Medieval illuminated manuscript

8. BREVIARY, Augustinian use. [Convent of St. Agnes, Delft , third quarter of the fifteenth century].

Small quarto (16.8 x 12.2 cm.), 246 leaves (last 2 originally blank), i6ii8plus1iii–viii10ix8x2plus1xi–xii10xiii8xiv–xv10xvi4xvii–xviii10xix4xx–xxiv10xxv8xxvi10xxvii12xxviii4, double-column, 23 lines, manuscript with written-space 11.5 x 7.3 cm. The manuscript is complete save for single text leaf after fol. 209. Dark brown ink, in an angular compressed gothic liturgical hand, rubrics in red or underlined in red, capitals touched in red, versal initials in psalms and elsewhere in red or blue, one- to 4-line initials with extensive penwork in red and blue. Sixteen very large penwork initials, 4 to 7 lines high, with full or three-quarter borders including vignettes, twelve penwork borders with vignettes, nine historiated initials, up to 7 lines high, some with borders, a small miniature on fol. 25v and a full-page miniature on fol. 14v. Overall, besides the full-page miniature, there are 38 small miniatures and vignettes. This is the work of the Master of the Fagel Missal. Early additions on last pages of prayers for St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine . Occasional slight marks, some upper extremities of penwork borders just cropped, generally in very fine condition. Bound in late eighteenth-century English Russia, with gilt arms of Michael Wodhull (1740–1816) on upper cover, spine with gilt compartments and black morocco gilt title label, spine relaid, cracking. Marbled endleaves, a.e.g. Bookplates of K.A. Jacobsen and Ole Lars Jacobsen.

A beautiful Dutch Breviary, identified as illuminated by the ‘Master of the Fagel Missal’ and therefore in Delft at the Convent of St. Agnes, in the mid- to later- fifteenth century (this Missal (Dublin, Trinity College MS.81) carries inscriptions from the convent, dated 1459 and 1460). The artist (or artists) also produced several Books of Hours for commercial sale, and a New Testament, now in Copenhagen (MS. Thott 11.fol.) Unusually for mediaeval decorated books, it is highly likely that the manuscript was illuminated by a woman.

The manuscript’s full-page miniature has been studied by G. Dogaer (‘Une representation inhabituelle de la Passion dans un bréviaire de Delft ’, Le livre & l’estampe 26 (1980), 85–90), who has drawn attention to its unusual iconography, where the Cross (without Christ) and Passion symbols are set, in the foreground, on Calvary . In the distance behind, Christ carries the Cross on the road out of Jerusalem . It is as if a meditation upon the Symbols leads to an actual experience of the Passion.

Originally used by the canonesses regular of the Convent of St. Agnes, the book later came into the hands of the physician and classicist Anthony Askew (1722–1772). At his sale on 7 March 1785 (Sotheby’s, lot 489) it was bought for £1.5s. by Michael Wodhull of Thenford, Northamptonshire (1740–1816). This renowned bibliophile had it bound, in common with other books, with his arms on the upper cover. It passed by descent to his sister-in-law Mary Ingram (d. 1824) and the Severne family (sale, Sotheby’s, 11 January 1886 , lot 496). It was bought in Copenhagen in 1931 by K. A. Jacobsen, from whom it was probably inherited by Ole Lars Jacobsen. This splendid breviary was exhibited by a subsequent owner at the Bibliothèque Royale, Brussels , ‘Reflets de la Bibliophilie en Belgique’, IV, 1979, no. 11.

£ 68,000

Manuscript treatise on Astrological Medecine

14. ‘IATROMATHEMATICA’ [ England , c. 1590?].

Quarto (14.7 x 20.2 cm.), manuscript in Latin, fifty-five unnumbered pages, with three horoscopes, and several pages of argumentative diagrams and tables incorporated with the text, written in a fair hand, with no crossings-out, interlinear or marginal additions, bound in late sixteenth-century vellum, probably English, ruled in gilt, with gilt italianate central medallion, decorative gilt corner-pieces incorporating flaming torches, and four gilt-stamped acorns on each cover, remains of ties, slightly creased and soiled. All edges gilt.

To our knowledge the most complete example of a rare treatise on astrological medicine, written in a clear secretarial hand and in an English Renaissance collector’s binding. The title is that of an ancient text by pseudo-Hermes Trismegistus, but this is a different work. The Hermes text, originally Greek, was published in two separate sixteenth-century Latin translations, each printed several times: the present book is not a copy of either, and, although it may borrow content, it is not a new translation.

Iatromathematics is defined in the introduction as ‘the means of revealing the properties, future instances and particular causes of sickness through contemplation of the stars and sky’. The author gives a warning from Lucretius concerning making calculations on bad scientific principles. He then explains what to look for in the heavensthe illness might be’ (the text here followed by tables, referring both to body-parts and afflictions, and signs of the zodiac), ‘What part of the body might be infirm’, ‘whether or not the affliction will last’, ‘Whether or not [the person] will recover’, ‘Changes in illness, when or why they may happen, and whether they indicate good or bad things’. A study, with three horoscopes, is given of a man who was confined to his bed at 2 p.m. on June 5 1557 and died at 11 p.m. on June 14. Answers to the questions listed above are given for his case.

We were provided with information at the book’s purchase, that it came from the library of Lord Delamere of Vale Royal Abbey, Cheshire . The Cholmondeley family, who had this title, inhabited Vale Royal from 1615 to 1948, and lived elsewhere in Cheshire before this, but the book was possibly made for a member of a different family on account of the gilt acorns to the covers: these could well be heraldic insignia, and acorns do not appear on recorded Cholmondeley armorials. Sixteenth- to seventeenth-century English manuscript culture is increasingly recognised for its liveliness, and the present volume illustrates this.

We have found one other variant example of this text, without the introduction or the horoscopes, amongst the Sloane MSS. of the British Library (Sloane MS 1770 fols. 120–130), which are recognised for their importance in medical history. This other example is written in a less clearly legible working hand, from the same period as our manuscript.

This work not in Lynn Thorndike, Pearl Kibre, Catalogue of incipits of Medieval Scientific Writings in Latin (Revised edition, Cambridge, Mass., 1963), nor Neil Ker, A.J. Piper, Medieval Manuscripts in British Libraries (Oxford 1969–92). Not in Julian Roberts, Andrew G. Watson, John Dee’s Library Catalogue ( London 1990). On editions of Hermes Trismegistus see Paolo Lucentini, V. Perrone Compagni, I testi e I codici de Ermete nel Medioevo (Florence 2001). On English manuscripts see the introduction to H. R. Woudhuysen, Sir Philip Sidney and the circulation of manuscripts 1558–1640 ( Oxford 1996). On Sloane medical manuscripts see M. A. E. Nickson, ‘Books and Manuscripts’, in Arthur MacGregor, ed., Sir Hans Sloane, Collector, Scientist, Antiquary ( London 1994), 263–278, see 269. We are very grateful to Dr Sophie Page of UCL for invaluable advice and bibliography.

£ 25,000

Fifteenth century German manuscript prayer book

24. PRAYERBOOK, German ( Rhineland , poss. Cologne ), illuminated manuscript on vellum, late fifteenth century.

Small octavo, 9.8 x 7.4 cm. (writing-space 6.5 x 4.3 cm.), 197 leaves (5 blank), fols. [i–xvi]8 [xvii]7 (of 8, [fol. [xvii]2 lost or cancelled) [xviii]–[xxiii]8 [xxiv]6 (of 8, 2 blanks cancelled at end) [xxv]8, plus two flyleaves cut from a thirteenth-century manuscript. 13 lines to a page, written in dark brown ink in a German cursive bookhand, rubrics in dark red, capitals touched in red, flourished initials in red and blue sometimes with contrasting penwork, five large illuminated initials with floral borders, 8 lines high on fol. 1 (somewhat rubbed), 3 lines high on fol. 5, and 4 lines high on fols. 16 (with parrot in border), 121 (with peacock in border) and 147 (with deer in border), scrolling borders, in the Rhineland style of the Göttingen Model Book. Four vellum navigation-tabs. Extremities of some borders cropped, worn and rubbed especially towards beginning, bound in modern vellum over wooden boards with metal fittings and corner-pieces in a fifteenth-century style, paper endleaves.

£ 20,000

45. [REGUILON family:] PATENT OF NOBILITY issued by Philip V, King of Spain, in favour of Francisco Juan Gaitan Reguilon and Franciso Reguilon y Cuevas. Vallodolid, 26 September 1708.

Manuscript on vellum, 30.3 x 19.5 cm., 200 leaves (including 20 final blanks), 23 or 24 lines, written in black in ink in italic hand, each page encadrée with red and black rules, the ink-stamped armorial seal of Philip V and a notary’s endorsement in the lower margin of each recto, 179 HISTORIATED INITIALS, of four or five lines, each consisting of a gold capital superimposed on a scene with a landscape or figure, eight LARGE HISTORIATED INITIALS, each accompanied by three or four lines of text in gold capitals on alternating red or blue grounds, 58 additional single lines of gold capitals on red or blue grounds introducing sections of text. Two FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS at front, one of the REGUILON FAMILY PRAYING BEFORE THE VIRGIN (see description), the other the FAMILY’S ARMORIAL, with borders comprising the family motto (below), arms (at the sides), a small medallion flanked by flora (above). Original red velvet over wooden boards with large lead seal of Philip V suspended from a double cord braided of crimson, green and yellow silk; crimson silk doubles and 5 original silk interleaves (the velvet slightly worn and stained, slight worming of spine and doubles, wanting centrepiece and cornerpiece bosses). Gauffered edges, gilt.

A beautifully illustrated patent of nobility, with numerous scenic and decorated initials, the frontispiece depicts members of the family in the chapel kneeling and praying before an altarpiece in which there is an image of the Virgin being lifted up to the sky and crowned by angels. The Holy Ghost oversees the scene. The image of the Virgin recalls popular Spanish devotional icons such as the famous Virgin of Atocha in Madrid. This association is relevant because Valadolid is a city near to Madrid. However, unlike the Atocha Virgin, the Virgin here is childless.

£ 7,500

52. [BACHARACH, Burt]: Manuscript of the ‘Casino Royale’ James Bond Theme by Burt Bacharach, a sketch written in pencil on three systems, each of four staves, with Hal David’s lyrics (‘ . . . Have no fear Bond is Here/He’s Gonna save the world’), headed ‘Main Title/Page 4’.

One page, 12-stave paper, framed and glazed, overall size 38.2 x 32.5 cm. in frame. With autograph notes by the scriptwriter Wolf Mankowitz affixed to the back of the frame explaining his connection with the film in 1965–1966 (‘. . . It was a lunatic waste of talent and money and did no-one any good . . .’) and that this manuscript page was given to him by the composers [1965–1966].

POA

 

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