Paris Bibliothèque nationale de France, français 95

From The Seven Sages of Rome

Manuscript Identification
Reference Number Fr31
Location Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France
Siglum/Shelfmark Français 95 (formerly Regius 6769)
Page/Folio range 355ra-380ra
Textual Content and Tradition
Standardised title of narrative Sept Sages de Rome
Incipit or textual title A Romme ot I empereour qui ot a non Dyoclesiens…
Version (siglum) Overlap of Versions A and L
Language Group within Version French A/L Overlap
Narrative/Scholarly Group within Version
Further scholarly subgroup (1)
Further scholarly subgroup (2) Text Q
Translated/adapted from (Version/Text)
Source for information on textual relationship to broader tradition Runte, Society of the Seven Sages Portal (2014)
Languages
Language of text Old French
Regional or specific Language of text Old French (Nord)
Source for regional or specific Language of text BNF: https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc13594b
Digitisation and Editions
Digitisation https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b6000108b
Modern Editions Plomp, De Middelnederlandsche bewerking van het gedicht van den VII Vroeden van binnen Rome (1899)Runte, Les sept sages de Rome: An On-Line Edition of French Version A (2006)
Note

Spectacular initial minature and marginalia.

A note on grouping: This text is listed as part of Version A in JONAS, Arlima, Runte, etc. However, because of the presence of Filia and Noverca, I have grouped this with the other texts demonstrating the bleed between A and L.

The BNF catalogue notes that this manuscript and the manuscript 'Phillips 130' (Yale University Beinecke Library, MS 229) are 'complémentaires'. The Beineke Library manuscript contains: Le livre de Lancelot du Lac, La queste del Graal, La mort au roy Artu. This has led to some cataloguing confusion; on the JONAS site, for example, the listing for the 'Sept Sages de Rome, version A' includes 'Yale University Library Beinecke Ms 229'. This appears to be in error, and due to the linking of the two manuscripts through their Arthurian texts.

This text is also apparently closely related to Cambridge Gg.6.28. Plomp (1889) observes that BNF 95 and Cam Gg.6.28 are so closely related that they replicate the same error: Anxilles is introduced 2nd, and Lentulus 3rd, but Lentulus tells the 2nd story, and Anxilles the 3rd.

Authorship and Production
Scribe
Author
Place of Manuscript Production Thérouanne, France
Date of Manuscript Production c. 1280
Source of Date of Manuscript Production BNF: https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc13594b
Physical Description
Material Parchment
Total pages/folios in Manuscript 394
Height 470
Width 330
Script style/form
Prose or verse Prose
Illustrations Yes
Contents and Additional Texts
Other texts in the Manuscript
  • 1ra-113va: L'estoire del saint Graal
  • 113va-354vb: Le roman de Merlin en prose, avec la Suite Vulgate du Merlin
  • 355ra-380ra: Le roman des sept sages de Rome
  • 380ra-394vb: André le Moine, La penitance Adam
Catalogues and Research Literature
Catalogue Arlima: https://arlima.net/no/4153BNF: https://archivesetmanuscrits.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cc13594b
Modern Research Literature Plomp (1889)Runte (1974)Runte, Society of the Seven Sages Portal (2014)Runte, Wikeley, Farrell (1984)Runte (1989)Le Roux de Lincy (1838)Paris (1876)Berne-Aïache (1966)Berne-Aïache (1977)Speer (1981)Foehr-Janssens (1994)Coco (2016)
Pattern of embedded stories in this manuscript