Penn in Hand: Selected Manuscripts

La generacion de Adam [manuscript].

[France, between 1440 and 1460?]

45 leaves : parchment, col. ill. ; 352 x 185 (240 x 95) mm. bound to 365 x 188 mm.

Middle French.

Collection of genealogical and chronicle material, including Biblical genealogy from Adam to Jesus and the apostles; genealogy concerning the Trojan War and the founding of Rome; the legendary history of England and France as founded by descendants of participants in the Trojan War, including the genealogy of Brut and the succeeding line of kings in England up to Coyl; the emperors of Rome; the Holy Emperors starting with Charlemagne; and the kings of France up to Charles V (crowned 1364). The introduction (f. 1r) suggests that the manuscript was meant to trace the kings of England through Richard II (1377-1399) and the popes through one named Innocent and therefore that the manuscript is incomplete.

Formerly owned by Jehan Austin or Johan Auslin (15th-century inscription erased but legible under ultraviolet light, f. i recto) and Sébastien de Rosmadec, marquis de Molac (inscriptions, f. i verso and f. 1r, including one dated 1632).

Sold at auction at Sotheby's, 23 June 1998, lot 53, to Lawrence J. Schoenberg.

Gift of Lawrence J. Schoenberg and Barbara Brizdle, 2010.

Austin, Jehan, former owner.

Auslin, Johan, former owner.

Molac, Sébastien de Rosmadec, marquis de, d. 1693, former owner.

Schoenberg, Lawrence J., former owner.

Bible - History of Biblical events - Early works to 1800.

World history - Early works to 1800.

France - Kings and rulers - Genealogy - Early works to 1800.

Great Britain - Kings and rulers - Genealogy - Early works to 1800.

Codices.

Chronicles.

Genealogies.

Manuscripts, French - 15th century.

Manuscripts, Medieval.

Ms. codex.

Title from rubric (f. 1r).

Collation: Parchment, 45; i 1-5⁸ 6⁴; [i], 1-34, [35-44] (f. 34v-44v blank but ruled); 17th-century foliation in ink, upper right recto. Signatures c i and c iii visible (f. 17r, 19r); prickings visible on blank leaves at end.

Layout: Written in 52 long lines; ruled in red ink.

Script: Written in bâtarde script.

Decoration: Genealogical diagrams in red ink throughout with framed medallions left blank for pictures of important individuals and cities, 1 diagram lacking text (f. 34r); full-page border of gold-leaved tendrils with acanthus at corners and center outer margin and with an inner frame of blue and red bars with gold infill (f. 1r); 2 5-line illuminated initials in blue and red on gold grounds (f. 1r); 2-line initials in gold throughout, alternating between blue infill on red ground and red infill on blue ground; paragraph marks alternating between red and blue; some rubrics underlined in red.

Binding: Contemporary blind-stamped calf over slightly bevelled boards, tooled in 4 concentric rectangular frames made up of small square stamps: from outer edge to center, a double-headed eagle, Agnus Dei, stag, griffin, and bear or ape seated among foilage; spine repaired at head and tail; 2 clasps and all metal cornerpieces but one lacking.

Origin: Written in northwestern France, probably in the mid-15th century (Lisa Fagin Davis).

Described in Transformation of knowledge: early manuscripts from the collection of Lawrence J. Schoenberg (London: Paul Holberton, 2006), p. 143 (LJS 266).

UPenn Oversize LJS 266

Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts University of Pennsylvania Oversize LJS 266