Stowe MS 56

Catalogue of the Stowe Manuscripts in the British Museum, 2 vols (London: British Museum, 1895-1896), I, pp. 33-36 (no. 56):

'A COLLECTION Of historical and romantic works, in Latin, viz.:- 1. "Historia de Iehrusalem," in three books, with a Prologue, by "Baldricus, Burguliensium fratrum abbas, postea vero . . . Dolensium archiepiscopus": the History of the First Crusade, 1095-1099, by Baudri, Abbot of Bourgueil (1079) and Archbishop of Dol (1107, ob. 1130). f. 2. See the Recueil des Historiens des Croisades, vol. iv. Paris, 1879, pp. 9-111. As there printed, the penultimate sentence of Baudri's work ends, "Christianitas ubique terrarum, Deo gratias, exaltata est " (p. 110). In the present copy (f. 46) these words are followed, without a break, by "Sic itaque nostri triumphantes et deo gratias agentes, spoliis eorum et armis et tentoriis onerati, ad castra regressi sunt," and the history is continued down to A.D. 1106. This continuation agrees with chaps. xxxix. (mid.)-lxxii. of the anonymous "Gesta Francorum expugnantium Iherusalem" printed in the Recueil, vol. iii., 1866, pp. 518 D-543, including the verses at the end, "Venerandus Podiensis Aimarus episcopus," etc. These lines are here followed (f. 59) by ten others, beg. "Contigit in nostris quiddam, Taruenna, diebus," referring to the first two kings of Jerusalem, Godfrey and Baldwin (ob. 1118), and the first two Latin patriarchs. The names of the latter are given in the last two lines : — "Primus Euermarus sedit patriarcha sepulcri; Post hunc Arnulfus, oriundus uterque Cikes." Properly speaking, Daimbert was the first Patriarch (1100); Ebremar, who was a native of Cickes in Térouanne, succeeding on his deposition in 1103-4, and being himself succeeded by Gibelin (1107-1111). Arnoul de Rohës, who followed (1111-1118), was thus the fourth Patriarch. The same lines, with fourteen others in addition, are printed by Martène and Durand, Vett Script. amplissima Collectio, 1729, v. col. 539. 2. Brief summary of Norman history down to the accession of Henry I. of England, abridged from the work of William of Jumièges and its continuation. f. 59. Begins: "Tempore Ludouici cognomento ' Nihil fecit ' et Karoli simplicis filii eius." Ends: "sicque eum Anglia etiam Normanniam optinuit." 3. The History of the Trojan War, by Dares Phrygius; said to have been translated from Greek into Latin by Cornelius Nepos. f. 64. The introductory epistle has the rubric: "Incipit epistola Cornelij ad Crispum Salustium in Troianorum historia, que in greco a Darete hystoriographo facta est." The History is headed: "Incipit hystoria Daretis Troianorum Frigii . de greco translata in latinum a Cornelio Nepote." The text is divided by coloured initials into 38 sections, including the two supplementary sections, "Quis Troianorum quem Grecorum occiderit" and "Quis Grecorum quem Troianorum occiderit." See the Catalogue of Romances in the British Museum, vol. i. p. 12. 4. Apollonius of Tyre: supposed to be a translation of an early Greek romance. f. 75. Title: "Incipit historia Appollonii Regis Tyrii." The text is not divided into chapters or sections. Begins: "Fuit quidem rex Antiochus nomine." Ends: "et duo uolumina fecit, unum Diane in templo Ephesiorum et aliud bibliothece sue." The riddles propounded by "Tharsia" to Apollonius (f. 85) are only seven in number, viz.: 1. Unda; 2. Navis; 3. Balneus; 4. Spongia; 5. Sphæra; 6. Speculum; 7. Sealæ. See the Cat. of Romances, vol. i. p. 161. 5. "Hystoria de Alexandro rege magno Macedonum" : the abridgment of the Latin work of Julius Valerius, translated by him from the Greek of Pseudo-Callisthenes. f. 87b. See the Cat. of Romances, vol. i. p. 106. Not divided into chapters. Begins: "Egipti sapientes fati (sc. sati) de genere divino primi feruntur." Ends: "uino et ueneno superatus atque extinctus occubuit." 6. The letter of Alexander to Aristotle on the Marvels of India, usually appended to the abridgment of Julius Valerius, as above. f. 99b. Title: "Incipit epistola Alexandri regis magni Macedonum ad Aristotilem magistrum suum de itinere et situ Indie." Begins: "Semper memor tui etiam inter dubia bellorum nostrorum." Ends: "animo et industria, optime Aristotile, sponde." See the Cat. of Romances, vol. i. pp. 108, 131. 7. Letters between Alexander and Dindimus, king of the Brahmins. f. 106b. The first letter is headed: "Incipit epistola Alexandri ad Dindimum regem Bragmanorum "; and the second: "Prima responsio Dindimi regis Bragmanorum contra Alexandrum regem magnum Macedonum." The letters severally begin: 1. Alex., "Sepius ad aures meas fando peruenit." f. 106b; — 2. Dind., "Desideranter (-tem), Alexander, te scire." f. 107; — 3. Alex., "Si hec ita sunt, ut asseris." f. 110; — 4. Dind., "Nos, inquit Dindimus, non sumus incole huius mundi." f. 110; — 5. Alex., "Tu nunc ideo beatum." f. 110b. The text agrees with that of the letters as printed by Sir Edw. Bysshe, Palladius de Gentibus Indiæ, etc,. London, 1665, p. 85. See also the Cat. of Romances, vol. i. p. 137. 8. Historia regum Britanniæ, by Geoffrey of Monmouth. In ten books, with the prologue "Cum mecum multa," etc. f. 111b. Divided into chapters, without numbers, by initials in red. Bk. i. is headed "Incipit Brittanice hystorie liber primus." The prologue to the Prophecices of Merlin, and the epistle to Alexander, Bishop of Lincoln, are at the end of Bk. vi. (f. 149b), Bk. vii. beginning the Prophecies, with the words "Sedente itaque Uortegirno." See the Cat. of Romances, vol. i. p. 203. Vellum; ff. 185. About A.D. 1200. In double columns of 34 lines; initials in red and green. In brown leather binding, stamped with the arms of Sir James Ley, Bart. (1619), afterwards Baron Ley (1624) and Earl of Marlborough (1626). Quarto.'.