Weighing of Souls and one of the Torments of Hell from BL YT 31, f. 170

Miniature of an angel weighing the virtues and vices of two souls on its scales, while stabbing at a devil who tries to tip the balance; miniature of three sinners in a fiery hell-mouth, being tormented by devils, in Matfré Ermengau of Béziers's Breviari d'Amour. Image taken from f. 170 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.