The Courtenay Compendium, a collection of English and Near- and Far-Eastern historical accounts including Marco Polo's 'Description of the World', the anonymous Encomium Emmae Reginae, Gildas' 'Ruin and Conquest of Britain', William of Tripoli's 'State of Saracens and Mohammedans', and other accounts of medieval Islam, decorated manuscript on vellum 219 leaves (4 leaves blank), 272mm. by 190mm., complete, collation: i-viii8, ix12 (viii and ix are an additional bifolium stitched into the gathering), x-xxii8, xxiii7 (last but one leaf blank, between pp. 210 and 211), xxiv-xxvii8, horizontal catchwords and early pagination with occasional omissions (but followed here), written space 220mm. by 140mm., 2 columns (except for last section which is single column), outer frame of text ruled only, hence 47-52 lines, dark brown ink in a single cursive anglicana hand, small but quite legible, paragraph marks in red, small initials touched in red, numerous 2- to 5-line initials in same used to open significant areas of text, slight trimming to edges, minor cockling throughout and some discolouration to first leaf, else in excellent and notably fresh condition, in eighteenth- or early nineteenth-century limp vellum over thin pasteboards, with gilt arms of the Courtenays on front and 'VARIÆ TRACTATI MSS' on spine
The Courtenay Compendium, a collection of English and Near- and Far-Eastern historical accounts including Marco Polo's 'Description of the World', the anonymous Encomium Emmae Reginae, Gildas' 'Ruin and Conquest of Britain', William of Tripoli's 'State of Saracens and Mohammedans', and other accounts of medieval Islam, decorated manuscript on vellum 219 leaves (4 leaves blank), 272mm. by 190mm., complete, collation: i-viii8, ix12 (viii and ix are an additional bifolium stitched into the gathering), x-xxii8, xxiii7 (last but one leaf blank, between pp. 210 and 211), xxiv-xxvii8, horizontal catchwords and early pagination with occasional omissions (but followed here), written space 220mm. by 140mm., 2 columns (except for last section which is single column), outer frame of text ruled only, hence 47-52 lines, dark brown ink in a single cursive anglicana hand, small but quite legible, paragraph marks in red, small initials touched in red, numerous 2- to 5-line initials in same used to open significant areas of text, slight trimming to edges, minor cockling throughout and some discolouration to first leaf, else in excellent and notably fresh condition, in eighteenth- or early nineteenth-century limp vellum over thin pasteboards, with gilt arms of the Courtenays on front and 'VARIÆ TRACTATI MSS' on spine
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
