" And we gather from another note
that the book had been entrusted to Fouquet for completion by Jacques
d'Armagnac duc de Nemours. A further note informs us that the book
belonged to the Duc de Bourbon. It seems to have been one of the rich
presents made by the Due de Berry to Jacques de Nemours. The first three
miniatures are by the illuminator of the Duc de Berry, and this artist
was probably Andrieu Beauneveu, though other illuminators did work for
him, as Jacques de Hesdin and Pol de Limbourg. The fourth miniature is
by Fouquet, and represents a battle; the rest to the seventh are either
not his best work or else the work of his pupils, but the seventh on
folio 135 gives us a good idea of Fouquet at his best. It represents
David receiving with his crown the news of the death of Saul. The
eighth, ninth, and tenth are very fine, but the eleventh M. Paulin Paris
(MSS. du Roy) thinks the most beautiful of all. Its subject is the
clemency of Cyrus towards the captive Jews in Babylon.[55] Of the other
MSS. space forbids us reluctantly to forego description.
[55] See Mrs. Mark Pattison's (Lady Dilke) _The Renaissance in France_,
i. 273, etc.; Bradley, _Dict. of Miniaturists_ art. "Fouquet," i. 346.
The characteristics of the school of Tours as seen in the work of the
greatest of its expositors is (1) The clearly marked influence of Italy
and the antique.
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