Add MS 8101

Contents:

A genealogical chronicle of England from Brutus to the death of William the Conqueror, with a commentary in Anglo-Norman French, and additional material.

Face of roll:

Membrane 1: A diagram in red and brown of the Heptarchy followed by commentaries with the following rubrics, 'Descripcio Britannie sive Anglie' and 'De divisione Regnor[um] in Anglia' (found in two other rolls, Royal MS 14 B v, Royal MS 14 B vi and in Royal MS 13 A xviii, f. 150);

Membranes 1-3: The continuation of the genealogical diagram of the kings of England that begins on the verso of the roll, with roundels and lines in blue, red, yellow or green, and with some rubrics in Latin. This section is from Ethelbert to William I, with a commentary in Anglo-Norman French, under the rubric, 'De monarchia anglo[rum] v[el] saxon[um]', explicit, 'il morust en le LIX an de son age; en l'an de grace Mil LXVII, le jour de Noel, fu couroune de l'ercevesqe d'Everwyk'.

One or more membranes is missing between membranes 3 and 4 containing the latter part of the genealogical diagram, probably up to Edward;

Membranes 4-5: A history of the world from the creation to 1066, in the left column; a list of kings from Brutus to Vortigern, in the right column (membrane 4); an account of the reign of King Arthur, referred to beside his roundel on the dorse (membrane 5);

Membranes 5-6: Seven columns with lists of the kings of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. the list of West Saxon kings (column 4) continues with Norman kings up to Edward I; an account of the four conquests of England by the Britons, Romans, Saxons and Normans, incipit, 'Ore brievement vous dirrons de cestes iiii conquests de ceste Isle' (Dean , Anglo-Norman (1999), no. 12); the date of composition of the text is stated here, 'cest an del incarnation MCC iiii^xx xvi' (1296) (membrane 6);

Membrane 7: blank.

Dorse of roll (dorse abbreviated as 'd'):

Membrane 1d-2d: A series of lists of kings of the Heptarchy, incipit, 'Cadwala ....qui Bede apelle Cadwalla';a list of the descendants of Malcolm king of Scotland, in French, incipit, 'Maucolm Roi Descosse'; a list of the descendants of Ranulph, count of Chester, in Latin, incipit 'Ranulphus comes cestre'; documents in Latin and French concerning the English claim to homage from the kings of Scotland, the last one (lines 21,22) dated 1291 at Norham;

Membranes 2d-7d: A genealogical diagram of the kings of England from Brutus to Egbert (d. 839), consisting of roundels and lines of descent in brown. The accompanying commentary begins, '[B]rutus fitz Sisille (for Silvi) primer roi de Bretaigne...'; part of the commentary, from Girguint Barbtruc to Kimbelin is missing (see Laborderie, 'Ligne de reis' (2002), p. 1373); the diagram is continued on the face, membranes 1-3. .

The contents are similar to London, College of Arms, ms 20/5, which may have been the exemplar for this roll, or the two may have been copied from the same exemplar. Parts of the commentary are based on Geoffrey of Monmouth's, Historia Regum Britanniae. This is one of the few rolls on which the genealogy was copied on both the recto and verso from the beginning.

Decoration:

Initials in blue and paraphs in red or blue. Rubrics in red (membranes 1,3).