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illustrious Julie； daughter of the Marquise de Rambouillet； most
distinguished of the Precieuses； and wife of the Duc de Montausier； the
supposed original of Moliere's Alceste。 The MS。 was copied on vellum by
Nicholas Jarry； the great calligraph of his time。 The flowers on the
margin were painted by Robert。 Not long ago a French amateur was so
lucky as to discover the MS。 book of prayers of Julie's noble mother； the
Marquise de Rambouillet。 The Marquise wrote these prayers for her own
devotions； and Jarry； the illuminator； declared that he found them most
edifying； and delightful to study。 The manuscript is written on vellum by
the famous Jarry； contains a portrait of the fair Julie herself； and is bound
in morocco by Le Gascon。 The happy collector who possesses the
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volume now； heard vaguely that a manuscript of some interest was being
exposed for sale at a trifling price in the shop of a country bookseller。
The description of the book； casual as it was； made mention of the
monogram on the cover。 This was enough for the amateur。 He rushed
to a railway station； travelled some three hundred miles； reached the
country town； hastened to the bookseller's shop； and found that the book
had been withdrawn by its owner。 Happily the possessor； unconscious of
his bliss； was at home。 The amateur sought him out； paid the small sum
demanded； and returned to Paris in triumph。 Thus； even in the region of
manuscript…collecting； there are extraordinary prizes for the intelligent
collector。
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TO KNOW IF A MANUSCRIPT IS
PERFECT
If the manuscript is of English or French writing of the twelfth；
thirteenth； fourteenth； or fifteenth centuries； it is probably either（1） a
Bible； （2） a Psalter； （3） a book of Hours； or （4）； but rarely； a Missal。 It is
not worth while to give the collation of a gradual； or a hymnal； or a
processional； or a breviary； or any of the fifty different kinds of service…
books which are occasionally met with； but which are never twice the
same。
To collate one of them； the reader must go carefully through the book；
seeing that the catch…words； if there are any； answer to the head lines； and
if there are 〃signatures；〃 that is； if the foot of the leaves of a sheet of
parchment has any mark for enabling the binder to 〃gather〃 them correctly；
going through them； and seeing that each signed leaf has its corresponding
〃blank。〃
1。 To collate a Bible； it will be necessary first to go through the
catch…words； if any； and signatures； as above； then to notice the contents。
The first page should contain the Epistle of St。 Jerome to the reader。 It
will be observed that there is nothing of the nature of a title…page； but I
have often seen title…pages supplied by some ignorant imitator in the last
century； with the idea that the book was imperfect without one。 The
books of the Bible follow in orderbut the order not only differs from ours；
but differs in different copies。 The Apocryphal books are always
included。 The New Testament usually follows on the Old without any
break； and the book concludes with an index of the Hebrew names and
their signification in Latin； intended to help preachers to the figurative
meaning of the biblical types and parables。 The last line of the Bible
itself usually contains a colophon； in which sometimes the name of the
writer is given； sometimes the length of time it has taken him to write； and
sometimes merely the 〃Explicit。 Laus Deo；〃 which has found its way into
many modern books。 This colophon； which comes as a rule immediately
before the index； often contains curious notes； hexameters giving the
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names of all the books； biographical or local memoranda； and should
always be looked for by the collector。 One such line occurs to me。 It is
in a Bible written in Italy in the thirteenth century …
〃Qui scripsit scribat。 Vergilius spe domini vivat。〃
Vergilius was； no doubt； in this case the scribe。 The Latin and the
writing are often equally crabbed。 In the Bodleian there is a Bible with
this colophon …
〃Finito libro referemus gratias Christo m。lxv。 indict。 viij。 Ego
Lafracus de Pacis de Cmoa scriptor scripsi。〃
This was also written in Italy。 English colophons are often very
quaint〃Qui scripsit hunc librum fiat collocatus in Paradisum；〃 is an
example。 The following gives us the name of one Master Gerard； who；
in the fourteenth century； thus poetically described his ownership：…
〃Si Ge ponaturet rar simul associatur … Et dus reddaturcui pertinet
ita vocatur。〃
In a Bible written in England； in the British Museum； there is a long
colophon； in which； after the name of the writer〃hunc librum scripsit
Wills de Hales；〃there is a prayer for Ralph of Nebham； who had called
Hales to the writing of the book； followed by a date… …〃Fes。 fuit liber anno
M。i。 quarto ab incarnatione domini。〃 In this Bible the books of the
New Testament were in the following order：… the Evangelists； the Acts； the
Epistles of S。 Peter； S。 James； and S。 John； the Epistles of S。 Paul； and the
Apocalypse。 In a Bible at Brussels I found the colophon after the index：…
〃Hic expliciunt interpretationes Hebrayorum nominum Do gris qui potens
est p。 sup。 omia。〃 Some of these Bibles are of marvellously small
dimensions。 The smallest I ever saw was at Ghent； but it was very
imperfect。 I have one in which there are thirteen lines of writing in an
inch of the column。 The order of the books of the New Testament in
Bibles of the thirteenth century is usually according to one or other of the
three following arrangements：…
（1。） The Evangelists； Romans to Hebrews； Acts； Epistles of S。 Peter；
S。 James； and S。 John； Apocalypse。
（2。） The Evangelists； Acts； Epistles of S。 Peter； S。 James； and S。 John；
Epistles of S。 Paul； Apocalypse。 This is the most common。
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（3。） The Evangelists； Acts； Epistles of S。 Peter； S。 James； and S。 John；
Apocalypse； and Epistles of S。 Paul。
On the fly leaves of these old Bibles there are often very curious
inscriptions。 In one I have this：… 〃Haec biblia emi Haquinas prior
monasterii Hatharbiensis de dono domini regis Norwegie。〃 Who was this
King of Norway who； in 1310； gave the Prior of Hatherby money to buy a
Bible； which was probably written at Canterbury？ And who was
Haquinas？ His name has a Norwegian sound； and reminds us of St。
Thomas of that surname。 In another manuscript I have seen
〃Articula Fidei：… Nascitur； abluitur； patitur； descendit at ima Surgit et
ascendit； veniens discernere cuncta。〃
In another this：…
〃Sacramenta ecclesiae：… Abluo； fumo； cibo； piget； ordinat； uxor et
ungit。〃
I will conclude these notes on MS。 Bibles with the following
colophon from a copy written in Italy in the fifteenth century：…
〃Finito libro vivamus semper in Christo … Si semper in Christo
carebimus ultimo leto。 Explicit Deo gratias； Amen。 Stephanus de
Tantaldis scripsit in pergamo。〃
2。 The 〃Psalter〃 of the thirteenth century is usually to be considered
a forerunner of the 〃Book of Hours。〃 It always contains； and usually
commences w