Искусства и ремесла Средневековья

Illumination of Books

355

it, let him Ье Anathema Marantha!" А later owner, evidently to justify himself, has added, "I, John, Bishop of Ехеtег, know not where this afшesaid house is, nor. dicl I steal this book, but acquiгed it in а lavvfнl way!" The Explicit in thc Bcnedictional of Ethelwold is t.ouching: the vYritc1· asks "all wlю gazc оп this book to ever pray that after the end of thc flcsh I may inЬcrit health in heaven; this is the ргауеl· of tЬе scribe, tl1e humЫe Godemann.'' А mysteгioнs Explicit occurs at the end of an I1·isl1 manнscript of 1138, "Pray for Moel­ brighte who vvrote this book. Gгeat \Yas tl1e crime when Cormac Мае Caгtl1y was slain Ьу Tardelvach O'Brian." vVlю shall say wlшt revelatioн may have been embodied in these ,voгds? \Vas it in the natшe of а confession 01· an accнsation of sоше 11itl1erto unkno,vn occurrence? Coming as it does at the close of а sacred book, it was doubtless ,vritten for some iшportant reasoп. Aшong curious examples of the Explicit шау Ье qнoted the follo,ving: "It is finished. Let it Ье finished, апd let the \Vriter go out fo1· а dгink." А French monk adds: "Let а pretty giel Ье giveп to the wгiter for his pains." Ludovico di Cheгio, а famous illuшiпator of the fifteenth centшy, has this note at the end of а book upon whicl1 he had loпg been engaged: "Completed on the vigil of the nativity of Our Loгd Jesus Chгist, on an empty stoшach." (\Vhetheг tl1is refers to an imposed репаnсе ог fast, or \Vhethe1· Ludovico considered that the offeгing of а meek and empty stomach would Ье especially ассерtаЫе, the reader may deteгmine.)