Description [Bohatta no.814, Lacombe no.196]
Printed on vellum. 33 long lines, ruled in red ink. Collation: Of the original 88 leaves, A⁸-L⁸, are 4 now missing).
Illustrated with full-page metalcuts (124x78 mm, the 18 Hardouin 8vo cuts). No printed border-pieces.
Illuminated in colours by a workshop who also illuminated a copy of the same edition, now in Vienna (Ö.N. C.P.1.E 21). Architectural frames around large cuts painted in red ink on a ground of thin liquid gold, as in the Vienna copy.
The one and two-line initials are painted in liquid gold, on a ground of blue or red alternating. Painted line-fillers in the same technique. Numerous initials are erroneous, indicating that the painter was unfamiliar with many texts, perhaps even illiterate. The possibility that the illumination was done by Germain Hardouin himself must then be ruled out (in a colophon from 1514 is he named as "in arte litterarias picturae peritissimus").
All text-pages has a painted outer border with green foliate and floral decoration on a ground of liquid gold, the text area is framed by two red lines.
Comparison with the painted decoration of the copy in Vienna is an interesting study for the understanding of the methods in a workshop decorating an entire lot of a book printed on vellum, on request of the publisher. The painter was no doubt trained as a manuscript illuminator, and he disposed the sometimes heavy overpainting on the printed outlines with a free hand, and transforms several details with a striking liberty, as observed by Otto Pächt. Variations between the two copies are numerous, especially in small details like the number of flowers coloured in the cut of the Immaculate Virgin, where the copy in Copenhagen has smaller lilies and only 3 red roses over the scroll "plãta.rose". Although he was a capable artist are his strokes not always superior in quality to the printed outlines of the cuts. Many customers were obviously prepared to pay extra for an illuminated copy looking like a manuscript, even if it was on the expense of the artistic quality, as we see it today. Another almost identical (new) edition with the same illustrations, printed one or two years later, was formerly in the library of William Foyle (Sold Christie's, London 11 July 2000, lot 201, see: Christie's: The Library of William Foyle. II. Early Continental Books, London 2000, p.99). It was probably also illuminated in the same workshop, although the difference in time shows. French binding in brown calf with stamped and gilted ornamentation, identical on front and back (c.1560-1575?). Spine restored c.1850, with title field: /Horæ /ad usum Rom./Paris 1509/Jn membr.//.
In the notes below are most contractions silently expanded, and the added painted initials are incorporated with the transcription. Only the line-breaks are rendered as printed.

Bibliography:
H. Bohatta: Bibliographie des livres d'heures imprimés, Wien 1900, no.814;
P. Lacombe: Livres d'heures imprimés au XVe et XVIe siecle, conservés dans les bibliothèques publiques à Paris, Paris 1906, no.196;
H.W. Davies: Catalogue of a Collection of Early French Books in the Library of C. Fairfax Murray, I, London.
R. Brun: Le livre françle;ais illustré de la Renaissance, Paris 1969, p.210-212;
Otto Pächt & Dagmar Thoss: Die illuminierten Handschriften und Inkunabeln der Österreichischen Nationalbibliothek, Französische Schule, II, Wien 1977, Text p.179, Tafeln Abb.390-392]

A la louenge de dieu et de la tressaints et glo=
rieuse vierge marie et a ledification de tous bons
catholiques : ont este commences ces presentes
Heures a lusaige de Romme tout au long sans rien re=
querir Avec ung commun antiennes suf=
frages et oraisons de plusieurs saintz et saintes
selon ledit usaige et plusieurs aultres comme on
verra en la table. Imprimees nouvellement a
a Paris par Gillet Hardoyn libraire demourant
au bout du pont nostre Dame devant saint De=
nis de la chartre a lenseigne de la Rose. Et Ger=
main Hardouyn demourant entre les deux por=
tes du Palays a lenseigne saincte Marguerite.

Jesus soit en ma teste et mon entendement
Jesus soit en mes yeulx et mon regardement
Jesus soit en ma bouche et en mon parlement
Jesus soit en mon cueur et en mon pensement
Jesus soit en ma vie et mon trepassement
Amen.

Qui du tout son cueur met en dieu
Il a son cueur et si a dieu
Et qui le met en autre lieu
Il pert son cueur et si pert dieu.


Tout pour le mieulx

// [Signature: Ro. A.i. - Davies has reproduced the layout of this unusual title-page without printed ornaments (I, p.310-11 No.271) from a slightly earlier edition, with Gillet Hardoyn as printer]

Vigilie mortuorum

g5	*Raising of Lazarus /Dilexi quoniam ->>Tribulationem et dolorem inveniret nomen do//

i.ii.v°

/Fidelium deus omnium conditor ...etc. line 7: ¶Oratio deuotissima pro fidelibus defunctis in cymiterio inhumatis. Avete omnes anime fideles quarum corpo ra hic et ubique requiescunt in pulvere: do= minus noster iesus christus qui vos et nos rede= mit suo preciosissimo sanguine dignetur vos a pe nis liberare et inter choros suorum sanctorum an gelorum collocare ibique nostri memores suppliciter exorare: ut vobis associemur et vobiscum in celis coronemur. V. Non intres in iudicium cum anima= bus servorum tuorum domine. R. Quoniam non iustifica= bitur in conspectu tuo omnis vivens. Oratio. Domine iesu christe salus et liberatio fide= lium animarum: qui non venisti animas perdere sed salvare: et dare animam tuam in re= demptionem pro multis immensam clementiam tuam humiliter imploramus: ut animas omni= um fidelium defunctorum in penis purgatorii cru= ciatas misericorditer respicere digneris: et que iu= ste pro peccatis affiguntur tua benignissima pie tate liberentur: subveniatque illis tua misericor= dia quas tuo preciosissimo sanguine redemisti. Et per merita beatissime gloriosissime semperque virginis dei genitricis marie et omnium sancto= rum et sanctarum liberare eas ab inferorum cru= ciatibus et collocare inter agmina sanctorum tu= orum digneris veste quoque immortalitatis iudui //

i.iii.

/& paradisi amenitate confoueri iubeas. Qui cum patre et spiritu sancto vivis et regnas deus. Per omnia secula seculorum. Amen. ¶Sequuntur suffragia plurimorum sancto= rum et sanctarum. Et primo. De sanctissima trinitate. aña. Sancta trinitas unus deus : miserere nobis...