Bibliothèque de la Faculté de Médecine, Université Montpellier, H245, fol. 119r, 1375-140 | MARGOT

Detailed manuscript information (based on Ernest Langlois, Les manuscrits du Roman de la rose. Description et classement, Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 134-35):

Parchment, measure: 305x216mm, 157 fols. at two columns 42 lines. Beginning of second folio: Et qui de vous se part et emble. The Roman de la rose is on fols 1r to 131r, followed by the Codicille on fols 131r-v and the Testament on fols 131r-157r.

Scene depicted

Genius's Sermon and Definitive Sentence

Miniature description

Size:

305x216mm

Column miniature

Height: 6 lines

Materials and colours:

Parchment

Gold leaf, red, blue, purple, white, brown

Initials:

Partial gold leaf foliate initial "D" with red, blue, and gold leaf extenders partially framing the miniature.

Rubric:

Directly above miniature: "Ci commence genius son sermon"

Frame:

Elaborate frame, with a thin exterior double-lined frame and a thicker interior red frame with white wavy patterns. There are gold leaf corner pieces with semicircular forms attached to them; each corner piece is inscribed with a diamond-shaped cross.

Background:

Blue and gold leaf diaper pattern (checkerboard pattern with stars inscribed in the centre)

Placement of miniature:

Directly before Genius gives his definitive sentence

Place of Production of the Miniature:

France

Date of Production of the Miniature:

1375-1400

Similarities to other images from the corpus:

Gestures and Composition:

BNCFCLAD, 153, 232v

BWAM, W. 143, fol 128r

BSG, Ms. 1126, fol 140r

BG, FR178, fol. 143v

PML, MS. 324, fol. 129r

LBL, MS YT21, fol. 127r

PML, MS. 132, fol. 138v

BNF, MS fr. 12595, fol. 140r

Secondary sources:

Langlois, Ernest. Les manuscrits du Roman de la Rose. Description et classement. Geneva: Slatkine Reprints, 1974, p. 134-35.

Detailed description

Allegories:

Genius (Bishop) is on the left.

Barons and ladies from the God of Love's court are on the right.

Clothing:

1. Bishop

White alb
Purple and red cape, clasped with a diamond-shaped morse
Mitre decorated with filigree

2. Baron #1 (bottom left)

Purple robe
Red chaperon

3. Baron #2 (top left)

Purple robe
Brown chaperon

4. Lady #3 (bottom middle)

Red cotehardie
Elaborate hairdo with crespines flanking the face

5. Lady #4 (top right)

Red chaperon with visible crespines on the sides flanking the face

6. Lady #5 (bottom right)

Purple cotehardie with white tippets at the elbow
Red kirtle
Blue wimple falling to the shoulders

Gestures:

Genius has his left hand extended outwards, towards the court; his right hand is pointing upwards, indicating a gesture of speech. Most of the barons and ladies are sitting with their arms crossed, indicating their role as listeners/students while they look at Genius. The lady on the bottom right is sitting, facing away from the group, her right arm over her knee and her left hand touching her face, possibly in a gesture of boredom.

Objects:

Genius is standing on a brown pulpit. The front of the pulpit is covered by a large red sheet.

Ex-libris

Fols 1r and repeated on 157r: The signature of P. Florimond dated from 1567.
On the first flyleaf: Ms. de la bibliothèque de Mr. le P. Bouhier .C. 33. MDCCXXI.
At the end, the following lines have been added:
1. Explicit le Romans de la Rose,
  Ou l'Art d'Amours est toute enclose.
  Nature rit, si com moy semble,
  Quant hic et hec joingnent ensemble.

At the end of the manuscript, a booklet has been appended containing Remarques sur le Roman de la Rose by M. Lucotte, S^r du Tillot. Two of these remarks are perhaps noteworthy:

A Rome, dans la bibliothèque du cardinal Bagny, il y a un Roman de la Rose écrit de la main d'un nommé Nicolas Flamel, qui étoit un écrivain qui travailloit et négocioit à Paris et ailleurs pour les juifs en l'année 1393.
Il y a encore un ms. du Roman de la Rose dans la bibliothèque d'Oxford, qui est très bien écrit sur du velin avec de fort jolies figures en miniature, qui est une marque de son antiquité.