186 Cockaigne, land of
Cockaigne, land of SeeFAMINE; FOOD, DRINK, AND
NUTRITION.
Code of Justinian (Codex justinianus)See CORPUS
IURIS CIVILIS;JUSTINIANI.
codex SeeCODICOLOGY AND THE BOOKS; PALEOGRAPHY.
Codex iuris canonici (CIC)See LAW, CANON AND
ECCLESIASTICAL.
codicology and the book Codicology is the disci-
pline relating to the material study of the manuscript
book, called by some the archaeology of the book. It has
involved the physical aspects of manuscripts, the history
of libraries and collections, the present condition of
manuscript books including conservation, medieval cata-
logues, and the production of and trade in such
manuscripts. It also has been concerned with how, when,
and where such a manuscript was made and by whom,
for whom, and for what purpose it was used. These
aspects can be viewed as the study of the production and
distribution of knowledge as expressed in the content of
handwritten books.
FROM THE ROLL TO THE CODEXIn antiquity, the book was a roll of PAPYRUSleaves pasted
together to form long strips on which writing was
arranged in columns and done from left to right. These
were rolled between two sticks that the reader unrolled.
This arrangement was neither easy nor practical if one
wanted to move around in the texts themselves as Chris-
tians, Jews, and later Muslims might read the BIBLEor the
QURAN. The volumen,or the rolled book, prevailed until
the appearance in the first century C.E. of a book formed
from a collection of leaves held together at one side. This
style allowed easy turning of pages to see any part of the
text. This form of the book or the codexwas a collection
of leaves folded in two and grouped in one or more small
fascicles or quires, formed from sheets folded in two to
yield eight leaves. This form became dominant by the
fourth century. It remained the standard manuscript book
form throughout the Middle Ages, survived the introduc-
tion of PRINTING, and has lasted to today.
See alsoARCHIVES AND ARCHIVAL INSTITUTIONS; BOOKS
OR CODICES, HISTORY OF; ILLUMINATION; LIBRARIES; PALE-
OGRAPHY; PAPER, INTRODUCTION OF; PARCHMENT.
Further reading:Malachi Beit-Arié, Hebrew Manu-
scripts of East and West: Toward a Comparative Codicology
(London: British Library, 1993); Yasin Dutton, ed., The
Codicology of Islamic Manuscripts: Proceedings of the Sec-
ond Conference of Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation
4–5 December 1993(London: Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage
Foundation, 1995); Albert Gruys, Codicologica: Towards a
Science of Handwritten Books,4 vols. (Leiden: E. J. Brill,
1976–1980).Coeur, Jacques(ca. 1395–1456)rich merchant, royal
treasurer
Born about 1395 in Bourges in France, he married
Macée de Léodépart, the daughter of a city official, in
about 1422. By 1438 he had established himself in the
luxury trade with the eastern Mediterranean and was
appointed royal treasurer, with the responsibility for
supplying CLOTHING, FURS, jewels, and armaments,
SPICES, and art objects to the French court. He became a
major creditor and banker to King CHARLES VII of
France. At the same time his commercial activities had
spread all over Europe. His agents were conducting
business in the commercial centers of France, at ROUEN,
La Rochelle, Limoges, LYON, and AVIGNON, and in
the major foreign markets of BRUGES, Geneva, Genoa,
Naples, Palermo, Barcelona, and Valencia. All this
success allowed him to build for himself in his home-
town of Bourges one of the most beautiful palaces of
15th-century Europe.THE DANGERS OF HIGH FINANCE
Jacques Coeur’s political and financial enterprises were
based on the success and confidence of Charles VII. As a
member of the King’s Council, he lent the money to
retake NORMANDYfrom the English in 1450, after suc-
cessfully reforming the currency in 1447. All this risky
business had a shaky foundation with few liquid
resources actually backing it. Many of his debtors
became his enemies when they could meet their obliga-
tions to him only by ceding their pledged lands and pat-
rimonies. After the king decided it was easier to
imprison and disgrace Coeur than to repay him, he was
arrested on July 31, 1451. The ensuing investigation and
testimony took almost two years and the sentence was
pronounced by a special commission on May 29, 1453.
Linked to strange charges involving the poisoning of the
king’s mistress, he was dubiously convicted of high trea-
son, condemned to banishment, and forced to pay a fine
equal to the value of all his possessions. In the mean-
time, he had escaped from prison and fled to Rome,
where the pope took him under his protection; there he
was able to continue some of his business activities. He
joined a papal fleet sent against the TURKSand died in
the island of Chios near Greece, perhaps in battle, on
November 25, 1456.
Further reading: Albert Boardman Kerr, Jacques
Coeur: Merchant Prince of the Middle Ages(Freeport, N.Y.:
Books for Libraries Press, 1971).coinage and currency The production of instruments
of exchange such as coinage with a standard value and
ready availability in a functioning economy of monetary