Walters Ms. W.312, Cicero's De amicitia (French translation) Dedication and prologues Translation of Cicero's text De la vraye amistie Cicero, Marcus Tullius, 106-43 B.C. Cicero Laurent, de Premierfait, d. 1418 Laurens de Premierfait Translator artist Liédet, Loyset, ca. 1420-1479 Artist of manuscript working in circle of Liédet Principal cataloger Randall, Lilian M.C. Cataloger Herbert, Lynley Cataloger Walters Art Museum curatorial staff and researchers since 1934 Editor Herbert, Lynley Copy editor Dibble, Charles Contributor Emery, Doug Contributor Herbold, Rebekah Contributor Tabritha, Ariel Contributor Toth, Michael B. Contributor Wiegand, Kimber Conservator Owen, Linda The Walters Art Museum

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 This Flemish manuscript, written ca. 1470, contains Laurent de Premierfait's French translation of Cicero's Latin work De amicitia. Begun in 1406 for Louis II, duke of Bourbon, but completed between 1414 and 1416, Premierfait's translation was dedicated to John, duke of Berry, and this later copy retains its original dedication. A miniature, created in the style of Flemish artist Loyset Liédet, accompanies the text, and depicts Premierfait presenting his translation to the duke. Given that this manuscript was made sixty-five years after the duke's death, and the fact that there is a spot for an armorial to be placed in the image, it is likely the image also functioned as an homage to the patron of the 1470 copy of the manuscript as well as to the duke. That no armorial is present suggests that this might have been made for the open market rather than on commission from a specific patron, and the arms would have been filled in when it was purchased. No early provenance is known, so the identity of its purchaser is uncertain, as is the question why the armorial was never finished. Baltimore The Walters Art Museum W.312 The primary language in this manuscript is French, Middle (ca.1400-1600). 1r - 97r De la vraye amistie Laurent de Premierfait's French translation of Cicero's Latin text 1r - 23v Dedication and prologues Cy commence le premier prologue de laurens de premierfait translateur du livre de tulle de la vraye amistie. A tres excellent puissant et noble prince. Fols. 1-20v: dedication to John, duke of Berry; fols. 20v-23v: two prologues artist 23v - 97r Translation of Cicero's text Cy commence le prologue de Tulle en son livre de la vraye amistie. Ung homme rommain prenomme quintus

Medium- to very heavy weight, fairly clean cream-colored parchment; some leaves much more smoothly finished than others; flyleaves are nineteenth-century paper, some with watermark "HOHORNE"

 Foliation: vi+97+vi27.9 18.6 16.8 11.4 First and last four flyleaves are nineteenth-century paper; two parchment flyleaves on either end of written text, created as bifolios and appear to have served as original flyleaves before rebinding; very small modern pencil foliation, lower right corners, rectos

Quires 1-11: 8 (fols. 1-88); Quire 12: 8, with ninth folio hooked after eighth folio (fols. 89-97) Some extant in ink, lower right corners rectos, with uppercase letters and lower case Roman numerals, ie. "Aii" on fol. 2 Written vertically beginning on fol. 8v, lower right corners

Ruled in light red ink Fol. 97r contains a later ownership inscription in a nineteenth-century hand Littera batarda Full-page dedication miniature fol. 1r One full-page presentation miniature, with foliate border and unfinished armorial; decorated initials in gold on blue and rose grounds with white accents (1-4 lines); rubrics in red; text in black ink Presentation of the book to its patron Dedication to John, duke of Berry Full-page miniature

Bound in Paris, Masson-Debonnelle, nineteenth century; red morocco, gilt foliate decoration on inside edge of boards; marbleized pastedowns with matching endpaper; gilt edges; green and red silk endbands

 Ca. 1470 Bruges, Flanders Made in Bruges, ca. 1470, in the circle of Loyset Liédet Collection of M. Louis Jean Gaignat, France, before 1768; his catalog vol. 1, no. 840, p. 219 (see inscription fol. 97r) Marquis Louis Arborio Gattinare de Brême, his gift to his relative Comte Hercule Silva in 1818 (see inscription fol. 97r) Comte Hercule Silva, owned 1818-1869; his sale, Paris, Feb. 15 1869, no. 209 Tandeau de Marsac, purchased from Silva sale, owned 1869-1897; his sale, Paris, Apr. 26, 1897, vol. 1, no. 13 London, Sotheby's sale, July 30, 1897, no. 430, sold to Rogers Henry Walters, Baltimore, purchased presumably from Rogers between 1897 and 1931 Walters Art Museum, 1931, by Henry Walters' bequest Relevant Works Gathercole, P.M. "Manuscripts of Laurent de Premierfait's Works," Modern Language Quarterly 19 (1958): 265. De Ricci, Seymour. Census of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. New York: H. W. Wilson Company, 1935; p. 846, no. 505. Randall, Lilian M. C. Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts in the Walters Art Gallery. Vol. 3, Belgium, 1250-1530. Baltimore and London: Johns Hopkins University Press in association with the Walters Art Gallery, 1997; pp. 340-342, cat. no. 268. Legaré, Anne-Marie. “Loyset Liédet: un nouveau manuscrit enluminé.” Revue de l'art 126 (1999): 36-49; p. 46 (n. 3). Art Medicine Museum Poetry Script Muhammad, the Prophet Kashmiri Horses Walters Art Museum Document Astrology Devotion History Legal Literature -- Poetry Literature -- Prose Liturgy Philosophy Science Science -- Medicine Scripture Sufism Theology Mineralogy Logic Geography Geomancy Cosmology Cartography Fortune-telling Koran Qur`an Firman Palimpsest Prayer Bible Gospels Psalter Missal Lectionary Book of Hours Antiphonary Homilary Processional Horologion Breviary Hymnal Chronicle Maghreb Sub-Saharan (West) Africa Turkey Afghanistan Central Asia Egypt England India Iran Iraq Pakistan Germany France Austria Netherlands Ethiopia Armenia Flanders Greece Mamluk Mughal Ottoman Ottonian Armenian Byzantine Abbasid Qajar Rajput Christian Arabic Austrian Dutch Egyptian Fatimid German Indian Islamic Persian Safavid Timurid Turkish Umayyad English French Flemish Ethiopian Carolingian Calligraphy Colophon Headpiece Illumination Illustration Medallion Miniature Ornament Painting Early Abbasid script Ragini Romanesque Gothic Watermark Grotesques Historiated initial Inhabited initial White-vine lettering Textura Batarda Humanistic Uncial Accordion book Album Book Codex Manuscript Heraldry Saint's Life Drawing Grisaille New Abbasid style Musical notation Russia Romania Charter Russian Genealogy Mass book Prayer book Gospel Lectionary Psalter-Hours Treatise Grammar Gloss Pontifical Private devotional text Gradual Protective scroll Scroll 10th century 11th century 12th century 13th century 14th century 15th century 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century 20th century 8th century 9th century Block book Caroline minuscule Central Arab lands (Near East) Chart English secretary hand Kufic Gothic book hand Original binding Treasure binding Gospel Book Spanish Spain Italian Italy Coptic Scrapbook American United States Maryland Historical Society Friendship book Friendship Biography Judaism Talmud Collection of Sermons Notable Notable binding Liturgical Devotional Scriptural Theological Legal Historical Scientific Scientific -- Medical Literary -- Prose Literary -- Poetry Philosophical Astrological Sufi English Treatise Flemish Book Codex Heraldry Humanistic Illumination Manuscript Miniature Painting Walters Art Museum Flanders 15th century Philosophy Watermark