Volume 1

Catalogue of romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum.

  • British Museum. Department of Manuscripts
Date:
1883-1910
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Catalogue of romances in the Department of Manuscripts in the British Museum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    and youthful exploits of Hercules. The last rubric of this book is as follows: “ Comment hercules eut bataille centre le roy laomedon et le vaincqui et destruisy la cite de troyes la premiere fois.” f. cxxxvii b. The first book ends thus: “ Et ainsy fut troyes destruitte la premiere fois . pourquoy Je metteray fin a ce premier liure/et commenceray le second/ou sera monstre comment troyes fut reedifiee/et comment elle fut destruicte la seconde fois. en con- tinuant les nobles fais dhercules ia encommenciez,” Colophon : “ Cy fine le premier liure.” f. cxlii b, col. 2. 3. Book II., in 30 chapters, ff. cxliii-ccxlii. The first chapter begins: “Comme doncquez la vieille Juno par sa mauuaise enuie se donna a ymaginer et songier comment elle pourroit faire mourir hercules.” In the printed editions there are seven or eight introductory lines, which are not here. This second book is taken up with the deeds of Hercules. His destruction of Troy for the second time is in the ninth chapter (ff. clxvi b-clxviii b). It concludes with his death, and ends : “Et icy apres pour la perfection de ce liure traitteray de la generalle destruction de troyes qui vint a loccasion du rauisse- ment de dame helaine femme du noble roy menelaus de grece comme cy apres sensuit.” Colophon : “ Cy fine le second liure dercules.” 4. Book III., in 31 chapters. £f. ccxliii-ccclxviii. This book is preceded by a general rubric, which is almost a repetition of the last sentence of Book ii., and which occurs on the same page, as follows : “ Cy apres sensuit le troizieme et derrenier liure dicellui hercules traictant de la generalle destruc- tion de troyes qui vint a locasion du rauissement de dame helaine . femme du noble roy menelaus de grece.” This third book is little more than a translation of the portion of the Historia of Guido delle Colonne which relates to Priam and his sons. The first chapter is only a very brief introduc- tion, beginning: “ Les [/or Es] deux liures precedens nous a layde de dieu auons traittie des deux premieres destructions de troyes.” The first rubric begins : “ Comment le Boy pryamus assembla tons ses barons pour sauoir sil enuoyeroit en grece pour rauoir sa suer exionne . Et de loppinion dector/et de son bon conseil . Et comment paris declaira a son pere la vision et promesse de Venus F
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