Collection of edifying texts & devotional treatises (BNF NAF 4338)

Christening, f. 43r.

Colloquial name(s): Collection of edifying texts & devotional treatises

Official name(s): Bibliothèque nationale de France, NAF 4338

Date: 1325-50 (source)

Origin: France (source)

Online facsimile available via: Bibliothèque nationale de France Gallica digital library

This manuscript contains a variety of texts and treatises in prose and verse, namely (source):

• Dialogue between a father and a son about the truths of the Faith
• The six degrees of charity
• Treaty of the New World
• The teachings of St Louis to his son
• A letter addressed by a religious person to a young nobleman to teach him to confess
• Seven devout petitions
• The fifteen joys of Notre Dame
• Tale of Three Knights and Three Books
• Book of life and the sting of love and devotion
• Treaty of the Holy Spirit
• The Livret du Rossignolet (version II)
• Prayer of the Passion
• Prayer to Our Lady
• The little treatise of love
• The small treatise of Our Lady
• The salvation of the angel Gabriel
• Teachings "that a great lady ... sent by one of her leitters to a little good friend"
• The dedication or sanctification of the soul

The decoration of this manuscript contains the same cycle of illustrations as two other extant collections of devotional treatises (BNF Fr. 1136 and Chantilly, Musée Condé, ms 167) (source). These illustrations have been attributed to the illuminator Mahiet or to his workshop (source). Mahiet, who is identifiable with Mathieu le Vavasseur, originally from Bayeux diocese, was active in Paris from 1323 and held a shop c. 1352 at rue Neuve-Notre-Dame (source). He is particularly known for his illustrations in the Vie et Miracles de Sainte Louis (BNF Fr. 5716) (source).

Basic descriptions of the illustrations are provided at Gallica (click on the 'i' icon on the left-hand side of the page).