The Digital Walters is a branch of The Walters Art Museum Manuscripts Department.
This fifteenth-century French manuscript, made in Paris, contains the text of the allegorical poem, La Voie de Povreté ou de Richesse (The Way of Poverty or of Wealth), originally written circa 1342 by the French poet Jacques Bruyant. The allegorical dream vision follows the progress of a newlywed man through his dream, accompanied by the figure of Raison, from whom he learns the virtues of undertaking hard work, while laboring as a craftsman in the Chastel de Labor. The final sixteen lines of the poem are missing from this manuscript. This copy is lavishly illuminated, featuring forty-five miniatures attributed to the Fastolf Master during his tenure in the workshop of the Bedford Master. Each of the miniatures introduces one of the poem's forty-six chapters, along with rubricated captions; the images are framed with full foliate borders, while partial foliate borders frame certain text blocks. Within the borders are marginal drawings, such as depictions of birds, the poem's "castle of labor," and the frequently-replicated Beaville family coat of arms, in addition to crests and banderoles with their motto "Nulle que vous."
Support: Parchment; Extent: iii+73+vi; 210 x 145 mm ; Foliation: Modern foliation in pencil in upper right hand corners; Collation: 1-8 (8), 9 (10, -10); Catchwords: Bottom center verso, horizontal
Written area: 113 x 72 mm;1 column of 26 lines, ruled in red ink; 46 half-page miniatures with full foliate borders of the rinceaux type, 1 historiated roundel in margin (fol. 1r) and marginal scenes in border of fol. 61v; decorated 2-line initials throughout; heraldic devices and the motto "Nulle que vous" appearing in some margins
Bâtarde (Hybrida)
Forty-five large miniatures with rubricated captions; full foliate borders with marginal decoration, including the coat of arms of the Beauville family, and illuminated initials throughout
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
Last sixteen lines of text lacking
Dated to c. 1430 by E. König (p. 193); formerly dated to c. 1430-1440 (cf. Leaves of Gold, p. 202)
Descriptions of the images are partially based on Le Livre du Chastel de Labour, par Jean Bruyant: A Description of an Illuminated Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century, Belonging to George C. Thomas, Philadelphia, with a Short Account and Synopsis of the Poem (Philadelphia: 1909)
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
Paris, France
Circa 1430
Late 19th or early 20th century, French, red velvet cover boards with silver corner pieces, gilt edges
Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)
Made for the Beuville family, seigneurs de la Seraulté, Normandy (15th century); "Jean Berger", (16th century?); Alisié (bookseller), Paris, 1891; Joseph Baer, Frankfurt, May 1900; George Clifford Thomas, Philadelphia; Ada E. Moorhead Thomas, Philadelphia; P. A. B. Widener, Philadelphia (through A. S. W. Rosenbach, October 19, 1910; Joseph E. Widener, 1915; given to FLP in 1944 by gift of his children, Josephine Widener Wichfeld and Peter A. B. Widener, in memory of their father; Coats of arms of Beuville family, seigneurs de la Seraulté, Normandy (de geueles semé de mouchetures d'hermine d'argent à fleur de lys brochant du même), and their motto "nulle que vous" in some borders; fol. 1r: Name "Jean Berger" inscribed in lower margin; Ex libris of Joseph Widener; "Inv. no. 1074" inscribed on detached leaf inserted at end of book
Paris, France
Circa 1430
Middle French (ca. 1400-1600)
Made for the Beuville family, seigneurs de la Seraulté, Normandy
This fifteenth-century French manuscript, made in Paris, contains the text of the allegorical poem, La Voie de Povreté ou de Richesse (The Way of Poverty or of Wealth), originally written circa 1342 by the French poet Jacques Bruyant. The allegorical dream vision follows the progress of a newlywed man through his dream, accompanied by the figure of Raison, from whom he learns the virtues of undertaking hard work, while laboring as a craftsman in the Chastel de Labor. The final sixteen lines of the poem are missing from this manuscript. This copy is lavishly illuminated, featuring forty-five miniatures attributed to the Fastolf Master during his tenure in the workshop of the Bedford Master. Each of the miniatures introduces one of the poem's forty-six chapters, along with rubricated captions; the images are framed with full foliate borders, while partial foliate borders frame certain text blocks. Within the borders are marginal drawings, such as depictions of birds, the poem's "castle of labor," and the frequently-replicated Beaville family coat of arms, in addition to crests and banderoles with their motto "Nulle que vous."
Last sixteen lines of text lacking
Dated to c. 1430 by E. König (p. 193); formerly dated to c. 1430-1440 (cf. Leaves of Gold, p. 202)
Descriptions of the images are partially based on Le Livre du Chastel de Labour, par Jean Bruyant: A Description of an Illuminated Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century, Belonging to George C. Thomas, Philadelphia, with a Short Account and Synopsis of the Poem (Philadelphia: 1909)
Bâtarde (Hybrida)
Forty-five large miniatures with rubricated captions; full foliate borders with marginal decoration, including the coat of arms of the Beauville family, and illuminated initials throughout
For a full list of Decorations in this manuscript please see the Content and Decorations section by clicking on the [i] button in the top left corner of the image viewer above.
These are pages that we pulled aside that disrupted the flow of the manuscript reader. These may be bindings, inserts, bookmarks, and various other oddities.
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