. i	Guyart des Moulins, Bible Historiale (Bible Historiale of Edward IV, part 4), Netherlands (Bruges), 1470 and c. 1479
Royal 15 E. iv	Jean de Wavrin, Anciennes et nouvelles chroniques d'Angleterre, Netherlands (Bruges), between 1471 - 1483
Royal 15 E. vi	The Talbot Shrewsbury Book, France (Rouen), 1444-1445
Royal 16 F. ii	Poems of Charles, Duke of Orléans, Netherlands (Bruges), third quarter of the 15th century (before 1483)
Royal 16 G. vi	Chroniques de France ou de St Denis, France (Paris), between 1332 – 1350
Royal 16 G. viii	Bellum Gallicum (Les commentaires de Cesar), France (Lille) and Netherlands (Bruges), 1473-1476
Royal 17 D. vi	Thomas Hoccleve, The Regement of Princes, England, second quarter of the 15th century
Royal 17 E. vii	Guyart des Moulins, Bible historiale complétée (Genesis - Psalms), France (Paris ?), 1357
Royal 17 F. ii	La grant hystoire Cesar, i.e. Les faits des Romains, Netherlands (Bruges), 1479
Royal 18 D. ii	John Lydgate, Troy Book and Siege of Thebes, England (London?), c. 1457-1460
Royal 18 D. ix	Guyart des Moulins, Bible Historiale (Bible Historiale of Edward IV, part 1), Netherlands (Bruges), 1479
Royal 18 D. x	Guyart des Moulins, Bible Historiale (Bible Historiale of Edward IV, part 2), Netherlands (Bruges), 1479
Royal 18 E. ii	Jean Froissart, Chroniques, Netherlands (Bruges), last quarter of the 15th century (before 1483)
Royal 18 E. iii	Valerius Maximus, Facta et dicta memorabilia, Netherlands (Bruges), 1479
Royal 19 B. xiii	Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, Roman de la Rose, France (Paris), c. 1320 – c. 1340
Royal 19 C. iv	Le Songe du Vergier, France (Paris), 1378
Royal 19 D. ii	Guyart des Moulins, Bible Historiale (Bible Historiale of John the Good), France (Paris), c. 1350 – before 1356
Royal 19 D. iii	Guyart des Moulins, Bible Historiale, France (Paris and Clairefontaine), 1411
Royal 2 A. xviii	The Beaufort/Beauchamp Hours, England (London), c. 1430, before 1443
Royal 2 A. xxii	The Westminster Psalter, England (Westminster or St Albans), c. 1200
Royal 2 B. i	The Psalter of Humfrey of Gloucester, England (London), second quarter of the 15th century (before 1447)
Royal 20 A. xvii	Guillaume de Lorris, Jean de Meun, Thomas de Bailleul, Roman de la Rose and la Bataille d'Annezin, France (Artois or Picardy), c. 1340
Royal 20 D. i	Histoire ancienne jusq'à César, Italy (Naples), second quarter of the 14th century
Royal 20 D. iv	Lancelot du Lac, France (Arras ?), first quarter of the 14th century

 

Add 18850	The Bedford Hours, France (Paris), c. 1410 - 1430
Royal 1 E. vi	The Canterbury Royal Bible, England (Canterbury), first half of the 9th century
Royal 11 E. xi	Motets for Henry VIII, Netherlands (Antwerp?), 1516
Royal 14 B. v	Genealogical Chronicle of the English Kings, England, last quarter of the 13th century
Royal 14 B. vi	Genealogical Chronicle of the English Kings. England, c. 1300
Royal 14 C. vii	Matthew Paris, Historia Anglorum, Chronica majora, Part III, England (St Albans), 1250 – 1259
Royal 2 A. xvi	The Psalter of Henry VIII, England (London), c. 1540
Royal 2 B. vii	The Queen Mary Psalter, England (London / Westminster or East Anglia?), between 1310 - 1320

Harley 1498	Quadripartite Indenture for Henry VII’s Chapel (The Harley Indenture), England (London), 1504
Egerton 3277	The Bohun Psalter and Hours, England (London?), after 1356 and probably before 1373

 

Magna Carta in 500 Words

Magna Carta is one of the most celebrated documents in history, and is among the British Library's greatest treasures. See our dedicated Magna Carta webpages to view the original manuscript, watch our virtual curator answer frequently asked questions, and read a translation into English.

Magna Carta in a 14th century English legal compilation, currently on show in our Royal exhibition: London, British Library, MS Cotton Claudius D. II, f. 139r.

In the meantime, how many of these Magna Carta facts did you already know?

1. Magna Carta (‘The Great Charter’) was so-named in the thirteenth century, to distinguish it from the shorter ‘Charter of the Forests’.

2. King John did not sign Magna Carta. Instead, the royal chancery affixed the king’s seal to each copy of the document, made from beeswax and resin and attached with plaited cords.

3. Four contemporary copies (or exemplifications) of Magna Carta survive: two at the British Library, one at Lincoln Cathedral and the other at Salisbury Cathedral.

4. The Salisbury copy is presumably that sent in 1215 to either Bishop Herbert Poore (1194–1217) or the sheriff of Wiltshire; that now at Lincoln is the copy sent to Bishop Hugh (1209–35) or the sheriff of Lincolnshire. Bishop Hugh of Lincoln is named in Magna Carta as one of the king’s advisers.

5. Both British Library copies of the 1215 Magna Carta were owned by the Parliamentarian and antiquary Sir Robert Cotton (d. 1631): one was found by Humphrey Wyems of the Inner Temple in a London tailor’s shop; the other was sent to Cotton in 1630 by Sir Edward Dering (d. 1644), Lieutenant of Dover Castle.

Sir Robert Cotton (d. 1631), owner of two of the four surviving 1215 copies of Magna Carta.

6. The original version of Magna Carta was annulled by Pope Innocent III on 24 August 1215, on the grounds that it was ‘as unlawful and unjust as it is base and shameful’. It had been legally valid for just ten weeks.

7. Magna Carta was re-issued with adaptations by King John’s successors. The 1225 version was copied onto the first English statute roll in 1297.

8. Three clauses of the 1215 Magna Carta remain valid:

(1) the English Church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished, and its liberties unimpaired;

(2) the city of London shall enjoy all its ancient liberties and free customs ... all other cities, boroughs, towns and ports shall enjoy all their liberties and free customs;

(3) to no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice.

9. Among King John’s advisers named in Magna Carta are the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and Alan of Galloway, Constable of Scotland. The king was opposed by twenty-five barons, listed in a separate document drawn up in 1215 (the Articles of the Barons), also preserved at the British Library.

10. Magna Carta has echoes in the American Declaration of Independence (1776) and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (1948). It formed the basis for parts of the laws of Pennsylvania, drawn up by William Penn (d. 1718).

David Starkey at the British Library

Detail of a miniature of Henry VIII as King David and his court jester, William Somer, in the Psalter of Henry VIII (London, c. 1540): London, British Library, MS Royal 2 A. XVI, f. 63v.

The final event of our Royal Manuscripts exhibition – gosh, it's gone so fast – will be held on Friday, 9 March. Renowned historian David Starkey will be speaking on "New Learning Out of Old Books: Henry VIII and the Invention of the Royal Library".

Dr Starkey was guest curator of the British Library's major 2009 exhibition Henry VIII: Man and Monarch. He's perhaps best known for his various television appearances, and is a hugely entertaining speaker, as those who have seen his previous performances will testify. In "New Learning Out of Old Books", David Starkey will explain how the royal library was transformed from a collection of illuminated books into a working library, providing intellectual justification for the Divorce and the Royal Supremacy.

Tickets are still available for New Learning Out of Old Books, priced at £7.50 (£5 concessions).

British Library, 9 March, 18.00-19.30

Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination closes on Tuesday, 13 March. Grab the chance to see it while you can, or view the exhibits in our Facebook albums.

Detail of a miniature of musicians in the Psalter of Henry VIII: London, British Library, MS Royal 2 A. XVI, f. 98v.

A Book of Two Princes

Miniature of Henry VI / Dauphin Louis with St Louis before the Virgin & Child, from the Psalter of Henry VI, Paris, c. 1405-10 (with later additions), Cotton Domitian A. xvii, f. 50

This justly famous image is from a deluxe Psalter that served as both a French and an English royal book.  The manuscript is suitably grand - almost every page is ornamented with a border of gold ivy leaves, and it is decorated by a series of large illustrations in the most fashionable style of the period (some of which can be seen at the bottom).  These paintings include six of a young boy engaged in devout prayer before the Virgin and the Christ Child.  At the beginning of Psalm 26 (above) this boy is accompanied by St Louis, while in another he is attended by St Catherine.

Since he is wearing a crown and is accompanied by the arms of England and France, the prince in these miniatures is often identified as the young Henry VI (r. 1422-61 & 1470-71).  However, the arms of England were a later addition to the manuscript.  Given his apparent age, royal status, and his attendance by St Louis, it is rather more likely that this boy is in fact the Dauphin Louis, Duke of Guyenne (b. 1397, d. 1415).  In around 1405-10 Louis's mother, Isabel of Bavaria, is recorded as having devotional manuscripts made for her other children.  This opulent book may also have been commissioned by the Queen as a very personalised devotional book for her young son.

The circumstances and timing of the modification of the royal arms (which took place at the same time as the addition of several other illuminations) is unclear.  One possibility is that the Psalter was acquired by Louis's sister, Catherine of France, who married Henry V in 1420.  Perhaps Catherine had the luxurious book modified for her own young son, Henry VI.

Miniature of monks in a choir, from the Psalter of Henry VI, Paris, c. 1405-10 (with later additions), Cotton Domitian A. xvii, f. 122v

Miniature of Christ and his Apostles in a ship during a storm at sea, from the Psalter of Henry VI, Paris, c. 1405-10 (with later additions), Cotton Domitian A. xvii, f. 123

The Psalter of Henry VI (or perhaps it should be called the Psalter of 'Henry VI') is currently on display in the exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination.  The exhibition closes on 13 March, so plan your visit soon!

- Royal project team

Turn the Pages of Our Royal Manuscripts

The Bedford Hours: London, British Library, MS Additional 18850, f. 256v

Recently added to our Royal Manuscripts website are more books viewable using the award-winning Turning the Pages^TM software. "Turning the Pages" does exactly what it says: it enables you to scroll through the leaves of a virtual book, and you can also zoom in on the finer details.

Four manuscripts in our exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination (11 November 2011-13 March 2012) are available on Turning the Pages. Sit back in the comfort of your living room or office and browse the pages of some of our beautiful books.

1.  Henry VIII's Psalter

2.  Medieval Bestiary

3.  The Bedford Hours

4.  Genealogical Chronicle of the English Kings

Psalter of King Henry VIII: London, British Library, MS Royal 2 A. XVI, f. 3r

More British Library books available on Turning the Pages can be viewed here. They include Handel's Messiah, Alice's Adventures Under Ground, and a selection of sketches by Leonardo da Vinci.

Hebrew Illuminated Manuscripts Online

'Duke of Sussex's German Pentateuch', Germany, 14th century (Additional MS 15282, f. 296v). Initial-word panel Shir (song) inhabited by a bear and a unicorn.

Last year we told you about the British Library's project to catalogue our Hebrew illuminated manuscripts. Here is an update with a list of the books in question.

The British Library holds one of the world's most important collections of Hebrew manuscripts, of which about 300 have some decoration. All of the illuminated manuscripts and those with significant decoration are now in our Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts. Their inclusion was made possible through grants from the American Trust for the British Library in memory of William T. Golden, the Harold Hyam Wingate Foundation, Roger and Julie Baskes, and an anonymous donor. We're pleased to announce that more images will be made available in the next upload to the site.

Jacob ben Asher, Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars), Italy, 1475 (Harley MS 5716, f. 8). Frontispiece to the first pillar of Arbaah Turim, Orah Hayyim (The Way of Life). The initial-word panel Barukh (blessed) is inhabited by three white rabbits. The lower medallion contains the coat of arms of Joab Emmanuel.

These Hebrew illuminated manuscripts range in date from the 10th to the 18th century, and their geographical division is just as wide, encompassing Europe, Northern Africa and the East. Most of them contain religious works, such as biblical and liturgical texts, but there are also a number of legal, philosophical and scientific books. You can read more here about the decoration and script of our Hebrew manuscripts.

'Golden Haggadah', Catalonia, 14th century (Additional MS 27210, f. 12v). Detail of a miniature of the plague of lice.

From the 13th century, Jewish books were examined by Christian censors in order to eliminate passages that were considered blasphemous. The first official list of prohibited Hebrew books (Index autorum et librorum prohibitorum) was published in 1559, but the expurgation or destruction of certain Hebrew books had started much earlier. Official revisers, usually converted Jews, were appointed to revise Hebrew books and implement the restrictions. Many of the Hebrew items in the Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts were present in Italy at some point and include evidence that they were examined by censors.

'First Gaster Bible', Egypt, 10th century (Oriental MS 9879, f. 14v). Text page with punctuated Oriental script, ornamental space fillers and marginal decoration.

'The Northern French Miscellany', France, 1277-14th century (Additional MS 11639, f. 521). Full-page miniature of Noah's Ark with the raven seated on the ark and the dove returning with a sprig of olive in its beak.

'Barcelona Haggadah', Barcelona, c. 1340 (Additional MS 14761, f. 28v). Historiated initial-word panel Ha lahma aniya (The Bread of Affliction), and a miniature depicting a family by the Seder table, the master of the house placing the basket of unleavened bread on the head of one of his children.

'Duke of Sussex's Italian Bible', Ferrara?, 15th century (Additional MS 15251, f. 313v). Decorated initial-word panel at the beginning of 1 Chronicles.

'Lisbon Bible', Lisbon, 1483 (Oriental MS 2626, f. 13v). Detail of a full border.

Pentateuch, Germany, 14th century (Oriental MS 2696, f. 257v). Initial-word panel with gold letters, pen-flourishing and medallions inhabited by hybrids, at the beginning of Numbers.

'Coburg Pentateuch', Coburg, 1390-1396 (Additional MS 19776, f. 54v). Miniature of a man sitting on a bench holding a scroll escorted by a dog, a dragon and a lion. The two scrolls contain masoretic notes.

'Tripartite Mahzor', Germany, c. 1322 (Additional MS 22413, f. 3). Historiated initial-word panel of the Receiving the Law with Moses stretching his hands for the tablets, and Aaron and the Israelites waiting at the foot of the mountain.

Series of tables, France or Spain, 15th century (Oriental MS 11796, f. 57v). Astronomical and calendrical table.

Here is a list of Hebrew manuscripts in the British Library's Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts:

Add 9405	Biblical readings from a festival prayer book (mahzor): Germany, 1309
Add 9406	Biblical readings from a festival prayer book (mahzor): Germany, 1309
Add 10456	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Ashkenazi rite: Germany or Eastern Mediterranean, 1349
Add 11639	Miscellany of biblical and other texts ('The Northern French Miscellany'): France, 1277–14th century
Add 11657	Former and Latter Prophets (Neviim): Italy, 14th century
Add 11830	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Ashkenazi rite: Germany, before 1384
Add 14759	Levi ben Gershon, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Avignon, 1429
Add 14761	Haggadah, liturgical poems and biblical readings for Passover ('Barcelona Haggadah'), Sephardic rite: Barcelona, c. 1340
Add 14762	Eleazar of Worms, Haggadah for Passover ('Ashkenazi Haggadah'), German rite: Ulm?, c. 1460
Add 14763	Maimonides and others, Miscellany of philosophical works: Viterbo, 1273
Add 15250	Bible ('Duke of Sussex's Catalan Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century
Add 15251	Bible ('Duke of Sussex's Italian Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Ferrara?, 1448 or 1498
Add 15252	Duke of Sussex Bible with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century
Add 15282	Pentateuch ('Duke of Sussex's German Pentateuch'): Germany, 14th century
Add 15283	Pentateuch, Haftarot and the Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot): Lisbon, 15th century
Add 15306	Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Spain, 14th or 15th century
Add 15423	Pentateuch ('Duke of Sussex's Italian Pentateuch'): Florence, 1441-1467
Add 16577	Festival prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Add 16916	Prayers for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, Ashkenazi rite ('London Days of Awe Mahzor'): Germany, 13th or 14th century
Add 17745	Zohar on Genesis: Italy, 15th century
Add 18424	Works of Rabbi Samson ben Tzadoq and others: Germany, 1307
Add 18684	Works of Isaac of Corbeil and others: France, 1392
Add 18724	Isaac Abravanel, Haggadah for Passover: Hamburg, 1740
Add 18731	Nahmanides, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Isola, 1491
Add 18970	Hebrew Grammar: Spain, 15th century
Add 19064	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Add 19776	Pentateuch ('Coburg Pentateuch') with the Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot), Haftarot, and grammatical treatises: Coburg, 1390-1396
Add 19943	Nathan ben Joel Palquera, Tzorei ha-guf (The balms of the body): Italy, 1447
Add 19944	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite, vol. 1: Florence, 1441
Add 19945	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Italian rite, vol. 2: Florence, 1441
Add 21160	Pentateuch ('Yonah Pentateuch'): Germany, 13th century
Add 21967	Hebrew translation of the first two books of Avicenna's Canon: Rome, 15th century
Add 22092	Gan Elohim (The Garden of God): France, 1403
Add 22413	Joseph Kara, Festival prayer book for Shavuot (Feast of Weeks) and Sukkot (Feast of the Tabernacles), German rite ('Tripartite Mahzor'): Germany, c. 1322
Add 26878	Solomon ben Isaac, Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and Rashi's commentary: France, 14th century
Add 26879	Solomon ben Isaac, Former and Latter Prophets with masorah magna and parva, Targum Jonathan and Rashi's commentary: France?, 13th century
Add 26896	Festival prayer book (mahzor), Ashkenazi rite ('Tinted Mahzor'): Germany, 14th century
Add 26897	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, Ashkenazi rite: Germany, 14th century
Add 26933	Nahmanides, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Spain or Italy, 15th century
Add 26957	Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Italy, 1469
Add 26968	Prayer book (Forli Siddur) for the entire year, Italian rite: Italy, 1383
Add 26970	Rabbi Isaac ben Meir of Düren, Festival prayer book: Germany, 1308-1314
Add 26974	Sefer Maalot ha-Middot (The Book on Degrees of Virtue) by Jehiel ben Jekuthiel: Italy, 1287
Add 27029	Prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 1501
Add 27126	Prayer book, Sephardic rite: Spain, 14th or 15th century
Add 27137	Jacob ben Asher, Fourth Book of Arba'ah Turim: Hoshen ha-Mishpat ('The Breastplate of Judgment'): Italy, 1360
Add 27167	Pentateuch ('Almanzi Pentateuch') with Haftarot and Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot): Lisbon, 15th century
Add 27210	Haggadah for Passover ('Golden Haggadah'): Catalonia, 14th century
Egerton 872	Solomon ben Isaac ('Rashi'), Commentary on the Pentateuch with the Haftarot on the Five Scrolls: Germany, 1341
Harley 1528	Bible with masorah magna and parva ('Harley Catalan Bible'): Catalonia, 14th century
Harley 1861	Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi), Pentateuch with Targum and Rashi's commentary: France, 14th century
Harley 5531	Joseph ben Judah Zark, Baal ha-Lashon (The Master of the Language): Italy, 1474
Harley 5648	Baruch ben Isaac of Worms, Sefer ha-Terumah: Germany, 1253/1254
Harley 5680	Books Three and Five of the Canon of Avicenna in Hebrew translation: Spain or Italy, 1479
Harley 5686	Festival prayer book (mahzor): Italy, 1427–1466
Harley 5698	Maimonides, Lisbon Mishneh Torah, vol. 1: Lisbon, 1471-1472
Harley 5699	Maimonides, Lisbon Mishneh Torah, vol. 2: Lisbon, 1471-1472
Harley 5709	Solomon ben Isaac (Rashi), Pentateuch: France, 14th century
Harley 5710	Bible with masorah magna and parva: Italy, 13th century
Harley 5711	Bible with masorah magna and parva: Italy, 13th century
Harley 5716	Jacob ben Asher, Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars): Italy, 1475
Harley 5717	Jacob ben Asher and Maimonides, Even ha-Ezer (The Stone of Help) and Hoshen Mishpat (The Breastplate of Judgement) of Arbaah Turim (The Four Pillars): Italy, 1475
Harley 5773	Pentateuch ('London Catalan Pentateuch') with masorah magna and parva: Catalonia, 14th century
Harley 5774	Prophets with masorah magna and parva: Castellon d'Ampurias, 1396
Harley 5775	Hagiographa with masorah magna and parva: Castellon d'Ampurias, 1396
Harley 7586A	Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim) in Samuel ibn Tibbon's translation: Italy, 1283
Harley 7586B	Maimonides, Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim) in Samuel ibn Tibbon's translation: Italy, 13th century
Harley 7621	Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary and Targum Onkelos : Italy, 15th century
King's 1	Bible ('King's Bible'): Catalonia, 14th century
Oriental 42	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah and the Yom Kippur, Ashkenazi rite ('Dragon's Head Mahzor'): Germany, 14th century
Oriental 1404	Haggadah with commentary and liturgical poems for Passover ('Brother Haggadah'): Catalonia, 14th century
Oriental 1424	Biblical readings and liturgical poems for Passover: Catalonia, 14th century
Oriental 1467	Fragment of the Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and masorah magna and parva: Persia, 11th-12th century
Oriental 1487	Abraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on the Pentateuch: Iberian Peninsula or Italy, 15th century
Oriental 2091	Former and Latter Prophets and Hagiographa, with masorah magna and parva: Germany, 13th century
Oriental 2201	Bible with masorah ('First Ibn Merwas Bible'): Toledo, 1300
Oriental 2211	Saadia ben Joseph (Saadia gaon), The Latter Prophets: Yemen, 1475
Oriental 2348	Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 1469
Oriental 2363	Pentateuch with Targum Onkelos and masorah magna and parva: Persia or Babylonia, 11th-12th century
Oriental 2365	Bible with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 14th century
Oriental 2373	A portion of the Hagiographa with masorah magna and parva: Yemen, 13th century
Oriental 2396	Solomon ibn Gabirol and others, Miscellany of ethical texts: Italy, 1382
Oriental 2451	Pentateuch with masorah magna and parva: Persia, 1483
Oriental 2493	Portions from the Exodus with Arabic translation and commentary: Persia, Babylonia or Egypt, 14th century
Oriental 2540	Fragments from Exodus: Palestine or Egypt, 10th century
Oriental 2626	Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 1483
Oriental 2627	Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 15th century
Oriental 2628	Bible ('Lisbon Bible') with masorah magna and parva: Lisbon, 15th century
Oriental 2696	Pentateuch, Five Scrolls (Hamesh megillot) and Haftarot with masorah and commentary: Germany, 14th century
Oriental 2733	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah, Franco-German rite: France, 14th century
Oriental 2736	Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Bertinoro, 1390
Oriental 2737	Haggadah for Passover ('Hispano-Moresque Haggadah'): Castile, c. 1300
Oriental 2884	Haggadah for Passover ('Sister Haggadah'): Barcelona, 14th century
Oriental 4227	Bible with masorah: France, 14th century

Oriental 5024	Decisions of Isaiah of Trani the Younger (Pisqei Rabbi Yeshayah Aharon): Italy, 1374
Oriental 5600	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur, North African rite: North Africa, 15th century
Oriental 9879	Biblical fragments ('First Gaster Bible') with masorah magna and parva (sections from Psalms): Egypt, 10th century
Oriental 9880	Biblical fragments ('Second Gaster Bible') with masorah magna and parva (Fragments from the Pentateuch): Egypt, 11th or 12th century
Oriental 9900	Parts of the Scriptures (Ketuvim): Italy, 15th century
Oriental 10186	Prayer book with Haggadah and Pirqei Avot, Ashkenazi rite: Italy, 15th century
Oriental 10752	Prayer book (siddur), Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Oriental 11594	Festival prayer book (mahzor) for the whole year, Sephardic rite, with the commentary of Joseph Zaddik: Spain, 15th century
Oriental 11796	Series of calendrial and astronomical tables: France or Spain, 15th century
Oriental 11924	Prayer book, Italian rite: Italy, 15th century
Oriental 14061	Maimonides, The Guide of the Perplexed (Moreh Nevukhim): Catalonia, 14th century
Sloane 3173	Haggadah for Passover with the commentaries of Isaac Abravanel ('Leipnik Haggadah'): Germany, 1740
Stowe 30	Prayers: England, 1578
Yates Thompson 31	Matfré Ermengau of Béziers, Breviari d'Amor (Catalan prose version): Catalonia, 14th century

 

Fancy a Trip to Paris?

The temperature in London is currently touching zero, and the British Library is swarming with visitors to our major exhibition Royal Manuscripts: The Genius of Illumination. Only 33 days more to go – don't forget that it closes on 13 March 2012. Images of all the manuscripts on show will continue to feature on our Facebook albums (and no, you don't need a Facebook account to view them).

Meanwhile, United Kingdom residents might like to enter our Royal competition. One lucky person will win a luxury trip to Paris for two, comprising return travel with Eurostar (including transfers), three nights at the 4* Hotel Westminster, a two-day Paris Museum Pass giving access to more than 60 museums, monuments and galleries, a Seine river cruise and a carnet of Metro tickets. A big thank you to Kirker Holidays for organising the trip.

A downside is that Paris is even colder than London as we write ...

There's one simple question (clue: the answer begins with Henry), and make sure you check the terms and conditions at the foot of the competition page. Good luck! Hopefully we'll see you soon in London.

The King of Beasts

Decorated initial 'B'(estiarum) and a miniature of lions breathing life into their cubs, at the beginning of the entry 'De natura leonis', from a bestiary with theological texts, central or northern England, c. 1200-10, Royal 12 C. xix, f. 6

One of the most popular items in our current Royal exhibition is this bestiary (Royal 12 C. xix), which is on display beside another similar example (the so-called Rochester bestiary, Royal 12 F. xiii).  A bestiary is a book of beasts, both real and imagined (for example, see below for a miniature of a dragon and elephant). Bestiaries in Latin first began to appear in England at the beginning of the 12th century.  They were based ultimately on a late-antique text called the Physiologus (The Naturalist), supplemented by material from a variety of sources such as the Naturalis historia of Pliny the Elder (d. 79), the Historia animalium of Aristotle (d. 322 BC), the Hexaemeron of St Ambrose (d. 399) and the Etymologiae of Isidore of Seville (d. 636).  These extracts were blended together to form a compendium of natural history with a particular emphasis on allegory and the moralisations that could be drawn from animal behaviour. 

The number and types of animals included in bestiaries could vary greatly, but many copies begin with a description of the lion, the king of beasts, and the section on the lion provides a good example of the morally didactic aspect of the bestiary text.  It starts with a discussion of the lions' habitat and nature, and goes on to explain the scene in the miniature above.  Lion cubs, it tells us, are born dead, and remain that way for three days.  After this time, the cubs' father breathes upon them, bringing them back to life - a very clear analogy to God's resurrection of Christ. 

Detail of a miniature of an elephant with a dragon on its back, at the beginning of the entry for 'Draco', from a bestiary with theological texts, central or northern England, c. 1200-10, Royal 12 C. xix, f. 62

The bestiary's format lends itself quite well to illumination, and many of the surviving examples are illustrated.  This copy is one of the grandest survivals, with eighty miniatures of animals painted against gold backgrounds; it is also one of the first to include such elaborate, full-colour paintings.  It is not clear for whom this book was produced, but research has revealed that it is a very close (almost exact) copy of the Worksop Bestiary (Pierpont Morgan Library M.81), which was produced in the North Midlands c. 1185.  The Royal bestiary dates from c. 1200-1210, and was created in roughly the same region.  Judging from the expense that must have been incurred in its production, it seems likely that it was intended for an aristocratic, if not royal, layman (or woman) who could either read Latin or had a chaplain to do it for him and his household.  Little is known about the subsequent history of the manuscript until it was purchased by the antiquarian John Theyer in the 17th century, whose collection was purchased by Charles II and included in the Old Royal Library.

For more information on bestiaries in general and the British Library's holdings in particular, please see the virtual exhibition Books of Beasts in the British Library: the Medieval Bestiary and its Context, which was written by Royal project intern Emily Runde.  A highlights version of the Royal bestiary is also available for purchase from the British Library's eBook treasures.

- Royal project team