places added & with drawen litel what as me semede nedefull: no thyng channgynge of the pcesse ne substance of the mater but as it myghte be most lusty to the reder or hoerer of the mater" [etc.] In his original copy the translator had indicated the beginning and end of his additions by marks. In our manuscript these are not given. The only printed edition of this English version of the fifteenth century was brought out "at westmestre by William Caxton and fynysshed the sixth day of Juyn the yere of our lord M.CCCC lxxxiii And the first yere of the regne of kynge Edward the fyfthe." On the verso of folio Cx of the Caxton impression we have confirmation of the colophon of the early manuscript, thus: "Here endeth the dreme of pylgremage of the soule translatid out of Frensshe in to Englisshe with somwhat of addicions the yere of our lord M.CCCC & thyrten and endeth in the Vigyle of seynt Bartholomew." Only six manuscripts of the fifteenth century are known of this English translation. They are: (1) The Petworth Ms., the only one in America; (2) Egerton Ms. 615, said to be imperfect, in the British Museum; (3) Caius College Ms. 124, at Cambridge, England; (4) Bodleian Ms. 770, at Oxford; (5) Corpus Christi College Ms. 237, at Oxford, and (6) University College Ms. 181, at Oxford, the last one assigned to the "beginning" of the fifteenth century. All these have been analyzed for the Hoccleve lyrics in Carleton Brown's Register of Middle English Religious and Didactic Verse, a work in two volumes published by the Bibliographical Society of England. DESCRIPTION OF THE PETWORTH MS.: It is written on vellum in a fine English black letter, vernacular English prose with passages in verse, on 136 leaves, including three blank leaves at the end to complete the last gathering. The gatherings are in eights (a-q), with catchwords at the end of each gathering. There are also signature marks, a few of which are now invisible from fingering. The manuscript is divided into five books, as follows: Book I in 36 chapters; book II in 28 chapters; book III in 11 chapters; book IV in 40 chapters, and book V in 27 chapters - a total of 142 chapters. The chapter headings are in red. The manuscript measures 1058 by 75% inches. It is in an original binding of white doe-skin over oaken boards. Originally it had two overhanging clasps, fitted to the edge of one cover by staples, around the foredge and then fastened by end clasps to pins in the middle of the other cover. The volume and its covers are held together by six back bands, and two colored thread headbands were added at a later time. The lettering by pen on the back of the binding is "Grace Dieu" and the figure "2," designating it in the Lord Leconfield collection, and these are a late addition. MINIATURES AND ILLUMINATION: There are some fine initials in colors on a gold ground; others are in blue with calligraphical or pen work in red. But the real art of the book is its 26 painted miniatures by an English artist, with threequarter bar-pattern borders in gold and colors, decoration and sprays of flowers, and four other pages with three-quarter borders done in bright but soft coloring, mostly with grounds of burnished gold. The miniatures vary in size but approximate five inches one way and about two to three inches the other way. The twenty-six subjects of the miniatures are: Book I Leaf 4 recto. The Author in bed dreaming his dream. See pl. 1. Leaf 6 recto. The Soul is led to judgment between Satan and his Guardian Angel. Leaf 9 recto. The presentation of the Soul for judgment. Leaf 19 recto. Satan writing the accusation of the Soul. Leaf 30 recto. Justice with Truth and Reason on either side weighing the Soul in a balance against the accusation of Satan. Leaf 33 recto. The weighing of the Soul, continued. Leaf 35 recto. The Soul is brought to Purgatory by his Guardian Angel. See pl. 2. Leaf 37 verso. A Holy Soul brought to Heaven is greeted by singing angels. Leaf 39 verso. The Soul is shown by his Guardian Angel how wretched souls are deformed through sin. Leaf 41 recto. The Soul is shown by his Guardian Angel damned souls being led to Hell. Leaf 45 recto. Souls burning in Purgatory comforted by prayer. Leaf 46 verso. Souls burning in Purgatory comforted by Guardian Angels. Leaf 48 verso. The Soul shown by his Guardian Angel the fires of Purgatory. Leaf 52 recto. A Soul is shown by his Guardian Angel a soul imprisoned in ice "for delicat norisshyng of his body." The ice is done in silver. Leaf 53 verso. He is shown a soul punished, "by cause that his dettis were not payed," by being chained to a money-chest. Book III Leaves 57 verso (see pl. 3, no. 1), 60 verso, 62 recto, and 65 verso. These are four representations of the Guardian Angel showing the Soul the punishments of Hell BOOK IV Leaf 69 verso. The Soul leaves Hell with his Guardian Angel and comes above ground, where he sees two trees, the green and the dry. Leaf 78 recto. He sees Christ nailed to the dry tree with a saint adoring. See pl. 3, no. 2. Leaf 83 recto. Leaf 84 verso. Leaf 92 recto. The vision of the asses' tomb. See pl. 4, no. 1. The vision of Lady Doctrine. The vision of the armed and the naked images. Book V Leaf 106 verso. The Soul taken out of Purgatory by his Guardian Angel. See pl. 4, no. 2. : T GILBERT STUART HIS is a year of centenary celebrations in the field of art. Dürer, Goya, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Bewick: there is stimulus to the mind in the very wide variety which the names suggest. Stuart, born in 1755, died July 27, 1828. His activity as a portrait painter, and the fame which it brought to his name, are closely associated with that period of American life which is marked by the birth and childhood of a new nation. Stuart painted the history of that time in its individual expression of personality. He painted many notable figures of that day, but his name will always be connected especially with that of Washington. And yet, as Royal Cortissoz says, his "chief title to fame is his mastership." This latter element will naturally find its strong emphasis in an exhibition of paintings by Stuart. The historical interest - documentary, if you please — may naturally be more insistent in a collection of black-and-white engravings after this artist's portraits. Such a collection has now been placed on view in Gallery 316 in the Library, the prints being mainly those collected by the late Samuel P. Avery, with some additions from other portfolios in the Library's print room. There are large prints and small, important and less so, but all contribute to the interest in personality which predominates in this exhibition. The larger prints include work by British mezzotinters: Ward, Smith, Hodges, Keating Jones, Say, Turner. The smaller ones are mainly the work of American engravers of the first half of the nineteenth century, a time of the influence of bank-note engraving. And there are quite recent names, such as that of S. Arlent Edwards. All of which accentuates the added interest of the engravings per se, an interest of technique, of changing styles, of individual approach by the engraver. The exhibition will remain on view until March, 1929. |