An old Spanish tale from Add. Ms. 14040, flf. 113r-114v: 'Exenplo que acaesçio en tierra de Damasco a la buena duenna climeçia que avia veynte annos e la mecia en cuna'

Abstract

• THE main body of Add. MS. 14040 contains three translations into Castilian: Ramon Lull's 'Libre del gentil e los tres savis' (ff. 1-85V) in a version by Gonçalo Sanches de Useda and his 'Coment del dictat' (ff. 86r-iiir) from the Catalan, and an extract from the Flores Sancti Bernardi, probably from the Latin (ff. 111v-112v). The first text is copied in one hand, the second and third in another. The text published here for the first time (see figs. 2-5) was added to the manuscript between 1406 (the date of composition or copying of the Flores version) and its acquisition by Hernando Colón (d. 1539), who added his mark of ownership at the bottom of f. 114v. The copyist of our text doubtless thought the story suitable for inclusion because it cites the Flores at 11. 90-3.