Details

Subject(s)

• Ballads, French—16th century [Browse]
• Burgundian language—Manuscripts [Browse]
• Folk songs, French—16th century [Browse]
• French poetry—16th century [Browse]

Getty AAT genre

• Manuscripts, French—16th century [Browse]

Compiled/​Created

ca. 1530-1550.

Summary note

• French miscellany of verse and some prose, now unbound, dating from the second quarter of the 16th century and consisting of a large number of ballads and songs, mottoes and sayings, historical and political pieces. Probably once part of a larger miscellany and with French-Flanders linguistic features, the texts reveal an ideological slant that is resolutely pro-Burgundian. The miscellany fits in the Northern "Grands rhétoriqueurs" literary movement, including such authors as Jean Molinet, Nicaise Ladam, and others.The present quires are copied by at least three different hands, if not more. Nonetheless, they seem to have once been part of a same miscellany or anthology of verse and a little prose, now dismembered.
• The 60 folios (22 x 16 cm at widest) contain two complete quires and three partial quires, with a total of approximately 60 separate texts, including ballads (many of which are unidentified and may be unpublished), songs, mottoes and adages, extracts from Scripture and other works, and historical or political texts relating to the time of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles I. The manuscript was probably once part of a larger miscellany, no longer extant, containing quires in slightly different trim sizes. The manuscript is written in French Secretary hand by three or more scribes in the second quarter of the 16th century (ca. 1530s), with some pieces relating to area along what is now the French-Belgian border. Watermark evidence also points to the second quarter of the 16th century. Texts include: fols. 8v-11r, "La complainte de la ville d'Arras," published from another French manuscript of poetry said to be by Jean de Haffrenges; fols. 17r-19r, Nicaise Ladam (1465-1547) of Arras, "Epistre de la cite de Rhodes envoiee a la saincte foy catholique"; fols. 19v-22v, "Dictiers nouveaulx de la paix et alliance d'entre l'esgle et la fleur de lys par le moien des treshaulte et treillustre princesse Madame Alienor," which relates to the marriage alliance of Eleanor of Austria (1498-1558) to King Francis I of France in 1530; fols. 23r-25v, "Les regretz du pape Clement septiesme de ce nom"; fol. 26r, Jean Molinet (1435-1507), "Laus francorum en recullon"; fol. 31r, Jean Molinet, "Recepte pour guerir de l'epidemie," which is found in another manuscript under the title "Fatras"; fol. 47r-v, Ballade "Dieu feist de riens par son sainct verbe unicque . . . Ce fut faict Valentin a l'hostel de monsieur e vicaire de Tournay et estoit lors prince son chappelain nomme Simon Barra annno 1532"; fol. 52r, "Epitaphe de Messire Pierre Lyset grand champion," concerning Pierre Liset (1482-1554); fols. 52v-53v, "Sensuivent plusieurs dathes . . . Date de siege d'Arras . . . Date du renouvellement de la thoison d'or en Tournay 153 . . . ."

Source acquisition

Purchased for the Mansucripts Division by the Friends of the Princeton University Library, 2013. AM 2013-85.

Other format(s)

Also available in an electronic version.

OCLC

839403742

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