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Senate House Library, University of London

Fragment of Maistre Wace's Roman de Brut


IDENTITY STATEMENT

Reference code(s): GB 0096 MS 574

Held at: Senate House Library, University of London

Title: Fragment of Maistre Wace's Roman de Brut

Date(s): [1250-1300]

Level of description: Collection (fonds)

Extent: Single sheet

Name of creator(s): Unknown

CONTEXT

Administrative/Biographical history:

Maistre Wace (c 1112-1174) was an Anglo-Norman poet born in Jersey. His works included Chroniques des Ducs de Normandie, Vie de Saint Nicolas, Le Roman de Rou, and Vies de la Vierge Marie et de Saint George. The work in question, Le Roman de Brut was a verse-paraphrase written in 1155, which was based on the history of Britain written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, and introduced the Round Table into the legend of King Arthur.

CONTENT

Scope and content/abstract:

Manuscript fragment in French, used as a pastedown and probably dating from the late 13th century, containing part of Maistre Wace's Roman de Brut, namely lines 6680-6710 and 6782-6812 (according to the edition published in Paris by Professor I. Arnold in 1938-1940).

ACCESS AND USE

Language/scripts of material: French

System of arrangement:

Single item.

Conditions governing access:

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Uncatalogued material may not be seen. Please contact the University Archivist for details.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Physical characteristics:

7" x 1¾". Written on vellum. Initial U in blue with red ornament; capitals at the beginning of each line touched in red; rubricated.

Finding aids:

See R. Watson, 'Descriptive list of fragments of medieval manuscripts in the University of London Library (1976).

Detailed catalogue

ARCHIVAL INFORMATION

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information:

Accruals:

Archival history:

Immediate source of acquisition:

Given by J. Cross in 1962.

ALLIED MATERIALS

Existence and location of originals:

Existence and location of copies:

Related material:

Publication note:

E.D. Yeo, 'Wace's Roman de Brut: a newly discovered fragment', in Manuscripta, VIII (1964).

DESCRIPTION NOTES

Note:

Archivist's note: Compiled by Sarah Aitchison as part of the RSLP AIM25 Project.

Rules or conventions: Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions: Oct 2001


INDEX ENTRIES
Subjects
Illuminated manuscripts | Manuscripts | Documents | Information sources
Poetry | Literary forms and genres | Literature

Personal names
Wace | Maistre | ? 1112- ? 1174 | Norman-French poet

Corporate names

Places