The spaces for illuminations are regularly preserved, but by what accident or design they were not filled up remains to be conjectured.  The third part, or book, is fully illuminated like the first.  There is a very droll illumination on folio vij.^{xx}. xij.  At the end of the volume, on folio ccxxxiij., recto, is the following date:  “Aujourduy iiij.  Jour du Jullet lan mil ccc. soixante dix a este escript ce livre darmes par Micheaugatelet prestre demeurant en la ville de Tournay.”  Just before the colophon, on the reverse of the preceding leaf, is a common-place illumination of the interment of a figure in a white sheet—­with this incription: 

    ICI:  GIST. LECORS:  GALAHAVT:  SEIGNEVR
    DES.  LOINTENES.  ILES.  ET.  AVECQVES.  LVI.  REPOVSE:  MESIRE
    LANCELOT.  DVLAC.  MELLIEVR.  CHRL.  DV.  MVDE.  APRES.  GVALEAT.

There are two or three more illuminated MSS. of our well-beloved Lancelot.  One, in six volumes, has illuminations, but they are of the usual character of those of the fifteenth century.

LANCELOT DU LAC, &C.  This MS. is in three volumes.  The first contains only, as it were, an incipient illumination:  but there is preserved, on the reverse of the binding, and written in the same character with the text, three lines—­of which the private history, or particular application, is now forgotten—­although we learn, from the word bloys being written at top, that this MS. came from the library of Catherine de Medici—­when she resided at Blois.

The second volume of this copy is in quite a different character, and much older than the first.  The colophon assigns to it the date of 1344.  The volume is full of illuminations, and the first leaf exhibits a fair good specimen of those drolleries which are so frequently seen in illuminated MSS. of that period.  The third volume is in a still different hand-writing:  perhaps a little more ancient.  It has a few slight illuminations, only as capital initials.

LANCELOT DU LAC:  No. 6782.  This MS. is executed in a small gothic character, in ink which has now become much faded.  From the character of the illuminations, I should consider it to be much more ancient than either of the preceding—­even at the commencement of the thirteenth century.  Among the illuminations there is a very curious one, with this prefix;

    Vne dame venant a.c. chr. q dort en son
    lit & ele le volt baisier. mais vne
    damoiselle li deffendi

You will not fail to bear in mind that the history of Lancelot du Lac will be also found in those of Tristan and Arthur.  I shall now therefore introduce you to a MS. or two relating to the former.