Works of Mercy from BL YT 31, f. 110v

Detail of an eight-part miniature in in Matfré Ermengau of Béziers's Breviari d'Amour of a good man performing a number of works of mercy, including feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, giving shelter to the homeless, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead. The two lower miniatures depict the death of the good man and his soul being carried away by angels. Image taken from f. 110v 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.