Thursday, June 25, 2026

Ms. Bodl. 264

This delightful book is a collection of exotic texts, including the Alexander Romance and Marco Polo. The various parts were illustrated at different times, by different hands; the pictures here are all from the Alexander Romance and were likely done around 1360 to 1380.


I love the little figures strewn across the bottoms of many pages.

I guess these are Harpies?

No idea which story this is supposed to be.

Have you ever seen such a delightful drawing of a man being drawn and quartered?


Daily life.

And everyone's favorite theme, a naked man pushing a bunch of nuns in a wheelbarrow. What?

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2 comments:

Kpgoog said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
June 28, 2026 at 12:23 PM
Kpgoog said...

AI can translate text

Translation (from Old/Middle French):
Here is a clear transcription and modern English translation:

Original (transcribed):

A La trouva molt douce et boine por mengier
B Et quant parole et dit au messagier
C Ceste chose est molt simple et molt fait a proisierModern English Translation:
A He found it very sweet and good to eat
B And when he speaks and says to the messenger
C This thing is very simple and very praiseworthy / excellentMore natural rendering:"He found it very sweet and good to eat.
And then he speaks, saying to the messenger:
'This thing is very simple and most praiseworthy.'"

June 28, 2026 at 12:25 PM

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