The discovery of seven manuscript fragments of the Old French Suite Vulgate du Merlin in a set of early printed books in the Bristol Central Library hit global headlines in 2019. This book contains a comprehensive study of these fascinating Arthurian fragments.
Beginning with an extensive contextual history, the authors reveal details of the fragments’ origin, their importation to England, and their subsequent journey to a waste pile in a bookbinder’s workshop, where they would be incorporated into the bindings of a four-volume edition of the works of Jean Gerson in the early sixteenth century. A full enquiry into the provenance of these host volumes sets out the possible routes from the bookbinder’s workshop to their final home in Bristol Central Library.
Using multi-spectral imaging to read the damaged sections of text, the authors also provide a full edition and translation of the narrative contained in the fragments.
- Cover
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- Section 1: Context
- Chapter 1. Codicological and Palaeographic Analysis
- Chapter 2. Bindings
- Chapter 3. Provenance
- Chapter 4. Redaction, Language, and Localization
- Conclusion
- Section 2: Text
- 1. Principles of Edition and Translation
- 2. Edition and Translation
- Plates: Images of Fragments
- Bibliography
- Index