Add MS 48178

MARTINUS POLONUS, CHRONICA PONTIFICUM ET IMPERATORUM; VITA ALEXANDRI MAGNI, etc.; early 14th cent. Latin.

1. f. 1. 'De Terra Sancta'; a short historical itinerary from Acre to Golgotha, in the hand of John of London, monk of St Augustine's, Canterbury (fl. c. 1300-1360), on whom see A. B. Emden, Donors of Books to St. Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, 1968, pp. 11-12, where other MSS. containing his hand are listed.

2. ff. 3-97. Martinus Polonus, Chronica Pontificum et Imperatorum; the later recension (C in L. Weiland's edition, Monumenta Germaniae Historica. Scriptores, xxii, 1872, pp. 377-482; cited as W), with the inserted passage on pre-Augustan Roman history, and without the passage on Pope Joan. The chronicle is continued to the end of the vacancy preceding the election of Pope John XXII, 1316. Arranged as follows: (a) 'De quattuor regnis maioribus'. W, pp. 398, l.4 - 408, l.9. The sentence 'Cuius Babilone . . . Zacharie prophete', W, p. 398, ll.15-16, has been added in the margin of f. 3 by John of London, whose emendations, etc., occur passim. The passage 'Et quia primo . . . pontifice Ihesu Christo', W, p. 407, ll.8-42, is omitted, and the list of sources beg. 'Compilavi autem', W, pp. 407, l.43-408, l.9, is abbreviated and re-ordered. ff. 3-14; (b) Chronicon Imperatorum. W, pp. 443, l.25-474, l.45. The MS. has several misreadings, e.g. 'Gorgonius' for 'Gordianus', f. 19b, l.15, and 'Tyberius' for 'Liberius', f. 27b, l.24. ff. 14-46; (c) Chronicon Pontificum. The preface 'Quoniam scire . . . possit allegari', W, p. 397, ll.23-26, is followed directly by the passage 'Et quia primo summo . . . ex passionibus sanctorum', W, pp. 407, l.8-408, l.9, the list of sources at the end being abbreviated. The MS. continues as W to 'fumus evanuit', W, p. 441, l.26 (f. 84); then, of the four variants given in W, pp. 441, l.36-442, l.16, the MS. agrees best with MSS. 2-6. The passage in W, p. 442, ll.19-24, is omitted, and the MS. continues to the end of Pope John XXI (f. 85), W, p. 443, l.22, with the addition noted in MS. 8, W, p. 443, note +. From Popes Nicholas III to Honorius IV the MS. follows the 'Continuatio', W, pp. 476, l.13-482, l.10, 'sollicite prosequenda', ff. 85-89b, l.8. The account of Honorius IV concludes with a short further passage, 'Hic est papa fecit . . . et ix dies', and the MS. then continues from Pope Nicholas IV, 'Nicholas papa quartus de Marthia Anconitana' to the end of the vacancy preceding the election of John XXII, 1316, ff. 89b-97. ff. 58-97.

3. ff. 101b-115b. Vita Alexandri Magni: the so-called 'Zacher Epitome' of Julius Valerius, see Julii Valerii Epitome, ed. J. Zacher, Halle 1867; followed by, ff. 110b-115b, the fictitious letter to Aristotle on the marvels of India, ed. W. W. Boer, Epistola Alexandri ad Aristotelem, The Hague, 1953. See also G. Cary, The Medieval Alexander, 1956, pp. 14 sqq. This copy is not listed in: D. J. A. Ross, 'A check-list of three Alexander texts', Scriptorium, x, 1956, pp. 127-132; J. B. Voorbij, 'Additions to Ross's Check-list of Alexander-texts', Scriptorium, xxxviii, 1984, pp. 116-120.

Vellum; ff. i + 116. 240 x 160mm. Early XIV cent. (after 1316). Gatherings (excluding original fly-leaves ff. 1-2, a bifolium, and f. 116, a single leaf), i-iv12, v10 (lacks 2-4), vi-ix8, x12, xi14. Quire v is blank. Artt. 2(c) and 3 begin on new quires. Catchwords i-iv, vi (trace) and ix; the rest trimmed. Signatures: the first six leaves in i-iv are numbered in arabics in the top right corner, with some losses through trimming; in i, they are also crudely lettered a-f in the bottom right corner; in ii-iii they are numbered I-VI; in iv the first four leaves are numbered i-iiii in red. Pricked, ruled and written in single columns mostly of 32-33 lines. Two book-hands with red and blue decorated initials (art. 2); a cursive book-hand with spaces for initials (art. 3). Belonged to: (a) John of London and St Augustine's, Canterbury, see art. 1 above; he wrote the inscription, f. 2b, 'Liber fratris Johannis de Lond' de Librario Sancti Augustini Cant' in quo continentur que secuntur. Primo Cronica Martini domini pape Bonifacii octavi penitentiarii de Imperatoribus et papis et contingenciis temporibus suis'.

Press-mark, 'Distinction X gradu primo', f. 2b. M. R. James, Ancient Libraries of Canterbury and Dover, 1903, no. 916 (p. 295); (b) Dr John Dee (d.1608); M.75 in John Dee's Library Catalogue, ed. R. J. Roberts and A. G. Watson, Bibliographical Soc., 1983. The inscription 'Alexandri Magni ortus et res gestae', f. 2b, is in Dee's hand; (c) Sir Simonds D'Ewes, who wrote the title 'Martini fratris . . . Alexandri Magni', f. 2b. Not recorded in any D'Ewes list; see A. G. Watson, The Library of Sir Simonds D'Ewes, 1966. The title 'Vita Alexandri Magni', f. 101b, is probably by an amanuensis of D'Ewes. '1756' is written of f. 1, see Add. 48180. 17th-cent. brown calf binding with remains of blue silk ties and contemporary title, gilt, on spine. Paper label 'Apx.I' on the spine, late 19th-early 20th centt.

Romances: Supposititious letter of Alexander the Great to Aristotle on the marvels of India: 14th cent.: Lat.

Alexander, the Great: Supposititious letter to Aristotle on the marvels of India: 14th cent.: Lat.

Alexander, the Great: Vita Alexandri Magni, abridged from Julius Valerius: 14th cent.: Lat.

Romances: Vita Alexandri, abridged from Julius Valerius: 14th cent.: Lat.

Martinus Polonus, Archbishop-Elect of Gnesen: Chronicles of Emperors and Popes: 14th cent.: Lat.

includes:

• f. 1 Palestine: Historical itinerary from Acre to Golgotha: 14th cent.
• f. 2b Press-marks: St Augustine's, Canterbury: 15th cent(?).
• ff. 3-97 Martinus Polonus, of Troppau; Archbishop-elect of Gnesen: Chronica Pontificum et Imperatorum: early 14th cent.
• ff. 101b-110 Julius Valerius: Abridgement of his Life of Alexander the Great: 14th cent.: Lat.
• ff. 101b-110b Alexander, the Great: Epitome of Julius Valerius' life of: 14th cent.
• ff. 110b-115b Alexander, the Great: Fictitious letter to Aristotle on the marvels of India,: 14th cent.
• ff. 110b-115b Aristotle: Fictitious letter to, on the marvels of India, from Alexander the Great: 14th cent.