Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun, Roman de la rose
France, thirteenth century

University Library, MS Gg.4.6, f. 80v
Paris, c. 1330–1340
Vellum, 320 x 228 mm (c. 240 x 164 mm), II + 139 + II ff.

The miniatures for this typical Parisian Rose manuscript are by Richard de Montbaston, who, together with his wife Jeanne, illustrated over 20 copies of the Rose. Here, False Seeming and Constrained Abstinence are disguised as pilgrims, complete with tonsures, Dominican monks’ habits, and pilgrim staffs. Their pious demeanour is a ruse to deceive Foul Mouth (seated on the right), for they are about to strangle him and rip out his tongue. The manuscript was presented to the Library by King George I in 1715.