Harley MS 3877

Contents:

1. (ff. 1r-8r): Alphabetical index to the Polychronicon. Topics are keyed to book and chapter numbers. The index is on a different type of parchment and in the hand of a different scribe, who also has provided marginal notes throughout the manuscript, as well as occasional corrections to the text.

2. (f. 8v): Division of history into five ages, along with the calculation of relative dates. Incipit: 'Prima etas seculi ab Adam usque ad diluvium per x generaciones'. In the same hand as the index.

3. (ff. 9r-217v): Polychronicon by Ranulf Higden (d. 1364), with a continuation to 1377. An edition of the chronicle can be found in Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden, ed. by Churchill Babington and J. R. Lumby, Rolls Series, 9 vols (London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, and Green, 1865-1886). Incipit (f. 9r): Post preclaros arcium scriptores quibus circa rerum noticiam aut morum modestiam dulce fuit'. Book VII of Higden's Polychronicon ends on f. 207v with the rubric 'Hic finivit Radulphus Cestrensis opus suum'. The text continues immediately after. Incipit (f. 207v): 'Item hoc anno Noum Junij natus est regi E Edmundus apud langley ex Philippa Regina'. Explicit (f. 217r-v): 'paulatim illa felicia decrescebant infortuna quam infausta enormia & alia incomoda crebrescentibus malis pululare ceperunt & que gravius est longum continuacionem diu postea habuerunt'. Brief marginal notes in Latin have been added at the creation of the manuscript a number of hands, including the scribe of the index, and identify some important names and topics, as well as chapter numbers and dates.

Decoration:

Large initial in gold and colours with acanthus leaves combined with a full border with foliate decoration, acanthus leaves and flowers at the beginning of the prologue (f. 9r). 6 large initials in gold and colours with foliate feathering, acanthus leaves, and flowers extending into the margin or intercolumnar space at the beginning of each book (ff. 39v, 61r, 92r, 117r, 147r, 170v). Space for initial left blank (f. 66r). Numerous large and smaller initials in blue with red pen-flourishing including foliate decoration and fish. Capitals marked in yellow or in red. Ascenders of certain letters on the top line are decorated with a face in profile (ff. 2v, 3r). Catchwords written on scrolls.