Talbot Shrewsbury Book
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The Talbot Shrewsbury Book
London, British Library Royal 15 E vi
is a very large richly-illuminated manuscript made in
Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine, in northwestern France. It is in the prefecture of Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one ...
(Normandy) in 1444/5. It was presented by
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury, 1st Earl of Waterford, 7th Baron Talbot, KG (17 July 1453), known as "Old Talbot" and "Terror of the French" was an English nobleman and a noted military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was t ...
(d. 1453) to the French princess,
Margaret of Anjou Margaret of Anjou (; 23 March 1430 – 25 August 1482) was Queen of England by marriage to King Henry VI from 1445 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471. Through marriage, she was also nominally Queen of France from 1445 to 1453. Born in the ...
(b. 1430, d. 1482), in honour of her betrothal to King Henry VI (r. 1422-1461). It contains a unique collection of fifteen texts in French, including
chansons de geste The , from 'deeds, actions accomplished') is a medieval narrative, a type of epic poem that appears at the dawn of French literature. The earliest known poems of this genre date from the late 11th and early 12th centuries, shortly before the e ...
, chivalric romances, treatises on warfare and chivalry, and finally the Statutes of the
Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...
. The work is an excellent example of book production in Rouen in the mid-fifteenth century and provides a rare insight into the political views of the English military leader and close confidant of the crown, John Talbot.


Contents

Following the two-page
presentation miniature A presentation miniature or dedication miniature is a miniature painting often found in illuminated manuscripts, in which the patron or donor is presented with a book, normally to be interpreted as the book containing the miniature itself.Bro ...
and dedication, tales of heroes and heroines of the past, both real and imaginary, in the form of chansons de geste (verse epics), and chivalric romances fill two-thirds of the volume. The final third contains more didactic material: chronicles, instructional manuals and statutes. Each text, preceded by a large image, begins on a new
folio The term "folio" () has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging Paper size, sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for ...
in a separate gathering. All were bound together in a single volume, with a list of contents on the verso of the first folio. Two of the greatest heroes of the past,
Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
and
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
are the subject of the first six texts in the collection:


Alexander the Great

The '' Roman d'Alexandre en prose'' (ff. 5-24v) is a thirteenth-century French version of the '' Historia de preliis'' (a Latin translation of the original Greek legend of Alexander, falsely attributed to
Callisthenes Callisthenes of Olynthus ( /kəˈlɪsθəˌniːz/; Greek: Καλλισθένης; 360 – 327 BCE) was a Greek historian in Macedon with connections to both Aristotle and Alexander the Great. He accompanied Alexander the Great during his Asiati ...
). Alexander the Great is portrayed as the ultimate hero who conquers the known world, battles flying dragons, meets Amazonian women and horned men, and is lowered into the sea in a cask. Included here are tales of his childhood and legendary education by
Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...
, the murder of his mother,
Olympias Olympias (; c. 375–316 BC) was a Ancient Greeks, Greek princess of the Molossians, the eldest daughter of king Neoptolemus I of Epirus, the sister of Alexander I of Epirus, the fourth wife of Philip of Macedon, Philip II, the king of Macedonia ...
, and details of his successors. Eighty-one colourful miniatures illustrate Alexander's adventures.


Charlemagne

The following five tales are set in the time of
Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...
, the great military hero and Holy Roman emperor, whose reign provides the background to a huge epic cycle involving a plethora of subsidiary characters. The first four texts are in the form of chansons de geste and the fifth is a prose romance. ''Simon de Pouille'' relates the events in the war between Charlemagne and Christian Jerusalem on the one side and Jonas of Babylon, on the other. Simon, one of the emperor's companions, is sent as an envoy to the Saracen leader, a task fraught with difficulties. Two other manuscripts of this work are in the Bibliothèque nationale de France: Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, nouvelles acquisitions françaises, 4780 and Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, français, 368, ff. 140r-160v. ''Aspremont'' tells of Charlemagne's campaigns in Italy. Aspremont is one of the peaks in the southern Apennines through which the army advances on the way to Rome. ''Fierebras'' is the tale of Charlemagne's battles with the Saracens and of the encounter between his army and Fierebras of Alexander, in which the
Crown of Thorns According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns ( or ) was placed on the head of Jesus during the Passion of Jesus, events leading up to his crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion. It was one of the Arma Christi, instruments of the Passion, e ...
and other relics are recaptured for the Christians. ''Ogier le Danois'' links the tales of Charlemagne with Arthurian legends, as common characters and places are introduced. Ogier, the Danish hero and enemy of Charlemagne, marries an English princess and becomes King of England, bearing a son by Morgan le Fee while he is shipwrecked on
Avalon Avalon () is an island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 ''Historia Regum Britanniae'' as a place of magic where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recove ...
. ''Quatre fils Aimon'' or ''Le livre de Renault de Montauban'' tells the story of four brothers who flee from persecution by Charlemagne, going on a crusade on Bayard, the magic horse. Renault eventually becomes a stonemason at the cathedral in Cologne and after his death his body develops miraculous properties.


Other romances

Two prose romances of Anglo-Norman origin and a chanson follow: ''Pontus et Sidoine'', adapted from the French version of the Anglo-Norman romance, King Horn, tells the story of the son of the King of Galicia and the daughter of the King of Brittany and their love for one another. A tale of chivalry as well as a moral treatise, it glorifies peace as a worthy aim for all, even knights and soldiers. ''Le Romant de Guy de Warwik ( Guy of Warwick) et d’Heraud d’Ardenne'', was one of the most popular romances in medieval England, judging from the number of copies that survive in both French and Middle English, mostly in verse. There are, however, only two known copies in French prose, of which this is one. Guy is an English knight who falls in love with a lady of high standing and must prove himself worthy to win her hand. He is taught chivalry by his foster-father, Heraud, and embarks on a series of successful adventures, but later comes to regret his violent past and goes on a crusade, then retires to a hermitage. The last romance in the collection is a chanson called ''Lystoire du chevalier au Cygne'', an abridged version of part of the vast Crusade cycle. The tale of the seven children turned to swans and of Hélias, the Knight of the Swan, was linked to the legendary origins of Godefroi de Bouillon, one of the leaders of the
First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...
(1096), who became the first ruler of the Crusader
Kingdom of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem, also known as the Crusader Kingdom, was one of the Crusader states established in the Levant immediately after the First Crusade. It lasted for almost two hundred years, from the accession of Godfrey of Bouillon in 1 ...
.


Didactic texts

The remainder of the manuscript (from folio 293 onwards) contains texts which are more didactic in nature, perhaps intended for the instruction of Margaret of Anjou or of her future sons and heirs. There are three works on chivalry and warfare, an instructional manual for kings and princes, a chronicle and statutes. ''Larbre des batailles'' is a treatise on war and the laws of battle, written for a wide audience in the style of a scholastic dialogue; a question is posed, both sides are debated and a conclusion follows. ''Le gouvernement des roys et des princes'' is translated from Gilles de Rome's ''De regimine principium'', the 'Mirror of Princes', an influential text which interpreted (sometimes loosely) and promoted Aristotle's political and moral philosophy to a medieval audience. It combined practical advice with philosophical guidance for rulers. There is a further copy of this text in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Arsenal, 2690. ''Chroniques de Normandie'' is a history of the region from the 8th century to 1217. It begins in the time of the legendary Aubert and his son
Robert le Diable ''Robert le diable'' (''Robert the Devil'') is an opera in five acts composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer between 1827 and 1831, to a libretto written in French by Eugène Scribe and Germain Delavigne. ''Robert le diable'' is regarded as one of the first ...
, during the reign of Pepin, father of Charlemagne, the early part up to 1189 being a prose version of Wace's ''
Roman de Rou ''Roman de Rou'' (" Romance of Rollo") is a verse chronicle by Wace in Norman covering the history of the Dukes of Normandy from the time of Rollo of Normandy to the Battle of Tinchebray in 1106. It is a national epic of Normandy. Following ...
''. The sources of the continuation from 1189 onwards have not been established beyond doubt, though there are parallels with other chronicles of the period such as
Ralph of Coggeshall Ralph of Coggeshall (died after 1227), English chronicler, was at first a monk and afterwards sixth abbot (1207–1218) of Coggeshall Abbey, an Essex foundation of the Cistercian order. He is also known for his chronicles on the Third Crusade ...
and
Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris (;  1200 – 1259), was an English people, English Benedictine monk, English historians in the Middle Ages, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts, and cartographer who was based at St A ...
. Other copies of the text are in British Library, Additional MS 20811, British Library, Cotton. Vitellius F. xvi (partly burnt, extends to 1199 only), British Library, Royal MS 19 B. xiv
Bibliothèque Saint-Geneviève, MS 805
an
Bibliothèque nationale de France, MS Français 5388
''Breviaire des Nobles'' is a poem on the values of chivalry by Alain Chartier, beginning 'Je Noblesce, dame de bon vouloir...'. ''Le livre des fais darmes et de chevalerie'' is a work on military strategy and the conduct of war, compiled by its author,
Christine de Pizan Christine de Pizan or Pisan (, ; born Cristina da Pizzano; September 1364 – ), was an Italian-born French court writer for King Charles VI of France and several French royal dukes, in both prose and poetry. Christine de Pizan served as a cour ...
in 1410, from a variety of sources, both ancient and contemporary, for the instruction of young knights. Although as a woman she had no direct experience of fighting, she succeeds here in producing an authoritative work on the subject, worthy to be translated and printed by Caxton in 1489. It also survives in over 15 manuscripts. The ''Statutes of the
Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. The most senior order of knighthood in the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British honours system, it is outranked in ...
'' (here written in French) are the rules for the government and organisation of the chivalric order founded by
Edward III Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring royal authority after t ...
in the late 1340s. The original statutes do not survive and this version is slightly different from the four early texts which were printed by Ashmole in his comprehensive work on the subject in the 17th century. Included are rules pertaining to foreign travel by members of the Order, to uniforms and to the guardianship of the order in the king's absence.


Illuminations


Frontispiece

The Shrewsbury Book is perhaps best known for the two images that serve as a frontispiece to the volume. On back of the second page (f. 2v) is a scene of the manuscript being presented to Margaret of Anjou by John Talbot, who kneels before her, wearing a sumptuous garter robe trimmed with gold, accompanied by the white Talbot dog. The picture gives an idea of the size of the book and how it must have looked in its original binding (it is now in a modern leather binding). Margaret is shown enthroned with Henry, and crowned as the Queen of England. The dedication poem beneath begins 'Princesse tres excellente / ce livre cy vous presente / De schrosbery le conte'; the royal arms of England and Anjou are included in the borders of this and many of the full-page images which precede the texts as are daisies (marguerites) referring to her name. The colourful diagram on the facing page (f. 3r) lays out Henry VI's genealogical claim to the throne of France through his descent from
Louis IX Louis IX (25 April 1214 – 25 August 1270), also known as Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death in 1270. He is widely recognized as the most distinguished of the Direct Capetians. Following the death of his father, Louis ...
(Saint Louis, r. 1226-1270) through both the maternal and paternal lines. It is in the form of a fleur-de-lys, with portraits of kings in medallions, supported by
Humphrey, duke of Gloucester Humphrey of Lancaster, Duke of Gloucester (3 October 1390 – 23 February 1447) was an English prince, soldier and literary patron. He was (as he styled himself) "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of Henry IV ...
with his arms and the arms of Anjou, encircled by the Garter and Richard, duke of York with his arms and an initial 'M', encircled by the Garter. On the right are the English kings including
Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
(1307-1327), with his wife
Isabella of France Isabella of France ( – 22 August 1358), sometimes described as the She-Wolf of France (), was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the wife of Edward II of England, King Edward II, and ''de facto'' regent of England from 1327 ...
, daughter of Charles IV of France (1322-1328) down to
Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1216–1281 ...
(1413-1422), father of Henry VI. On the left are the French Valois kings with Charles de Valois, brother of Philip IV (Philip le Bel) at the top, down to Charles VI (1380-1422), and below him, his daughter,
Catherine of Valois Catherine of Valois or Catherine of France (27 October 1401 – 3 January 1437) was Queen of England from 1420 until 1422. A daughter of King Charles VI of France, she married King Henry V of England and was the mother of King Henry VI. Cath ...
, wife of Henry V and mother of Henry VI. Charles VII (1422-1461), son of Charles VI, is omitted from the line, (he was in fact crowned in Reims in 1429, aided by
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ;  – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
in the struggle for his throne). The two lines are united in the person of Henry VI in the lower center, with two angels holding crowns above his head. The arms of France and of George, also encircled by the Garter on either side of Louis and his son, Philip III the Bold (1270-1285), and on the right is a banner bearing the royal arms of England impaled with the arms of Anjou, wrapped with a scroll inscribed with a motto 'Dieu est mon droit', and supported by the royal device of an antelope with a crown and chain. These and most of the other images in the manuscript are attributed the workshop of the Talbot Master, an artist active in Rouen, named after this manuscript and the ''John Talbot Book of Hours'', (Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum, MS 40.1950).


Further Illuminations

Two other illuminators were responsible for some of the illustrations in the Alexander legend: the Master of the Lord Hoo's Book of Hours (bifolium ff. 21-24) and an artist working in the Bedford Master's style (bifolium ff. 4v, 22-23). Two later images, one of Herault d'Ardenne the other of Honoré de Bonnet, author of ''L'arbre des batailles'' (ff. 266v and 293) have been attributed to a third unknown artist.


Ownership

Although the image shows Margaret of Anjou receiving the manuscript on her wedding day, it is likely that Talbot presented her with the manuscript in France, prior to her journey to England to marry the king. The presentation poem beneath the image describes her as merely affianced, not married. Scholars have questioned whether the book was originally made for Margaret of Anjou herself. The common theme of the contents is the art of chivalry, a fitting subject for a military commander such as the Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, who commissioned the work, but perhaps not entirely suitable for a Queen. It is therefore possible that the volume was originally conceived for Talbot himself, or for a future prince, the future male heir of Henry VI and Margaret. They had a son,
Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...
, in 1453, but he was killed at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, and there is no record of the book's ownership from this time. During the reign of
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
it was probably in the Royal library as it has been identified as 'Le bon roy Alexandre', no. 91 in the list of books at
Richmond Palace Richmond Palace was a Tudor royal residence on the River Thames in England which stood in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it lay upstream and on the opposite bank from the Palace of Westminste ...
of 1535. It was certainly in the catalogue of the Royal library made in 1666 during the reign of Charles II (Royal Appendix 71, f. 12v) and was presented to the
British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
by George II in 1757 as part of the Old Royal Library. It remains part of the
Royal collection The Royal Collection of the British royal family is the largest private art collection in the world. Spread among 13 occupied and historic List of British royal residences, royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King ...
at the
British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. Based in London, it is one of the largest libraries in the world, with an estimated collection of between 170 and 200 million items from multiple countries. As a legal deposit li ...
.


Notes


Sources

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External links


full photographic reproduction of Royal 15 E. vi
is available on the British Library Digitised Manuscripts website. For further information on the individual texts, i.e. authors, bibliography and lists of surviving manuscripts se
ARLIMA: Archives de littérature du Moyen Âge
{{Authority control British Library Royal manuscripts 15th-century illuminated manuscripts Order of the Garter