The Roman de la Rose of François I

Portrait of Author, f. 5r


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The fragment describes the opening miniature of the manuscript of the Roman de la Rose. In the image, a scribe is sitting in a writing room, ready to copy the poem. He is dressed in attire from the time of Francis I of France. Beside him, there are writing utensils, a bound book, and a non-reflective mirror. An ostentatious bed and an open window overlooking a spring landscape complete the scene.

The miniature portrays the scribe as a scholarly humanist. Hence the text, which was written much earlier, is updated by placing the scene in the time of Francis I. The image symbolizes the realization of the dream, as the poem is an allegorical dream.

 

It is the Romance of the Rose
That doth the art of Love enclose.
MANY men say that in our dreams
There are but lies and idle themes;
And yet a man can dream such dreams
As are not lies, rather, it seems,
Their meaning, later, becomes clear.
We may invoke as witness here,
Macrobius who did not deem

 

All things mere folly seen in dream,
When he wrote about the vision
That to Scipio was given.
Though whoe'er believes, or says,
That tis mere foolishness, always,
To think such dreams can come to pass,
May call me a poor fool at last,
If he so wish, nonetheless I


Portrait de l'auteur , f.5r

Back

Portrait of Author, f. 5r

The fragment describes the opening miniature of the manuscript of the Roman de la Rose. In the image, a scribe is sitting in a writing room, ready to copy the poem. He is dressed in attire from the time of Francis I of France. Beside him, there are writing utensils, a bound book, and a non-reflective mirror. An ostentatious bed and an open window overlooking a spring landscape complete the scene.

The miniature portrays the scribe as a scholarly humanist. Hence the text, which was written much earlier, is updated by placing the scene in the time of Francis I. The image symbolizes the realization of the dream, as the poem is an allegorical dream.

 

It is the Romance of the Rose
That doth the art of Love enclose.
MANY men say that in our dreams
There are but lies and idle themes;
And yet a man can dream such dreams
As are not lies, rather, it seems,
Their meaning, later, becomes clear.
We may invoke as witness here,
Macrobius who did not deem

 

All things mere folly seen in dream,
When he wrote about the vision
That to Scipio was given.
Though whoe'er believes, or says,
That tis mere foolishness, always,
To think such dreams can come to pass,
May call me a poor fool at last,
If he so wish, nonetheless I


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