Bifolia from Speculum historiale, Book 30 manuscript.

Format:

Book

Manuscript

Author/Creator:

Vincent, of Beauvais, -1264, author.

Hélinand, de Froidmont, approximately 1160-approximately 1229, author.

Contributor:

Colker, Marvin L., former owner.

Lawrence J. Schoenberg Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Albert C. Baugh Book Fund.

Standardized Title:

Speculum historiale. Selections

Language:

Latin

Genre:

fragments (object portions)

Excerpts.

Manuscripts, Latin -- 14th century.

Manuscripts, Latin -- 15th century.

Penn Provenance:

Part of manuscript formerly owned by Guillaume Libri; sold at auction at Sotheby's in a sale of part of the Libri collection, 1 June 1864, lot 71, to Boone (Thomas and William Boone or Thomas Boone & Son or a related firm, all London).

Part of manuscript formerly owned by Sir Thomas Phillipps (ms. 24654); appeared at auction at Sotheby's in a sale of part of the Phillipps collection, 6 June 1899, lot 367, but presumably not sold; sold at auction at Sotheby's in a sale of part of the Phillipps collection, 24 June 1935, lot 74.

Part of manuscript formerly owned by H. R. Creswick, Bodley's Librarian and Cambridge University Librarian; these bifolia probably removed by Creswick.

Purchased by Maggs Bros., August 1970 (acquisition note in pencil, f. 4v; Christie's); sold to Marvin L. Coker, 1970.

Formerly owned by Marvin L. Colker, cataloger of manuscripts at Trinity College Dublin and professor of classics at the University of Virgina, MLC 169 (pencil shelfmark MLC 169, f. 1r).

Sold at auction at Christie's (London), in the collection of Marvin L. Colker, 28 November-12 December 2022, lot 111.

Physical Description:

1 item (2 bifolia) : parchment ; 37 x 26 cm

Production:

Paris?, France, circa 1400.

Summary:

Leaf from Book 30 (Book 29 in some versions), containing text from the middle of Chapter 134 to the beginning of Chapter 144, which consists of excerpts from the Chronicon of the Cistercian Hélinand de Froidmont. The heading in red ink at the top on both sides is Flores Helinandi. The leaf was written in France, probably Paris, circa 1400, in a Gothic semi-cursive book script, in 2 columns of 47 lines, and frame-ruled in faint ink with double bounding lines on each side. 9 2-line chapter initials in red or blue with contrasting penwork in blue or red, with one 4-line chapter initial in red with penwork in blue (f. 2r); chapter headings in red; some initials following the decorated initials touched with yellow. The chapter numbers as written are 134-138, 136-141; a later reader has corrected the numbers after the first 138 to 139-144, in pencil.

Notes:

Manuscript housed with Oversize LJS 16, from which it was separated in the 20th century.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Albert C. Baugh Book Fund.

Related Collections:

Another leaf from the same manuscript is Ms. F.4.14, Special Collections & Archives, Sydney Jones Library, University of Liverpool, also once part of Oversize LJS 16, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

Cited as:

Vincent of Beauvais, Bifolia from Speculum historiale, Book 30 (Oversize LJS 124.2). Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania.

OCLC:

1376232284