Add MS 53710

THE THORNE CHRONICLE: chronicle of William Thorne, monk at St Augustine's, Canterbury, compiled at the end of the 14th cent. and covering the period 578-1397; early 15th cent. (script). Latin. One of two surviving MSS. of this text, the other being Corpus Christi College Cambridge MS. 189, ff. 46-190. Printed from both MSS. by Sir Roger Twysden in Historiae Anglicanae Scriptores Decem (1652). The text is translated with introduction in A. H. Davis, William Thorne's Chronicle of Saint Augustine's Abbey Canterbury (1934). For a discussion of the text of this MS. and its relationship with Corpus Christi Cambridge MS. 189, see M. A. F. Borrie, 'The Thorne Chronicle', BMQ, xxxi (1967), pp. 87-90. The volume also contains the following material: (a) two charters of Ethelbert of Kent to the Abbey of SS Peter and Paul (St Augustine's), Canterbury; 605. Copies, 15th cent. W. de G. Birch, Cartularium Saxonicum, i(1885), nos. 4, 5. ff. 193v-194;- (b) memoranda of bonds for the ransom of Alfonso de Villena (Duke of Gandia 1412), son of the Count of Denia, held hostage in England for his father after the battle of Najéra in 1367; 15th cent.

f. 194v. Anti-papal verses beg. 'Now thank thee Thorn, for by thy Work I see' occur in an early 17th-cent. hand (f. iii). Numerous marginal notes, 15th-17th cent. Purchased by Sir Roger Twysden, 2nd Bart., from Laurence Sadler, bookseller, on 15 Oct. 1629, for 25s., and rebound for 3s. 6d., according to a note in Twysden's hand (f. iii verso). Memoranda by Twysden also occur on fly-leaves, etc. (ff. ii, v, 196v-199) and in marginals. Annotations relating to the text in another early 17th-cent. hand appear on the fly-leaves (ff. i verso, 199). '70', in a 17th-18th cent. hand (f. ii). Sold with the rest of Twysden's library by Sir William Twysden, 5th Bart., to Sir Thomas Saunders Sebright, 4th Bart., early 1715, see The Diary of Humfrey Wanley, ed. C. E. Wright and R. C. Wright, i (1966), pp. 3-4. At the sale of the library of Sir John Saunders Sebright, 7th Bart., it was purchased by Richard Heber for 12s., Sotheby's sale-cat. 11 April 1807, lot 1195: a memorandum in Heber's hand (f. ii) reads 'Sir J. Seabrights Sale 1807 - 12'. Acquired by Sir Thomas Phillipps at Heber's sale, 10 Feb. 1836, R. H. Evans sale-cat. lot 498. See also f. i verso. Phillipps MS. 8138. Purchased at Sotheby's at a sale of Phillipps' MSS., 30 Nov. 1965, lot 24.

Vellum, with paper fly-leaves; ff. v+199+186*. Old foliation: (a) contem-porary foliation 1-254 in arabic numerals centre top recto. 191 follows 130 but no break in text. The series is corrected from f. 131 in arabic numerals, bottom right hand corner recto, in a 17th-cent. hand, possibly by Twysden;- (b) second medieval series in arabic numerals, top right hand corner recto, 31-233 through ff. 1-194, indicating that the MS. was then part of a composite volume. Partially erased on ff. 1-45;- (c) pagination 1-384 through ff. 1-194, (2 pp. missed between pp. 67 and 68, pp. 378 and 379 repeated); late 16th cent. Formerly part of a composite volume (see above). 280 x 190mm. Gatherings: i-xv10, xvi8, xvii12(lacks 12), xviii6, xix2, xx8, xxi10(lacks 10). Catchwords at ends of quires iii-iv, vi-ix, xi-xiv, and in quire xvii (f. 166v). Text area 234 x 145mm. Single columns. Ruling of lines per page varies. English hands: A. ff. 1-140v;- B.

ff. 141-148v; C. Various cursive hands. ff. 149-194v. Headings, etc., in red. English binding, 17th cent., circa 1629, brown calf, gilt and blind line borders, gilt-stamped. 290 x 195mm. Two cord book marks.