La Bataille d'Annezin from BL Royal 20 A XVII, f. 177

Folio containing a section of the song, 'La Bataille d'Annezin', about a pilgrim who made peace between battling Christians and Saracens. Image taken from f. 177 of Roman de la Rose (ff. 2-175v), la Bataille d'Annezin (a burlesque chanson in 50 alexandrines), beginning 'A l'entrée de may / quivers va a declin' (ff. 176v-177). Written in French.

The BL Royal Manuscript Collection, also known as the Royal Collection, consists of over 2,000 manuscripts that were once owned by the British monarchs, including English and later British kings and queens from the late 12th to the 19th centuries. These manuscripts are notable for their historical and artistic value.

The collection was initially stored in various royal libraries and palaces, such as the Tower of London and Westminster Palace. During the English Civil War in the 17th century and the subsequent Interregnum, many royal treasures, including manuscripts, were dispersed and sold. Some manuscripts were lost, destroyed, or ended up in private hands.

In 1757, King George II donated the Old Royal Library to the British Museum (which later became the British Library), where the manuscripts were integrated into the museum's collections. This marked the formal establishment of the Royal Manuscript Collection within the British Museum.

guillaume de lorris jean de meun thomas de bailleul bataille la bataille annezin bl royal manuscripts medieval picardy roman de la rose jean de meun guillaume de lorris thomas de bailleul la bataille d annezin artois french manuscripts france british library

1340

British Library

http://europeana.eu/

Public Domain