Harley MS 5418

This composite manuscript consists of three parts that were produced separately.

Part 1 (ff. 1r-82v) was written in England in the 4th quarter of the 13th century or 1st quarter of the 14th century.

Part 2 (ff. 83r-105v) may have been written in Italy in the 17th century.

Part 3 (ff. 106r-160v) was written in Italy in 1471.

Contents:

Part 1:

ff. 1r-16r: Brut Chronicle (the Abbreviatio version), books 7 (middle)-10.

ff. 16v-76v: Chronicon Angliae ab anno 75 ad 1192.

ff. 77r-82v: Mirabilia Angliae, including prophecies of Merlin, lists of kings of England, and regions of the world.

This part contains several additions:

Added marginal inscriptions in various medieval and post-medieval hands in English and Latin throughout, e.g. f. 53r: 'The man is blest that hathe not gone by wickyd rede astray [etc.]' (other inscriptions on ff. 1r, 17v-18r, 32v, 39r, 35r, 66v, 67r, 78v, 79r).

Part 2:

ff. 83r-105v: Fragment of a political work, entitled: 'An et quatenus diversa sit principum, privatorumque, in Belgio praesertim, successio - Caput 3'.

Part 3:

ff. 106r-160v: Leonardo Bruni of Arezzo [Leonardus Brunus Aretinus], De bello italico adversus Gotos; ending with a colophon by the scribe Antonius Ruzinentus; ending with the colophon: 'Scripti per me Antonium Zuzinentem Anno a natali Christi 1471 finiti die 3 Augusti. Alexandrie dum ibidem grammatice, rhetoriceque, atque poesis rudimenta publice traderem'.

Decoration:

Part 1:

2 puzzle initials in red and blue with penwork decoration in red or blue (ff. 17r, 36r). Large initial in blue with reserved design and red pen-flourishing (f. 34r). Initials in red or blue with penwork decoration in the other colour. Paraphs in alternating red or blue. Capitals marked in red.

Part 2:

No decoration.

Part 3:

Large initial in red with pink pen-flourishing (f. 106r). Coloured initials and paraphs in red. Spaces for initials left blank (ff. 122r, 134v, 148v).