Medieval Bestseller: The Book of Hours September 17, 1997 through January 4, 1998
Print version Print version with label text Introductory Panel Acknowledgements Related Material
I. CALENDAR Calendars, at the front of all Books of Hours, had the same function in the Middle Ages as they do today: to tell you what day it is. They did this not (as we now do) by enumerating the days of the month, but by citing the feast celebrated on that particular day. Our custom of calling February 14 Valentine’s Day and March 17 St. Patrick’s Day is a remnant of the medieval manner of marking time. The majority of these feasts commemorate those days on which the saints were martyred -- their “birthdays” into heaven. While most feasts are written in black ink, the more important ones are in red (hence our term red-letter day, meaning a major event). Calendars also include the Golden Numbers (a nonconsecutive series of numbers from i to xix that indicate the appearances of new moons) and the Dominical Letters (a repeating list of the letters A through G that indicate Sundays throughout each year). Using complicated formulas, these two series enabled one to find the date of Easter in any given year. Finally, some Calendars also include the ancient Roman calendrical system, which, among other things, designated the first of each month as “Kalends” (hence our term calendar).
1.	Book of Hours France, Paris, 1230s June and July The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.92, fols. 17v-18r Catalogue No. 12
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2.	Book of Hours Southeastern? France, ca. 1430 September The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.64, fol. 9r Catalogue No. 15
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3.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Morgan 85 France, Paris, ca. 1510-20 June The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1905, MS M.85, fol. 6r Catalogue No. 16
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4.	"Da Costa Hours", illuminated by Simon Bening Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1515 December The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1910, MS M.399, fol. 13v-14r Catalogue No. 17
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5.	Book of Hours, illumination attributed to Venturino Mercati Italy, probably Milan, ca. 1470 Gemini The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the Willim S. Glazier Collection, 1984, MS G.14, fol. 7v Catalogue No. 19
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6.	Book of Hours, illumination attributed to Agostino Decio France, Tours?, ca. 1530-40 Virgo The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alexandre P. Rosenberg, 1981, MS M.1030, fol. 8r Catalogue No. 20
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7.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by the widow of Thielman Kerver, June 19, 1525 February: Second Age of Man The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of Dr. Beatrice Bishop Berle, 1993, PML 125446, fol. A3v Catalogue No. 21
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8.	Book of Hours, designed by the Master of Anne de Bretagne France, Paris, printed by Philippe Pigouchet for Simon Vostre, June 28, 1500 Planetary Man The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, PML 580 [ChL 1487], fol. a2r Catalogue No. 23
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9.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by Philippe Pigouchet for Enguilbert, Jean, and Geoffroy de Marnef, ca. 1488-91 (almanac 1488-1508) Planetary Man The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased on the Trust Fund of Lathrop Colgate Harper, 1993, PML 127562 [ChL 1475X], fol. a2v Catalogue No. 22
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10.	Book of Hours France, Kirchheim (Alsace), printed by Marcus Reinhard, ca. 1490 (almanac 1490-1508) Zodiacal Man and Bleeding Charts The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1936, PML 32528.1 [ChL 578], fol. pi1v-pi2r Catalogue No. 24
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11.	Book of Hours England, Winchester?, 1490s ABC and Lord’s Prayer The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1912, MS M.487, fol. 1r Catalogue No. 3
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12.	Book of Hours Italy, Venice, printed by Aldus Manutius, December 5, 1497 Annunciation and Greek Alphabet The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1922, PML 21863 [ChL 1005 & 1002], fols. a1v-a2r Catalogue No. 25
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II. GOSPEL LESSONS Following the Calendar, the first text proper in a Book of Hours is usually a series of Gospel Lessons by the four evangelists. The first reading, from John (1:1-14), is a kind of preamble to the entire Book of Hours. The text, which opens “In principio erat Verbum...” (In the beginning was the Word), emphasizes the eternal generation of the Word (who is Jesus Christ), mankind’s need for redemption, and God’s willingness to provide it. Luke’s lesson (1:26-38) describes the Annunciation, Matthew’s (2:1-12) discusses the birth of Christ and the story of the Magi, and Mark’s (16:14-20) tells of Christ’s earthly appearances following his Resurrection. These four readings are also the Gospel Lessons that were read aloud in church by the priest on Christmas, the feast of the Annunciation, Epiphany, and the feast of Ascension. Later, Books of Hours included the text of the Passion of Christ according to John (18:1-19:42), which was read in church at the Good Friday service. Each Book of Hours thus contained the essence of the Church’s liturgical year. Since laypeople at this time did not own Bibles, these extracts from the New Testament provided one of the very few ways that Christians could actually possess the word of God.
13.	Book of Hours, illuminated by a follower of the Master of Petrarch’s Triumphs France, Paris, ca. 1520 John on Patmos The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1919, MS M.632, fol. 13v Catalogue No. 26
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14.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Morgan 96 France, Tours, ca. 1480 John Boiled in Oil The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.96, fol. 11r Catalogue No. 27
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15.	Book of Hours, designed by the Master of Anne de Bretagne France, Paris, printed by Ulrich Gering and Berthold Rembolt for Simon Vostre, September 8, 1498 John Boiled in Oil The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1913, PML 19604 [ChL 1504], fol. b2v Catalogue No. 28
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16.	"Hours of Jean Robertet", illuminated by Jean Fouquet France, Tours, ca. 1465-68 Luke The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased with the assistance of the Fellows, 1950, MS M.834, fol. 15r Catalogue No. 29
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17.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Jean Colombe and his workshop France, Bourges, ca. 1480 Luke Painting the Virgin The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, MS M.330, fol. 9v Catalogue No. 30
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18.	"Unfinished Hours", illuminated by Barthélemy van Eyck France, Provence, 1440-50 Matthew The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, MS M.358, fol. 17r Catalogue No. 31
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19.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Ango Hours France, Rouen, datable to 1525 Matthew The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.61, fol. 17r Catalogue No. 32
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20.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Jacques de Luxembourg France, Paris, or eastern France?, ca. 1465 Ascension The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Landon K. Thorne, Jr., 1979, MS M.1003, fol. 18v Catalogue No. 33
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21.	Book of Hours Belgium, Tournai?, ca. 1440 All Saints in Heaven and the Four Evangelists The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, MS M.357, fols. 14v-15r Catalogue No. 34
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22.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by François Regnault, 1534 Agony in the Garden The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, PML 17604, fol. A3v Catalogue No. 35
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III. HOURS OF THE VIRGIN The heart of every Book of Hours is the series of prayers called the Hours of the Virgin (thus the name Book of Hours). Each Hour is composed of psalms plus varying combinations of hymns, biblical readings, and ejaculations (short phrases such as antiphons, versicles, and responses). Ideally, these eight Hours were prayed throughout the course of the day: Matins and Lauds..........at night or upon rising Prime (first Hour)...........at 6:00 AM Terce (third Hour)..........at 9:00 AM Sext (sixth Hour)...........at noon Nones (ninth Hour)........at 3:00 PM Vespers (evensong)......in the early evening Compline.......................before retiring. The text of the Hours of the Virgin goes back to at least the ninth century, when the Hours first were recited or chanted by the clergy as part of their official daily prayer (called the Divine Office). By the late twelfth century, the Hours began to appear in Psalters, prayer books that were coming into use by laypeople. With a rising economy and the growth of the merchant class, the thirteenth century saw an increase in lay literacy. By the middle of the century, the Hours of the Virgin had “spun off” from the Psalter and formed the core of the laypeople’s prayer book, the Book of Hours. The Virgin Mary is, of course, not mentioned in the numerous psalms of the Old Testament that comprise much of the Hours. Framing the psalms, however, are antiphons and other prayers that offer a mystical interpretation of these texts and reveal the role played by the Virgin in mankind’s salvation since the beginning of time.
23.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Bedford Master and his workshop France, Paris, ca. 1430-35 Annunciation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, MS M.359, fol. 21r Catalogue No. 36
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24.	"Hours of Anne of Austria", illuminated by the Master of Anne de Bretagne France, Paris, late 1490s Annunciation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of Sharon G. Phillips and her children, Greer and Melissa, in memory of her husband and their father, Neil F. Phillips, QC, 1997, MS M.1110, fol. 37 Addendum to catalogue
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25.	Book of Hours, designed by the Master of Anne de Bretagne France, Paris, printed by Philippe Pigouchet for Simon Vostre, August 22, 1498 Tree of Jesse and Annunciation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of Dr. Beatrice Bishop Berle, 1993, PML 125444 [ChL 1483], fols. b3v-b4r Catalogue No. 38
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26.	"Hours of Henry VIII", illuminated by Jean Poyet France, Tours, ca. 1500 Annunciation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the Heineman Foundation, 1977, MS H.8, fol. 30v Catalogue No. 39
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27.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by Simon de Colines for Geoffroy Tory, January 17, 1525 Annunciation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, PML 17588,, fols. D3v-D4r Catalogue No. 40
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28.	"Hours of Claude Gouffier" Northern France, ca. 1555 Visitation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, MS M.538, fol. 25v Catalogue No. 42
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29.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Ghent Privileges Belgium, 1440s Visitation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.82, fol. 43r Catalogue No. 41
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30.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by Gillet and Germain Hardouyn, ca. 1509 (almanac 1509-24) Augustus and the Tiburtine Sibyl The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, PML 593,, fols. c2v-c3r Catalogue No. 43
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31.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Morgan Infancy Cycle The Netherlands, Delft?, ca. 1415-20 Nativity The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased with the assistance of the Fellows, 1953, MS M.866, fols. 33v-34r Catalogue No. 44
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32.	"Hours of Cecilia Gonzaga" Italy, probably Milan, ca. 1470 First Bath of Christ The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, MS M.454, fol. 190r Catalogue No. 45
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33.	Book of Hours Belgium, Bruges, 1460s Nativity and Christ before Pilate The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of Tessie Jones, 1976, MS M.972, fol. 88v Catalogue No. 47
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34.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Bible of Jean de Sy France, probably Verdun and Paris, ca. 1375 Christ Nailed to the Cross The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.90, fol. 76v Catalogue No. 48
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35.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Jean Bourdichon France, Tours, ca. 1515 Nativity The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1927, MS M.732,, fols. 31v-32r Catalogue No. 46
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36.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Geneva Latini and his workshop France, Rouen, ca. 1470 Annunciation to the Shepherds The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of Dr. Beatrice Bishop Berle, 1993, MS M.1093, fol. 57r Catalogue No. 50
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37.	Book of Hours Northern France or Flanders, ca. 1445 Annunciation to the Shepherds The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, MS M.287, fol. 64v Catalogue No. 49
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38.	Book of Hours, possibly designed by Jean Pichore France, Paris, printed by Jehan Pychore (as the name is spelled in the volume) and Rémy de Laistre, April 5, 1503 Adoration of the Magi The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, PML 583, fol. D7r Catalogue No. 52
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39.	"Hours of the Infante Don Alfonso de Castile" Spain, Castile, 1460s-70s Adoration of the Magi The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased with the assistance of the Fellows, 1951, MS M.854, fol. 90v Catalogue No. 51
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40.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by Simon de Colines, 1543 Adoration of the Magi The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of E. Clark Stillman, PML 126045, fols. f7v-f8r Catalogue No. 53
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41.	Book of Hours France, probably Arras, ca. 1310 Circumcision The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the William S. Glazier Collection, 1984, MS G.59, fol. 39r Catalogue No. 55
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42.	"Hours of Charlotte of Savoy", illuminated by the Guise Master France, Paris, ca. 1420-23 Flight into Egypt The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased with special assistance from Mrs. Vincent Astor, Mrs. Charles W. Engelhard, Haliburton Fales, 2nd, Alice Tully, and Julia P. Wightman, MS M.1004, fol. 54r Catalogue No. 56
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43.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Getty Epistles France, probably Tours, ca. 1530-35 Presentation in the Temple The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, MS M.452, fol. 64r Catalogue No. 54
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44.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by Antoine Chappiel for Gillet Hardouyn, November 24, 1503 Flight into Egypt The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1912, PML 19286, fol. E3v Catalogue No. 57
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45.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Harvard Hannibal France, Paris, ca. 1417 Death of the Virgin The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, MS M.455, fol. 84v Catalogue No. 60
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46.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Simon Marmion Northern France and Belgium, ca. 1480 Coronation of the Virgin The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1900, MS M.6, fol. 57v Catalogue No. 58
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47.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Georges Trubert France, Avignon, ca. 1485-90 Coronation of the Virgin The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, MS M.348, fol. 106 Catalogue No. 59
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IV. HOURS OF THE CROSS AND HOURS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT In addition to the Hours devoted to the Virgin, two others, the Hours of the Cross and the Hours of the Holy Spirit, were popular. Both consist mainly of brief hymns and prayers, but without the lengthy psalms and lessons found in the Hours of the Virgin. In most manuscripts and printed books, the Hours of the Cross and those of the Holy Spirit follow one another, forming a kind of unit. Normally they immediately follow the Hours of the Virgin, although in some cases they are intermingled with the Marian Hours. The theme of the Hours of the Cross is the Passion of Christ. A short hymn in each Hour enables the reader to meditate sequentially on pivotal events from the Savior’s final days. The theme for Matins is Christ’s betrayal; for Prime, Christ’s appearance before Pilate; at Terce, Christ’s crowning with thorns, and so forth. Throughout the Hours of the Holy Spirit, the reader contemplates attributes of the Holy Spirit or the role he played or will play in mankind’s salvation. Terce, for example, considers Pentecost; Sext, the role of the apostles, inspired by the Holy Spirit, as missionaries; and Compline dwells on the Last Judgment.
48.	Book of Hours, illuminated by a Master of the Gold Scrolls Belgium, Bruges?, ca. 1440 Crucifixion The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1900, MS M.19, fol. 89r Catalogue No. 61
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49.	Book of Hours France, probably Thérouanne, ca. 1320s Flagellation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1929, MS M.754, fols. 65v-66r Catalogue No. 62
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50.	Book of Hours, illuminated by a late follower of the Master of the Geneva Latini France, Rouen, ca. 1500 Isaiah Sawn Asunder The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the Heineman Foundation, MS H.1, fol. 17r Catalogue No. 63
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51.	"Black Hours", illuminated by a follower of Willem Vrelant Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1470 Pentecost The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1912, MS M.493, fols. 18v-19r Catalogue No. 64
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52.	"Grandes Heures Royales" France, Paris, printed by Antoine Vérard, after August 20, 1490 (almanac 1488-1508) Mystical Pentecost The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of an anonymous benefactor, 1995, PML 127725 [ChL 1523B], fol. a5r Catalogue No. 65
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53.	"Strawberry Hours", illuminated by the Master of Morgan 453 France, Paris, ca. 1420 Paul Baptizing the Converted The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of Dr. Beatrice Berle in memory of her father, Cortlandt Field Bishop, 1982, MS M.1000, fol. 151v Catalogue No. 66
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V. PENITENTIAL PSALMS AND LITANY Medieval tradition ascribed the authorship of the Seven Penitential Psalms to King David, who composed them as penance for his grievous sins. These transgressions included adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah (David had the unsuspecting spouse sent to the front lines of battle, ensuring his death). In a second occurrence of sin, a prideful David offended God by ordering a census of Israel and Judah. These particular psalms (reckoned 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, and 142 by medieval Catholics) have a long association with atonement. It is thought that by at least the third century they formed a part of Jewish liturgy. In the Christian tradition, they were known by the sixth century, when the Roman monk Cassiodorus referred to them as a sevenfold means of obtaining forgiveness. These seven Psalms became linked to the Seven Deadly Sins, and the former were commonly prayed to avoid the latter. Immediately after the Psalms came the Litany, a hypnotic enumeration of saints whose aid the sinner sought. Apostles, male martyrs, and confessors (male nonmartyr saints) were followed by female virgin martyrs and widows. Celestial hierarchy (men before women, celibacy preferred) mirrored that of medieval society.
54.	"Berkeley Hours", illuminated by the Master of Sir John Fastolf Southern England, ca. 1440-50 David in Prayer The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the William S. Glazier Collection, 1984, MS G.9, fol. 75r Catalogue No. 71
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55.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of the Dresden Prayer Book Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1475 David in Prayer The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Kraus, with the assistance of the Fellows, 1986, MS M.1077, fol. 118v Catalogue No. 72
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56.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Attavante degli Attavanti Italy, Florence, 1490s David and Goliath and David in Prayer The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.14, fols. 104v-105r Catalogue No. 73
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57.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Robinet Testard France, Poitiers, ca. 1475 Lust The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased on the Fellows Fund, 1979, MS M.1001, fol. 98r Catalogue No. 75
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58.	Book of Hours France, Paris, printed by Thielman Kerver, August 5, 1513 Bathsheba at Her Bath The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, PML 594, fol. G4r Catalogue No. 74
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59.	"Farnese Hours", illuminated by Giulio Clovio Italy, Rome, dated 1546 Corpus Christi Procession The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1903, MS M.69, fols. 72v-73r Catalogue No. 77
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VI. OFFICE OF THE DEAD The Office of the Dead was in the back of every Book of Hours the way death itself was always at the back of the medieval mind. While the other prayers in a Book of Hours are considered quasi-liturgical (reflecting but not wholly equaling official Church practice), the Office of the Dead is identical to that found in the service books used by the Church’s ordained. It was assumed that most people’s entry into heaven would be delayed by a stay (lasting, potentially, thousands of years) in purgatory, the fires of which cleansed the soul of unforgiven sin. Praying the Office of the Dead for one’s deceased friends or relatives was one of the more efficacious means of reducing for them the fiery price of paradise. The dead were unable to pray for themselves. While the Office of the Dead was recited at funerals, lay men and women, like the clergy, were encouraged to pray it every day. The Office consists of psalms plus a series of moving readings from the Old Testament Book of Job. The trials endured by Job become an allegory for one’s time on earth -- and in purgatory. The voice of Job, continually crying for pity and mercy, becomes the voice of the dead.
60.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Chief Associate of Maître François France, Paris, ca. 1485-90 Last Rites The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.231, fol. 137r Catalogue No. 93
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61.	Book of Hours Northern France, possibly Thérouanne, early fourteenth century Last Rites The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.60, fol. 63v Catalogue No. 92
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62.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Jean Colombe and his workshop France, Angers and Bourges, ca. 1465 and ca. 1470 Funeral Procession to the Church The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.248, fol. 87v Catalogue No. 94
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63.	Book of Hours Central France, ca. 1470 Chanting the Office of the Dead The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.159, fol. 104r Catalogue No. 95
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64.	Book of Hours France, Brittany or Angers, ca. 1440 Requiem Mass The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1906, MS M.157, fol. 129v Catalogue No. 96
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65.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the workshop of Willem Vrelant Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1470 Requiem Mass The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the Heineman Foundation, 1977, MS H.7, fol. 108v Catalogue No. 97
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66.	Book of Hours Belgium, Tournai?, 1480s Absolution The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1908, MS M.234, fol. 108v Catalogue No. 99
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67.	"Warwick Psalter-Hours", illumination attributed to William Abell England, London?, 1430s Absolution The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased on the Belle da Costa Greene Fund, with the assistance of the Fellows, 1958, MS M.893, fol. 60r Catalogue No. 98
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68.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Charles de Neufchâtel France, Besançon, ca. 1470 Burial within the Church The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1900, MS M.28, fol. 111r Catalogue No. 100
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69.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Jeanne de Laval France, Angers, 1440s Procession to the Graveyard The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.63, fol. 89r Catalogue No. 101
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70.	Book of Hours Northern France, early fifteenth century Preparation for Burial The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, MS M.264, fol. 101r Catalogue No. 102
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71.	Book of Hours Belgium, possibly Brussels, ca. 1475 Burial The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, MS M.485, fol. 132v Catalogue No. 103
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72.	"Hours of Marie de Rieux", illuminated by the Master of Marguerite d’Orléans France, Poitiers, 1440s Burial The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.190, fol. 1r Catalogue No. 104
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73.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Morgan 453 France, Paris, ca. 1425-30 Burial The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, MS M.453, fol. 133v Catalogue No. 105
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74.	Book of Hours, illuminated by a follower of the Coëtivy Master France, Rouen, ca. 1465-75 Burial, with a Soul Released from Purgatory The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of Mrs. Roy O’Connor, 1984, MS M.1055, fol. 87v Catalogue No. 106
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75.	"Hours of Catherine of Cleves", illuminated by the Master of Catherine of Cleves (reproduction) The Netherlands, Utrecht, ca. 1440 Hell The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased with the assistance of various Fellows, 1970, MS M.945, fol. 168v Catalogue No. 107
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VII. SUFFRAGES Suffrages are short prayers to individual saints. As protectors of medieval people, saints were their doctor in plague, their midwife at childbirth, their guardian upon travel, their nurse during toothache. If the Virgin was the figure to whom one addressed the all-important petition for eternal salvation, it was from saints that one sought more basic or temporal kinds of help. While the Virgin became, as the Mother of God, almost a goddess herself, saints always retained more of their humanity and thus their approachability.
76.	Book of Hours, illuminated by a Master of the Delft Grisailles The Netherlands, Delft, ca. 1440 St. Ursula and the 11,000 Virgins The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, MS M.349, fols. 181v-182r Catalogue No. 88
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77.	Book of Hours Bohemia, probably the Monastery of Luka, near Znaim, ca. 1215 St. Wenceslas and St. Nicholas The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1928, MS M.739, fol. 149r Catalogue No. 85
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78.	Book of Hours, illuminated by a late follower of the Master of the Munich Golden Legend France, probably Paris, ca. 1460 Decapitation of St. John the Baptist The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, MS M.282, fol. 124v Catalogue No. 89
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79.	"Hours of William Porter", illuminated by the Master of Sir John Fastolf France, Rouen, ca. 1420-25 Martyrdom of St. Thomas Becket The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.105, fol. 46r Catalogue No. 87
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80.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Simon Bening Belgium, Bruges, dated 1531 St. Michael Battling Demons The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, MS M.451, fols. 103v Catalogue No. 91
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VIII. PATRONAGE How people felt about their Books of Hours is reflected in the varied marks of ownership -- sometimes proud, sometimes personal -- they had painted on their pages. Portraits abound, from the generic in early manuscripts, to the recognizable in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Other owners’ marks include coats of arms, initials, monograms, and personal emblems. These devices had more than one purpose. While reminding God of the identity of the person who commissioned the manuscript, they also advertised the owner’s discerning taste, wealth, and place in society. In the hands of a descendant, a personalized Book of Hours became a monument to a dead relative.
81.	"Psalter-Hours of Yolande de Soissons" France, Amiens, ca. 1280-90 Yolande de Soissons in Prayer The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1927, MS M.729, fol. 232v Catalogue No. 1
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82.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Jean Poyet France, Tours, ca. 1495, for two inserted miniatures, and Berry? ca. 1510 for the codex itself Arms of King Charles VIII and Charles Presented to Christ The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, MS M.250, fol. 13v-14r Catalogue No. 7
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83.	"Hours of Charles V", illuminated by the Master of Charles V Belgium, Brussels, ca. 1540 Emperor Charles V in Prayer The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1925, MS M.696, fol. 56r Catalogue No. 8
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84.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Petrarch’s Triumphs France, Paris, ca. 1505-10 Monograms and Mottoes The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1906, MS M.618, fols. 56v-57r Catalogue No. 10
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85.	"Hours of Pierre de Bosredont", illuminated by Guillaume Hugueniot France, Langres, ca. 1465 Miracle of St. Hubert and Pierre de Bosredont Hunting The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the William S. Glazier Collections, 1984, MS G.55, fols. 124v-125r Catalogue No. 6
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86.	"Hours of Claude Molé", illuminated by the Master of Petrarch’s Triumphs France, Paris, ca. 1500 The Virgin and Claude Molé The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, MS M.356, fol. 58v-59r Catalogue No. 9
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87.	"DuBois Hours" England, London?, ca. 1325-30 Virgin and Child Adored by Hawisia DuBois and Her Family The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1926, MS M.700, fol. 3v Catalogue No. 5
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IX. ACCESSORY TEXTS Books of Hours are like automobiles. While they consist of certain texts without which they cannot properly function, there was a nearly inexhaustible array of ancillary devotions that people, depending on their piety and pocketbook, felt free to include. Medieval people personalized their prayer books the way modern people accessorize their cars. The prayers included here were among the more frequently chosen and illustrated. These accessory devotions address pietistic concerns not covered elsewhere in the Book of Hours, such as prayers to the Holy Face of Christ, for votive Masses, or to Christ’s Five Wounds.
88.	"Hours of Catherine of Cleves", illuminated by the Master of Catherine of Cleves The Netherlands, Utrecht, ca. 1440 Crucifixion, with Catherine of Cleves and Virgin and Child in an Enclosed Garden The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bought on the Belle da Costa Greene Fund and with the assistance of the Fellows, 1963, MS M.917, pp. 160-161 Catalogue No. 78
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89.	"Hours of Anne of France", illuminated by Jean Colombe France, Bourges, 1470s Man of Sorrows and Virgin Praying The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1923, MS M.677, fols. 37v-38r Catalogue No. 81
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90.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Jean Chevrot Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1450 Vera Icon The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1910, MS M.421, fol. 13v Catalogue No. 82
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91.	Book of Hours, illuminated by the Master of Guillebert de Mets Belgium, Ghent? and England (additions), 1420-30 Last Judgement The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.46, fol. 99v Catalogue No. 86
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92.	"Hours of Duke Arthur III of Brittany", illuminated by the Master of the Munich Golden Legend France, Paris or Angers?, ca. 1435 Mass of St. Gregory The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased around 1910, MS M.241, fol. 40v Catalogue No. 80
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93.	Book of Hours France, Langres?, ca. 1485-90 St. Bernard with the Devil in Chains The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1900, MS M.26, fol. 24 Catalogue No. 90
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X. "OBSECRO TE" AND "O INTEMERATA" These two special prayers to the Virgin appear in nearly all Books of Hours. They are known by their incipits (opening words): “Obsecro te” (I beseech you) and “O intemerata” (O immaculate Virgin). Written in the first person singular, they address the Virgin directly and in especially plaintive terms. Among the most moving of all prayers in Books of Hours, they encapsulate the essence of late medieval spirituality. They ask the Virgin (addressed as “mother of orphans, consolation of the desolate, the way for those who stray”) to act as intercessor for the sinner. The “Obsecro te” ends with the following plea: “At the end of my life show me your face, and reveal to me the day and hour of my death.”
94.	Book of Hours Belgium, Bruges or Valenciennes?, ca. 1470 Madonna Enthroned The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, MS M.285, fol. 108v Catalogue No. 67
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95.	Book of Hours, illuminated by Maître François France, Paris, ca. 1470 Madonna Enthroned, with Patron The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1902, MS M.73, fol. 13r Catalogue No. 68
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96.	"Hours of Jean Carondelet", illumination attributed to the Master of Sir George Talbot Belgium, Bruges, early sixteenth century Lamentation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1910, MS M.390, fols. 169v-170r Catalogue No. 69
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97.	Book of Hours, illuminated by a follower of the Chief Associate of Maître François France, Paris, ca. 1500 Lamentation The Pierpont Morgan Library, Gift of the Heineman Foundation, 1977, MS H.5, fols. 17v-18r Catalogue No. 70
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98.	Book of Hours, designed by the Master of Anne de Bretagne France, Paris, printed by Philippe Pigouchet for Simon Vostre, March 20-April 17, 1497 O Intemerata border scenes The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1900, PML 572 [ChL 1481], fols. i8v-k1r Catalogue No. 18
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XI. ADDITIONAL OBJECTS
	Lichtenthal Altar Tabernacle Germany, Rhenish, early fourteenth century The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1908, AZ048
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	Virgin and Child Belgium, sixteenth century The Pierpont Morgan Library, Bequest of E. Clark Stillman, 1995,
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	Hans Memling (1433/40?-1494), Patroness with St. Anne and Patron with St. William of Maleval Belgium, Bruges, ca. 1467-70 The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, AZ012.1, AZ012.2
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	Portable Shrine France, Paris, ca. 1320-40 The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1911, AZ012.1
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	Virgin and Child France, ca. 1300-50 The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1909, AZ027
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	Private Altarpiece, by the workshop of Arnau Bassa Spain, Barcelona, mid-fourteenth century The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907,
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	Death of the Virgin Bohemia, ca. 1360 The Pierpont Morgan Library, Purchased in 1907, AZ022.2
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