volume contains three hundred and
fifty-one leaves. On the reverse of the last leaf but one, is the word
"_anne_" in large lower-case letters; but a ms. memorandum, in a later
hand, at the end, tells us that this copy was once the property of "_the
late Dame Agnes" &c_. The second volume is written in more of the secretary
gothic character--and is probably somewhat later than the first. It is
executed in double columns. The illuminations are little more than
outlines, prettily executed upon a white ground--or rather the vellum is
uncoloured. This volume seems to want a leaf at the commencement, and yet
it has a title at top, as if the text actually began there. The colophon is
thus:

_Explicit le Romat de. T. et de yseut
qui fut fait lan mille. iijc. iiijxx. et xix.
la veille de pasques grans._

TRISTAN, FILS DE MELIADUS. No. 6773. A folio of almost unparalleled breadth
of back;--measuring more than six inches and a quarter, without the
binding. A beautiful illumination once graced the first leaf, divided into
four compartments, which is now almost effaced. In the third compartment,
there are two men and two women playing at chess, in a vessel. What
remains, only conveys an imperfect idea of its original beauty. The lady
seems to have received check-mate, from the melancholy cast of her
countenance, and her paralised attitude. The man is lifting up both hands,
as if in the act of exultation upon his victory. The two other figures are
attendants, who throw the dice. Upon the whole, this is among the prettiest
bits I have yet seen. It is worth noticing that the yellow paint, like our
Indian yellow, is here very much used; shaded with red. The generality of
the illuminations are fresh; but there is none of equal beauty with that
just described. From the scription, and the style of art, I should judge
this MS. to have been executed about the year 1400 or 1420; but a
memorandum, apparently in a somewhat later hand, says it was finished in
1485:--_Par Michean gonnot de la brouce pstre demeurant a croysant._
Some lines below have been scratched out. The colophon, just before, is on
the recto of the last leaf:

_Explicit le romans de tristan et de la Royne
Yseult la blonde Royne de cornoalle._

TRISTAN: No. 6774. _Folio._ 2 vols. The illuminations are magnificent, but
lightly coloured and shaded. The draperies are in good taste. The border to
the first large illumination, in four parts, is equally elegant in