TRISTAN.  No. 6957, 2 vols. folio.  This is a very fine old MS. apparently of the middle of the XIVth century.  The writing and the embellishments fairly justify this inference.  The first volume contains three hundred and fifty-one leaves.  On the reverse of the last leaf but one, is the word “anne” in large lower-case letters; but a ms. memorandum, in a later hand, at the end, tells us that this copy was once the property of “the late Dame Agnes” &c.  The second volume is written in more of the secretary gothic character—­and is probably somewhat later than the first.  It is executed in double columns.  The illuminations are little more than outlines, prettily executed upon a white ground—­or rather the vellum is uncoloured.  This volume seems to want a leaf at the commencement, and yet it has a title at top, as if the text actually began there.  The colophon is thus: 

    Explicit le Romat de.  T. et de yseut
    qui fut fait lan mille. iijc. iiijxx. et xix.
    la veille de pasques grans.

TRISTAN, FILS DE MELIADUS.  No. 6773.  A folio of almost unparalleled breadth of back;—­measuring more than six inches and a quarter, without the binding.  A beautiful illumination once graced the first leaf, divided into four compartments, which is now almost effaced.  In the third compartment, there are two men and two women playing at chess, in a vessel.  What remains, only conveys an imperfect idea of its original beauty.  The lady seems to have received check-mate, from the melancholy cast of her countenance, and her paralised attitude.  The man is lifting up both hands, as if in the act of exultation upon his victory.  The two other figures are attendants, who throw the dice.  Upon the whole, this is among the prettiest bits I have yet seen.  It is worth noticing that the yellow paint, like our Indian yellow, is here very much used; shaded with red.  The generality of the illuminations are fresh; but there is none of equal beauty with that just described.  From the scription, and the style of art, I should judge this MS. to have been executed about the year 1400 or 1420; but a memorandum, apparently in a somewhat later hand, says it was finished in 1485:—­Par Michean gonnot de la brouce pstre demeurant a croysant. Some lines below have been scratched out.  The colophon, just before, is on the recto of the last leaf: 

  Explicit le romans de tristan et de la Royne
  Yseult la blonde Royne de cornoalle.

TRISTAN:  No. 6774. Folio. 2 vols.  The illuminations are magnificent, but lightly coloured and shaded.  The draperies are in good taste.  The border to the first large illumination, in four parts, is equally elegant in composition and colouring, and a portion of it might be worth copying.  There is a pretty illumination of two women sitting down.  A table cloth, with dinner upon it, is spread upon the grass between them:—­a bottle is plunged into a running stream from a fountain, with an ewer