Harley MS 4875

Contents:

ff. 1r-10r: Alphabetical index to the Polychronicon, with entries keyed to book and chapter numbers. Incipit (f. 1r): 'Abraham 2 10'. Explicit (f. 10r): 'De zerobabel 3 10'.

ff. 10v-228v: Polychronicon by Ranulf Higden, with a continuation to c. 1399. 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: 'Post preclaros arcium scriptores . quibus . circa rerum noticiam aut morum modestiam'. The manuscript ends imperfectly, at the bottom of the last page of a quire. Explicit (f. 228v): 'ad ferendam sententiam deposicionis huius et ad deponendum Regem Ricardum ab omni dignitate maiestate'. The single quire ff. 166r-174v is in the hand of a different scribe, and ends on f. 174v at the top of the second column. The text begins in the hand of the first scribe at the top of f. 175r. Latin marginal notes in a variety of hands, mostly post-medieval. Very occasional Latin notes in the hand of the main scribe. Includes catchwords and leaf signatures.

Decoration:

2 diagrams in red (ff. 70r, 70v) illustrating Pythagorean musical theory. Large initials in gold and colours with foliate decoration including acanthus leaves combined with a three-sided border at the beginning of the text (f. 10v). Large initials in gold and colours with foliate tendrils and acanthus extending into the margin (ff. 43r, 65r, 117r, 143v, 163v) or large puzzle initial in red and blue with pen-flourishing in red and purple (f. 94v) at the beginning of each book. Numerous smaller initials in blue with red pen-flourishing including foliate decoration and flowers.