Royal MS 18 C VIII-IX

18 C. VIII, IX

THE CRONICLE of Polydore Virgil', in 25 books, ending with the death of Richard III in 1485. An anonymous English translation of Polydore Vergil's Latin work 'Cronica Polydori' or 'Anglica Historia', the first printed edition of which (Basel, 1534) went down to 1509 (26 books), and the third edition (Basel, 1555) to 1538 (27 books). Two vols. bound together, vol. i, bks. 1-22, vol. ii, bks. 23-25. of the translation, books 23-25, comprising the history of Henry VI, Edward IV, and Richard III, were edited from this MS. by Sir H. Ellis for the Camden Society, 1845, and in 1846 books 1-8, events prior to the Norman Conquest, but the rest was not published. Beg. 'The whole Countrie of Britaine (which at this date, as it were in double name, is called Englande and Scotlande)'; ends 'vncertaine what death perchance soone after by sicknes or other vyolence to suffer'. Colophon, 'Thende of thistony of King Richard the third'.

Paper; ff. 244, 81. Folio. About 12 in. x 8 in. In minute hands of the third quarter of XVI cent. (with marginal notes in the same and other hands). The hand of the last two books, which is less orderly and contains many corrections and interlineations, may possibly be that of the translator. Belonged (vol. i, f. 1) to [John, Lord]Lumley. Lumley cat. f. 227; not in the other old catalogues.