RUFFIN Claude Officium Beatae Mariae ex decreto sacrosancti Concilii restitutum, et Claudii Ruffini cantoris regii manu exaratum, anno domini millesimo sexentesimo tertio, regna[n]te Henrico 4 Fra[nciae] et Na[varre] R[ege].

A lovely manuscript written and prepared by the French calligrapher Claude Ruffin, of the Royal chapel of music under King Henri IV.

The manuscript contains an architectural title border and 21 full-page (including 1 repeat)  and 12 half-page engraved illustrations  by Jean Messager after Léonard Gaultier (LeBlanc II, 273), or  Carl de Mallery (LeBlanc II, 592), of which  29 are  illuminated in full-colours and gold, and 4 in reddish-grisaille, every page surrounded with a gold- and blue-ruled border, arms of Henri IV painted on title page in lower cartouche.

Claude Ruffin seems to have created a small trade in these personally prepared manuscripts illustrated with contemporary engravings beautifully coloured and heightened with gold and silver.

Illumination Title (f. 1); 12 half-page scenes of the months (f. 3-14); John on Patmos (f. 15); Luke (f. 16v); Matthew (f. 18); Mark (f. 19v); Annunciation (f. 24); Visitation (f. 36v); Nativity (f. 46); Annunciation to the Shepherds (f. 49); Adoration of the Magi (f. 52); Presentation in the Temple (f. 55); Flight into Egypt (f. 58); Assumption of the Virgin (f. 63v); King David (f. 66v); Crucifixion (f. 83v); Pentecost (f. 88); Saints (f. 91v); Annunciation (mono) (f. 104v); Adoration of the Magi (mono) (f. 109v); Resurrection of Christ (mono)  (f. 114v); Crucifixion (mono) (f. 119v); David (repeat, in color) (f. 130v). Text Title (f. 1); computus table (f. 2); Calendar (f. 3); Gospel Sequences (f. 15);  Institutio Christiana  (f. 20v); Hours of the Virgin with Matins (f. 23); Lauds (f. 36v); Prime (f. 46); Terce (f. 49); Sext (f. 52); None (f. 55); Vespers (f. 58); and  Compline (63v); Penitential Psalms (f. 66v); Litany of the Saints (f. 74v); prayers (f. 77v); Paraphrase sur le Liberame Domine  (f. 79); prayers (f. 82); Hours of the Cross (f. 83); and of the Holy Spirit (f. 88); Suffrages of the Saints (f. 91v); prayer for Confession (f. 97v); prayer after Communion (f. 101); Planctus BMV  (f. 102); Bref Recueil en forme de Meditation sur la Salutation Angelique  (f. 105); Paraphrase du Psaume 95  (f. 109); other prayers in French (f. 112); Sunday at Vespers (f. 130v) and Compline (f. 158); other prayers (159v).

A charming manuscript from the library of Baron Jérôme Pichon (gold-stamped leather bookplate, Catalogue, 1897, I, no. 72) and Henri Burton.