Physical Description
Provenance
This manuscript is believed to have been executed near Condor Castle in Derbyshire which author Egbert (1938) called “the chief seat of the Greys” (p. 528). There is little information about the history of this manuscript until the nineteenth century. The Prayer of the Seven Worlds was written at the end of the book (fol. 93r) during the fifteenth century and a name underneath this prayer has been cut out. Around 1700 the volume was rebound and some original leaves were lost. In 1819, A. Fountaine of Narford Hall, Norfolk came to own the book and he signed and dated a flyleaf at the front of the book, however, he though the manuscript was from 1350. His inscription reads:
From a comparison of the head-dresses and the chain armor of the knight for whom this MS. was executed with those given in Strutts dresses I am inclined to assign the date to 1350 - (sic).
A. Fountaine
Narford 1819
The Fountaine collection at Christie’s was sold on July 6, 1894 and the manuscript was purchased by William Morris, a famous poet, artist, and Medieval historian. The Fitzwilliam Museum had already possessed two leaves (fols. 37 and 55) from the manuscript before Morris purchased it . These pages were given to the museum by Samuel Sandars in 1892. An agreement was made between Morris and the Fitzwilliam Museum by which he was given the missing leaves and kept the entire manuscript during his lifetime, and after his passing the whole manuscript became the property of the museum (Egbert, 1936, p. 528).
Size
24.5 x 17 cm (9 5/8 x 6 5/8 in). The pages of the Grey-Fitzpayn Hours measure 9 x 3/16 x 6 inches but have been trimmed.
Binding
The present binding is made of brown calf from about 1700. The edges of the covers are decorated with gold borders. There is no title on the binding, however, the back is decorated with six rosettes which are trimmed in gold (Egbert, 1936, p. 534).
Material written on
The Grey-Fitzpayn Hours was written on vellum, except for one folio which was written on white paper, and the two flyleaves found at the beginning and end of the manuscript. All of the pages are watermarked with vertical lines (around three-quarters of an inch apart). The flyleaves and front end-paper are watermarked with a shield and crown. There are, in total, 93 folios of vellum – each ruled with 21 lines (Egbert, 1936, p. 534).
Collation and how it was put together
This manuscript was put together by eleven gatherings of vellum, ranging from two to twelve folios each. There were originally 101 vellum folios, however, 93 remain. The following is an outline of the collation:
I, fols. 1 - 2, a gathering of two flyleaves
II, fols. 3 - 12, a gathering of twelve folios
III, fols. 13 - 23, a gathering of twelve folios
IV, fols. 24 - 26, a gathering of six folios
V, fols. 27 - 28, a gathering of two folios
VI, fols. 29 - 40, a gathering of twelve folios
VII, fols. 41 - 49, a quinion
VIII, fols. 50 - 61, a gathering of twelve folios
IX, fols. 62 - 69, a gathering of twelve folios
X, fols. 70 - 93, a gathering of twelve folios
XI, fols. 82 - 93, a gathering of twelve folios
(Egbert, 1936, p.534-535)
Ink
The text of The Grey-Fitzpayn Hours was written with dark brown ink. Red and blue were used in the initials and miniatures, as well as gold. The illustrations through the manuscript are done with varying colors including green, grey, and brown.
Rubrication and Historiated Initials
The Grey-Fitzpayn Hours contains 3 large historiated initials filled with foliage human busts. There is no rubrication to announce the different Hours and prayers, however each verse is marked by smaller decorative initials. (Harthan, 1977, p. 45). The large historiated initials mark the beginning of the Hours of the Virgin, the Hours of the Cross , and the Seven Penitential Psalms. Portraits of Grey and Fitzpayn appear in the borders and historiated initials of the frontpieces of the manuscript. The Virgin appears in the large initial D in the Hours of the Virgin. She is wearing a green robe and pink crown, and is holding an apple. The Child is sitting on her knee wearing pink and also holding an apple. A knight is kneeling to their left, and the sides of the page contain birds and grotesques. Christ is depicted in the initial D in the Hours of the Trinity (Fol. 29r). This initial is eight lines high and shows Christ seated on a marble bench, blessing, while his left hand is resting on an orb. He is dressed in a blue robe lined with vermilion. The woman on the left is kneeling. There are animal and grotesques in the border. The large initial D in the beginning of the Seven Penitential Psalms depicts Christ on the Cross between St. John and the Virgin. There are shields and grotesques in the borders (Egbert, 1936, p. 537). Camille (1992) points out the angry glares of the figures on this page, which was a characteristic of Medieval manuscripts (p. 37 - 38).
Decoration
This manuscript includes two full-page miniatures (found at the beginning of the Hours of the Virgin and the Hours of the Trinity), three large historiated initials, and decorative borders. There are also zoomorphic images throughout the manuscripts including birds, rabbits, deer, dogs, goats, and foxes. The pages of this manuscript are also adorned with heraldic shields which can be found throughout the pages and in margins (Harthan, 1977, p. 45). There are non-historiated initials that are purely ornamental throughout the manuscript. These are gold with colored frames, and are decorated with foilage patterns, busts and heads, and geometric patterns (Egbert, 1936, p. 537 - 538). There is also special ornamentation in the line endings including circular spots of gold, blue fish, and pieces of rinceaux (Egbert, 1938, p. 538).