Messenger from BL Royal 19 C XI, f. 41v

Detail of a miniature of a messenger with dice, a pot of money, and a leather wallet. Image taken from f. 41v of Moral treatises, poems, prayers and hymns, including the Moralised Game of Chess (ff. 1-51), the tale of Melibeus (ff. 52-65v), a French translation of the Moralis Philosophia of Guillaume de Conches (ff. 66-78), a poem by Jean Chapuis (but attributed to Jehan de Meun) beginning 'O glorieuse Trinite' (ff. 79-88v), a poem by Philippe de Vitry, beginning, 'Par maniere desbatement' (ff. 89-95), a poem by Jean Bruyant beginning, 'On dit souvent en reprochier' (ff. 95v-113v), Elucidaires (a French translation of the Elucidarius) (ff. 114-147v), the Penitential Psalms (ff. 148-151v), prayers (ff. 152-155v). Written in French and Latin.

Jacques de Cessoles was a 13th-century French cleric and author. He is best known for his moral allegory "The Game of Chess," which used a chess game as a metaphor for the struggles of human life and the virtues and vices that people encounter. The game was used to teach moral lessons, with each piece representing a different type of person or moral quality. "The Game of Chess" was extremely popular in the Middle Ages and was widely translated and adapted in various forms throughout Europe. It is considered one of the earliest examples of a "book of conduct" and is an important piece of medieval literature and social history.

The BL Royal Manuscript Collection, also known as the Royal Collection, consists of over 2,000 manuscripts that were once owned by the British monarchs, including English and later British kings and queens from the late 12th to the 19th centuries. These manuscripts are notable for their historical and artistic value.

The collection was initially stored in various royal libraries and palaces, such as the Tower of London and Westminster Palace. During the English Civil War in the 17th century and the subsequent Interregnum, many royal treasures, including manuscripts, were dispersed and sold. Some manuscripts were lost, destroyed, or ended up in private hands.

In 1757, King George II donated the Old Royal Library to the British Museum (which later became the British Library), where the manuscripts were integrated into the museum's collections. This marked the formal establishment of the Royal Manuscript Collection within the British Museum.