temptatio dyaboli de desperatione 

Ars moriendi, Provence 15th century.

Marseille, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 89, fol. 64r

bowl of milk! 

‘Trivulzio Book of Hours’, Flanders ca. 1470.

Den Haag, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, SMC 1, fol. 110v

waldensian sabbath 

Jean Tinctor, Traittié du crisme de vauderie (Sermo contra sectam vaudensium), Bruges ca. 1470-1480.

Paris, BnF, Français 961, fol. 1r

monkeys nursing a kitteh 

see also the eternal love of the primates

‘Trivulzio Book of Hours’, Flanders ca. 1470.

Den Haag, Koninklijke Bibliotheek, SMC 1, fol. 110v

bathing cat - medieval French proverb ‘aussi aise que ung chat qui ce baingne’ 

book of hours, Rouen 15th century.

Paris, BnF, Nouvelle acquisition latine 3134, fol. 18v

St. George and the Baby Dragon… Happy St George’s Day! 

book of hours, France 15th century.

British Library, Harley 2952, fol. 21r

King Solomon’s cat 

‘The king sat to sowper and othre, wyth whom sat marcolph, and had alle pryvely put into hys sleve thre quyk myse. There was norysshyd in the kinges house a catte, that every nyght as the king sat at sowper, was wont to holde betwyxt hyre fore feet a brennyng kandell upon the tabyll. Thanne lete marcolph oon of the myse go out of his sleve. As the catte that saugh, she wolde have lept aftyr: but the king gave hyr a wynke or countenaunce, that she bode stylle syttyng and removyd not. And in like wyse dede she of the secunde mowse. Thanne lete marcolph the thrydde mowse go, and as the katte sawe he cowde no lenger abyde, but kaste the kandell awaye and lept aftyr the mowse and toke it. And as marcolph that sawe; sayde to the king. Here I have now provyd before you that nature goth afore lernyng. The king sat to sowper and othre, wyth whom sat marcolph, and had alle pryvely put into hys sleve thre quyk myse. There was norysshyd in the kinges house a catte, that every nyght as the king sat at sowper, was wont to holde betwyxt hyre fore feet a brennyng kandell upon the tabyll. Thanne lete marcolph oon of the myse go out of his sleve. As the catte that saugh, she wolde have lept aftyr: but the king gave hyr a wynke or countenaunce, that she bode stylle syttyng and removyd not. And in like wyse dede she of the secunde mowse. Thanne lete marcolph the thrydde mowse go, and as the katte sawe he cowde no lenger abyde, but kaste the kandell awaye and lept aftyr the mowse and toke it. And as marcolph that sawe; sayde to the king. Here I have now provyd before you that nature goth afore lernyng.’

Hans Vintler, Die pluemen der tugent, Vienna 1450.

Wien, Österreichische Nationalbibliothek, cod. s. n. 12819, fol. 130r

dragon dog

book of hours, Savoie 15th century.

Clermont-Ferrand, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 84, fol. 75v

ride the snail 

book of hours, Savoie 15th century.

Clermont-Ferrand, Bibliothèque municipale, ms. 84, fol. 139v

surgical procedure

John Arderne, Liber Medicinarum, England 15th century.

British Library, Sloane 56, fol. 30r

serious problem

John Arderne, Liber Medicinarum, England 15th century.

British Library, Sloane 56, fol. 85v

bagpipes cat 

book of hours, Paris ca. 1460.

NY, Morgan Library & Museum, MS M.282, fol. 133v

Evil Dead/Army of Darkness 

‘London Rothschild Hours’ (‘Hours of Joanna I of Castile’), Ghent ca. 1500.

British Library, Add 35313, fol. 158v

boars making love 

Gaston Phoebus, Le Livre de la chasse, Paris ca. 1407.

NY, Morgan, MS M. 1044, fol. 20v

full-service spa 

Livre de la Vigne nostre Seigneur, France ca. 1450-1470.

Bodleian Library, MS. Douce 134, fol. 87r