¶ Bible (14th century) [MS]

Bible.

Illuminated manuscript. France, 14th century. 593 leaves.

Provenance: Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 35 (sold to Pickering for £30). — Laurence Hodson. — Hodson sale, Sotheby, 3 December 1906, lot 49 (sold to Cockerell for £49). — Sydney Cockerell. — John Charrington. — Cambridge University Library [gift from Charrington, 1918].

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 2, no. 25 (£14 10s.). — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_3973 and SDBM_39978).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Gratian — Decretales (14th century) [MS]

Gratian. Decretales.

Illuminated manuscript. Northern France, 14th century. 354 leaves.

Morris signature (Folkestone, 26 June 1896). Morris recorded its acquisition in two diary entries (British Library Add. Ms. 45411): “Came from Qu[aritch]: 2 MS.S Gratian & Philips Psalter” (22 June 1896), and “think I shall buy the Gratian a fine book” (23 June 1896). The Times described it as “almost the last book purchased by Mr. Morris” (“The Late Mr. William Morris’s Library,” 7 November 1896, p. 13).

Provenance: Marqés de Astorga. — de Astorga sale, Paris, 7 May 1870, lot 14. — Ambroise Firmin-Didot. — Firmin-Didot sale, Hotel Drouot /Pawlowski, 26 May 1879, lot 38. — Prince Liechtenstein. — Morris (purchased 1896). — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 558 (sold to Quaritch for £255). — Laurence W. Hodson. — Hodson sale, Sotheby, 4 December 1906, lot 275 (sold to Quaritch for £440). — Quaritch catalogue 269, October 1908, no. 415 (£650). — Henry Walters. — Walters Art Museum (W.133).

References: de Ricci, 1:825, no. 407. — Schoenberg 40008 (SDBM_MS_3974).

Digital images: Walters Art Museum.

Walters Art Museum

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Guilelmus Peraldus — Summa de vitiis et virtutibus (14th century) [MS]

Guilelmus Peraldus. Summa de vitiis et virtutibus.

Illuminated manuscript. 14th century. 222 leaves.

Provenance: Busleyden College, Leuven. — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 932 (sold to Henry Wellcome for £11). — Henry Wellcome. — Wellcome Library [deaccessioned]. — Sotheby, 22 June 1982, lot 42 — Unlocated.

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 5, no. 68 (£10). — MS catalogue (2), no. 922, p. 93. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_825).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Antiphonarium (14th century) [MS]

Antiphonarium.

Manuscript. Italy, 14th century. 129 leaves.

No Morris book label.

Provenance: Morris. — Robert Steele (gift from Morris). — Steele sale, London, 15 June 1903, lot 544 (bought in). — Hodson catalogue, 4 November 1903, no. 572. — Dan Rider. — F. G. James. — Unlocated.

Reference: de Ricci, 2:123, no. 1. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_9929).

¶ Bible (14th century) [MS]

Bible.

Illuminated manuscript. France, 14th century. 632 leaves.

Provenance: Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 37 (sold to Pickering for £40). — Laurence W. Hodson. — Hodson sale, Sotheby, 3 December 1906, lot 51 (sold to Leighton for £120). — Unlocated.

Reference: Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_3977).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Jean, de Meun — Le testament (c. 1400) [MS]

Jean, de Meun. Le testament maistre Jehan de Mehun.

Illuminated manuscript. France, c. 1400. 80 leaves.

Provenance: Joan of Navarre. — Thomas, Lord Fairfax. — Fairfax sale, Christie, 10 January 1831, lot 109. — Richard Heber. — Heber sale, Evans, 10 February 1836, lot 1114. — Thomas Thorpe catalogue, 1836, no. 842. — Thomas Thorpe catalogue, 1837, no. 895. — Thomas Thorpe catalogue, 1838, no. 232. — Thomas Thorpe catalogue, 1839, no. 410. — Thomas Thorpe catalogue, 1840, no. 757. — Robert S. Turner. — Turner sale, Adolphe Labitte, 12 March 1878, lot 254 (sold for 580 francs). — Labitte/Techener, 20 May 1889, lot 76.— James Whitchurch. — Whitchurch sale, Sotheby, 14 December 1894, lot 787. — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 792 (sold to Cockerell for £29). — Sydney Cockerell. — Henry Yates Thompson. — Sydney Cockerell. — Cockerell sale, Sotheby, 3 April 1957, lot 9. — Quaritch catalogue 767, 1957, no. 15. — Quaritch catalogue 820, 1961, no. 11. — Philip Hofer. — Houghton Library, Harvard University (Houghton MS Typ 749).

References: de Ricci, Seymour. Manuscrits de la collection Henry Yates Thompson. Paris, 1926. — Houghton’s online bibliography. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_2060). —

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Bible (14th century) [MS]

Bible.

Illuminated manuscript. Perhaps France, 14th century. 368 leaves.

Provenance: Edward Hailstone. — Hailstone sale, Sotheby, 23 April 1891, lot 342 (sold for £28 to Leighton). — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 171 (sold to Pickering for £77). — Charles Butler. — Butler sale, Sotheby, 18 March 1912, lot 2167. — Unlocated.

Reference: Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_3525).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ D’Andrea — Commentaries on Canon Law (14th century) [MS]

D’Andrea, Giovanni. Commentaries on Canon Law.

Illuminated manuscript. France, 14th century. 251 leaves.

Sydney Cockerell recorded in his diary, 11 October 1895: “He [Morris] bought a folio 14th c French MS. Novella Joannis Andreas for £25.” (The first commentary is by Andreas Johannes.)

Provenance: Jacques Spifame. — Jacques-Auguste de Chevannes. — Thomas d’Islan. — Chandon de Brialles. — M. Ditau. — Demiglieu. — Morris (purchased for £25, October 1895). — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 387 (sold to Quaritch for £38). — Robert W. Blathwayt. — Blathwayt sale, Sotheby, 20 November 1912, lot 130. — British Library (Add. MS. 38644).

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 7, no. 110 (£40). — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_3505).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Petrus Comestor — Historia scholastica (14th century) [MS]

Petrus Comestor. Historia scholastica.

Illuminated manuscript. France, 14th century. 278 leaves.

Provenance: Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 371 (sold to Heppenstal for £16). — Sotheby, 29 June 1905, lot 583. — Emery Walker. — Sydney Cockerell. — Unlocated.

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 3, no. 39 (£18 10s.). — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_5934).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Sherbrooke missal (c. 1320) [MS]

Sherbrooke missal.

Illuminated manuscript. England, c. 1320. 330 leaves.

When Sydney Cockerell was cataloguing Morris’s library, he recorded in his diary, 3 March 1894: “Struggled nearly all day with the beautiful Sherbrooke Missal.” It was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries in June 1896.

Provenance: Thomas Sherbrooke. — Henry Sherbrooke. — Quaritch catalogue, 1 December 1891, no. 779. — Quaritch catalogue, December 1893, no. 26 (£200). — Morris (purchased from Quaritch). — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 903 (sold to Yates Thomson for £350). — Henry Yates Thompson. — Sotheby, 23 March 1920, lot 39 (sold to Hugh Baker for £860). — Hugh Baker. — Margaret S. Davies. — National Library of Wales (NLW MS 15536E) [donated by Margaret S. Davies, 1951].

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 4, no. 61 (£200). — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_3075).

Digital version: National Library of Wales.

National Library of Wales

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Missal (fragment) (14th century) [MS]

Missal (fragment).

Illuminated manuscript. 14th century. 4 leaves only.

Provenance: Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 784 (sold to Quaritch for £6). — Bernard Quaritch. — Unlocated.

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Roman des sept sages de Rome (13th–14th centuries) [MS]

Roman des sept sages de Rome [and] Le roman de Marques, sénéchal de Rome [and] Le roman de Lorin.

Illuminated manuscript. France, 13th–14th centuries. 212 leaves.

With a lengthy description of the manuscript by Paulin Paris, which is transcribed in James (see below).

Provenance: Baron Archibald Selliere. — Selliere sale, Sotheby, 28 February 1887, lot 933. — Quaritch catalogue, April 1890, lot 186. — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 988 (sold to Leighton for £69). — Frank McClean. — Fitzwilliam Museum (179) [McClean bequest, 1904].

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 5, no. 82 (£52 10s.). — James, pp. 340–46. — MS catalogue (2), no. 925. — MS catalogue (3), pp. 1–2. —  Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_11488).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Psalter (14th century) [MS]

Psalter.

Illuminated manuscript. England, 14th century. 141 leaves.

Provenance: Howell Wills. — Wills sale, Sotheby, 11 July 1894, lot 1536. — Quaritch catalogue, August 1894, no. 413 (£60). — Quaritch catalogue, 15 November 1895, no. 154 (£105). — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 972 (sold to Leighton for £85). — Charles Butler. — Butler sale, Sotheby, 18 March 1912, lot 2630 (£700). — Sotheby 18 July 1921, lot 499. — Sawyer catalogue 100, 1930, no. 111. — Sotheby, 18 December 1933, lot 363. — Unlocated.

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 5, no. 79 (£90). — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_3527).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Bible (14th century) [MS]

Bible.

Illuminated manuscript. England, 14th century. 436 leaves.

Provenance: Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 36 (sold to Heppenstal for £16 10s.). — Unlocated.

Reference: Schoenberg (SDBM_39979).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Breviarium (14th century) [MS]

Breviarium ad usum ecclesiae Cathalunenensis.

Illuminated manuscript. France, 14th century. 476 leaves.

Provenance: Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 52 (sold to Ridges for £36). — Unlocated.

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 2, no. 31 (£45). — Schoenberg (SDBM_39982).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Pabenham–Clifford hours (14th century) [MS]

The Pabenham–Clifford hours.

Illuminated manuscript. England, c. 1315–1320. 93 leaves.

Celebrates the marriage of John de Pabenham and his second wife, Joan Clifford, in 1314–1315. While the manuscript was in the hands of Sir Andrew Fountaine (see below), two leaves were removed by Sir John Fenn. At Fenn’s sale (Puttick, London, 16–18 July 1866, lot 865), Samuel Sandars bought them and gave them to the Fitzwilliam Museum in 1892. Morris bought the manuscript (less the two leaves) at the Fountaine sale. Sydney Cockerell recorded in his diary, 5 July 1894, “In aftn. went with W.M. to Christie’s to see the books in the Fountaine sale, on one of which W.M. has set his heart,” and the following day he added, “W.M. bought the wonderful Clifford hours for £410 (and commission!).” But almost immediately Morris learned that a fragment of the manuscript was in the Fitzwilliam (Cockerell diary, 21 July 1894). In fact, the following year Montague Rhodes James, a Cambridge medievalist (“a very nice man, & very keen about MSS,” according to Cockerell), brought the Fitzwilliam’s two detached leaves to Kelmscott House for his inspection (Cockerell diary, 19 March 1895; Morris diary, 19 March 1895 [British Library Add. Ms. 4510]). Morris then struck a deal with the Fitzwilliam to reunite the leaves with the rest of the work. The arrangement was that the Fitzwilliam would give Morris half the price he paid for the manuscript and lend him the leaves for his lifetime, and that after his death the manuscript and detached leaves would be brought together again at the museum. On 22 October 1896, Cockerell personally delivered the manuscript to the Fitzwilliam.

Provenance: John de Pabenham and Joan Clifford. — Sir Andrew Fountaine. — Fountaine sale, Christie, 6 July 1894, lot 143 (purchased by Morris for £410). — Morris. — Fitzwilliam Museum (MS 242) [acquired from Morris estate, 22 October 1896].

References: Schoenberg (SDBM_241213). — Wormald, 1:157–60.

Images: Fitzwilliam Museum.

Fitzwilliam Museum

¶ Aristotle — Liber ethicorum, politica, rethorica, magna moralia (13th–14th centuries) [MS]

Aristotle. Ethicorum, politica, rethorica, magna moralia.

Illuminated manuscript. France, 13th–14th centuries. 190 leaves.

Provenance: Edwin Henry Lawrence. — Lawrence sale, Sotheby, 9 May 1892, lot 16. — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 134 (sold to Quaritch for £26). — Charles Fairfax Murray. — Fitzwilliam Museum (MS. CFM 14) [gift from Fairfax Murray, 1904].

References: Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_24118). — Wormald, 1:24–25.

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Federigo da Venezia — Commentary on the Apocalypse (late 14th century) [MS]

Federigo da Venezia. Commentary on the Apocalypse.

Illuminated manuscript. Venice, late 14th century. 168 leaves.

Provenance: Convent San Pietro, Padua. — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — Sotheby 1898, lot 126 (sold to Bain for £40). — James Mann, Castlecraig. — Sotheby, 4 July 1929, lot 5. — Hoepli catalogue, 1937. — W. S. Kundig catalogue 95, 23 June 1948, no. 9. — Parke-Bernet, 29 November 1948, lot 327. — Sotheby, 4 April 1949, lot 192. — William A. Foyle. — Foyle sale, Christie, part 1, 11 July 2000, lot 23. — Librairie Thomas-Scheler, December 2001, no. 1. — Jörn Günther Rare Books catalogue, 2003, no. 10. — Librairie Thomas-Scheler (New York Antiquarian Book Fair), 20 April 2006, no. 16. — Jörn Günther Rare Books catalogue 10, 2011, no. 16 (350,00 Swiss francs). — Jörn Günther Rare Books catalogue 12, 2011, no. 6 (412,500 Swiss francs). — Unlocated.

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 1, no. 5 (£40). — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_2220).

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Sotheby 1898:

¶ Breviary (c. 1350) [MS]

Breviary.

Illuminated manuscript. Paris, c. 1350. 590 leaves.

Provenance: Edwin H. Lawrence. — Lawrence sale, Sotheby, 9 May 1892, lot 88 (sold to Quaritch). — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — J. Pierpont Morgan. — Morgan Library (MS M.75).

References: Ellis valuation, fol. 2, no. 32 (£200). — Additional bibliography (Morgan Library). — Curatorial description (Morgan Library). — de Ricci, 2:1380, no. 75. — Morgan Catalogue 4, no. 12. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_11362).

Images: Morgan Library.

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Morgan Catalogue 4:

¶ Book of hours (c. 1375) [MS]

Book of hours.

Illuminated manuscript. France, perhaps Verdun and Paris, c. 1375. 229 leaves. Marginal note by Sydney Cockerell in Morgan Catalogue 4: “Valued at £84 by the Morris Executors, no doubt the price paid by Morris.”

Provenance: George J. R. Gordon. — Quaritch general catalogue, 1880, no. 50. — Quaritch catalogue 332, November 1880, no. 39 (£160). — Quaritch general catalogue, VIII, 1884, no. 17381. — Quaritch catalogue 369, September 1886, no. 35712 (£160). — Quaritch catalogue 93, 1888, no. 206. — Quaritch catalogue 118, December 1891, no. 528 (£100). — Quaritch catalogue 138, December 1893, no. 93 (£84). — Morris (purchased 22 April 1895). — Richard Bennett. — J. Pierpont Morgan. — Morgan Library (MS M.90).

References: Additional bibliography (Morgan Library). — Curatorial description (Morgan Library). — de Ricci, 2:1383, no. 90. — Ellis valuation, fol. 3, no. 47 (£84). — Morgan Catalogue 4, no. 68. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_7316).

Images: Morgan Library.

Morgan Library

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Morgan Catalogue 4:

¶ Psalter (c. 1290–1305) [MS]

Psalter.

Illuminated manuscript. Liège, Belgium, c. 1290–1305. 168 leaves.

Provenance: Margaret des Pres. — Manuel John Johnson. — Johnson sale, Sotheby, 27 May 1862, lot 52 (sold to Edwin H. Lawrence). — Edwin H. Lawrence. — Lawrence sale, London, 1892, lot 534 (sold to Quaritch). — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — J. Pierpont Morgan. — Morgan Library (MS M.155).

References: Additional bibliography (Morgan Library). — Curatorial description (Morgan Library). — de Ricci, 2:1395, no. 155. — Ellis valuation, fol. 5, no. 75 (£180). — Morgan Catalogue 4, no. 29. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_6708).

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Morgan Catalogue 4:

¶ Tiptoft missal (c. 1320) [MS]

Tiptoft missal.

Illuminated manuscript. England, perhaps Cambridge, c. 1320. 360 leaves.

Morris took an intense interest in this lavishly ornamented manuscript. Sydney Cockerell recorded in his diary, 9 May 1895, that Morris was examining it at Kelmscott House and noted that it has “an illuminated border to every page.” On 13 June Cockerell went to the British Museum “to look up Tiptoft pedigree.” It was exhibited at the Society of Antiquaries in June 1896.

Provenance: John Fitz-Roger Clavering and his wife Hawse Tiptoft. — Henry Somerset, 2nd Duke of Beaufort. — Sotheby, 13 May 1895 (sold to Morris for £750). — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — J. Pierpont Morgan. — Morgan Library (MS M.107).

References: Additional bibliography (Morgan Library). — Curatorial description (Morgan Library). — de Ricci, 2:1386, no. 107. — Ellis valuation, fol. 4, no. 60 (£900). — Morgan Catalogue 4, no. 8. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_14314).

Images: Morgan Library.

Morgan Library

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Morgan Catalogue 4:

 

¶ Guillaume, de Lorris — Roman de la rose (c. 1380) [MS]

Guillaume, de Lorris, and Jean Meun. Roman de la rose.

Illuminated manuscript. Paris, c. 1380. 189 leaves.

Morris showed the manuscript to friends at dinner on 4 July 1895 (Cockerell diary).

Provenance: Iohannes Marous (Jean Marot?). — Pierre Vischer (purchased in 1773). — Baron de Neubourg. — de Neubourg sale, Merlin (Paris), 4 November 1839, lot 591. — G. Libri. — Libri sale, Victor Tilliard (Paris), 12 April 1855, lot 1815. — Ambroise Firmin-Didot. — Firmin-Didot sale, Hôtel Drouot (Paris), 6 July 1878, lot 34 (sold to Quaritch). — Quaritch catalogue, December 1878, no. 9. — Quaritch catalogue, 1880, no. 15265. — Quaritch catalogue 332, November 1880, no. 32 (£480). — Quaritch catalogue, 27 February 1882, lot 49. — Quaritch catalogue 369, September 1886, no. 35709 (£480). — Quaritch catalogue 103, April 1890, no. 361 (£480). — Quaritch catalogue 138, December 1893, no. 42 (sold to Morris, 20 June 1895). — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — J. Pierpont Morgan. — Morgan Library (MS M.132).

References: Additional bibliography (Morgan). — Curatorial description (Morgan). — de Ricci, 2:1391, no. 132. — Ellis valuation, fol. 6, no. 91 (£250). — Morgan Catalogue 4, no. 112. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_7313).

Images: Morgan Library.

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Morgan Catalogue 4:

¶ Breviary (14th century) [MS]

Breviary.

Illuminated manuscript. Probably Taranto, between 1350 and 1400. 491 leaves.

Provenance: James T. Gibson Craig (purchased in Rome, 18 January 1872). — Craig sale, part 1, Sotheby, 27 June 1887, lot 380 (sold to Leighton). — Morris. — Richard Bennett. — J. Pierpont Morgan. — Morgan Library (MS M.200).

References: Curatorial description (Morgan Library). — de Ricci, 2:1403, no. 200. — Ellis valuation, fol. 3, no. 33 (£60). — Morgan Catalogue 4, no. 15. — Schoenberg (SDBM_MS_14237).

Images: Morgan Library.

Morgan Library

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Morgan Catalogue 4: