The chief centres were still Tours
and Metz--the latter a branch of the former, but gradually developing
distinct features of its own; and among the productions of these schools
there still remain precious--we might say priceless--examples, such as
the Vivien Bible of the Paris Library, so-called because presented by
Count Vivien, Abbat of St. Martin's of Tours, to Charles the Bald in
850.[17] It contains a fine picture of the presentation with _beardless_
figures. It has also a number of exceedingly splendid initials showing
strong Byzantine influence--capitals of columns of classic origin and
traces of Merovingian in letter forms and ornamental details. It is like
the Evangeliary of Lothaire, already mentioned, a most sumptuous example
rich in silver and gold--the latter having a grand portrait of Lothaire
seated on his throne. Both MSS. are in the National Library at Paris,
the Vivien, No. 1 (Theol. Lat.), the Lothaire, No. 266. But the one
example to which we would call the reader's attention, though among the
earlier productions of the period, as not only most readily accessible,
but most precious to the English student, is the celebrated Alcuin Bible
in the British Museum (Add. MS. 10546). This venerable MS. is a copy of
the Vulgate revised by Alcuin himself, and said to be exactly similar to
the one at Bamberg.
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