Deeds of devils from BL YT 31, f. 44

Full-page miniatures of the deeds of devils, divided into three tiers. Upper tier: miniature of the fall of the angels from heaven, with God seated on the left and a gaping hell-mouth below. Central tier (from left to right): miniature of a throned devil sending out two others; miniature of a devil encouraging a man and a woman to give in to lust; miniature of a devil encouraging a crowned woman to give into avarice, pouring a bag of money into her robe. Lower tier (from left to right): miniature of a devil tempting a soldier to rob and threaten a young woman; miniature of a devil encouraging two armed men to fight one another; miniature of a devil causing a storm at sea to surround a ship with three people aboard, in Matfré Ermengau of Béziers's Breviari d'Amour. Image taken from f. 44 of Breviari d'Amor (Catalan prose version). Written in Spanish (Catalan), with some Hebrew (ff. 131-134).

Henry Yates Thompson (1838-1928) was a British collector and philanthropist who assembled this remarkable collection over his lifetime. The collection is now housed at the British Library in London.

Henry Yates Thompson was born into a wealthy family in 1838. Thompson began collecting manuscripts and other items in the 1870s. His collection quickly gained recognition for its exceptional quality and breadth. He had a keen eye for illuminated manuscripts, which are manuscripts decorated with intricate illustrations and calligraphy. The collection has a particular emphasis on medieval manuscripts.