Prayer book.

12mo (13,5 x 9 cm): [83] ff., 15 ll. (calendar), 17 ll. (text), writing area: 10 x 6,5 cm (calendar), 9,5 x 5 cm (text), on thin vellum, in Latin, French and Dutch, at least three hands, 2 contemp. and 1 later (18th c.) (some spotting and soiling, tiny tear in margin of 1st f.).

19th-c. half brown morocco in the manner of medieval binding, wooden boards, a.e.g. (sl. rubbed, clasp gone). Fine copy.

Content: coat of arms (f. [1v]), almanach (ff. [2v-3r]), calendar (ff. [3v-15r]), 2 miniatures (ff. [16v-17r]), meditative and devotional texts relating mainly to Christ, but also to God, the Virgin, St Anna, the Apostles, some Saints, etc., in Latin (ff. [17r-56r]) and in French (ff. [56r-74r]), another coat of arms (f. [75v]), more meditative and devotional texts in Dutch (ff. [76r-77r]) and in French (ff. [78r-83v]). Two prayers are attributed namely to Bede and St. Augustine.
Illumination: 2 fine full-page miniatures (10,5 x 6,5 cm) figuring the portrait of the possessor kneeling in front of his patron St. Jacob (in a countryside and a hill) and the Crucifixion (with a landscape of hills); and 2 large coats of arms: that of the possessor with his motto "sy ie puis" and that of his wife, suspended by an angel; all ruled in a gilt frame.
Decoration: alternating one-, two and three-line initials heightened with gold and with blue, red, green or grey background.
Localisation and datation: the presence in the calendar of the name of St. Gudula (8 January) in red suggests a Brussels origin. The first possessor was Jacques de Brégilles, knight, Lord of Château, and several times treasurer, alderman and mayor of Brussels during the years 1539-1562. He is an heir of another Jacques de Brégilles (d. 1475), former librarian of Philip the Good and Charles the Bold. He had been admitted to the Serroelofs lineage on 13 June 1536. His wife, Helena Hinckaert, is the daughter of Philippe Hinckaert, Lord of Lille. Our manuscript was probably made around 1552, as the almanach begins with the year 1553, by an anonymous Brussels miniaturist, maybe at the occasion of the wedding of Brégilles and Hinckaert. The angel suspending the coat of arms of Helena Hinckaert was made after a miniature of Hubert Cailleau (Valenciennes) in the Marguerite Crohin's book of Hours in 1552 (Los Angeles, Getty Museum, Ms. 23, fol. 13) or after a similar model. A later hand (18th c.) completed the calendar with additional names of saints, incl. local saints such as St. Dymphna of Geel (15 May) and Gertrude of Nivelles (17 March).
Prov. Jacques de Brégilles (coat of arms). - Peter van Kampen (ms. entry in the calendar, 31 January).
We would like to thank Dr. Dominique Vanwijnsberghe (KIK-IRPA) for his collaboration.