Showing 2 results

Archival description
Sir John Williams manuscripts
Print preview View:

Roman de Tristan,

A 14th century manuscript containing the French prose romance of Tristan, with rubric heading 'Ceste liure est apelles le liure de monseignor Tristain le filz le roy Melyadus de Leono'. The beginning agrees with the opening of Harley MS 4389 (described by H. L. D. Ward, Catalogue of Romances, vol. i, p. 356, and denoted C by E. Loseth, Le Tristan et le Palamede des MSS. fr. du Brit. Mus., Christiana, 1905); in the later and fuller MS Add. 23929 (Ward, p. 357; Loseth, MS A), which has the prologue of Luces de Gast and the usual preliminary chapters, this passage occurs on f. 34b, col. 2; the corresponding passage in the printed Tristan (Paris, Michel Le Noir, 1520) is in vol. i, f. xix. The text agrees very closely with that of Harleian MS 4389 down to the point at which the latter ends imperfectly (= f. 51, col. 2, l. 26 of the present manuscript); it is much longer than that of Add. MS 23929 and that of the printed edition of 1520. The last page of the manuscript is almost illegible. The manuscript is illustrated by crudely executed coloured drawings in the lower margins.

Yvain,

A 14th century manuscript in French prose containing the romance of Ywain (Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri, otherwise Owain Lawgoch, otherwise Yvain de Galles (c. 1300-1378)). There is a rubric heading: 'Ceste liure est le liure de monseignor Y. et parole de maint buen cheualiers' and the text begins 'En ceste partie dit li contes que misser Yuain le fis au roi Vrien cheuauchait par une grant forest qui estoit apellee la perilleuse foreste ...'. The episode of the lion and dragon fighting (cf. Chrestien de Troyes, Le Chevalier au Lion, ll. 3341 sqq.) occurs on p. 1. There is a lacuna after p. 2. The text ends imperfectly. Inserted at the beginning is a letter to Lord Ashburnham from Thomas Boone the bookseller, 29 New Bond Street, 10 April [1852], concerning his purchase, on 'Ld. A.'s' behalf, of the following lots [at the Louis Philippe sale]: 1108 [Ashburnham Appendix 16] for 1605 fr., 1115 (Ashburnham Appendix 152) for 2150 fr., 1303 (Ashburnham Appendix 167, formerly Williams MS 529, now NLW MS 443D) for 1250 fr. and 1306 (formerly Williams MS 530, now NLW MS 444D) for 1960 fr. The manuscript includes coloured drawings illustrating the text, and a few illuminated initials.