Directorium ad faciendum passagium transmarinum
The Directorium ad faciendum passagium transmarinum (or Directorium ad passagium for short) is an anonymous 24,000-word Latin treatise on crusading submitted to King Philip VI of France on 26 July 1330 or 1332. The treatise proposes the conquest of the Holy Land, the Byzantine Empire and Russia and their subjection to the Catholic Church; outlines how this might be achieved; and describes how the conquered territories could be administered. Two French translations were produced, one by Jean de Vignay in 1333 and another by Jean Miélot in 1455. Both are transmitted in richly illustrated manuscripts. There are a total of 15 surviving manuscripts in Latin or French. The authorship of the treatise has been a matter of much speculation. Manuscripts There are nine known extant manuscripts of the Latin text: Brussels, Bibliothèque royale de Belgique, 9176 (14th century) Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 5990, ff. 34–55 (14th century) Basel, Öffentliche Bibliothek der Universität, A. I. 28, ff. 254v–291v (15th century) Oxford, Magdalen College Library, 43, ff. 1–24 (15th century) Vatican, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Pal. lat. 603, ff. 73–133v (15th century) Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, lat. 5138, ff. 1–39 (17th century) London, British Library, Harley 3995 El Escorial, Real